2023 New York Auto Show: Winners and Losers
The New York International Auto Show was once known as a hotbed for luxury vehicle debuts, but the 2023 show was dominated by new and redesigned mainstream electric vehicles and SUVs, along with a final farewell to an iconic performance car. It’s a reflection of what the auto industry is right now — and where it’s headed.
Related: More 2023 New York Auto Show Coverage
Even though luxury models were in relatively short supply on the show floor, the mainstream vehicles that were revealed are incredibly significant in their own ways. Editors Aaron Bragman, Mike Hanley and Damon Bell got their steps in on the show floor to see them all and weigh in on what hit — and what missed.
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170
Aaron Bragman, Detroit Bureau Chief: Winner
How can this not be a winner? It’s the last of the V-8 interceptors, and man, it is a doozy. The urge … the urge … to just yank that parachute handle. It’s like a big red button saying, “Don’t push this.” You just have to do it. The only losers here? The people who bought the last Demon thinking it was the one and only just to see that Dodge is going to do another run of even nuttier Demons. Womp womp.
Mike Hanley, Senior Road Test Editor: Winner
It’s hard to think of a more outrageous car than the Challenger SRT Demon 170 rolling off the assembly line, but then again, this is Dodge, the brand that sprung the original SRT Demon on us and has made a business out of building stupefyingly powerful performance cars. At 1,025 horsepower on E85 ethanol, 1.66 seconds to 60 mph and a quarter-mile speed of 151 mph, it’s your 10-second car — actually, your 8.91-second car. Unbelievable, and unbelievably awesome.
Damon Bell, Senior Research Editor: Winner
In the grand scheme of things, the Demon 170 isn’t particularly significant or innovative. It’s just insanely audacious — bloody red meat for the hardcore, straightline performance-car faithful. The 170 is an appropriate send-off for a nostalgic muscle machine that lasted 15 whole model years without a redesign thanks to lots of special trim choices, clever tweaks and headline-grabbing public relations and marketing. I still chuckle at the fact that the original Challenger that inspired this one lasted a mere four model years — 1970-74 — and the inspiration came almost entirely from the 1970 and 1971 models. Dodge knows its audience well. If there are any losers here, it’s the speculators who paid top-dollar collector prices for the 2018 Demon thinking it was going to be the end-all, be-all performance Challenger — kind of like when Todd McFarlane paid $3 million for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball.
2024 Hyundai Kona
AB: Winner
Every single thing Hyundai pops out continues to be fantastic, and the latest Kona is no exception. The packaging, the tech, the interior, the looks, even the crazy colors — it’s like Hyundai has figured out the formula for what makes great mainstream cars and adds in just a little bit more “surprise and delight” than they need to, and blam: continued success.
MH: Winner
The 2024 Kona is striking to behold — regardless of whether you’re looking at a gas or electric version — and its interior tech feels like a class up. Hyundai has also sensibly retained buttons and knobs for oft-used controls, but it has oddly padded the center trim on the doors rather than the top, where you might want to rest your arm. Otherwise, however, the interior feels more premium than the subcompact SUV norm. Considering its small exterior footprint, there’s also reasonable space in the front and rear seats.
DB: Winner
There’s nothing truly earthshaking with this redesign, but there are plenty of improvements across the board. Chief among these are the upsized dimensions for better backseat-passenger and cargo space, a raft of new tech features, and bold new exterior styling that brings a futuristic look. The current-generation Kona is among Cars.com’s favorite subcompact SUVs, and this new one seems well poised to maintain that status.
2024 Jeep Wrangler
AB: Winner
You can thank the Bronco for the Wrangler that you see in front of you here, replete with its new overhead side curtain airbags (that Jeep previously told us it simply couldn’t do due to the Wrangler’s snap-together assembly style) and huge 12.3-inch touchscreen. Both will make living with the Wrangler that much easier, and bringing down the cost of the 4xe system by putting it in the Sport S is another step in the right direction for putting more electrified Jeeps on the road (the Wrangler 4xe is already America’s bestselling plug-in hybrid for two years now, amazingly).
MH: Winner
With every update of the Wrangler, Jeep walks a fine line, balancing the rugged capability that defines it with the industry’s continual adoption of modern tech and convenience features. The latest updates, highlighted by a new widescreen multimedia system, allow the Wrangler to stay true to its rock-crawling roots, but they also offer those who want more tech and safety features a reason to give it another look. The available fabric-trimmed dashboard, however, seems like a questionable choice for a vehicle that’s built to get dirty.
DB: Winner
I’m not totally comfortable with the new grille treatment (it feels a little like Jeep is messing with a good thing), but other than that, this wide-ranging refresh is a slam dunk. The new infotainment screen is integrated without upsetting the “Jeepness” of the Wrangler’s cabin, and the handful of safety improvements are obviously welcome. The addition of a new base trim level for the 4xe PHEV is also welcome given how expensive that version is to start.
2024 Kia EV9
AB: Winner
This could very well be the sweet spot for massive EV acceptance if Kia can keep a handle on the price. A three-row, seven-passenger family SUV with good range, fast recharging, tons of space inside and killer looks? The only way to derail that recipe for success is if Kia decides to price it like a Mercedes-EQ EQS SUV. It’s basically that exact vehicle at (hopefully) half the price, something nobody else really offers yet (the Tesla Model X is too quirky and weird, the EQS SUV and Rivian R1S are too expensive, and the Mercedes EQB is too small).
MH: Winner
The all-new Kia EV9 builds upon the dedicated EV platform that underpins the automaker’s EV6 sporty SUV that we already know and like, but the larger EV9, with its more traditional SUV shape and three rows of seats, gives larger families considering an EV something that could work for them. With a unique (but not too weird) exterior design, sensible cabin controls and a comfortable interior, the EV9 is highly appealing, managing to be both practical and stylish at the same time.
DB: Winner
I’d call this one a winner by default just because it’s the first truly mainstream, family-focused pure-electric SUV, but the EV9 has more going for it than just that. The ambitious exterior design might turn off some traditional shoppers, but I think the avant-garde styling details and unique proportions are fresh and innovative, and I suspect they’ll look especially striking once these things start showing up on real-world streets. And despite the out-there looks, the EV9’s relatively conventional cabin looks well suited for everyday family use. There are a lot of families who would like to make the jump to an EV but are held back by the need for three-row seating; if Kia can keep the pricing in check, the EV9 should be just what the doctor ordered.
2025 Ram 1500 REV
AB: Winner
Never mind that it doesn’t look like the concept truck (which really makes me wonder why the brand bothered with a concept just two months before unveiling the production model) — if Ram can deliver on the electric range and capabilities (at a competitive price), it just blew the Ford F-150 Lightning out of the water. That’s a massive battery, even the standard one, and the long-range model’s hoped-for 500-mile range is a stunner. That truck is going to be ridiculously heavy and expensive, however, so we’ll see exactly what Ram offers when it finally gets here more than a year from now. But at first glance, it looks like Ram might be the electric truck to beat.
MH: Winner
Ram is the last of the Detroit Three automakers to reveal an all-electric full-size pickup truck, but what they’ve saved for last is quite impressive. With 500 miles of targeted range with the available 229-kilowatt-hour battery pack, maximum towing capacity of 14,000 pounds and support for 350-kilowatt DC fast charging, the 1500 REV packs some impressive specs. What’s more, it continues Ram’s tradition of building exquisitely finished interiors with the likes of the new Tungsten version that’s on the show floor. Well done, Ram; it was worth the wait.
DB: Winner
Not that I would have expected anything different, but the Ram 1500 REV is proof that full-size-pickup one-upmanship will continue unabated into the EV era. Despite the genre-bending design of the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept, the REV follows the basic script of the F-150 Lightning: It sticks with the conventional crew-cab body of the internal-combustion Ram 1500, with the expected EV-esque styling touches. The one-upmanship comes in the form of the REV’s specs: Almost all of them top the Lightning’s numbers, and it’s clear that Ram has more innovations up its sleeve, as well. The only bummer is that we’ll have to wait a year and a half for the REV to go on sale.
2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
AB: Winner
Predictable, really. The new base Crosstrek is exactly what it needs to be to please its legions of loyal buyers, and adding the popular Wilderness treatment to make it just a little bit more off-road-ready will only increase its appeal. The boost to towing actually makes it even more useful, and thank God they’re using the bigger 2.5-liter engine in the thing because the 2.0-liter four-banger is about as entertaining as a dental procedure.
MH: Winner
Subaru takes some of the same measures as Volkswagen did with its Atlas Peak Edition, giving the Crosstrek all-terrain tires and unique badging, but the Subaru is successful because it pairs those changes with others to make it more capable off-road, like extra ground clearance (for an impressive 9.3 inches in total) and an aluminum front skid plate. It may not be suitable for intense rock crawling, but the Crosstrek Wilderness should be more than able to handle what most owners will be willing to throw at it.
DB: Winner
I was close to calling this one a loser because it’s about 17% beyond my personal tolerance level for black body cladding. Sheesh, they really slathered that stuff on, didn’t they? Gotta say winner, however. The redesigned 2024 Crosstrek is a solid update of Subaru’s most popular vehicle, and the Wilderness tweaks add genuine adventuring capabilities. And in a world where the uplevel versions of larger compact SUVs regularly blow past the $40,000 mark, the generously equipped Crosstrek Wilderness’s $33K-ish starting price is a real bargain.
2024 Volkswagen Atlas Peak Edition
AB: Loser
Tires? That’s it? Knobby tires, smaller wheels and some badging? Seriously? That has to be the lamest effort out of all the “let’s make our family SUV off-road-ready” bunch I’ve yet seen. This is a group that includes the Ford Explorer Timberline, Honda Pilot TrailSport, Kia Telluride X-Pro, Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek and a few others, but at least most of them have done a little bit more than this bare minimum. This is a mere styling package, nothing more.
MH: Loser
The Atlas three-row SUV is a fine vehicle with a roomy interior for occupants and their stuff, but if you were looking for VW to offer its own take on an off-road-ready three-row SUV with the Peak Edition, prepare to be disappointed. The tires are more aggressive, yes, but that’s about the only functional element that’s different. Rolling Hills Edition might be a better name.
DB: Winner
I’m guessing my fellow editors called this one a loser since VW didn’t opt to give it any real functional all-terrain upgrades, but I’m calling it a winner — as long as VW doesn’t slap a silly price tag on it. Yes, it’s basically just for looks, but it looks good to my eyes, and most of these will just be driven to the mall or kids’ soccer practice anyway. I’m fully on board with the Peak Edition-exclusive Avocado Green paint, too.
More From Cars.com:
- 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 Up Close: Last Call on Alcohol
- 2024 Kia EV9 Up Close: This One Is Significant
- 2024 Jeep Wrangler: Tech Overhaul, Capability Gains, New Base 4xe
- 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Up Close: Into the Wild
- 2024 Hyundai Kona: Updated Performance, EV Offers Estimated 260 Miles of Range
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