Nissan was showing off the new version of their Nissan Murano as well as the new Infiniti EX35, while Toyota, in addition to tooting its own horn, exhibited its current hybrid technology.
If you are familiar with the 2007 Murano (there is no 2008 model), you won’t mistake the 2009 version for anything else. The distinctive shape is still there, but something about the previous generation’s style got lost in translation. A softening in the style of both the front and rear portions of the vehicle makes the new Murano less edgy and, unfortunately, more bland.
The interior, on the other hand, is much more inviting. Upgrades in materials and design put it on a par with the best in its class.
Based on the G35 architecture, the EX adds a rear hatch and more headroom. Options include Lane Departure Prevention as well as AVM – a 4 camera monitoring system on the sides and ends of the vehicle designed to help with close-in maneuvers such as parking.
Toyota A-BAT Concept
Revealed at this year’s NAIAS, the A-BAT is a hybrid clone of the Honda Ridgeline. While Detroit Auto Show attendees could only gaze on it from afar, engineers at the 2008 World Congress were able to get up close and personal. While the styling may be derivative, the powertrain certainly isn’t. Toyota engineers installed the parallel hybrid system they call Hybrid Synergy Drive in this concept that includes a 4-cylinder gasoline engine coupled to an electric motor. Like its Prius cousin, this allows the vehicle to navigate the urban landscape in electric-only mode.
Hybrid technology was a big hot button at this year’s SAE Congress, what better way to celebrate “greenness” than trotting out the best-selling hybrid vehicle on the planet? Even with one of the weirdest dashboards in the industry, the Prius continues to outsell the Honda Civic Hybrid by a huge margin.
Toyota FCHV Hybrid
Maybe you’ve seen the FCHV (Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle) at the auto show, but engineers get to see the “cutaway” version in all its innard-exposing glory. High pressure hydrogen tanks, nickel-metal hydride battery and a power control unit are all there courtesy of a modified Toyota Highlander that has been neatly sliced in half from fore to aft. Eighteen "whole" vehicles are currently in service at California universities, private companies and Japanese government agencies.
