New vehicles to look for at the Chicago Auto Show

The Chicago Auto Show will be the stage for several hot debuts this year, including sport utility vehicles, performance cars and concept vehicles.

Ford Motor Co. sparked curiosity when it revealed it would debut its new Police Interceptor sport utility vehicle at the Chicago show, coupled with an Interceptor sedan.

The Interceptor SUV, built in Chicago, is outselling the sedan, Ford spokesman Mike Moran said, Law enforcement officials helped design the new SUV.

Nissan’s GT-R LM Nismo, after a short reveal during Super Bowl XLIX, is making an appearance in the manufacturer’s race car-focused display. Another, more mysterious debut of a Nismo street concept is also planned for the show.

The new car is a “performance” version based on an undisclosed vehicle Nissan already sells, spokesman Dan Passe said.

The manufacturer has not revealed specifics of the Nismo car, but it is set to take the stage alongside a 370Z Nismo, the 600-horsepower GT-R Nismo, the Juke Nismo and Juke Nismo RS and the Sentra Nismo Concept.

Debuts in the rapidly growing segment of subcompact SUVs include a refreshed Chevrolet Equinox, a brand new Acura RDX and an electric KIA Trail’ster.

All of the crossover debuts feature all-wheel drive capability. Some are confirmed to have crash-avoidance technologies, including cameras and sensors, while others, such as the Chevrolet Equinox, come equipped with built-in Wi-Fi.

The Honda Pilot will also be unveiled in Chicago this week. With eight seats and 16 seating configurations, the third-generation Pilot will have a “dramatic” design shift, said Davis Adams, a Honda spokesman.

“In the past, the Pilot has been a big, boxy, tough-looking SUV. The new version is sportier, more streamlined,” Adams said. “It’s going to be a great addition for families that need the practicality but are not into minivans.”

Adams also said the Pilot will feature Honda Sensing, a driver-assistive technology introduced with the 2015 Honda CR-V Touring.

Kia is also debuting an electric all-wheel drive concept vehicle.

Continuing down the SUV line, Mitsubishi is making the North American debut of the concept GC-PHEV. The mid-size hybrid SUV features easy-access doors with no center pillar, an all-wheel drive system and a large interface touchscreen.

For those looking for bigger trucks, Ram Trucks is introducing a new vehicle to its lineup just weeks after debuting new versions of the Ram Rebel and the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE. Not much is known about what Ram line scored the debut, but a live webcast of the unveiling is scheduled for Feb. 12.

Sedans and smaller compact cars are also headed into the spotlight. Toyota will show off a refreshed 2016 Toyota Avalon and two special editions of its Camry and Corolla sedans. The carmaker plans to produce between 8,000 and 12,000 of the special editions later this year.

Hyundai’s new offerings include the 2016 Elantra GT and the 2016 Veloster.