February may be Black History Month but this Friday, Valentine’s Day, will be Hispanic Heritage Day at the Chicago Auto Show, which has set one day aside since 2007, in partnership with Telemundo, to celebrate Latino culture and community in Chicago. Each year the day features special appearances by local artists. This year will include performances by Ballet Folklorico Xochitl, Mariachi los Viajeros, and Isabella Mota, Sebastian Castellanos, and Alexandra Salgado.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary since launching at the Chicago Auto Show in 2015, Latino Traffic Report (LTR) recently attended the media preview for the show. Here are LTR’s recommended must-sees for Latinos.
Nissan Frontier—Nissan has finally set a date to redesign its mid-size pickup, the Frontier. According to Tiago Castro, director, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Nissan North America, Inc., the all-new version will be a 2021 model. Until it appears, however, the 2020 version, the final model year for the current generation, will include the 2021’s powertrain, a 3.8-liter direct injection V6 engine and all-new nine-speed automatic transmission.
“From its roots tracing back more than 60 years, to the current model, Frontier has had a lasting impact on the compact and mid-size truck segments in North America,” said Castro. “As Nissan transitions to the next chapter, we celebrate both a proud past and a bright future with the heart of the next Frontier.”
The 2020 Frontier will go on sale this spring.
Jeep Mojave and High Altitude—Jeep introduced two new trim levels, the Mojave and High Altitude, the former available on the Gladiator and the latter on both the Gladiator and Wrangler. Bearing the Jeep Desert Rated badge, the 2020 Gladiator Mojave, available later this year, hopes to appeal to off-road enthusiasts who prefer racing in the sand over rock climbing while the High Altitude versions of the Gladiator and Wrangler will appeal to off-roading fans who like to rock climb in the lap of luxury. Standard creature comforts on the High Altitude will include the Alpine premium audio system, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic high-beam headlamp control, GPS navigation, remote proximity keyless entry, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, and ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines.
Jaguar F-Type—Jaguar brought its all-new 2021 F-Type, featuring a more muscular exterior and a range of engines including four-, six- and eight-cylinder options with 296 hp, 380 hp and 575 hp respective outputs, matched to an eight-speed Quickshift transmissions with full manual control capability using either the SportShift gear selector or the steering wheel-mounted paddles.
The 2021 Jaguar F-TYPE is priced from $61,600 in the U.S., and will be available as a Coupe or Convertible model in four trim levels.
Genesis GV80—Genesis joined the premium SUV movement by introducing its entrant in the segment, the all-new GV80. The first SUV from Genesis, it shares similar design elements with its siblings, namely the oversized crest grille and quad headlamps. Two turbocharged gasoline engines (2.5-liter and 3.5-liter) will be available for the North American market, each paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Models equipped with the optional all-wheel-drive will also have electronically controlled Limited Slip Differential at the rear axle. It should arrive at dealerships later this year.
The nation’s largest auto show, the Chicago Auto Show spans more than one million square feet of contiguous floor space where nearly 1,000 different vehicles are on display, including hundreds of interactive, aftermarket, accessories and auto-related exhibits, competition vehicles, antique and collector cars. Additionally, the show features four indoor test tracks and three outdoor ride-and-drive opportunities.
The Chicago Auto Show will be open through February 17. Go to https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/news/events/ for a schedule of events.
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