Last Cars News Blog: 2007 detroit auto show

We have some time before the floor opens in Detroit, and a release from Suzuki about the Flix concept got our attention. Basically, take a new XL7 SUV, outfit it with four swiveling seats, a DVD entertainment system, plenty of speakers and a roof that transforms it into a personal movie theater, and you get the Flix. Get it? Flix, watching movies…yeah we feel your pain, too.

We have absolutely no earthly idea why anyone would want one of these, but perhaps the near-extinction of the drive-in movie theater, combined with the rise in car customization, naturally led to this. Still, it’s just a concept, so perhaps Suzuki is merely having a little fun. More photos below.

Kicking Tires' Coverage of the Detroit Auto Show

Boy, would this be a good-looking future Grand Cherokee. Sure, the Trailhawk Concept you see here has an open, truck-like rear, a squashed greenhouse and probably zero visibility — and it’s built on the Wrangler’s more truck-like platform — but forget all that. This would be a great Grand Cherokee. The only problem is that the Grand Cherokee — like most large SUVs — isn’t selling so well these days.

Plus this isn’t supposed to be a future Grand Cherokee; it sports more off-road heritage because of those Wrangler underpinnings. Didn’t Jeep just come out with the four-door Wrangler Unlimited to satisfy the need for something like this? We’re not quite sure what to make of the Trailhawk, but if Jeep took some of the styling cues here and integrated them into the next Grand Cherokee — and came up with some more-efficient power plants for it — it would probably pick up some sales. Especially with those huge T-Tops.

That’s why these are called concepts. Not every one is perfect for the dealership, but they sure look good at car shows.