Author: ATH

The 2020 Chicago Auto Show kicked off auto show season and gave car shoppers a preview of what they can expect on dealer lots later this year. The new cars shown off on Thursday’s media day ranged from pure performance to posh and practical. We’ll stick with the latter, even though the $750,000 Liquid Carbon limited edition 2020 Ford GT is auto show eye candy of the highest order. 

Here’s a rundown of what’s worth an extra look for shoppers during the show from Feb. 8-17, and later in the year at dealers. 

2021 Chrysler Pacifica

While snow swirled in from Lake Michigan, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles introduced the refreshed 2021 Chrysler Pacifica minivan in a snow globe. In addition to a revised front end, the winning minivan now offers all-wheel drive that can send 100% of the torque to the rear wheels. The Toyota Sienna, which is the only other minivan available with all-wheel drive, is in trouble. It also takes a bite out of the advantage of three-row crossover SUVs. The AWD Pacifica still comes with the clever and convenient Stow-N-Go second row seats that fold into the floor for voluminous cargo space. Interestingly, AWD will be available as soon as April on late 2020 models, before the 2021 rolls into lots in the third quarter. We’d advise waiting, as the 2021 model also features a new 10.1-inch touchscreen that controls the fifth generation of the Uconnect infotainment system, which was already one of the best in the business. The 2021 Pacifica also gets standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitors, lane-departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control that can bring the van to a stop. 

2021 Volkswagen Atlas

Volkswagen’s large three-row crossover SUV gets a little larger with a 2021 refresh. It still looks conservative, but updated bumpers give it a little more flair. An extra 3 inches of length helps improve interior comfort. Most models will get more driver-assistance features as well as an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.  

2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

The redesigned 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 54 mpg highway, 52 combined. That represents a whopping 10 mpg improvement over the old model and makes it as efficient as the Toyota Prius Eco. Neat trick for a mid-size sedan that has quickly become one of the best in class. An available solar roof panel can add energy to both the hybrid system and the 12-volt battery and account for up to 700 miles of gas-free driving annually, according to Hyundai. The Sonata Hybrid can go more than 680 miles on a single tank. It’s due in summer. 

2020 Genesis GV80

Launched last week in Miami but shown off in full in Chicago, the first crossover SUV from Hyundai’s luxury sub-brand Genesis is a real swell looker. Beyond the massive shield grille, the GV80 swaddles its interior with the finest luxury materials, including available quilted leather seats, a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen that can be controlled by a neat haptic dial in the wood-grain console, and all sorts of active safety features. It’s powered by either a 2.5-liter turbo-4 or a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, both with an 8-speed automatic. Rear-wheel and all-wheel drive will be offered.

2020 Kia Cadenza

2020 Kia Cadenza

The refreshed 2020 Kia Cadenza was a surprise. Kia doesn’t seem to need it as the sort-of full-size sedan splits the market with the Optima mid-size sedan, though with more luxury. Introduced last year in Kia’s South Korean home, the 2020 Cadenza is offered in the U.S. in Technology and Limited trims. The subtly attractive Cadenza wears a more fluid front and rear, and the equipment highlights include a standard 12.3-inch infotainment screen and more active safety features.  

2020 Nissan Frontier

Here’s an odd one. Nissan’s old mid-size pickup truck, which hasn’t been redesigned since 2005, gets a new engine and transmission that will carry over into the completely new model, which is set to launch for 2021. It’s like dipping your big toe in the water. The 2020 Frontier will be powered by a 310-horsepower 3.8-liter V-6 making 281 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired to a new-for-Frontier 9-speed automatic transmission, and buyers can opt for rear- or four-wheel drive. The old 5-speed manual and 2.5-liter inline-4 are history. The 2020 Frontier will arrive in showrooms in late spring and finish its run by the end of the year, so hurry and get it if you want standard manual windows. 

If you drive a lot on the highway and think mileage really matters, yet you’re still not ready to turn in your gas card for a charging-network app, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid might prove the perfect choice when it arrives in a few months. 

With the Sonata Hybrid’s debut at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show on Thursday, Hyundai announced a mammoth improvement of up to 10 mpg combined for its efficiency-focused version of this mainstream mid-size sedan—up to 54 mpg on the highway and up to 52 mpg combined (EPA-cycle, but not yet officially EPA-rated) for the Sonata Hybrid Blue.

On the highway, that may be more efficient than the Toyota Camry Hybrid or even the Toyota Prius Eco—second only to Hyundai’s own Ioniq. But the Sonata is a big, spacious sedan with a great highway ride. 

The Sonata Hybrid gets quieter inside, just like other versions of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, and the Sonata Hybrid promises an even more pronounced difference—partly from its improved aerodynamics (from 0.27 in other Sonatas to 0.24 here, mostly from various underbody shielding), but otherwise from newly added noise insulation. 

The Sonata’s powertrain is, from a distance, an evolution of what Hyundai has been fine-tuning over previous versions of the Hybrid. It has a completely new 2.0-liter inline-4 from Hyundai’s latest Smartstream engine family. It makes 150 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque and is mated with a single 51-hp electric motor and 6-speed automatic transmission. Altogether, the powertrain makes 192 hp.

For this hybrid system, which has typically been good on the highway but not always the smoothest in city driving, Hyundai’s introducing an Active Shift Control feature that adds a new sensor to more precisely match the hybrid system’s motor speed with engine speed—making shifts smoother and up to 30% quicker, and adding to durability for the transmission. 

Another interesting piece of tech offered in the Sonata is a Solar Roof—the first solar roof system on a mainstream hybrid that’s configured to add energy to the hybrid battery, not just the accessory battery. Hyundai says that the Solar Roof can increase driving range and add up to 700 miles per year that are essentially free—if you park it all day out in the bright sun of course (better not get that black interior). 

A digital key feature uses your smartphone—Android only, for now—to allow unlocking and starting for you and family members, and Qi wireless charging is available. Infotainment possibilities span from a base 8.0-inch system that’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, to a 10.3-inch touchscreen with cloud-based voice recognition and a surround-view camera system, with Bose audio available. 

Last year’s Hybrid was offered in SE and Limited versions, with prices running about $3,000 above their non-hybrid counterparts. Prices have gone up slightly for those other models in the lineup, and while we’d expect a price hike for the hybrid too, don’t be surprised if Hyundai makes hybrid prices a little less of a step up. 

It’s all yet to be revealed; expect more about pricing, features, and confirmed EPA ratings within a few months.