A P I '94 AUTO PREVIEW
A P I ’94 AUTO PREVIEW
FAMILIAR FACES WITH NEW FEATURES FOR 1 9 9 4
By almost any stretch o f the imagination, the 1994
auto season can be summed up in one surpnsmg word —
m odest
Oh sure! The Big Three automakers will introduce
a few new cars and trucks, a new nam e or two, and several
new design features. Thanks to the soft economy and new
emission controls, Detroit is keeping its eyes on controlling
manufacturing costs. The result: we w on’t see many new
models this fall.
But don’t cry for Detroit. Chrysler, Ford and G en
eral Motors have enjoyed a renaissance of sorts with con sum -
ers. New price incentives, technical and design im prove
ments made 1993 a banner year for the Big Three against the
imports.
New safety regulations are the big news this auto
season as automakers have responded with safer cars. The
new rules require each automobile sold in the 1994 model
season have frontal crash protection for tw o occupants. In
short, more cars are offering dual airbag s as standard features.
Given these safety and technical advancements,
Amencans no longer simply assume that the Japanese pro
vide more value in their automobiles. Higher pnces brought
on by a stronger yen against the dollar have hurt the sales of
Japanese cars. I londa, M azda and Mitsubishi have seen their
sales slide, and although Nissan and Toyota are still going
strong, they rem ain concerned about their future m the
Am encan market.
The European automakers have similar sticker
shock problems, but they are also gearing up for battle after
seeing their sales drop last year. Mercedes-Benz and BMW
are trying to offer value, and Saab, Volkswagen and Volvo
are finally introducing new products to the market in hopes
for success.
Given the im ports’ pricing disadvantages, the
Amencan automakers seem to have a wide open lane to the
motoring public. Their careful blend of new designs and
simple technical updates should win over more consumers in
the new automotive season.
Some of the biggest news in 1994 comes from
Chry sler, the nation’s smallest but perhaps most talked about
automaker.
The new Dodge Ram pickup arrives in show n oms
this fall and an optional V -10 engine will be available on ’
Ram eariynextyear.Therestyledtruckcom esinthreem i ' Is
with two bed sizes, two wheelbases and five engines, includ
ing a high performance 8-liler, 300 horsepower V-10.
Chrysler also unveils the new D odge/PlytacuJi
Neon, a front-wheel drive subcompact that will replace :e
Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance. The Neon sc! as
feature dual airbags as standard equipment and offer AB S s
an option and a choice of tw o 4-cyhnder engines, a 133
horsepower single overhead cam and a 140 horsepow eid: 1
overhead cam.
InthepopularJeepgroup.C hryslerdropstheC . d
Wagoneer, while the automaker adds integrated child sale ly
seats to the Grand Cherokee. W rangler and Cherokee comes
in new 3-speed automatic with the 2.5-liler, 4 cylinder
engine.
The FordM otorCompany brings big changes to d.c
automotive showroom with a newly styled Mustang, die fust
major change in the car since 1979. A 3.8-liter 145 horse
power, V-6 is standard in the base model, a 5-liter, 215
horsepower V-8 in the G T Coupe and convertible with a hard
top cap are offered. An even more high powered Cobra
version with a 5 liter, 245 horsepower, V-8 engine and 5-
speed manual will come out six months later.
Besides revising a well -known car, Ford will intro
duce tw o new four-wheel drive compact cars thi s season. The
Ford Contour and the Mercury M ystique, designed in both
America and Europe, debuts next spring and will eventually
replace the Tem po and Topaz.
The Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar boast
new interiors, modest sheet metal revisions and a new V-8
engine. The Ford Aspire replaces the Festiva, and the popular
Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable add cellular telephones as
optional equipment.
General Motors is offering several innovations this
season, including a new luxury sedan from Oldsmobile, a
new S-10 compact pickup truck from Chevrolet, a new
Camaro convertible, a restyled and larger Cadillac Sedan de
Ville.
The Oldsmobile Aurora marks a comeback of sorts
fo ra G M division that has been mired in the perception of the
past. The new luxury sedan, which debuts in May, has a 4-
liter version of G M ’s 4.6 liter, 32 valve, Northstar V-8. The
car also has dual airbags, anti -lock brakes and traction control
as standard equipment.
Chevrolet’s newest offering is the revised S-10
pickup. The truck com es w ithfourw heel ABS with the choice
of tw o 4.3 liter V-6s and rear-wheel ABS with the base 4-
cylinder. A high performance and off-road version are
available.
The Perfect Car for
You & Your Family!
Whether it’s for affordability, performance,
safety or status, the smart shopper can wheel out of the
dealer’s showroom with just the right car with just the
right features. The demand for improved safety fea
tures - like air bags and anti-lock brakes as standard
features — are finally being answered in many new
models.
New regulations have helped too. Every new
Chevy Cavalier, an affordable subcompact
th a t s ta rts a t $ 8 ,8 4 5 , o ffe rs v a lu e , p e rf o r
mance and a healthy list of options. It remains one
of the most popular cars for first time buyers.
Ford Escort is a stylish subcompact that is big
on performance. The c ar’s starting price is $9,035 for
the two-door model. Ford’s “One Price” sales program
on the LX model rolls several options such as air
Jeep W rangler starts at $11,390, and with its
new optional 4.0 liter, fuel injected six cylinder engine
is perhaps the strongest and most versatile sport utility
wagon on the road today.
Geo Tracker is an appealing first-time buy.
While it lacks the Jeep’s raw power and longtime
prestige, it comes with a slightly lower price tag —
starting at $10,865 - and has a little better gas mileage
COVER: TOP LEF T Buicfc Park Avenue UMra ,TOP RIGHT/Dodge Grand Caravan, CENTER LEFT/Ford Thundrebird, BOTTOM LEFT.Mercury Grand Marquis, BOTTOM RIGHT/Chrysler Concorde
CHRYSLER NEW YORKER COMBINES A CLASSIC ROOF UNE WITH CAB-FORWARD ARCHITECTURE FOR A UNIQUE APPEARANCE.
MERCURY COUGAR XR7
MERCURY TRACER
automobile sold in 1994 is required to provide frontal
crash protection for two occupants. Virtually all luxury
cars, for example, have dual airbags. The new Cadillac
DeVille and Fleetwood models go a step farther by
offering the “Airbank,” a larger than normal bag that
protects three passengers in the front seat.
W hile the big news this season centers on
safety, customers can find other incentives to make the
trip to the dealership worthwhile. It doesn’t matter if
you need a car to take the family to grandm a’s or take
on a deserted dirt trail or back road. W hat follows is
a brief look at some of the popular and interesting
models of the new season.
First time buyers who are likely to look for
value and good gas economy, have ample makes and
models to consider. They include:
conditioning into one standard price and makes this
sedan a popular option in its own right.
Geo Metro is also an appealing economical
buy, beginning at $7,195. It has the highest fuel
economy of any car sold in America and its small size
makes it an easy squeeze in tight parking spaces and on
tight budgets.
Saturn SC2 is a reasonably economic coupe
with a base price of $11,795 that is also fun to drive.
Anti-lock brakes are optional, but that option and the
automatic transmission, Satum also includes a trac
tion control feature for better handling.
First time buyers who are on a budget don’t
have to sacrifice the fun of driving to buy a sports car.
There are several models that will bring performance
and excitement without necessarily breaking the bank.
than its b etter k n o w n c o m p e tito r.
Black “baby-boomers” who are starting a
family need to consider more than their own fun and
interests. Safety becomes an important consideration
and the Big Three and the imports have a variety of new
models that provide safety without giving up comfort
and performance.
This autom otive season brings a num ber of
fine cars that have affordability, style, power, techni
cal sophistication and consumer safety.
With all o f these choices, 1994 may be the
automotive season where the customer is the clear
winner.