2023 Chicago Auto Show: Winners and Losers
Following a smaller-footprint show last year, the 2023 Chicago Auto Show is now close to its massive pre-pandemic size, once again stretching across two halls at McCormick Place convention center. It’s also the first major U.S. auto show of the calendar year, and a number of important new vehicles made an appearance this time around.
Related: More 2023 Chicago Auto Show Coverage
From family-focused SUVs like the all-new Toyota Grand Highlander and refreshed Volkswagen Atlas to electrified performance cars like the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, there’s something for all types of shoppers at the show. Cars.com editors Mike Hanley, Aaron Bragman and Damon Bell trekked the show floor to see the newest and most interesting vehicles, and they offer their thumbs up or down below.
2023 BMW XM
Mike Hanley, senior road test editor: Loser
The XM has some interesting design cues inside, like hexagonal accents on the headliner, as well as an impressively roomy rear seat. It’s good to see BMW hasn’t applied the vertically oriented twin-kidney grille from the iX here; nonetheless, there’s a cartoonishness to the XM’s exterior that’s impossible to overlook. From its squared-off corners to its squat roofline, the XM has a chunky, blocky look that seems unfinished.
Aaron Bragman, Detroit bureau chief: Winner
On its own, the XM doesn’t make much sense: It’s an expensive, plug-in hybrid super-sports SUV with a 30-mile electric range and twin-turbo V-8 that happens to be styled like a Gundam mated with a Pokemon. But that styling is the point of the thing; this is BMW’s answer to the gaudy Lamborghini Urus and the slick-but-soulless Land Rover Range Rover Sport. It’s the SUV for people who wear $1,300 Balenciaga sneakers in bright blue. The rest of us just stare and wonder why anyone would do that, but for people who like that kind of thing, nothing else will do.
Damon Bell, senior research editor: Loser
I like to think I have a high tolerance for radical design choices, but I can’t warm up to the in-your-face exterior styling of the XM. The interior isn’t particularly space-efficient, either, and I thought that was one of the main reasons you buy an SUV — even a six-figure high-performance SUV, over a lower, sleeker passenger car. My opinion could change once I drive the XM; I’m sure it will be thrilling (as it should be for $160K).
2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
MH: Winner
The Corvette E-Ray’s design mostly flies under the radar, but its performance won’t: The Chevrolet-estimated 0-60 mph time of just 2.5 seconds is slightly quicker than the brand’s estimate for the high-performance Corvette Z06. The performance cars of the future aren’t going to be like the ones of the past, and the electrified Corvette E-Ray bridges the gap between what the Corvette has been and where it’s going.
AB: Winner
I mean, I’m already a massive fan of the C8 Corvette, with its mid-engine layout and everyday usability. To hybridize the car promises to make a good thing even better, giving it AWD and the boost of electrified acceleration. I say this about every new Corvette that Chevrolet releases in this eighth-generation model, but I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of this one. It also makes me very curious about the inevitable fully electric Corvette that will be coming down the pipe sometime in the next few years.
DB: Winner
It’s significantly pricier than a regular Corvette, but other than that, what’s not to love about the Corvette E-Ray? It promises world-beating acceleration and improved inclement-weather capabilities, and it demonstrates that GM is continuing to invest in the Corvette as a technological showcase. I’m hopeful that Corvette’s recent shift to a mid-engine layout and these new technological features are resonating with the younger enthusiasts who are essential to the Corvette’s future.
2024 Subaru Crosstrek
MH: Winner
The redesigned 2024 Crosstrek compact SUV looks a lot like its predecessor and offers decent front- and rear-seat space considering its smaller size. It’s also easy to get in and out of thanks to its higher ride height. The model on the show floor had the available 11.6-inch vertically oriented touchscreen for multimedia and climate controls (a dual-screen system is standard), and it’s too bad Subaru didn’t retain separate physical climate controls like the prior Crosstrek. Overall, though, the 2024 Crosstrek retains the attributes that have made it one of the automaker’s most popular models.
AB: Winner
It’s a significantly redesigned vehicle that doesn’t look any different from the old one because customers didn’t want anything different from the old one (Subaru sold more Crosstreks than ever in 2022). Its base engine is still barely adequately powered, and the interior breaks no new ground, but it’s likely going to sell in even greater numbers because it’s still a screaming value for an AWD compact hatchback with decent fuel economy. There isn’t much to get excited about here, but excitement really isn’t the point.
DB: Winner
Nothing earthshaking or groundbreaking here (and a higher-horsepower engine choice would have been nice), but the 2024 Crosstrek has enough subtle improvements that it should continue to be a sales champ for Subaru. The new exterior looks appreciably bolder and more rugged to my eyes, enough so that I’m wondering how Subaru could further beef up the styling for a Crosstrek Wilderness model if they choose to offer one.
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander
MH: Winner
The Toyota Highlander is one of the smaller three-row SUVs in a class that has seen the addition of newer, roomier competitors better suited for carrying large families. With the Grand Highlander, Toyota now has an SUV that’ll work better for these same families. All three rows of the Grand Highlander are comfortable — even for taller people — and there’s more cargo space behind the third row, too. It also has the latest technology, including a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, wireless charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Overall, it’s a smart addition to Toyota’s lineup.
AB: Winner
The Highlander has been a perfectly adequate SUV for a while now — as long as your family wasn’t too big, and your kids were … well, kid-sized. But the Highlander didn’t quite cut the mustard as a minivan alternative. This new Grand Highlander finally has the people-carrying capacity of the biggest in the class, such as the Chevy Traverse, Hyundai Palisade and VW Atlas. Real adult-sized people fit in the third row now. They’re gonna sell bajillions.
DB: Winner
Toyota was overdue in getting a true “plus-size” mid-size three-row SUV to market, but the Grand Highlander looks to have been worth the wait. Its third-row space and cargo room behind the third row are competitive with the likes of the Kia Telluride and Volkswagen Atlas, and unlike almost all the other vehicles in the mainstream-brand mid-size SUV class, the Grand Highlander offers a choice of not one, but two gas-electric hybrid powertrains. Also, thumbs up to Toyota for setting the Grand Highlander apart from the regular Highlander via edgier exterior styling that makes it look like an extra-large RAV4.
2024 Volkswagen Atlas
MH: Loser
The refreshed Atlas’ interior materials are noticeably nicer, but its new touch-sensitive interfaces are not. Fitted to the steering wheel and center of the dashboard below the touchscreen, the touch controls are similar to others we’ve experienced — and lamented — in VW models like the Golf R and ID.4. It’s all the more disappointing because it’s not like VW hasn’t had the chance to see other automakers launch touch-sensitive-heavy interiors and reverse course later after they were poorly received. I guess VW will have to learn the hard way.
AB: Winner (with conditions)
OK, I’ll call this a winner based on the tasteful updates to the styling and the genuinely improved interior the Atlas desperately needed, but the switch to touch-sensitive controls really grinds my gears. Touch-sensitive controls are universally awful, distracting and rarely work properly. We’ll see if VW has made these any different, but I’m worried they’re going to ruin an otherwise good thing. At least they didn’t use the ID.4’s truly horrible window-switch scheme.
DB: Winner (with conditions)
The Atlas’ exterior styling refresh and upgraded interior are spot on; they deliver a genuinely more upscale look and feel. The shift to a lone turbocharged four-cylinder is promising, too. We found the previous turbo four to be respectably powerful, and the new one has 34 hp more. Subtle touches like the space-saving gear selector lever and the open storage area underneath the console are real everyday-use improvements, as well. The sticking point is the switch to VW’s unorthodox infotainment system and touch-sensitive controls. If the interface isn’t notably improved over the ID.4’s, it could be a deal breaker for some shoppers.
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More From Cars.com:
- 2023 Chicago Auto Show Concept Car Roundup: Four Flavors of Electrification
- Up Close With the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek: Small Tweaks, Happy Campers
- Up Close With the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray: Breaking With Tradition (Again)
- Up Close With the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport: Classier, With a Caveat
- Up Close With the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander: Grander in Every Way
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