Every year, motor shows and related fairs take place one after another around the globe, much to the excitement of car enthusiasts, and this year is no exception. NEXEN TIRE brings you some updates on major motor shows and CES in 2016.

CES : An electronics show, or a motor show?

The CES, or the Consumer Electronics Show, is the largest of its kind and is held every year in Las Vegas, United States. Yet, its latest instance, which took place last January, was quite different from its previous versions: automotive companies came into spotlight. With the emergence of futuristic smart cars combining information technology and Internet of Things (IoT), a wide variety of such cars were showcased at the 2016 CES.

General Motors unveiled the Volt EV for the first time, featuring a range twice longer than Nissan’s Leaf that had been cited by many as being a masterpiece that combines the most sophisticated EV technologies. BMW and Samsung Electronics jointly presented the IoT-based i3, a technology that allows you to control cabin features with the motion of a hand and i Vision Future Interaction Concept Car equipped with AirTouch. Volkswagen, in association with LG Electronics, unveiled BUDD-e, hinting at the launch of its production model while Kia Motors introduced its Soul EV equipped with DRIVE WISE, a self-driving technology.

The show predicts that cars will be becoming increasingly more intelligent as leading automakers embed more and more electronics in their models. At this rate, it will not be long before we see some futuristic cars commonly seen in movies to become a reality.

Detroit Motor Show : Upscale rather than Innovation

Detroit Auto Show could have been deprived of its status as being one of the world’s top 4 motor shows because of CES predating it where global automakers unveiled a wide range of self-driving cars and EV technologies. The show was still good enough to fascinate visitors with plenty of splendid things to see, keeping true to its global name and long tradition.

Ford unveiled the All New Lincoln Continental, a super luxury sedan that was introduced only as a concept car last year, while Volvo presented its high-end sedan s90 at the show for the first time. The s90 drew huge attention as it incorporates a technology that allows it to run on its own without departure from its lane even when there is no car running ahead of it.

Asian makers join the club: Lexus presented the LC500, a coupe equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission for the first time; Hyundai unveiled its full-size luxury sedan G90 (also called EQ900 in Korea) for the first time in North America; and Kia introduced the Telluride (project name KCD 12), a premium full-size SUV concept. Audi’s h-tron Quattro, its first hydrogen fuel-cell electric car, was among the top-rated concept cars.

In contrast to CES where cars full of advanced vehicular technologies were presented, the Detroit Show provided a good opportunity to see how much automakers are ready to go luxurious as well.

Geneva Motor Show : Who Can Be Greener?

Another buzzword for automobiles these days is ‘green’. Reflecting the globally-tightening regulations on emissions in the aftermath of Volkswagen’s Diesel Gate, the exhibit hall was full of green cars of great diversity.

Hyundai unveiled its IONIQ trio available in green versions only. Kia kept up with pace by presenting the Niro, an SUV hybrid model. Japanese brands with proprietary hybrid technologies were also on site: Toyota presented the C-HR, a hybrid concept, the Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell EV, and many other green models while Lexus marked its entry into the high-performance hybrid sport car segment with its LC500h. BMW unveiled three hybrid variants of its full-size sedan 7 Series for the first time in the world while Volkswagen presented the T-Cross, an SUV concept smaller than its Tiguan.

With environmental impact becoming a big issue around the world and consumers becoming increasingly interested in hybrid cars, it is expected that more green cars will come to the market.



Detroit Auto Show, Geneva Motor Show, and CES that presented as many high-tech cars as any motor show can. All these events confirmed that the automotive industry is making a significant investment in luxury and green. We can’t wait to see what new auto trends will come about in this next year.