A need for speed at New York’s International Auto Show

Global Business

NY auto

The New York Auto show just kicked off. It’s the last U.S. car show of the season and known to be the most consumer friendly among them – despite being set in a city where few people own their own cars.

Sure to be a highlight this year is the new and ‘fasted production’ car featured in the new film “The Fate of the Furious.”

CGTN’s Karina Huber takes alook.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was the star at the 2017 New York Auto Show. It has an 840-horsepower engine that can go from 0 to 60 miles in 2.3 seconds. It’s so fast, it has been banned by the association that governs drag racing in America.

Auto expert Nik Miles calls it a jaw-dropper. “The Guinness Book of World Records has certified this as the only car where the front wheels will leave the ground for almost three feet as you punch this car from 0-60. Now that’s power,” Miles said.

Muscle cars took center stage as did big SUVs and crossovers. With lower gas prices, they’ve been outselling sedans for the past few years.

On the high end, the new Lincoln Navigator is getting a lot of buzz. Favored by hip-hop stars and professional athletes who want a little more room without compromising on luxury this marks the first major redesign for the model in a decade.

 

View photos of the latest cars at the New York Auto Show:

It’s got 20 speakers, six USB ports and wireless charging. “There’s actually 75 new features in this vehicle versus the outgoing. So it’s kind of hard to compare because there’s nothing left of the old,” Molly Cosgrove, Lincoln Navigator, brand manager, said.

Miles said Ford couldn’t have timed the release better; it’s the perfect car for the Trump era. “It’s American made, you know, it’s American designed, it’s an American car company, they’re investing in America – all the things that Trump is interested in – this car provides.”

It’s also not exactly environmentally friendly – less of a concern for the current administration. But green cars were still on display. Honda unveiled its clarity series featuring two new Sedans – a plug-in hybrid and an all-electric car. Both are being marketed as the first electric vehicles to comfortably seat five adults.

The hybrid can get a full charge in two-and-a-half hours. “The plug-in hybrid version today is more than 40 miles of driving range so that a customer can have their daily driving entirely in electric but have unlimited gasoline range for their transportation needs,” Ryan Harty, manager of Environmental Business with Honda, said.