NEW YORK – A crossover SUV is unlikely to find itself under consideration for a World Car of the Year award, though Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Convention Center is chock-full of a fresh crop of these station wagons on raised suspensions sporting all-wheel-drive systems. No, it seems the 46 journalists from 22 different countries prefer cars when it comes to naming the winners of its four annual awards, though it must be noted that the Lexus RX 400h was finalist in this year’s new World Green Car category. After the ballots had been tabulated, the 2006 World Car of the Year is the BMW 3 Series, so named for its versatility, for its diversity in purpose, and for its all-around yumminess. And so, it appears that the ultimate driving machine remains so, not just in North America or Germany, but all around the globe.
Still, based on the press introductions during the second day of the 2006 New York Auto Show, it seems few manufacturers are interested in copying BMW’s recipe for success. The closest any company came to matching BMW’s fun and function was Subaru, with the debut of the 2007 Subaru Legacy Spec B and the 2007 Subaru WRX STi Limited Edition. The former is an all-wheel drive sports sedan cut in the BMW mold, undercutting the 3 Series on price but not refinement. The latter is the “gentleman’s” version of every twenty-something’s favorite car, the bewinged and bespoilered WRX STi, equipped with leather and a nice stereo and devoid of that giant rear wing. Fun also came in another form, as a tiny three-door hatchback called the Mini Cooper. But this was no ordinary Mini: the 2007 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP is a limited-production, performance-tuned pocket rocket good for 0-60 mph acceleration in 6.5 seconds for a cost of just more than $31,000. Why so expensive? Just 415 serial-numbered examples will find a way to the States this fall. The rest of the day’s debuts, with the exception of roomier and more powerful 2007 Hyundai Elantra, were crossover SUVs, vehicles that drive like cars but look like trucks. Or so we’re told. Wait, Kia did display a freshened 2007 Sorento with a bigger engine and a redesigned interior, and that is one truck that’s good to play in the dirt. But the remainder of the new models were little more than jacked up station wagons with available all-wheel drive – y’know, cars like the 1981 AMC Eagle Sportwagon.
First up was the 2007 Mazda CX-9. This seven-passenger SUV is said by its maker to offer best-in-class room combined with the handling and responsiveness of a sports sedan. We’ll see after a test drive, but upon first inspection, this one looks promising. Next up was Honda with a new trim level for its Element SUV. The Element is a terrific little cube of a truck, suffering only from a serious bout with the ugly stick. The new 2007 Honda Element SC doesn’t help much in that respect, but does give the Element a customized appearance with trim differences, big wheels and tires, a lowered suspension, and other modifications. Mitsubishi and Suzuki, two manufacturers that haven’t exactly lit the sales charts on fire, also join the crossover SUV fray for 2007. The completely redesigned 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander gets bigger and more powerful, with a new V6 engine and three rows of seating. It even looks good thanks to its distinctive greenhouse. Suzuki’s 2007 XL7 might have a tougher go of things. It’s based on the GM platform that supports the Chevy Equinox, and while the Suzuki looks quite a bit different, different is not always good. It also gets a powerful V6 engine, but the big selling point for this new ‘Zuki is likely to be value.
But it’s not all bad news for Suzuki, because it also introduced its new subcompact hatchback in New York, and this is a car that me likey. The 2007 Suzuki SX4 is good looking, functional, inexpensive, and can be ordered with a 4WD system for light off-roading. Suzuki says that handling was a top priority, but the engine also produces decent power, so the SX4 isn’t likely to turn out a dud. And with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, you can’t go wrong. Still, most people aren’t like me. I prefer small cars. When power and exclusivity are on the list of must-haves, look no further than the ridiculous 2007 Saleen Parnelli Jones LE and the horrifying Spyker D12 Dakar-To-Paris. Me, I’ll stick with that little Suzuki. And if I manage to get a big, fat, juicy raise, maybe I’ll pop for the 2006 World Car of the Year, in 325i Sport trim, of course.
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