Author: ATH

The world’s automakers gathered under the bright lights at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show on Thursday to show off some off their latest and greatest new cars, trucks, and SUVs. 

Though there weren’t many major debuts, this year’s show is notable in that nearly all of the flashy new cars unwrapped in Chicago will be in dealers by the end of the year. The redesigned 2020 Subaru Legacy touts a big tech upgrade inside and the allure of more underhood muscle, while a trio of pickup trucks debuted with more features and more power.

Crossover SUVs weren’t left out by any means. Toyota’s RAV4 now comes in TRD Off-Road guise and both Kia and Nissan made life-saving active safety tech more widely available.

Here’s a look at what got our attention at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show:

2020 Subaru Legacy, 2019 Chicago Auto Show

2020 Subaru Legacy

The biggest debut in Chicago was definitely the new Subaru Legacy. The new mid-size sedan is packed with tech and safety features, and it’s offered with a 260-hp turbocharged engine. Importantly, the Legacy also previews the next-generation Subaru Outback, which will almost certainly share the sedan’s 11.6-inch touchscreen and its turbo engine.

The lingering question: When will we see a new Outback? Our magic eight ball says that the New York auto show in April is a good bet. 

2020 Toyota Tacoma

The 2020 Tacoma isn’t a redesign, but it shows that Toyota pays attention. Features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, a passenger’s door sensor for the keyless ignition system, and a retuned suspension on the TRD Pro should address concerns we had with last year’s pickup truck.

The lingering question: With new competition from Ford and Jeep, will the Tacoma hold onto its position as the top-selling mid-size pickup? 

2020 Nissan Rogue Sport

The second-smallest of Nissan’s crossover SUVs hasn’t gone rogue for the new year. Instead, the automaker made active safety take more widely available and tweaked its headlights and taillights. We would have liked to see more power underhood or maybe an electrified option, but we’ll never say “no” to effective safety features. 

The lingering question: Did Nissan do anything to make the Rogue Sport perform better in crash tests? The 2019 model earned a troubling four-star rating from the NHTSA. 

2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road

Toyota will have fun with its stylish new crossover SUV. The 2020 RAV4 TRD Off-Road isn’t a serious mud-plugger, but the automaker wants its compact crossover to get in on the TRD division’s popularity. A Toyota representative told The Car Connection that TRD trims represent about 40 percent of its pickup truck and larger SUV sales, so there’s real potential for the RAV4. 

The lingering question: Do the long-travel shocks and springs make the RAV4 TRD Off-Road better to drive both on- and off-road? 

2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD

With its 35,500-pound maximum trailer-towing rating, the 2020 Chevy Silverado HD is tops among big pickup trucks. Of course, that rating applies to a single version of the new Silverado HD, but this boldly styled big truck will certainly be a formidable lugger when it arrives in dealers this summer.

The lingering question: How long will Chevy hold the towing crown? 

2020 VW Jetta GLI

VW’s under-the-radar sports sedan is back and it’s borrowing some GTI and Golf R go-fast and handle-great bits. It’s more powerful than last year’s model and rides on a much stiffer platform, so our expectations are high. Look for a 6-speed manual transmission and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic when the GLI goes on sale soon.

The lingering question: Will the Jetta GLI once again be a Golf GTI with a trunk? 

2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty

A new gas engine option headlines the 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty, but the truckmaker isn’t willing to talk towing yet. Does it really matter if it’ll be rated as high as 35,501 pounds to top the Silverado HD? Probably not—and it won’t be with the new gas engine. 

The lingering question: If diesel’s the choice for most heavy duty truck buyers, why bother with a gas engine? Maybe we’ll see it in another Ford… 

2020 Kia Sportage

Toned-down looks and more active safety mark an early 2020 for the Kia Sportage. Kia added some worthwhile collision-avoidance tech to the Sportage’s options list. We like the new, Stinger-inspired front end and the available LED headlights. Good news: the Sportage’s sprightly turbo-4 engine option sticks around. 

The lingering question: Why didn’t Kia make the new active safety tech standard equipment? 

Launching a new model name costs many millions of dollars, which is why automakers often bring back old names or radically alter the vehicles sold under an existing name.

That explains why Toyota’s new two-seat sport coupe is called Supra, reviving a name last used in 1998.

The new 2020 Toyota Supra has an inline-6 engine, just like the old one, though the new car doesn’t have even a vestigial rear seat.

Launched Monday at the 2019 North American International Auto Show, the 2020 Supra was inspired by the FT-1 concept developed by Toyota’s advanced design studio in California. It goes on sale in the summer and costs $50,920 for base models, or $56,180 for a launch edition coupe.

NEXT: Read our 2020 Toyota Supra preview

The styling is a mix of Toyota’s latest design language and a few cues from the Supras of the previous century, including the long-hood, short-deck proportions that indicate a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car.

Its 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 is rated at 335 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. It powers the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission and an active rear differential.

Toyota quotes a 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of 4.1 seconds, just a hair slower than the 3.9 seconds quoted for the larger LC F Track Edition performance coupe it also launched at the Detroit show.

The new Supra marks Toyota’s return to the specialized world of two-seat coupes, a category now occupied only by Toyota’s own 86 coupe and its Subaru BRZ twin and the very rare Jaguar F-Type coupe.

Above that, two-seat sports models are much pricier mid-engine cars from prestige brands like Porsche and Acura.

That means annual sales of the new Supra seem likely to number in the thousands rather than the tens of thousands, making it a very specialized vehicle indeed within Toyota’s high-volume lineup.

The secret is that underneath, the 2020 Supra shares much of its underpinnings—as well as its assembly line in Austria—with the latest BMW Z4 two-seat convertible sports car.

There’s not likely to be a convertible Supra, Toyota executives said at a media preview Sunday night, nor does BMW seem likely to do a Z4 coupe, so the two cars each occupy distinct niches.

And the BMW bits underneath likely won’t matter to buyers seeking either another Supra to replace their aging original, or those eager to have a rare and sexy-looking sport coupe that’s more luxurious than the stripped-down Toyota 86.

The new 2020 Toyota Supra will go on sale this summer, with a pair of trim levels—3.0 and 3.0 Premium—as well as a Launch Edition with extra equipment on top of the Premium trim.

For more from the 2019 Detroit auto show, head over to our dedicated hub.

Toyota provided airfare, lodging, and meals to enable Internet Brands Automotive to cover its various announcements at the 2019 Detroit auto show.

Automakers took to the Los Angeles Convention Center this week with a host of new SUVs, sports cars, sedans, and pickup trucks to show off to the public. Three new models revive long-retired names for pickup trucks and SUVs aimed at hauling people and all their gear. Another is the long-awaited update of an iconic German sports car. And one’s a new model that helps flesh out a Korean automaker’s crossover SUV lineup.

All of these new models will be in dealers within a year—some sooner than later. 

Here’s a look at what new vehicle debuts stood out to The Car Connection at the 2018 LA Auto Show:

2019 Honda Passport

The Passport is one of three names we’ve seen before, but it’s nothing like its predecessor. While the last model from the 1990s was a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo, this one is a Honda Pilot with six inches lopped off its behind. It’ll only seat five passengers when it arrives early next year, but that should be just fine for buyers. The Passport features a strong V-6 engine and sits a little higher off the ground that the Pilot, so it may boast more off-road chops than we’ve come to expect from anything with a Honda badge. 

2020 Hyundai Palisade

Hyundai’s SUV lineup grows with the addition of the three-row Palisade. The new model takes over for the Santa Fe XL, and it seems like a well thought-out family hauler compared to its surprisingly half-baked predecessor. The Palisade wears trucky duds draped over a car-like crossover body, so don’t look for it to tow big trailers or dig deep into a mucky situation. If the Palisade’s styling doesn’t speak to you, the upcoming Kia Telluride is expected to be much the same vehicle with different looks. 

2020 Jeep Gladiator

Jeep has been promising another pickup for as long as many of its owners have been alive. The long-overdue Gladiator revives an historic Jeep name and starts as a Wrangler from the back seat forward. Behind its passenger compartment, its wheelbase grows by about 19 inches and another 9 inches of frame stretches out behind the rear wheels. That’s all to make room for a 5-foot pickup bed. Its fabric or hard top can be removed, its doors unbolt, and its windshield flops down. It brims with character more than any other mid-size pickup. We want one. Bad. 

2020 Kia Soul (Soul GT-Line)

2020 Kia Soul

How many ways can you shape a toaster? The 2020 Kia Soul aims to find out. The third-generation Soul debuted in two flavors—a gas-fueled model and an electric car called the Soul EV. Both are slightly larger, slightly weirder, and slightly more spacious than before. A 147-horsepower inline-4 is standard, but we’re excited about the 201-hp turbo-4. The Soul EV promises even better electric performance than before, but Kia hasn’t said what its electric range or price will be. 

2020 Lincoln Aviator

The third rebooted name in SoCal comes from Lincoln. We have high hopes for the Aviator, a three-row crossover SUV that boasts 400 hp in standard form and 450 hp (plus 600 pound-feet of torque!) from an optional plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Aviator’s svelte looks play off the Navigator’s swagger but turn it into something far more palatable. Yeah, Lincoln’s been down this road before, but this latest Aviator is a lot more promising. 

2019 Mazda 3

Mazda’s compact sedan and hatchback have a new look and they’ll eventually offer a high-compression engine that promises big fuel economy gains. We’re eager to see if these small cars retain the fun-to-drive characteristics that have defined Mazda 3s of the past. The company will also offer all-wheel drive, a first for the 3. Look for it early next year.

2020 Porsche 911

How do you reinvent an icon? Well, you don’t, not if you’re Porsche. The 2020 Porsche 911 looks a heck of a lot like its predecessor, which will be just fine with the Porsche faithful. It gets big upgrades inside, with a modern dashboard. One big asterisk is that the 911 Carrera S and Carrera 4S that bowed in California are both fitted with a dual-clutch automatic transmission, not a manual gearbox. Porsche promises a traditional manual will follow, but we’re not so sure that waiting is the best way for Porsche to go, especially for enthusiasts.

The Toyota Corolla has historically flaunted its frugal credentials. In a sign of changing times, the new 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is angling for a lot more eco cred.

For the first time, it packs something very noteworthy: Toyota’s hybrid system, and mileage that’s surprisingly close to the Prius.

Toyota claims that the Corolla Hybrid’s EPA ratings will include at least 50 mpg combined—which will put its fuel economy in line with the all-wheel-drive Prius (AWD-e) that Toyota also showed Wednesday at the LA Auto Show.

The Corolla Hybrid, like the Corolla, has some intriguing new proportions—possibly a bit more ‘cab forward’ than the outgoing model, and reveling more in the fine details—and is built on the automaker’s new TNGA platform.

MORE: 2019 Toyota Corolla hatch first drive: first steps to sport

Here, the Hybrid system makes 121 horsepower combined, and the 1.8-liter gasoline inline-4 runs on the lean Atkinson cycle. Two motors and a planetary gear system help juggle multiple drive modes and recover energy when decelerating and braking.

Toyota says that an active hydraulic brake booster helps establish better brake pedal feel, and a preload-differential feature helps with torque distribution from left to right to aid handling. There are three drive modes: Normal, Eco, and Sport, each changing accelerator response.

Corolla Hybrid models come with an exclusive 7.0-inch multi-information display system with reconfigurable readouts and displays in its instrument cluster, while they have a big 8.0-inch touch screen display with six speakers, Apple CarPlay compatibility, Siri Eyes Free, and Amazon Alexa compatibility, Wi-Fi connectivity, and traffic and weather info.

ALSO SEE: 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback does well in latest crash tests

The Corolla Hybrid will also come fitted with a full range of active safety tech including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and lane-departure warnings.

Pricing and trim levels for the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid haven’t yet been detailed, but don’t be surprised if it’s priced in the vicinity of the most affordable Prius models. With that, the Corolla Hybrid could face up against the excellent Honda Insight hybrid sedan.

Hybrid tech, at last, could be the new normal.

An evolutionary redesign that bowed Wednesday at the 2018 LA Auto Show puts the 2019 Mazda 3 in line with the automaker’s larger sedan and its crossover SUVs. Bigger changes come inside and behind the scenes, where the Mazda 3 ushers in a new fuel-saving, high-compression engine, a larger infotainment screen, an available infrared driver-monitoring system, and a host of changes designed to make the small sedan and hatchback quieter on the highway.

Additionally, the new Mazda 3 will be available with all-wheel drive for the first time. 

At first glance, the new Mazda 3’s styling doesn’t stray far from the outgoing model—at least as far as the sedan is concerned. That model’s taut proportions carry over, albeit with a cleaner front end design and a thin ribbon of taillights with a circular LED design. The new Mazda 3 hatchback’s styling is more dramatic, with a massive rearmost roof pillar that gives it considerable visual heft compared to a more delicate look on the outgoing model. 

MORE: Read our 2018 Mazda 3 review

Inside, the 3’s interior appears to be a 7/8ths version of what’s in the Mazda 6 mid-size sedan. The dashboard is low, with an 8.8-inch widescreen display nested in a crevice above the center console. Secondary switches are sparse, with a handful surrounding the gear lever and climate controls grouped in the center of the dashboard. A newly available driver-attention monitoring system uses infrared to watch the driver and to sound an alert if it detects wandering eyes looking away from the road. 

Mazda hasn’t detailed the 2019 3’s U.S.-market specifications, but it did say that an 8-speaker audio system will be standard equipment and Bose-branded speakers are on the options list. Mazda didn’t immediately say if the new 3 will have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The brand has been rolling out compatibility with smartphones over the last few months for its current and older models.

On the safety front, the 2019 Mazda 3’s infrared driver-attention monitoring system works in conjunction with the automatic emergency braking system to alert drivers in a dangerous situation. The available adaptive cruise control system is more advanced than before and can automatically handle steering inputs in certain high-traffic situations. Mazda said that automatic emergency braking will be standard and that the 3 will offer forward cross-traffic alerts to help out in intersections with low visibility.

ALSO SEE: 2019 Mazda CX-5 adds 2.5-liter turbo engine option, new Signature trim level

A knee airbag for the driver is now included on the 3, bringing the airbag count for the small car to seven.

Under the Mazda 3’s hood, three inline-4 engines will be on offer globally. Specifications for the U.S. market haven’t been released, but Mazda said that 2.0- and 2.5-liter inline-4 engines will be mated to either 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmissions. Last year’s Mazda 3’s 2.0- and 2.5-liter inline-4 engines were rated at 155 and 184 horsepower, respectively, figures that provide a basis for the new model. The automaker promises big improvements to its small car’s noise suppression, both from better sound deadening and more careful utilization of open space in the car’s structure. 

Mazda told The Car Connection that the 2.5-liter inline-4 will be under the hood when the redesigned 3 goes on sale early next year. The automaker said that both the automatic and manual transmissions will be offered in the U.S.

A high-compression inline-4 Mazda calls Skyactiv-X uses a special compression ignition system to burn exceptionally lean fuel mixtures in most situations to save gas, although it can switch over to conventional spark ignition for better acceleration. Early prototypes with the engine were rated at 188 horsepower, but Mazda hasn’t specified figures for the new car—and it hasn’t said when the new engine will hit the road in the U.S.  

The 3 will be available with all-wheel drive, too, which could be a boon to drivers in wintry climates.

After rumors swirled at the start of 2018 over a reborn Honda Passport, the brand has confirmed the nameplate’s revival. Honda teased the forthcoming mid-size crossover SUV on Thursday (#ThrowbackThursday) and announced the model will make its global debut at the 2018 Los Angeles auto show.

The brand didn’t reveal much about the 2019 Honda Passport, but confirmed it will slot between the compact CR-V and full-size Pilot. The sizing pegs it squarely as a rival to the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, and soon-to-launch Chevrolet Blazer. The 2019 Passport will also likely share a platform with the larger Pilot as Honda revealed the new crossover SUV will be built at its Lincoln, Alabama, plant—also where the Pilot calls its production home.

CHECK OUT: 2018 Honda Pilot review

Honda said the crossover SUV is a “powerful and off-road-capable” vehicle. That ethos traces its roots back to the original Passport that debuted for the 1994 model year, though the original was hardly a Honda. The original SUV was actually a re-badged Isuzu Rodeo, itself a truck-based five-seat SUV. Honda pulled the Passport from the market in 2002 in favor of the more car-like Pilot.

While the crossover SUV will make its full debut in Los Angeles, Honda plans to reveal the 2019 Passport online a day before on Nov. 27 via a YouTube livestream. The online event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. Shoppers will find the new Passport a dealerships come early 2019.