2021 Los Angeles Auto Show: Everything You Missed
Getting cozy with new and redesigned vehicles may not be what The Mamas and the Papas were referring to in their famous homage to L.A., “California Dreamin’,” but it’s exactly what brought our team of automotive journalists to the City of Angels this week for media preview days. After skipping 2020 (don’t we all wish we could?) the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show returns with a vengeance, bringing a medley of new electrified machines, revived icons and wild concepts.
Related: More 2021 L.A. Auto Show Coverage
If the theme of the 2019 L.A. show was “SUVs,” the theme for 2021 is “electric SUVs.” Familiar brands like Subaru and Toyota show off their all-electric SUVs for the first time alongside newbies like the Fisker Ocean. And for car shoppers not ready to take the plunge into the all-electric ocean, Land Rover and Kia have added new hybrid models for their popular family haulers: the Range Rover and Sportage. We take a closer look at each of these vehicles as they bow in L.A.
Electric Invasion
Show goers will find a healthy mix of soon-to-arrive EVs and futuristic concepts that are years away from seeing a production line. Set to arrive in 2022, the 2023 Subaru Solterra makes its debut along with its fraternal twin, the 2023 Toyota bZ4X. The pair of compact SUVs was jointly developed by Subaru and Toyota, and they feature inherited traits from both parents: Subaru’s X-Mode AWD and Toyota’s multimedia system and safety suite, in particular.
A lesser-known name for those just entering the brave new world of EVs is the Fisker Ocean, created by Fisker Inc., the successor company to defunct Fisker Automotive, which was responsible for the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid circa 2011. The Ocean becomes the brand’s first production EV with an estimated arrival in late 2022. Aiming to challenge Tesla, Fisker estimates up to 550 horsepower and 350 miles of range for its premium battery-powered SUV.
Electric (and Eccentric) Concepts
Cousin brands Kia and Hyundai revealed a pair of all-electric SUV concepts in L.A.: the Hyundai Seven and Kia EV9. The large SUVs have outlandish features like lounge-inspired interiors and a minifridge (but no steering wheel) in the Seven, and cabin materials weaved from recycled fishing nets in EV9. The probability of these quirky elements making it to production is … well, we wouldn’t put money on it. Perhaps most realistic is the SUVs’ targeted range of 300 miles.
SUVs Steal the Show … Again
Along with the collection of electric SUVs debuting in L.A., shoppers looking for the latest gas-powered or hybrid SUVs will have plenty of options to explore. Making their auto show debuts are the redesigned 2022 Land Rover Range Rover, with its opulent and silent cabin, and the Kia Sportage, which grows in space and gains a new hybrid powertrain. Then there’s the all-new 2022 Lexus LX 600, which treats first- and second-row occupants like royalty (and third-row passengers like peasants).
Something for the Enthusiasts
Are any driving enthusiasts still with us? Even though the L.A. show favors SUVs and EVs, you won’t be left out in the cold (and that’s not just because L.A. is expected to see 80-degree temps this weekend). Redesigned and revived icons like the Nissan Z and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 make their comebacks at the show. The redesigned 2022 Subaru WRX, with its standard six-speed manual transmission and new GT trim, also awaits sports car aficionados.
TL; DR
The vast number of new vehicles to explore at a major auto show can be overwhelming. To get the CliffsNotes version of our team’s highlights (and lowlights), be sure to check out the Winners and Losers and Best in Show summaries below. Otherwise, here’s everything you missed from the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show:
2021 Los Angeles Auto Show: Best in Show
2021 Los Angeles Auto Show: Winners and Losers
Up Close With the Fisker Ocean: Making Funky Waves
Fisker Ocean SUV Joins Wave of Tesla Fighters
Up Close With the 2023 Kia Sportage: Bigger Really Is Better
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid Joins the Party
Up Close With the 2022 Land Rover Range Rover: Quiet, Classy Interior
2023 Nissan Z Up Close: Paying Respect to Generations Past
Up Close With the 2023 Toyota bZ4X: Terrible Name, Decent Effort
2023 Toyota bZ4X: Automaker Estimates 250-Mile Range
Up Close With the 2022 Subaru WRX: Different Enough?
Up Close With the 2023 Subaru Solterra, Subaru’s Electric SUV
2023 Subaru Solterra Delivers Solid EV Range, Off-Road Abilities
Kia EV9 Concept Unveiled: 5 Things You Should Know
Hyundai Seven Concept Revealed: 300-Plus-Mile Range, No Steering Wheel
2022 Lexus LX 600 Up Close: First-Class Perks for First and Second Rows; Third Row? Don’t Ask
L.A. Auto Show Dates and Tickets
The 2021 L.A. auto show opens to the public today and runs through Nov. 28. Hours run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. today, Saturday and Nov. 26-27; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day; and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 28.
Tickets can be purchased on the show’s website and cost $20 for adults ages 13-64, $12 for seniors age 65 or older, and $6 for children ages 6-12. Early admission and group discounts are also available.
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