Think 2008 was exciting on the automotive front? It’s just the tip of the iceberg as automakers and the accompanying aftermarket scramble to save their rear bumpers from being the next steel dinosaur. Here are some of my top Car Tech Predictions for 2009.
#1: Governor Schwarzenegger’s Tesla dies on the side of Highway 101. Both the California governor and San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom are on the list for the $100k-plus Tesla Roadster, but it will be the Terminator that makes national media headlines when his car runs of juice during rush hour. Dare you honk?
#2: We see one more specialized off-road sport go belly-up. In 2008, we lost CORR, and as a journalist who has covered off-road sports, this kind of activity is extremely expensive if you don’t have full sponsorship, from the fuel it takes when traveling cross county for the events to the cost of fixing broken parts. Who has the money to do it, let alone pay a ticket to see it?
#3: GMC will either hold a brand fire sale or killing spree. Hopefully someone, somewhere, will start the process off by purchasing Saab. Pontiac will be the first to get cut (having never been able to live down the design of the Aztek, although I do credit the vehicle will being one of the first modern crossovers). The answer lies in going back to the drawing board on your GM and Chevy flagship models.
#4: The Buick Enclave becomes the dark horse who wins the crossover race. It’s one of the few crossovers with minivan-style sliding second row doors. (Why this is such a hard one for automakers to figure out, I don’t know). Maybe the company will be able to save the brand new Chevy Traverse if they offer the same feature for the 2010 model.
#5: Navigation is standard on all vehicles. I don’t care how small your design is – if a company like Mazda can cram one of these (and three freaking rows) into 181.5-inches from bumper to bumper in a Mazda5 and not charge extra for it, give the consumer electronic directions for free.
#6: There will be more traffic accidents due to drivers using the navigation system. Now that texting is banded in many states along with cell phone usage while driving, people need a new distraction. What better way than to work a computer!
Have some 2009 predictions of your own? Let’s hear them!
By: Katrina Ramser
Katrina Ramser
