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CNN Live Sunday

Practicality, Value In at North American International Auto Show

Aired January 06, 2002 - 18:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Jeff Flock is in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show, and takes a look at why practicality and value are in, and why flash and luxury are out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The doors have just opened at the North American International Auto Show, and we are strolling the aisles with maybe the smartest man in America when it comes to cars. Csaba Csere is the editor in chief and has been for the past decade or so of "Car & Driver." What's your headline as we look at the show this year?

CSABA CSERE, "CAR & DRIVER" EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Well, the battle lines have really formed up in the truck segment.

FLOCK: How do you mean?

CSERE: Well, that's where the profits have been in the last 10 years, and everyone is jumping in there. So, every different type of truck, SUV, minivan has dozens of competitors.

FLOCK: OK, so what kinds of things are we talking about? Like, what's under this wrap, for example?

CSERE: Well, this is the new Honda Pilot. It's a mid-sized SUV from Honda. Homegrown product from them, not a repackaged Isuzu. It's based on the Odyssey minivan, has three rows of seats, is going to be priced under $30,000. The usual Honda quality, and it's hitting the market this summer.

FLOCK: So basically the headline of what we're seeing here is almost every variation between car and truck, all of the different hybrids and combinations, yes?

CSERE: Well, particularly in the wagon segment. Here we've got a Mazda Protege 5, and it's a compact wagon, very useful. You could fold down the back seat. But it's sporty, stiff suspension, big engine.

FLOCK: People can't make up their mind. They don't know whether they want an SUV, a wagon, a car -- they kind of want it all. CSERE: Well, they want it all, and depending on what kind of height they want, they're going to have it. What we're seeing here is the Volvo XC 90. It's going to be unveiled tomorrow, Volvo's first sports utility, and it's the Volvo cross-country wagon. Made a little higher, roof raised, third row of seats added. And of course, the cross-country wagon is already the Volvo station wagon, simply jacked up a little bit. So we see three of those varieties in one brand.

FLOCK: Csaba Csere, I appreciate all the insight here.

The North American International Auto Show. A lot of wraps coming off in the next few days, so stay tuned.

I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, Detroit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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