Sneak Peeks from the Detroit Auto Show

Every year people in automotive careers of all stripes look forward to the Detroit Auto Show. It’s a spectacular event, with all the North American International brands in attendance to give a sneak peek of what will be rolling out of the factories in the upcoming years.

Though the Motor City’s annual Auto Show is always a chance to see new cars and trucks coming to market, this year is being heralded as the return of the truck. The three major American car makers, (Ford, GM and Chrysler) are swapping small fuel efficient cars for pick-ups.

That’s right: the big burly truck is back! There has been a huge spike in interest in eco-friendly and fuel-efficient cars in the past little while, and although this is not a bad thing, it has taken away from any progressive design in trucks and pick-ups. But as the economy is beginning to pick up again, car makers are back to the truck-based drawing board. Keep that in mind for your auto technician training, because the line up in Detroit is what’s going to be rolling into the garage in the next few years.

Ford has the Atlas concept, a descendant of the bestselling F-150, while GM is showcasing the new Silverado and Sierra models. All of them are huge, solid working vehicles with boxy construction and heavy frames. Expect to see those filling up the lots when you’re done with auto sales college.

But there’s more than cargo space and heavy frames to dazzle the audience! The new Lexus boasts a broader profile, more passenger space and a more aggressive design, perhaps to fit in with the big trucks in the show room. But nothing quite matches Nissan’s crafty marketing tactic of scenting their booth with their new signature fragrance. The idea is that the scent will leave you with a more memorable visit. If smell isn’t enough to rock your world, Cirque du Soleil danced and flipped to introduce the Infinti’s hybrid engine sports sedan Q50.

It doesn’t end there…The Detroit Auto Show will be running for almost two more weeks, which means there’s still more surprises to uncover!