The 2023 New York Auto Show is public now, and we have the perfect alternative if you can’t attend in person this year. We’ve gathered all the news from the main automakers who showed off their newest production models and ideas in New York City down below. Whether you’re looking for cars, trucks, crossovers, or SUVs, you’ll find something that catches your eye here.
The 2023 New York Auto Show was notable for its electric cars, trucks, SUVs, and EV charging stations. The message is clear: The auto industry is racing toward zero-emission vehicles, but it won’t forgo the large, opulent, expensive vehicles consumers love (and spend astronomical amounts of money on).
Recap of the 2023 New York Auto Show
On some levels, this auto show also felt like a reality check. Automakers who spoke in New York focused less on autonomy and more on electrification, rapid charging, and software features after years of broken promises on “self-driving vehicles” — at least on the consumer front.
The race to achieve advanced autonomy is one that automakers are continuing. But when they discuss their future plans, everyone seems soberer. No one here was discussing using your car as a personal robotaxi to generate passive revenue, but anticipate advanced automatic driving assistance and smart cruise control to get better in the interim. It speaks a lot about when Jaguar debuted its Waymo i-Pace test vehicle at this event in 2018.
But events like this one still have a lot to offer prospective buyers of automobiles, many of whom are anxious to learn more without the pressure of visiting a dealership because they haven’t been able to discover what they want due to the chip shortage.
In this article, we’ll examine some of the most significant exhibits, announcements, and debuts from this year’s event and discuss their implications for the industry as a whole.
Literally big reveals
Not only were the two main new automobile debuts in New York electric cars, but they were also sizable electric cars.
This week, the Ram 1500 Rev had its manufacturing premiere in New York. Ram’s first electric vehicle is still loaded with screens, 350 kW rapid charging, and amenities like bi-directional charging, even though the final product is a little less svelte than the elegant concept car displayed at CES. This is just a fancy way of saying that the truck can power other devices or feed electricity back into the grid, thereby turning it into a battery on wheels. This will likely become a major selling point for EVs in the future.
Also, like any Ram 1500, this is a large truck. (And certainly just as enjoyable to maneuver through the congested streets of New York.) Ram wasn’t trying to be subtle with this. The top Ram 1500 Rev is equipped with a massive 229 kWh battery pack, which is more than twice the capacity of the largest Tesla battery. Ram claims it should provide a range of roughly 500 miles, but we’ll wait to hear what the EPA has to say about that estimate.
One of that company’s biggest premieres ever, figuratively speaking, is the Kia EV9. This uses the familiar base we’ve seen in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 in three-row form for big and “multi-generational” families, building on the huge success of the gasoline-powered Kia Telluride crossover.
In person, it isn’t as tall as we had anticipated, but it is still a sizable crossover; in this case, picture a Toyota Highlander. Those who wish to stop using gasoline yet have a lot of items and people to carry around should find it to be quite popular.
Software was a hot topic
The phrase “software-defined vehicle” is despised by all. However awkward that may sound, the fact remains. Software features, customization options, in-car apps, and streaming entertainment may come to define tomorrow’s electric and electrified cars more so than driving dynamics, for which Ford is taking immediate action: Ford Driver Assist: Latitude AI in Argo AI out.
Therefore, at the 2023 New York International Motor Show, that is what the auto industry was discussing. These days, the size of the screen is less important than what it can accomplish for you.
The Ram 1500 Rev‘s many screens and cutting-edge infotainment system, as well as Hyundai’s addition of over-the-air updates in the Tesla way, were highlights of that presentation. Even the tough Jeep Wrangler of 2024 is not a Luddite; it now has 62 off-road route directions embedded into its Uconnect 5 system. If you upgrade to the subscription edition, that number rises to 3,000 trail guides.
In the upcoming years, more of it is to be expected. Whether or not consumers like it, automakers are placing a sizable wager on subscription feature revenue.
Hyundai’s sedans caught the eye
Hyundai, a corporate cousin of Kia (the two companies essentially share the same hardware and software), made another EV premiere, demonstrating that significant automobiles don’t always have to be large. The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric appears to be quite promising, with an eye-catching design, small size, and a range of 260 miles predicted by Hyundai.
Although the price has not yet been disclosed, the previous Kona Electric started at $33,550, so this might represent significant savings over the frequently-expensive Ioniq 5. If going electric isn’t your thing yet, it also has two gasoline engines, one of which has a turbo and 195 horsepower.
Similarly, this will be the first time many consumers see the new Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan in reality. However, we can assure you that it will attract your attention. This sedan avoids the angles of the Ioniq 5 crossover for an ultra-sleek appearance and is inspired by vintage “streamliners.” Even while sedan sales are much lower than they previously were, when they do go out, they do so in style.
EV has the floor
Attendees at the Javits Center will see new and prospective EV offers from essentially every manufacturer, demonstrating how significant the electric onslaught will be.
The new Nissan Ariya, which is already on the market, the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV, which, if it lives up to its $30,000 price tag, could be a serious Tesla rival, the Ford F-150 Lightning and its charming frunk, a display showing the bare chassis of the Volkswagen ID.4, and many other vehicles, including the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, are a few that caught our attention.
At the 2023 New York Auto Show, you’ll have the opportunity to see an EV in person if you’ve been longing to.
Big and green
We frequently mistake “efficiency” for “smallness.” Yet, automakers won’t be abandoning size in their EV push, and they’ll pay for it by selling more trucks, crossovers, and SUVs.
Bigger and tougher cars were the focus of the 2023 New York Auto Show, despite their transition to sustainability. People-hauling and work-focused vehicles from Nissan, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, and other manufacturers were displayed together with all the outdoor-friendly accessories that go along with them. If you need further evidence, take a look at the enormous faux-national park display Subaru constructed on the show floor.
Although cars may be more environmentally friendly in the future, they won’t be small. And it’s a shame because, considering that this is the New York Auto Show, we would have loved to see more options from the automakers here that are suitable for urban environments. Unfortunately, though, that’s not the direction in which the industry is moving. Would you want to parallel park any of the cars on show in Brooklyn?
Genesis joins the SUV coupe trend
Speaking about the SUV boom, automakers have recently pushed the definition of an SUV itself. The SUV coupe, which doesn’t mean coupe in the traditional two-door sense but does (kind of) in that the vehicles have a lower roof and a more sloping, coupe-like appearance, is one outcome of this. Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all excel at this.
In the 2023 New York Auto Show, we can now include Hyundai’s newly formed premium division in that list: Behold the Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept, a “concept” in name only that made its premiere at this car show. It clearly appears to be on its way to manufacturing. Hyundai provided little specifics about it this week, but if Car and Driver is correct and it only offers the GV80’s 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, we’d anticipate it to start a touch more expensive than that vehicle’s starting price of $62,950.
No mind-blowing surprises
Typically, during auto shows, automakers would roll some mind-blowing, never-before-seen concept car onstage to the applause of everyone in attendance.
In the 2023 New York Auto Show, though, that wasn’t the case; the biggest surprise was undoubtedly the GV80 Coupe. The Ram, Kia, and Hyundai Kona have all recently been featured in press releases.
For the majority of consumers, this probably has little significance, but it does highlight how less frequently auto shows make the news these days. Automobile companies will rather host their own exclusive events (sometimes online as well, which is significantly less expensive) than compete for space or attention.
The cherry on top: The JDM Concours d’Elegance
Finally, go to the basement of the 2023 New York Auto Show if you want to indulge in some classic nostalgia and need a vacation from EV charging, kilowatt-hours, and software-defined automobiles.
There, you may find the JDM Concours d’Elegance, a collection of rare vintage Japanese performance vehicles from earlier decades, many of which were never marketed in the United States. It was a pleasant surprise to discover, and anyone who grew up playing Gran Turismo — or their children — would enjoy going back in time.
The 2023 New York Auto Show will be available until the 16th of April. Although there are no huge surprises, we’d say it’s worth a visit if it was possible.
