A 'Vette with a view... ... and other new-car looks for '98 October 14, 1997 Web posted at: 1:12 a.m. EDT (0512 GMT) DETROIT (CNN) -- The hot new cars making their debut as the new model year begins include a brute "ute," a handsome Escort, a minivan from Japan, a Benz with bounce, a Seville that's been barbered and a 'Vette with a view. Oh, yeah, and the Beetle's on its way, too. Hot new cars in '98 3 min. VXtreme video The brute 'ute' -- as in sport utility vehicle (as in SUV) -- is the new Dodge Durango. Car-buyer Chuck Mazurie liked it so much he's taking one home with him. "It offered, for me, additional size and wheel base and the functionality I was looking for," he says. At a base price of about $27,000, the Durango fits between the Ford Explorer and the Chevy Suburban. For about $10,000 more, Mazurie could have gotten behind the wheel of a new M-class SUV from Mercedes-Benz that blends luxury and value with toughness. "You get in that thing and you think you're driving in a Mercedes sedan," says Leon Mandel, publisher of AutoWeek. "You get off the road, and think you're in the world's best mountain-climbing, ditch-surviving vehicle." Japanese automaker Toyota may be building its new minivan, the Sienna, in the United States, but it still has all those Toyota features. "It has all the things that you need, all the doors you can possibly put on a minivan, plus it's a walk-through," says Mandel. "Should be the first really competitive Japanese minivan." Seville has 425-watt Bose sound system The Sienna starts at just over $21,000, but can be as much as $27,000 with all the options. Speaking of extras, at $40,000 to $50,000, the re-coiffed Cadillac Seville has them all, from a 425 watt Bose sound system to a powerful Northstar engine to a super-squishy seat. "We have 10, computer-controlled air cells actually in the seat, and sensors measure body pressure," says Cadillac's Ed Berger. A couple of cars with new bodies include the re-styled Chrysler LH line and the sporty new-look of the Escort ZX2 with a sticker price of just over $16,000. If you have $46,000 lying around, you can buy the rag-top version of the new Chevrolet Corvette. But for about $25,000 less, you can take home the nifty Volkswagen Passat. "It's a very comfortable car," says Mandel. "Very roomy, commodious, and it has a lot of amenities." Beetle making a comeback And finally, Beetle-mania makes a comeback. The only thing available at the moment are sneak photos of a re-styled version of the much-loved Beetle that is due out next year from Volkswagen. "It's pretty high-tech and it's moderately expensive," Mandel says. A lot of the new models look like they'll be hot sellers, but sales last month overall, were not so hot. That's good news for consumers, because for the most part, the auto makers are holding the line on 1998 pricing and offering enticing rebates. So it's an good time to cruise the showrooms and strike a deal on a new set of wheels.

Related stories:

• Volkswagen to roll out the New Beetle - July 14, 1997
• Automakers put on their best for Detroit auto show - January 17, 1997

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Dodge 1998 Durango 1998 Intrepid Chrysler 1998 Concorde Mercedes-Benz 1998 ML320 Toyota 1998 Sienna Cadillac 1998 Seville

Ford 1998 Escort ZX2 Chevrolet 1998 Corvette Convertible Volkswagen 1998 Passat 1999 Beetle Additional "Wheels" links

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