Skip advert
Advertisement

Chicago Motor Show 2014: Highlights

We take a look at the important cars on display at the Chicago Motor Show

Sandwiched between the Detroit Motor Show in January and the Geneva Motor Show in March is this month’s event in Chicago. Before the doors to the 106th annual Chicago Motor Show open to everyone from the 8-17 February, the press are allowed a sneak preview to see what’s what.

Manufacturers are giving certain models their public debuts in the Windy City, and we have a round-up of the most significant ones below.

Kia

Kia gave the Kia Soul EV its debut in Chicago, the manufacturer’s first mass-production electric vehicle. The small hatchback, which will be a cheaper alternative to the BMW i3, should be capable of 80-100 miles on a full charge and is expected to go on sale in the UK next winter.

Mazda

Japanese firm, Mazda, put the Mazda Club Sport 3 concept car on their stand in Chicago. The five-door hatchback features a dramatic motorsport-inspired paintjob and new bodywork to improve the car’s grip. The car is equipped with a high-performance 2.2-litre diesel engine and could hint at a faster production version of the standard Mazda3 in the next year or two.

Nissan

The Nissan Versa Note SR was revealed in Chicago. It’s a sportier version of the standard spec Nissan Note and gets a new front grille, tinted headlights, a roof spoiler, body-colour side spoilers and 16-inch alloy wheels. The changes are purely related to the trim level of the car, so the Note SR uses the same 1.6-litre petrol engine from the US-spec version.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Inside, the Note SR has a leather steering wheel, upgraded upholstery and a redesigned dashboard with new buttons and switches.

The brand also showed off the Nissan GT-R Nismo, an even more extreme version of the high-performance GT-R. The car uses a modified version of the 3.8-litre petrol engine fitted in the standard car, which produces 592bhp – an increase of around 40bhp. The car also benefits from an even sportier suspension to give the car the sharpest handling. A look inside the GT-R Nismo reveals sport seats, new upholstery and race car-style dials.

Porsche

The Chicago Motor Show was another chance to see the new Porsche Macan in the metal before first UK deliveries of the baby SUV are made in April. The entry-level model will be powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and is priced from £43,300.

Subaru

Subaru officially unveiled the new Subaru Legacy saloon at the Chicago show, and the car has a slightly more aggressive look compared to the previous model. The interior is sportier than before, getting a new instrument cluster on the dashboard and a redesigned steering wheel, and the centre console now houses a 6.2-inch infotainment screen. The car goes on sale in the US in summer but, as with the previous model, the UK will only get the more practical Subaru Legacy estate version.

Volvo

Volvo brought its high-performance Volvo S60 saloon and Volvo V60 estate Polestar cars to the US for the first time. Both cars are fitted with a 345bhp 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, giving them enough power to rival the saloon and estate versions of the Audi S4. Volvo will initially only sell the V60 Polestar in the UK, with deliveries of the limited edition model beginning in June this year.

The next big exhibition on the industry calendar is the Geneva Motor Show in March. To read a preview of everything we expect to see in Switzerland, visit our Geneva preview page.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Top 10 best used estate cars
The best used estate cars 2023
Best cars
4 Aug 2023

Top 10 best used estate cars

Mazda3 hatchback review
Mazda3 hatchback
In-depth reviews
3 Aug 2023

Mazda3 hatchback review

Most Popular

New Polestar 4 coupe SUV – how is the £60k EV shaping up?
Polestar 4 Prototype drive front quarter
News
22 Mar 2024

New Polestar 4 coupe SUV – how is the £60k EV shaping up?

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
22 Mar 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide
Public EV charge point
Tips and advice
11 Jan 2023

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
The best electric cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024