First, the bad news about this years North American International (Detroit) Auto Show: everyone I’ve talked to was at least mildly disppointed in this years show. There are no major introductions, and (by my count) only one introduction that wasn’t largely leaked in advance of the show.

That one introduction: the Cadillac CTS coupe. I assumed this car was going to be at the show, but then when GM released information about the high-performance CTS-V in advance of the show, and made no mention of a coupe, I assumed they had decided to show the coupe at another show later in the year.

Instead, they had decided to withhold the coupe from the pre-show release, in order to have a surprise. It worked.

The coupe’s styling is certainly dramatic, with a bobbed tail and steep C-pillar that runs all the way to the rear of the car. I didn’t initially warm to it as I did to the sedan. There a sport hatch flavor, in the vein of the VW Scirocco and Mercedes C-Class coupe, even though the Cadillac is not a hatch. Does this look like $40,000, and a Cadillac? Most people I’ve talked to love it, and responses on online forums have mostly been positive. And I must admit that the more I look at it, the more I like it. One thing is certain: the car’s styling is distinctive, and ellicits strong opinions.

Hyundai introduced its Genesis large luxury sedan. The specs are impressive, the interior materials are somewhere between Honda and Acura, and the price will be relatively low. But nearly every styling element has been borrowed, making the Genesis a pastiche of the cars it aims to steal sales from. It’s not cohesive, and lacks a distinctive character.

At the launch of the Genesis, Hyundai announced that while other auto companies serve people who “have more,” Hyundai will be serving those who “deserve more.” I feel sorry for those people who want to buy a Genesis, and have the money to do so, but fail what it bound to be a strict test of how much car they truly deserve.

Speaking of stealing, a number of Chinese automakers are present at this years show. One, BYD, claims to stand for “Build Your Dreams.” But one reporter quipped to me that it should stand for “Borrow Your Designs.” The models hired to stand next to the cars looked at best bored, at worst embarrassed. But when they saw my camera, they managed some quick smiles.

On the subject of bored, Jaguar is displaying not one but two of the new XF sedan in “bore me blue.” A third XF, with silver paint and more dramatic alloy wheels, is tucked away upstairs where a much smaller number of people will see it. Are they trying not to sell cars?

I found Jaguar’s choice of color all the more surprising, as luxury automakers are clearly trying to use paint to bolster their premium images. Increasingly, the metallic finishes on premium European sedans appear a step or two above those on more pedestrian cars. (Cadillac needs to step up its game here.) The most interesting paint at the show: an experimental finish on two Mercedes that has the appearance of liquid metal. I spoke with the Mercedes rep. He said they want to get this paint into production, but that this is very challenging.

I’ll post some additional impressions in the next day or two.