16B .she Michigan Daily - W end, etc. Magazine- ThurMay, ,ebruary 2A,2 _A qw -qw I I I 1 11 ''.W - For a week, CHICAGO, Continued from Page 11B year's show did boast impressive1 attributes. Acura finally threw its name into the pool of SUV contes- tants with the Multi-Dimensional X-i Trainer (MD-X). Set to go into pro- duction sometime this fall, Acura ciaims the MD-X combines virtuallya all the off-roading, rugged capabili- tv of a SUV with the smooth han- dling attributes of a sedan. It's the1 "first SUV to meet the stringent ULEV (Ultra Low Emiissions Vehicle) emission laws, a break- through for a vehicle in that market segment. The complete details of the vehicle were still shrouded in secre- cy as Honda/Acura officials refused to let reporters see what engine was under the hood of the "X" Toyota introduced the Sequoia, a new vehicle meant to fall into the price range between the enduring 4Runner and massive Land Cruiser. The Sequoia could give hot pursuit to Ford's sty ongly favored Expedition/Navigator line. "In response to what is emerging as one of the most diverse buyer segments in the industry... this will be the Year of the Truck and SUV,"' said Toyota Division group vice presi- dent and general manager, Don Esmond. Other SUV's dominating the floors of the McCormick Center included the Chevy Traverse - a 4WD cross between an SUV and a Chicago s hatchback with two rows of full-size seats. Fashion-conscious attendees seemed very displeased with the overcast plaid interior, hardly fitting for a vehicle designed to project a sporty and youthful image. I he no-hassie folks at Saturn unveiled a minivan/bus hybrid, the CVI, a bold departure for the con- servative minds of the GM-based company. Volkswagen also showed off its HAC, a four-door, four-wheel drive pickup truck with a shortened bed, large V-8 engine and lots of rear seat room. Mazda officials judiciously real- ized that less than five percent of all SUV owners ever use their vehicles off-road. With that in mind, they released the Nextourer concept car. It looks like a sport-utility, but real- ly performs like a sedan. The most unique feature of this crossover is Mazda's patented AHC, or Active Height Control. When driving at highway speeds, the suspension automatically lowers the vehicle by two inches to reduce drag. Similarly, the Nextourer is raised up to four inches at slow speeds in situations where ground clearance may become necessary. Honda arrived at the show with two SUV concepts, the Sprocket and the FCX. The Honda Sprocket uses exterior design cues from the Audi TT Coupe, but applies them towards an avant-garde SUV. Sitting atop large tires, it boasts vertical open- ing, DeLorean-style doors. Not too contrastingly, Honda also unveiled hares something with Ann Arbor ' Courtesy of General Motors Rides like this 2001 Chevrolet Triax may look like science fiction, but they're endless permutations of the same SUV idea. r Save money on your next veh cle purchase. Buy through AAA's statewide dealer network offering special member pricing on thousands of new and used vehicles. The new, no-haggle way to save money. Make one toll-free call and you'll be directed to the nearest participating dealer ready to offer you a special c AAA member price. The sevice is free and you cneven get special discounts on accessories. Call toll-free 1877-41 1-ACAR Wcekdays 9:00 a.m. - 8:00p.m. S'1t day 9:00a.m-1:0 0p.m. it viit our website at www.aaa ich.com. Michigan SomeoneYou CM Count OW the FCX, the first sport-ute of its kind to be powered solely by electric propulsion generated from a reac- tion between stored hydrogen and oxygen. The FCX is a right-hand- drive vehicle, implying the concept may have been geared more for the European market. Both the Sprocket and FCX did a good job of high- lighting Honda's commitment towards low-emission, "'green friendly" vehicles. These environmentally friendly trends are not surprising to those keeping a watchful eye on the pulse of the auto industry. As manufactur- ers have started to release behemoth SUV's and trucks, the federal gov- ernment has toyed with the idea of raising or revising CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. These standards are used to impose guidelines limiting the sale of low fuel economy vehicles. In a nutshell, CAFE laws state that the average fuel economy of a given manufactur- er must be at a specific value, 27.5 mpg for cars and 20.7 for light trucks. In other words, for every fuel-hungry Chevrolet Suburban that General Motors sells, it must also sell enough thrifty Cavaliers to balance the loss of its CAFE value. While GM might love to drop low- profit, high fuel economy cars like the Cavalier, it cannot because of the heavy fines it would then face from the government. Though these environmental trends are promising for altruistic reasons, truck and SUV platforms still retain their sluggish handling characteristics and lack of sensation between the driver and the road. What they lack in feel for the pave- ment they make up for in off-road capability. Ironically, very few of these all terrain vehicles are used for this potential. This may suggest that esteem is now associated a great deal more with size and sticker price rather than with performance, han- dling and overall drivability. In an effort to constantly be "bigger, bad- der and tougher," the Chicago Auto Show exemplifies how the American consumer may slowly be losing interest in the reason it once fell in love with the automobile: a simple passion for driving. Read Daily Arts. Except for saturgay Sunday.