Windy City showcase: the world's automakers save a few surprizes for the Chicago Auto Show

Automotive Industries, March, 2004 by Gary Witzenburg

Jumping on the suddenly popular mid-size pickup hay wagon, Korea's Kia showed a concept truck called Mojave, designed "specifically for America's adventuresome 20-somethings." While its exterior is fairly conventional, its "progressive" interior, with back seats that scoot forward to extend the bed into the cabin, was designed with "tech-savvy Gen Yers" in mind. With ambitious expansion plans for U.S. car sales, Kia admits it has no available facility to build this truck, but says it would dearly love to if could find a way.

Subaru debuted its updated '05 Outback crossover wagon, slightly longer and with "both SUV and car characteristics" enhanced and improved for 2005. Jaguar showed a racer-inspired 200-mph XK-RS street roadster concept, with its 5.0L V-8 engine supercharged and "amplified" to 550 hp by Jag's Michigan-based Rocketsports Racing factory team.

And Volvo introduced both a "2004.5" S40 sedan with a new, patented frontal impact absorbing structure it calls Volvo Intelligent Vehicle Architecture (VIVA) and its all-new 2005 V50 sport wagon, the latter offering a choice of 16-hp 2.4L or 218-hp turbocharged 2.5L 5-cylinder engines. Both engines can be teamed with available electronically controlled AWD.

Finally, as if Chicago's gigantic February auto show really needed more room, its organizers announced an expansion from the current 840,000 sq.ft. to a mind-boggling 1.2 million sq.ft., all on one level in two adjoining buildings for 2005. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

For more images of cars from the Chicago Show visit ai-online.com