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New, Larger Displays At Detroit Auto Show

There will be new and larger displays at Cobo Center as the North American International Auto Show kicks off in downtown Detroit with press preview days Monday.

"This show is coming together like no other show," Chairman Barron Meade said in a live interview on WWJ Saturday morning.  "A lot of the displays are new this year, we have Porsche back and the energy down at Cobo is fantastic."  

Meade says the floor space is full and space is in high demand.  More than 500 vehicles will be on display.

"The displays are really capturing the essence of their (auto companies) brand," Meade said.  "You're going to see huge LED walls, second level displays, I mean Mercedes and Audi are all new for this year." 

People attending the show will see a fantastic GM display and be able to ride in an electric car in Ford's display, according to Meade.  "Think more entertainment and brand education," Meade said.

More than 5,000 media members are expected Monday.  Meade is expecting a 10-15 percent increase in public attendance this year.  He's hoping between 750,000 and 800,000 people attend. 

The show brings in anywhere from 300-500 million dollars to the local economy. 

The Charity Preview for the show is Friday, January 14th.  The show opens to the public on Saturday, January 15th and runs through January 23rd.   Click here for complete auto show information.

Among the many introductions:

GM is introducing two new small cars, the Chevrolet Sonic, a subcompact which will replace the Aveo, and the Buick Verano, a compact car based on the Chevrolet Cruze that will be the smallest car in Buick's lineup.

Ford will introduce a small minivan. It's about the size of the Mazda5, but unlike the Mazda, which seats six, the C-Max seats seven. It also has an industry-first feature: A liftgate that opens when the driver waves his or her foot under the back bumper.

Toyota will unveil a larger Prius, the first vehicle of a new brand built around the hybrid. Toyota has released little information about new vehicle, dubbed the Prius V. But teaser photos show more cargo space and panoramic sunroofs.

Honda will unveil the latest version of the Civic, one of the best-selling cars in the U.S. Honda bills it as a concept car, but it will likely be very close to the version that hits dealerships in March. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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