As all of the bigwigs in the automotive world gear up for the start of the North American International Auto Show this week, a few automakers are noticeably absent(ish). Hosted in Detroit, and arguably the largest annual auto show in the United States, the North American International Auto Show is the first stop for many automotive brands to show off what they have in store for 2017.
Drivers interested in purchasing the latest and greatest models pay for tickets, line up outside, and sit behind the wheel of one car after another hoping that the act will somehow transform their life savings into the exact MSRP. Alas, this dream is one fantasy that will never transform into reality, and that’s okay. If auto shows do one thing well, it is giving car brands the world stage for showing off all that they have in store for the upcoming year…
…Except for Mazda
Apparently, the Japanese automaker isn’t up for the drama and work that goes into prepping for a major industry event. From what we can tell, Mazda plans to essentially show up to the annual event, shake a few hands, and head back home. Other automotive brands are taking full advantage of the world stage, while Mazda sits back with a cocktail and takes it all in.
Back in 2016, Mazda debuted its newest redesigned CX-5 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and seems content with that level of effort. The brand is too busy manufacturing and rolling out the 2017 CX-5, which happens to be its best-selling model. Is it just us, or does Mazda seem to be putting all of their eggs in one basket? Either way, we can’t wait to get behind the wheel of this newest rendition of the compact crossover, which is slated to offer a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine as an available option.
Another Absence This Week
As Mazda is more along the lines of inactively present, another big wig from the automotive world is very noticeably not attending the Detroit Auto Show this week. Matthias Mueller, CEO of Volkswagen, is in some hot water over the emissions-scandal of the century. While his company is busy debuting new models and introducing new in-vehicle technology, Mueller and eight other executive board members are cowering somewhere in Germany hoping that the investigation with the Department of Justice will dissipate. If you can’t see it, it’s not there…right?
A spokesperson for Volkswagen released a statement regarding the decision not to send the board to Detroit saying, “There will be no separate event of the VW group (in Detroit) and in view of this fact, the group’s executive board will not attend the show.” Sounds innocent enough, but after Mueller made some off-hand remarks on national public radio regarding whether or not the company lied to consumers about emissions results – it seems that VW would rather not risk any more negative press while it awaits a verdict from the DOJ.
As one of the most exciting auto shows gets into full swing this week, we can’t wait to see everything that is introduced for 2017.
