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2018 New York Auto Show: What to Expect

img 249648967 1521833263173 jpg Photo illustration by Paul Dolan; TomasSereda/iStock

The 2018 auto-show season has been a months-long series of ups and downs, feast or famine — from much ado about nothing to too much to do about everything. It started with a resounding bang at a bustling Los Angeles show in November, followed by a Detroit show about which the general consensus was “slowww” (unless you only care about pickup trucks), in turn followed by an anemic Chicago show where the only “real” debut was the Volkswagen Arteon (no offense to the stylish sedan or Cars.com’s hometown, but … snooze).

Related: More 2018 New York Auto Show Coverage

But in the days leading up to the 2018 New York International Auto Show, it appears automakers may have saved the best and biggest for last. America’s largest and most culturally influential city — where, coincidentally, we feel compelled to note on a periodic basis, the majority of denizens don’t drive — is shaping up to potentially be the biggest show of the year, with more than two dozen debuts already announced and many more sure to come, still.

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Among the debuts are two of the top-selling vehicles in the U.S. in any category, the Nissan Altima sedan and Toyota RAV4 SUV in their 2019 incarnations. That’s in addition to redesigned or refreshed categorical best sellers like the 2019 Ford Fusion sedan, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson, 2019 Subaru Forester SUVs and a hatchback version of the Toyota Corolla.

That’s on top of all-new luxury SUV models including the 2019 Cadillac XT4 and 2019 Lincoln Aviator. Meanwhile, in the luxury performance lane, we’ll be seeing the 2019 BMW X4 M40i SUV, 2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport sedan and 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT sedan. This also appears to be the year black became the new black, with special black-trimmed editions for the 2019 GMC Acadia and Terrain, 2019 Infiniti QX60 and QX80, and 2018 Lexus RC F Sport — not to mention another special-trim edition in the 2019 VW Arteon R-Line. 

And sue us if we’re morbidly curious to watch another car brand furiously perform chest compressions and artificial respiration on already-low-selling big sedans in an increasingly low-selling segment, as is the case with Kia’s new-for-2019 K900. To paraphrase Bones from “Star Trek”: Damnit, Kia, you’re an automaker, not a doctor!

All told (and all kidding aside), it’s a very exciting lineup, with much, much more in store for visitors. Speaking of whom: Following a media preview March 28-29, the New York auto show opens to the public March 30 through April 8 at Javits Center, 655 W. 34th St. (at 11th Ave. between 34th and 40th streets). Admission is $17 for adults and $7 for children age 12 or younger; tickets are available at Javits Center or online in advance. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. For more info, go to the show’s website.

We’ll have our usual team of automotive experts reporting live from the exhibit floor, so check back in with us early and often all next week. In the meantime, here’s everything we expect to see so far at the 2018 New York International Auto Show:

2019 Acura RDX

2019 Audi A6

2019 BMW X4 M40i

2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport

2019 Cadillac XT4

2019 Ford Fusion

2019 GMC Acadia, Terrain Black Editions

Hyundai Kona EV

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe

2019 Hyundai Tucson

2019 Infiniti QX60, QX80 Limiteds

2019 Kia K900

2018 Lexus RC F Sport Black Line

2019 Lincoln Aviator

2019 Mercedes-AMG GT

2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe, cabriolet

2019 Nissan Altima

2019 Subaru Forester

2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

2019 Toyota RAV4

2019 Volkswagen Arteon R-Line

Volkswagen Atlas five-passenger concept

2019 Volvo V60 wagon

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Matt Schmitz
Former Assistant Managing Editor-News Matt Schmitz is a veteran Chicago journalist indulging his curiosity for all things auto while helping to inform car shoppers.
Email Matt Schmitz

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