NEW YORK _ There's something perfect about the timing of the New York International Auto Show, held annually at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. Opening to the public on Good Friday, its arrival coincides with the first vestiges of spring weather, which adds to the allure of the new sheetmetal the show brings with it. It's the last major auto show of the auto show season, one that starts in September.
Still, some automakers aren't attending, such as BMW and Volvo, even though their North American headquarters are across the river in New Jersey. Evidently, they didn't have enough money in their budgets for the bridge tolls. They may regret that, given that the rest of their competition was here, particularly Mercedes-Benz.
Standing at the edge of the Lexus stand, a space where BMW once had their display, BMW PR officials watched as their German rival rolled out a larger, roomier redesigned GLS with a pair of mild hybrid drivelines: the GLS 580 4Matic with a new 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 engine generating 483 horsepower, and the GLS 450 4Matic's 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with 362 horsepower. The company would like for you to consider it the S-Class of SUVs, which it is. It's interior is incredibly indulgent. How else do you explain a five-zone automatic climate control system? Too much is never enough, evidently.
Of course, being Manhattan, both Lincoln and Cadillac were in attendance, but their product differences couldn't have been more striking.
Lincoln showed off it's all-new 2020 Corsair compact crossover, a replacement for the MKC. Like its larger siblings, the Corsair featured a luxuriously welcoming interior with glamorous finishes, intelligent technology and matched with an exterior design that's fresh and distinctive. Its notable take on American luxury will truly surprise most visitors to the show. So too will the Cadillac CT5, but not in the same way. While the lower half of its body wears a look first seen on some stunning Cadillac concept cars, the CT5's greenhouse resembles that of a Nissan, while its interior seems little better than that of the new Chevrolet Blazer. It's so immensely disappointing, and unworthy of wearing the Cadillac crest, most showgoers will prefer the 1959 Eldorado Convertible displayed on the stand; too bad it isn't for sale.
If Cadillac needs a lesson on how to design an interior, they should look no further than the Jaguar stand, where a facelifted XE compact sedan features an impressive new cabin that offers sleek European functionality and impeccable luxury touches, such as an instrument panel with two large screens that alleviates the need for most of the switchgear. It significantly upgrades what was once an underwhelming cabin and company admits that a lot of money was spent on the upgrade, but it shows.
Then there was Hyundai, which introduced a stunningly redesigned Sonata that's 2.8 inches longer and 1.2 inches lower than the model it replaces. Its evocative exterior design features LED lighting that arcs into an accent strip along the hood, eye-catching side sculpting and a unique rear taillamp treatment. Inside, the center console features a pushbutton automatic transmission and a wireless smartphone-charging pad. It also has a digital key function that eliminates the need for a key fob. Still, one gets the sense that corners were cut on interior quality to pay for the new technology. Still, its style is sure to lure midsize sedan buyers looking for some stimulating design.
Hyundai also revealed a new model called the Venue. Five inches shorter than its new Kona SUV, the subcompact Venue has a cheeky but cheap interior design that should appeal to younger buyers.
Uniquely, Mazda showed a CX-5 with a new 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged diesel engine that produces 168 horsepower and an impressive 290 pound-feet of torque while returning fuel economy of 27 mpg in city driving, 30 mpg highway.
There were also a number of bread and butter models, such as the Subaru Outback, Ford Escape, Toyota Highlander, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris with new designs and added features that no doubt will keep current buyers in the fold but don't stray far from their existing formula. For brand fanboys, the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING Editions, Kia Stinger GTS, or the Porsche 911 Speedster, and Acura TLX PMC limited edition models that offer minor performance or appearance upgrades along with higher price tags. These marketing exercises don't offer much additional value, unless you're the automaker looking to separate a customer from more of his or her money.
Finally, there were the concept cars. These vehicles are the most fun part of the show, such as the Volkswagen ID. A Buggy concept that reimagines the classic California Dune Buggy as an electric vehicle. Similarly, the Kia HabaNiro is an electric, all-wheel-drive crossover with butterfly doors drive, level five autonomous driving capability and more than 300 miles of range. Inside, its a concave acrylic instrument panel has no knobs or switchgear. Instead, its surface is a giant touchpad. Its interior also uses biometrics to measure the well being of the driver and adjust the car and its comfort level accordingly. When shut off, the car's steering wheel retracts into the instrument panel. Just as fetching was the Genesis Mint, an electric city car for two that can travel 200 miles on a charge.
But such vehicles are still in the future.
If the 2019 New York International Auto Show proved anything, it's that for all the talk of electric vehicles and autonomous driving, the cars and trucks of the near future remain much like we've come to expect, with gasoline-powered crossovers and fossil fueled speed hurling us into tomorrow's reality _ whatever that might be.
