Show Goes On And On

In deference to those who believe Sunday should be for rest, organizers of the North American International Auto Show decided a few years ago the schedule for press conferences should be limited to the following Monday and Tuesday.

Judging by this year's jam-packed schedule, the committee might need to reconsider: The grid for Monday, Jan. 10, calls for 22 press conferences between 6:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the annual confab held in Detroit's Cobo Center. Media outlets will be strapped to provide adequate coverage.

A crowded news schedule means auto makers have a lot to say, and that's a positive development for an industry that has taken its lumps.

Ford Motor Co. will talk about its '12 C-Max, a 7-passenger cross/utility vehicle with minivan-style seating.

The C-Max — a Ford Focus C-car derivative — appears on the scene as its competitive set is dwindling in the face of apparent malaise. Citing slow sales, Kia Motors America is pulling its entry, the Rondo, for model-year '11 and beyond.

Mazda North American Operations, which in 2005 defined the mini-people-mover segment in North America with its Mazda5, will launch a second-generation of the vehicle this year.

The C-Max features sliding doors, and measures 178 ins. (452 cm) long, compared with 212.5 ins. (511 cm) for the Chrysler Town & Country.

Ford describes the C-Max's seating configuration as 5+2. The second row features three seating positions, but the center seat can be folded into an adjacent seat to create a walk-through space.

Chrysler Group LLC's redesigned '12 300 fullsize sedan also debuts at NAIAS with key exterior changes that include an all-new grille, more steeply raked windshield and jewel-like tail lamps.

The rear decklid features a lip spoiler to accentuate the brand's redesigned badge. The new 300 also benefits from interior upgrades that include wider use of soft-touch materials.

Despite the don't-mess-with-success business credo, Chrysler is compelled to make changes, having made few since the rear-wheel-drive car launched in 2004. It was named North American Car of the Year in 2005.

Chrysler has two finalists in this year's North American Truck of the Year competition, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. They square off against the Ford Explorer for top honors.

On the car side of the competition, the finalists are the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Sonata.

The winners will be announced Jan. 10 at the auto show.

One of many concepts to be unveiled at the show will be the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD, designed to combine heavy-duty truck capability with greater off-road versatility.

The production-version '11 Sierra HD underpins the concept, with a modified 4WD chassis and the 6.6L Duramax turbodiesel V-8, rated at 397 hp and 765 lb.-ft. of torque (1,037 Nm).

The auto show is open to the public Jan. 15 to 23.