Big News from the Big Apple

New York hosts a world class auto show despite the city’s reputation for traffic jams and congestion tolls. The New York International Auto Show celebrated its 125^th year in 2025. The show hosted new vehicle debuts and plenty of new products.

Held at the Jacob Javits Center, the show featured a wide variety of automakers supported at either the corporate or dealer level. Most global brands were present with the notable exception of Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.

In celebration of the show’s anniversary, the lobby exhibited classic cars from the past 125 years. In addition to a diverse array of vehicles, the show hosted several news conferences.

GLOBAL DEBUTS

Genesis’ held a press event on Tuesday night. Attendees expected an unveiling of the GV90 flagship SUV (previewed as the Neolun concept last year) or the X Gran Coupe and Convertible anticipated for the Seoul Mobility Show. Genesis surprised everyone with the X Gran Equator concept: A rugged midsize SUV targeting the overland crowd.

Genesis was vague on powertrain details but hinted to an extended-range EV (if the vehicle goes into production). The proportions suggest a traditional rear-drive layout.

The concept features Genesis’ “two-line” signature lighting, front and rear, 24” wheels, and a split tailgate. The interior has no screens, features vintage camera-inspired dials, and bold geometric shapes. The interior offers abundant storage.

As interest in off-road vehicles escalates, a production X Gran Equator would complement other Genesis SUVs, and challenge rival, Land Rover.

Subaru was anticipated to unveil the “Trailseeker,” a new EV SUV. Subaru touted the Trailseeker as their next small SUV, co-developed with Toyota. Instead, a new five-passenger midsize SUV based on the Solterra was unveiled.  The Trailseeker is more of a “Solterra Plus” with off-road-oriented market positioning. Improved cargo space is achieved by adding six more inches of rear overhang, and a one-inch taller roof.

Powerful 375 horsepower motors make this the fastest Subaru ever. Matte black fascias and X-Mode technology with multiple off-road modes offer a contrast to the more urban Solterra.

Although pricing was not released, it’s expected the Trailseeker will start in the mid $40,000 range when it launches early next year.

Alongside the Trailseeker, Subaru also unveiled the next-generation Outback. Going on sale in late 2025, the Outback celebrates its 30^th anniversary by dialing up the “SUV-ness” in terms of functionality and capability.

The original Outback was a beefed-up version of the Legacy Wagon. With the Legacy heading out of production, the Outback is now a standalone entry. Sitting on the same wheelbase as the current Outback, it’s a bit taller, a bit boxier and has more matte black plastic trim to protect it from the elements.

The engines (a 2.5-liter flat four or 2.4-liter turbo) are carryover, but the interior is all new. It features premium materials, and a new landscape-oriented touchscreen. The Android-powered infotainment system is new, and faster.

Subaru joins Ford and GM (among others) by offering highway-speed hands-free driving under their Eyesight technology brand.

NORTH AMERICAN DEBUTS

Kia showed the EV3 and EV4 concepts at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, based on a lower-cost derivative of their existing E-GMP architecture. The EV3 went on sale in Europe and Korea last year and is promised for the North American market “soon.” In the meantime, the EV4 will hit the market here in early 2026 as a lower-cost alternative to Tesla’s Model 3.

The EV3 picks up design cues from the EV9, including SUV-inspired black wheel arch flares and a dramatic fastback profile that achieves a low 0.23 Cd.

Kia offers two battery sizes and a single 201 hp motor up front. The larger battery is expected to help achieve a 330-mile EV range. The EV4 also features version 3.0 of Kia’s one-pedal driving technology and V2L (vehicle-to-load) capability, which lets you plug an electric device into the vehicle. Pricing is expected to start around $35,000.

Finally, the Hyundai Palisade enters its second generation with a slightly larger and more refined design. It features a distinctive front lighting signature, a new off-road XRT Pro variant, and adds an optional hybrid powertrain.

Inside the Palisade a standard dashcam constantly records the vehicle’s surroundings. Extra comfortable “relaxation seats” are available for 1^st and 2^nd row passengers. To stay charged every seat gets a 100-watt USB-C charge port.

Hyundai claims the hybrid Palisade is the only three-row SUV with more than 300 horsepower that achieves better than 30 mpg. That’s a potent combination in today’s market.

The Palisade looks to be a strong competitor to the Ford Explorer, Buick Enclave, Toyota Grand Highlander, and Honda Pilot.

THE BIG PICTURE

The 2025 New York International Auto Show proved to be a satisfying event and a worthwhile visit. The New York show wasn’t as large in scope as past years (a common observation on today’s auto show circuit) but featured a wide variety of automakers, new vehicle launches, and a few surprises.