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Weekly Recap: Geneva's splendor reflects growing demand for ultra-luxury cars

Geneva is one of the most glittering auto shows in the world, but the list of high-powered and bespoke luxury cars was decadent this year even by the rich standards of the Swiss exhibition. It's great for enthusiasts to revel in the flame-throwing Aston Martin Vulcan, the racing-inspired elegance of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept and the insane performance of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, but there's a reason for all of this opulence: the luxury market is big business. And it's growing. IHS Automotive forecasts that so-called ultra-premium sales will nearly triple this decade from 123,000 to 353,000 units around the world. The estimate includes brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, but doesn't count BMW, Mercedes and Audi, which offer less expensive models in addition to their high-end flagships. Though IHS includes Porsche and its relatively large volume in the study, the ultra-premium segment is still set grow at about the same rate, even without the German automaker's figures. So what is propelling all of this growth in the most expensive segment of the auto industry? Put simply, there's more rich people. IHS Automotive principal analyst Tim Urquhart pointed to economic expansion in China, market recovery in the United States and a surge in the lucrative technology sector as contributing factors. This dovetails with a research report by UK-based Oxfam, an international relief organization, which found the world's richest one-percent owned 48 percent of global wealth in 2014, and it's expected to increase to more than 50 percent by 2016. View 17 Photos Carmakers are moving quickly to capitalize with new products, expanding their portfolios with low-volume speedsters like the 800-hp V12 Vulcan at Geneva, and plans to enter new segments, like Rolls-Royce's strategy to make an SUV. "Ultra-premium carmakers are looking to explore ways of growing their product offerings, and thus their bottom lines, in this most potentially profitable of segments," Urquhart wrote in a report on the Geneva show. In a nutshell, there are more choices for people with more money. It's a good time to have expensive taste. Other News & Notes 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata production launches It won't be long now. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata arrives later this year, and it's officially in production. Mazda announced this week that the roadster began rolling off the assembly line at its Ujina factory in Hiroshima, Japan.

2024 GMC Acadia drops lowest trim, entry price starts at $43,995

GMC unveiled the third-generation Acadia at last summer's Detroit Auto Show, loading as many instances of "More" as it could. The all-new midsizer is longer, taller, with more room for occupants and cargo, more standard features, and a more powerful engine with a higher tow rating. The exterior dimensions return the Acadia a footprint closer to the SUV's first-gen proportions, that SUV about 201 inches long. For the 2024 version, overall length stretched another 10.6 inches to 205 inches, swallowing a wheelbase that grew 8.4 inches to nearly match that of the related Chevrolet Traverse, and overall height climbed 3.2 inches — except on the AT4 trim, which sits another inch higher thanks to a suspension lift. Plumping the exterior makes more room for occupants and cargo, GMC saying second-row passengers enjoy 27% more seat room while cargo gets 80% more space, 12.8 cubic feet formerly compared to nearly 23 cubes now. The new engine is a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 328 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, outdoing the 2023 Acadia's retired, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that made 228 hp and 258 lb-ft, and the retired 3.6-liter six-cylinder that made 310 hp and 270 lb-ft. It shifts through an eight-speed automatic, a loss of one cog compared to the 2023 Acadia transmission. The additional gumption means gains for the tow rating, now maxed at 5,000 pounds. That's anywhere from 1,000 to 1,700 pounds more than before. The new Acadia also comes standard with new ADAS features like enhanced lane keep assist, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, and rear park assist, and offers Super Cruise. Early pricing info reveals that "More" extends to the window sticker, which should surprise no one. These aren't minor bumps, either. Assuming destination holds steady at $1,395, MSRPs for the 2024 Acadia and their differences from 2023 are: Elevation: $43,995 (New trim) AT4: $51,395 ($6,600) Denali: $55,695 ($6,195) Some small print: These figures pay for front-wheel drive except on the AT4, which is AWD only. Getting AWD on those other trims costs $2,000, same as now. The 2023 Acadia started with an entry-level SLE trim that cost $38,195, and that's been booted from the lineup, so too the SLT trim that started at $42,495. The 2024 Acadia Elevation brings GMC's familiar trim name into the Acadia ranks, its MSRP representing a $5,800 rise over the former entry price for the Acadia line.

2023 GM full-size SUVs get Super Cruise expansion pack first

In August, GM announced it had doubled the size of the network of roads available to its Super Cruise hands-free driving feature. Joining the options list in 2017, Super Cruise had been limited to divided interstate highways in the U.S. and Canada. The expansion opened 200,000 miles of additional divided interstate highway as well as major, undivided highways. Both coasts benefit, but there will be a lot more relaxing motoring on the East Coast especially. North of the border, six of the 10 Canadian provinces add enabled roads. Problem is, no GM vehicles have been able to take advantage of the boon. That changes this month, the automaker saying four of its full-size SUVs in specific trims are first in line to make use of the expansion. The SUVs are: 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Premier and High Country 2023 Chevrolet Suburban Premier and High Country 2023 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade-V 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate  The vehicles need to have been built on or after October 3, 2022, a production timeline GM says should put the first examples in customer hands this month. The least expensive way to get into Super Cruise is with the two-wheel drive, $77,625 Chevrolet Tahoe Premier with the 3.0-liter inline-six Duramax diesel and the Advanced Technology Package. Vehicles that use the GM's Vehicle Intelligence Platform electrical architecture and already have Super Cruise will receive an over-the-air update "in the coming months" to access the new roads, at no cost to owners. Since other products like the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, Chevrolet Silverado, and GMC Sierra work with the VIP platform as well, they probably aren't far away from the extra capability and they'll bring a lower financial bar to entry.  Related video: