2025 New York Auto Show: Winners and Losers
This season’s auto shows have been lighter on all-new vehicle introductions as automakers have instead increasingly chosen to reveal their most important new models whenever — and wherever — it makes sense for them. But the 2025 New York International Auto Show sees a bit of a return to the type of newsmaking event that auto shows have traditionally been, as it has a handful of significant new and redesigned vehicles making their debut.
Related: More 2025 New York Auto Show Coverage
Cars.com editors Mike Hanley, Aaron Bragman and Joe Bruzek weigh in on them below, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that these cars are but a fraction of the vehicles on the show floor. If you’re in the market for a new car, auto shows remain a great place to see all (or most) of the vehicles you’re considering in one place so you can narrow your choices. On to the hot takes!
2026 Hyundai Palisade
Mike Hanley: Winner
The current Hyundai Palisade was already a winner in our book, taking top honors in our most recent three-row SUV comparison test, and Hyundai has made it even better for 2026. With a distinctive new design, smart storage solutions, helpful tech features, a new off-road-oriented XRT Pro version and a newly available hybrid powertrain that Hyundai says will get more than 30 mpg on the highway, the 2026 Palisade is an even more compelling option for families shopping for a three-row SUV.
Joe Bruzek: Winner
I was curious how Hyundai would update the Palisade, considering how the redesigned Santa Fe (Cars.com’s Best Car of 2025) was so good that it didn’t really make sense for some people to splurge for the bigger SUV. The 2026 Palisade’s redesign makes it more upscale than before, further distancing itself from the Santa Fe with its classier cabin and elegant exterior details.
Aaron Bragman: Winner
The Palisade has been a perennial favorite of ours, and this latest update just continues to make a good thing better. It’s nice to finally see a hybrid option for the big Hyundai since the old powertrain was getting a bit stale. The XRT Pro off-road version seems silly to me, as I find it highly unlikely that any family is going to take their expensive truckster off into the dirt to the extent that they have to buy a special trim. But looking like you can go off-road is de rigueur these days, so Hyundai kind of had to do it. Overall, though, it’s a solid update.
2026 Kia EV4
MH: Loser
Wow, this is one oddly shaped wedge of a car, with proportions that aren’t pleasing in the least. It does have a low 0.23 drag coefficient — especially important for an electric vehicle — but it’s such a mishmash of a design. It gets worse inside, with a tilted-backwards rear seat that’s not comfortable in the least. With cooling interest in EVs in the U.S. (and interest in sedans already cold), the EV4 is the wrong vehicle at the wrong time.
JB: Loser
Without knowing pricing, it’s really hard to give a definitive answer because I’ll for sure take the estimated 330 miles of range for $35,000. But if we’re talking $45,000, that’s harder to justify some of the EV4’s quirks, such as its backseat, the strange shape and so-so DC fast-charging speeds. It’s curious that Kia didn’t lead off its next run of affordable EVs with the EV3 compact SUV that’s much better suited to today’s shopper who’s expecting SUV-like utility and roominess.
AB: Loser
I don’t mind the bizarre styling (and let’s face it, it is bizarre — just look at that back end), and I’m not even that mad about the uninspired interior materials. I am, however, not thrilled with the interior packaging, which sees a high floor combined with a low roof to make for a squashed bunker-style cabin. Blame the batteries under your feet, but the backseat in particular is an awful place to be, with an utter lack of headroom and a dark environment that’s hard to see out of. I’m hoping it’ll be priced to sell because otherwise, this might be a hard bit of metal to move in the U.S., even with people supposedly still demanding that Tesla build a cheaper Model 2.
2026 Kia K4 Hatchback
MH: Winner
Kia’s new hatchback version of the K4 fixes one of the K4 sedan’s most unusual design cues: its abrupt-looking rear roof pillars. The hatchback’s long, low roofline ends in a more conventional design that looks great in person. And, despite a low roofline, the K4 Hatchback still has decent space inside for adult passengers, with more backseat headroom than you might expect. Plus, it has all of the tech and convenience elements that make the K4 one of the more feature-packed compact cars you can buy.
JB: Winner
I know that the more pedestrian versions of the K4 Hatchback won’t look as commanding and sporty as the GT-Line Turbo on the show floor, but the striking Sparkling Yellow exterior paint and muscular rear styling were quite stunning. Plus, there are numerous desirable features in the compact hatchback, making the line-topping K4 Hatchback more premium than you’d expect, with two-position memory seats, front parking sensors and a 360-degree top-down camera system for parking.
AB: Winner
What a pleasant surprise this is. The K4 sedan is unique and unusual, but it suffers from its own styling — the impossibly low stance looks cool (I suppose) but makes for an uncomfortable backseat experience. The K4 Hatchback, however, solves that problem with a higher roofline, taller cargo area and just better comfort all around. And the fact that it’s not an SUV is key here — it has utility but maintains a swoopy, stylish appearance that’s vastly better than the awkward K4 sedan.
2026 Subaru Outback
MH: Winner
The Outback was already a practical choice for shoppers looking for an all-wheel-drive family vehicle, and from a styling standpoint, Subaru has made it even more SUV-like for the 2026 model year. The automaker also addressed one of the Outback’s more significant tech-related issues by separating the climate controls from the infotainment system. And with a spacious, comfortable interior and a big cargo area, the redesigned 2026 Outback seems poised to build upon the model’s existing success.
JB: Winner
I can get over the fact that the blocky 2026 Outback looks like it was built in Minecraft because everything else Subaru changed makes it considerably more user-friendly. I can’t tell you how frustrating the previous touchscreen controls were (actually, yes I can — just read every Cars.com review of a Subaru from the 2020-25 model years that came with the vertically oriented touchscreen), and it’s such a relief to see physical buttons back in the Outback for frequently used controls like heated seats.
AB: Winner
I know it looks bizarrely boxy, but so does nearly every Volvo built before 1996, and those have a cool factor to them, too. Frankly, I don’t hate the way the Outback looks at all. But what has won me over big time is the fact that every gripe I had about the old Outback has been addressed, from the clunky and slow multimedia system to the awful touchscreen-integrated climate controls to the cheap-feeling interior. The buttons are back, and nothing is better than buttons!
2026 Subaru Solterra
MH: Winner
Some key improvements to Subaru’s electric SUV — a longer estimated driving range of more than 285 miles, DC fast-charging speeds of up to 150 kilowatts and a North American Charging Standard-style charge port for charging at Tesla Supercharger stations without an adapter — make the 2026 Solterra a more compelling EV. I’m less a fan of the styling updates — particularly the shift to a grilleless front end — but taken as a whole, this is a significant improvement for the Solterra.
JB: Loser
The Solterra’s improvements are absolutely notable considering how much the Solterra and related Toyota bZ4X missed the mark when they were introduced just a few years ago, but the Solterra’s new specs are still only just meeting the bar to being a modern compact electric SUV. Plus, there’s not a whole lot about the Solterra that’s Subaru-esque (unlike the next car on the list).
AB: Loser
I was going to call the Solterra a winner … until I saw the new 2026 Trailseeker was right next to it on the show stand, and that’s what everyone else is going to be buying instead of the Solterra. Why get the smaller, less capable, less roomy, uglier, slower Solterra when you can have a true Subaru-looking wagon-style EV model that has the same battery, same interior and blitzes to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds? Maybe if you want to save a buck, you’d go for the Solterra, but I can’t imagine any other reason to buy one over its own new showroom competition.
2026 Subaru Trailseeker
MH: Winner
If you like the Solterra but wish it had a little more space for your gear, take a look at the new Trailseeker. It shares much of its design language, features and EV technology with the Solterra, but with more cargo space behind the rear seats. It also gets a more powerful standard powertrain that’s capable of launching the SUV to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, according to Subaru.
JB: Winner
Yes! This is what I’m talking about. It’s an EV, but it’s also a Subaru in more ways than just being named a Subaru. It has a long, wagonlike roof, good cargo room and a beefy set of roof rails. These are the reasons why you may want to deal with average or less-than-average range and DC fast-charging speed, because the Trailseeker could be used for outdoor lifestyle activities like taking kayaks or bikes down to the nearby quarry lake or trails; anything beyond that, however, and you’ll likely want a regular gasoline-powered Outback.
AB: Winner
Take one Solterra and make it longer and roomier, much better looking with that roofline and liftgate, keep the quirky interior, and you’ve got the electric Outback I’m sure all of the current Solterra owners are clamoring for. It even looks like a proper Subaru wagon despite having a lot of Toyota underpinnings (like that interior). Yeah, it might not be the most competitive EV on the market with its 150-kW max charging rate and awkwardly arranged gauges, but it’s going to keep the Subaru fans happy for sure.
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