More Than Just Cars, A Showcase of Car Stories

Auto shows have morphed over the years as car makers from Mazda to Honda to Lexus eschew participation, many opting to exhibit only if, and where, necessary. The old model of auto shows as dealership lead generators has given way to more efficient marketing funnels. As a result, carmakers who value being in front of hundreds of thousands of car shoppers find the auto show a great place to sell the brand as much as its models.

The 2026 New York Auto Show exemplified that trend; some brands, like Toyota, displayed the entire lineup; others opted to exhibit a single model or two. Infiniti used the show to highlight its newest model, the QX65, a sleek luxury fastback. Bentley showed off its most recent Supersports model, a one of 500 built, this one customized for a role in the film Full Send where it was drifted by pro driver Travis Pastrana.

Genesis used the auto show, as it has in recent years, as a showcase for its design direction. This year’s exhibit featured a newly revealed G90 Wingback Concept, a luxe sport wagon designed for sporty driving. We’ll have to wait to see if the company decides to build it.

EVs Continue To Dominate The Auto Show

While the full complement of powertrains was on display, electrification took center stage, especially among carmakers with a global presence who are responding to demand in other markets.

Subaru debuted its newest EV at the show, the seven-passenger Getaway. This all-electric SUV, which like the Solterra, Trailseeker and Uncharted shares its DNA with Toyota’s EVs, promises a 300 mile range, all wheel drive and up to 420 hp, the most powerful Subaru on the road.

Kia used the New York Auto Show to introduce the EV3, a mini version of the EV9. After seeing huge success in Europe, South Korea and Australia for its affordability and long range, the EV3 will go on sale in North America later this year.

Automakers from Chevrolet, Hyundai, Polestar and Lucid highlighted electric power. Others, such as Nissan’s redesigned Leaf hatchback which starts under $30,000, and Jeep’s Recon, the brand’s first all-electric off-roader, show carmakers have’t abandoned the technology.

The Expansion Of Electrified Powertrains Continues

Looking at the power sources of cars on display makes one thing increasingly clear: More and more cars have some sort of electrification that makes them faster and more efficient. Many now carry badges including BEV, for battery-electric vehicle and PHEV, for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle as well as hybrid and mild hybrid.

Add to that a new technology, the EREV, or extended range electric vehicle, which was on display in the Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4xe and the Ram 1500 REV. This powertrain technology, which has proved popular in places like China and Europe, is sort of a reverse hybrid: the plug-in electric powertrain is assisted by a gas-powered generator for additional mileage. The generator actually charges the battery rather than powering the motor, maintaining an EV drive experience and keeping emissions low.

This much-discussed technology is coming to the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Genesis GV70 and other carmakers including Kia, Nissan and Audi are said to be adding the technology. Scout Motors, which was not at the New York Show but which introduced the Traveler and Terra as its inaugural vehicles last year, will offer a Harvester EREV trim, too.

Power And Range Are The New Luxury

Among the automotive brands focusing on their unique approach to the market are Polestar, which showcased the Polestar 4 alongside the Arctic Circle edition, part of the brand’s modified EV line designed to compete on the ice. The Polestar 4 Arctic Circle edition harnesses the model’s 544 hp, all wheel drive and lower center of gravity to race and drift on ice tracks.

Porsche also showed the Cayenne Electric, a pinnacle of the Cayenne lineup with a Turbo model that, with 1,139 hp, is the most powerful Porsche ever. To reach that peak, Porsche designed this SUV from the ground up; none of its components are shared with the gas-powered SUV other than the sideview mirrors and steering wheel.

Corvette showed off its two future concepts, the CX and the CX.R. The CX is a twin-turbo V8-powered electric hybrid, and the CX.R is a racing concept, and while it remains to be seen whether or not these concepts will be built, one thing is enticing: Both powertrains are designed to produce more than 2,000 hp.

Another EV Predictor: All 2026 World Car Awards Winners Are EVs

Each year the World Car Awards, the industry’s red-carpet event, kicks off the New York Auto Show. To qualify to be judged one of the best vehicles in the world, a vehicle must be sold on more than two continents, go on sale in the 14 months ending March 31 of the award year and meet minimum production criteria. This year, all winners were EVs, signaling a continued global march toward electrification. The 2026 winners are:

• World Car of The Year: BMX iX3
• World Luxury Car: Lucid Gravity
• World Performance Car: Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
• World Electric Car: BMX iX3
• World Urban Car: Nio Firefly
• World Car Design of the Year: Mazda 6E

Heavy-Hitters Still Take Center Stage

If there’s one thing US car makers don’t shy away from, its cars that will tip the balance sheet into the black. Those tend to be SUVs that cater to families and that build on prior successes.

This year saw three three-row vehicles revealed—the VW Atlas, the all-electric Subaru Getaway and an updated Chrysler Pacifica. The Atlas has been redesigned with a tweaked powertrain, an overall new look and a much-advanced tech interface. And the Pacifica, which boasts a new front end and the brand’s new logo, has narrowed its trim lines to remove the base model and the PHEV and instead, to focus on core models.

In the two-row category, Kia kicked off North American sales of the redesigned Seltos, a Telluride-inspired five-passenger SUV that has proven quite popular overseas; and Subaru rolled out the Forester Hybrid, a more fuel-efficient version of its uber-popular SUV.

Another popular category, adventure vehicles, hinted at more options in the future. The Boulder Concept SUV from Hyundai was one of the most talked-about vehicles at the show, while the Pacifica Grizzly Peak concept, which was customized to show how it can accommodate off-road adventures, hinted at what may be down the line for the minivan.

With hundreds of thousands of visitors throughout the 10 days of the New York Auto Show, it also seems that consumers have reversed the attendance trend, which dipped after the pandemic. Which might be the best indicator of the auto industry of all: Consumers are back and they’re actively shopping.