This year's West Coast automotive extravaganza was all about SUVs, despite Mercedes-Benz's best attempts to steal the limelight with a $350,000+ luxury convertible.

The Mercedes-Maybach 650S Cabriolet will be limited to 300 numbered examples, will come with bespoke luggage and a letter of authenticity.

Yet, as impressive as the car sounds, it failed to stand out among the SUVs making their debut this year.

After years in the doldrums, Lincoln is back. Its show car, the Navigator SUV Concept was breathtaking in terms of styling and proportions. It features full-length gullwing doors, retracting steps, a fitted wardrobe in the rear and ample room for six occupants of any conceivable body size.

Jaguar dazzled with its i-Pace electric concept which can travel 500km on a single charge and hit 100km/h in 4.0 seconds. Most impressive is that the drivetrain and battery were developed in house and that a production version is on its way.

LA was finally the venue for Alfa Romeo to join the SUV market and, with the Stelvio, it did so in style. In Quadrifoglio form it offers 505hp, a 0-100km/h time of 4 seconds and perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

"The all-new Stelvio, named after one of the greatest driving roads in the world -- the Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps -- sets a new benchmark for the segment," said Reid Bigland, Head of Alfa Romeo.

Mazda continued its quiet transformation into a reliable, desirable SUV brand with the CX-5, a car that comes with a head-up display as standard, a remote tailgate and the option of a unique shade of exterior red paint.

Toyota unveiled the C-HR crossover coupe, a very bold car from such a high-volume company and one that was tuned on the Nürburgring rather than via focus groups.

The Ford EcoSport is the compact SUV for the social media generation, and to highlight this fact it was launched via Snapchat. But away from novelty reveals, the car does offer an air of individuality and connectivity, plus a class-leading sound system and compatibility with Android and Apple smartphones.

VW introduced the Atlas, a seven-seat luxury SUV built in the US exclusively for US customers. Therefore it should come as no surprise that there is no diesel version, however it will be the only vehicle in its class that comes with post-collision emergency braking -- a system that stops a car from moving after it's been hit -- as standard.