Most seem to be in agreement that 2016 won't go down as a vintage year for the Detroit Motor Show, or NAIAS, as it's more officially known. It was very much a case of sense and sensibility from most of the big players, with the previous week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) seeming to play stage to the more interesting advances in the automotive world. Incidentally, here's our excellent round up of CES 2016.
The big news from a European perspective was the unveiling of the new tenth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Mercedes-Benz may have played it safe with the exterior styling but it is a shape that has softened in all the right places over its predecessor and fits nicely between the larger S-Class and smaller C-Class. It may be a bit matryoshka doll in its approach to the model range but the buyers are sure to go for it.
Under the skin it boasts a lot of new technology especially in relation to autonomous driving and while our laws may still need to be looked at more closely for such technologies Mercedes is clearly setting out its towel early.
There was of course the debut of the hugely desirable BMW M2, a car that we will be driving next month so keep an eye out for the first drive of that. BMW also unveiled another performance SUV in the form of the BMW X4 M40i, and despite not being a full-blooded M-car should pack plenty of performance given its compact dimensions.
At the other end of the performance spectrum Ford had a white GT on its stand. As supercars go this ticks all of the boxes and is spectacular from any angle. Exact release dates are still an unknown but I have been in contact with one person that is as close to having their name down on the list as you can currently get.
From the American brands there was a number of interesting cars but perhaps what stole the show was the Buick Avista concept. The elegant 2+2 coupe is very much a concept for now but the very positive reception that it got will certainly resonate with GM executives. More interesting was the number of design touches that very much ape what is currently being seen on Opel's model range, leading to the faint possibility that this could also travel across the pond to Europe with Opel badges. It would sit in with the more upmarket direction that Opel is taking itself. Time will tell.
One other GM car that is not only very important but also wore some Opel-esque design touches is the new Chevrolet Bolt. The small car could be set to further extend the democratisation of electric vehicles thanks to its reasonable price and 200-mile range.
The second key model for Volvo also broke cover. The S90 will be the Swedish car maker's flagship saloon, which on looks at least could very well steal away some sales from the more established players like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It features a number of similar styling traits as the XC90, though this is no bad thing and the interior is little short of stunning.
Of course trucks and SUVs continued to be the order of the day and there were some new concepts including one from Kia called Telluride. Physically a step up from the Sorento, it could prove a possibility for the American market, but hopefully the styling will be improved upon before that happens.
Audi helped continue the Volkswagen Group apology tour that seems to be visiting each motor show, and once the formalities were done the Ingolstadt company unveiled its h-tron quattro concept. The sporty looking SUV is similar in size to the e-tron quattro concept that was unveiled last year and is said to preview the forthcoming Q6.
So there may not have been a glut of exciting and crazy concepts, but it is more interesting to see more near- or production-ready cars being unveiled at NAIAS this year. Two things are very clear though, technology is now becoming more important than actual mechanical performance and the electrification of drivetrains is here to stay.