It’s been a long, long time since an auto show has provided an actual surprise. Auto shows have supposedly died, and with them, the excitement of seeing anything new or interesting. Everyone knows the cars that will be shown ahead of time, and worse, everyone knows automakers are keeping the good stuff for one-off events outside of the auto show calendar. Will the New York Auto Show be any different this year? I think it might just be.
I now live in New York, so I have some affection for the event, which is why the one-two punch of the pandemic and the general decoupling of debuts from shows has been a bummer. Like all major auto shows, New York has ceded space to “test tracks” to make up for the empty space where automakers used to be.
The last time there was an auto show with multiple vehicles debuting that I didn’t already know everything about was … let’s just say it was before I started having to be conscious of plucking ear hairs. Not only are there automakers showing mysterious vehicles here, but there are vehicles getting real debuts, as opposed to just “North American reveals” of something everyone has already seen.
Why is this happening? Suddenly, automakers are realizing they need the American market more than ever and, likely, can’t rely on China to move cars. America is back, baby! Let’s look at what’s coming for this special Morning Dump.
The 2026 Subaru Outback And The Subaru Trailseeker
Being based in New Jersey, it’s only fitting that Subaru is bringing two new models to its hometown show. The first is the Subaru Trailseeker, which is some sort of small (or large) electric car. This is the only photo we have, so I’m quite curious what it’ll be.
What about the Outback? The last generation Outback debuted in New York way back in 2018, so it’s fitting that the new sixth generation is getting shown here first.
That’s interesting. That doesn’t look like a wagon at all. With the death of the Subaru Legacy sedan, I suppose it would be weird to only have a wagon variant. Right? I can’t think of many cars where that’s the case. I have this bad sense that Subaru is getting rid of the wagon as we know it and giving us something taller and more crossover-like, maybe something similar to the Toyota Crown Signia. Or maybe it’s getting a third row?
Being based on the Crown Signia is not naturally a bad thing, as I like that car and the next Outback positively has to have a hybrid version, but it could mean the American market loses another true wagon.
Kia K4 Wagon, Kia EV3, Another Thing
Kia has announced it’s bringing three things to the auto show, saying: The three Kia debut vehicles span distinct model lines, encompass two fully electric powertrains, and one offers a sporty and versatile approach in the compact car segment.
The “sporty and versatile” compact car is almost certainly the Kia K4 5-door. I’m going to get as close to this thing as I can, because I’m extremely interested in this likely affordable five-door. Plus, the wagon version looks a great deal cooler than the sedan. A reader said they spotted some testing here in America, so I feel good about this call. I’m not 100% sure, though, which is fun.
What about the other two? The Kia EV3 seems like a no-brainer as it’s the perfect time to announce a $30,000/300-mile electric car, if that’s what this ends up being. Could the other vehicle be the Kia EV4? I have no idea! There’s also an outside chance of a Kia Telluride update.
A New 2026 Hyundai Palisade
Did we not write about the new Palisade? I thought we had. This thing already debuted in South Korea, which means this is a “North American” debut, and we know what it looks like. It’s good! Alanis is on the press trip for this vehicle and will therefore have way more information tomorrow. Here’s what it looks like:
Many, many more details to come.
Probably A Genesis GV90 Flagship EV
Last year, Genesis dominated the first night with the Neolun Concept. This was a preview of the brand’s flagship three-row electric SUV that everyone assumes will be the Genesis GV90. I’m going to dinner with Genesis again tonight and have no idea what the company is going to show if not this. I assume it’s this.
There’s also supposed to be some sort of concept on display, which I assume will be the droptop we saw in South Korea earlier this month. Genesis loves a surprise, so hopefully we get more than that. Either way, the food there was excellent last year, and the famous racer Jacky Ickx cornered the wait staff and got me an entire tray of fried chicken. I can’t lose!
Volkswagen, Toyota, And Maserati
Toyota will have a couple of interesting vehicles we’ve already seen, including the GR86 Yuzu Edition. I’ll put on my radioactive goggles and try to take some photos of it. The other vehicle is the crazy expensive A90 Supra Final Edition. I am interested in both these cars, and I’ll try to bring back some info if there’s anything interesting. The big reveals for Toyota are coming later this year.
The Maserati booth will have all of their vehicles, as well as the Maserati GT2 Stradale. If Maserati goes away, we’ll all be sad, because this is almost certainly a good car. Here’s hoping it’s being shown in a great color.
Volkswagen is a bit of a mystery. They haven’t told us anything, and they’ve got a reception to close the day. Is there a new ID.4 facelift in the works? A cargo version of the ID.Buzz? A five-row Tiguan? Nothing? Again, they’re not saying anything, which is exciting.
The First High-Volume Mack Truck
It’s the 125th Anniversary of the New York Auto Show and the 125th Anniversary of Mack Trucks. To that end, North Carolina-based Mack Trucks is bringing its Mack AB:
“The Mack AB model, the first standardized high-volume Mack truck, at this year’s auto show was built in 1925, which exemplifies the dependability of Mack vehicles by celebrating its 100th anniversary of its introduction. Produced between 1914 and 1936, the Mack AB model was equipped with a 30 horsepower four-cylinder engine. Eventually, the engine’s horsepower was increased to 60 horsepower.
I’m going to get photos of this and pass them to Mercedes because this is a Mercedes story.
How Mad Can I Make Adrian?
This is a vehicle from Trans Am Worldwide, which takes what appear to be final-gen Camaros and turns them into ’60s Chevy coupes. I can’t wait to send as many photos of this to Adrian as Slack can handle. He will almost certainly love it.
Our Plan
My thought process for this show is to cover it like we used to cover shows, by running from one process conference to the next and then picking up random stuff we see that we find interesting. In addition to me and Alanis, we’ll have Parker Kligerman around for things. It should be fun. If you’re at the press day this week, come find us.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
It’s the “Theme From New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra. Seems fitting, right? The schoolyard’s up, and the shopping mall’s down!
The Big Question
What are you looking forward to seeing this year? Is there anything you want us to check out?
Top Photo: NY Auto Show
I……..don’t hate that cosplaying Camaro.
you might want to see your eye doctor, I think something’s wrong with your vision
There’s a saddle for everyone.
”I…….don’t hate”
Agreed. Hatred is an emotion that hurts the hater. But honest physical reactions just are what they are, so I’m going with “am repulsed by.”
I hate it.
It’s horrid.
Forget those other comments. I’m with you. To own a one-off like that would be friggin’ sweet. Sure, it’s derivative of like 10 different styles, but it fucks. lol.
Over ten years ago we used to live in Connecticut and went to several NY auto shows, saw the debut of the Volt concept and then the production model, which was such a let down, but the shows were great, mini had the KISS styled coopers, Kia had cars up in a giant matchbox display it was all just so much bigger.
Now we just go to the local show put on by NADA, and it gets smaller and smaller every year, they used to get at least a couple concept models to show but not even that anymore. Hopefully that’ll turn around, be nice to get excited at the show again.
My local NADA show followed that path, too. Unfortunately, they were trying for a speed run to irrelevance, and succeeded, with this year’s show being completely cancelled. Womp.
Ah that sucks. The Charlotte NC one used to take up the whole lower floor of the convention center, with a whole section of old cars from the 1910s-1970s, another section for exotics, some years you could sit in them. Now literally half the floor is EV “test drives” where they “peel out” every few minutes and that doesn’t get annoying(spoiler, dry tires on concrete will always squeal), the rest is the big makes spaced out much more. We still go as it’s a cheap date and can still see the new models, and at least we still have it, for now.
I’m 70 and remember my father and I taking the bus in from PA for the day to go to the 1962 NY Auto Show, and later my neighbor and I going to the 1970 show, where I saw the Cannonball Ferrari Daytona, the Ferrari Modulo, and the premier of the 365 GTC/4, not to mention the miura and a host of other great cars. Heaven! I have the catalog to the latter, but the former has sadly gone missing.
The Trans Am Worldwide Chevy Coupe. Body by Rocky.
Yo Adrian! They did it!
Be still my beating heart. It’s not a doom and gloom morning dump for a change. Amazing.
Am I really the only person who counts the Impreza as a wagon?
I used to, but they keep further truncating the hatch down each generation. Now the cargo area is fairly sloped and short.
I consider it to be a hatchback these days.
The K4 wagon announcement, followed by the Outback making a final transformation into an SUV would be a true “first it giveth, then it taketh away” sort of deal. What a bummer that would be.
Tread lightly Subaru. You may think you can sell anything with your badge on it these days, but the Outback people are pretty fucking conservative (ironically) about their choice of vehicle. They opt for it BECAUSE it’s a wagon. Turn it into a Kia Sorento and well, fuck around and find out I guess.
For this reason, I don’t think they’ll make that mistake.
One of the big reason we bought our ’21 Outback is because “wagon.” Much more usable cargo space, more ground clearance but a lower height than other crossovers, sat lower so it felt more like a car.
I made damn sure to mark on their survey that I’d like to see future models be even more wagony.
It’s the reason my parents bought one. It’s the reason half my friends have one. It sells because it’s different.
The 6th gen is already walking a fine line if you ask me and they have been trending the wrong way for a while. I cross shopped them for a bit with my A4 allroad 8 years ago but didn’t really bother when I replaced it this winter.
It’s certainly too cross-overy already yes. Any more stretching in the Z axis and it’s core differentiation is basically gone.
Nah, not really…at this point it’s still a lifted Legacy wagon.
When I replace my CUV (which, granted, may not occur during the uncertainty of this administration), I want to get something with a low enough roof that I can load stuff into a Thule carrier without climbing, and which ideally has a sizable cargo area with a hatch. In other words, a wagon. I was already upset that Subaru did away with the Legacy wagon, but if they redesign the Outback as a tall CUV, then there will be zero non-luxury wagons left in this country.
(Crown Signia is a little too small, but more importantly it’s priced in Lexus territory compared to the Outback.)
This may be the #1 practical reason for wagons over crossovers. Access to the roof. Its an awful lot easier to get kayaks onto the roof of a wagon.
We load ours via a roller on the rear window…even with the slightly lower roof height, when using a Thule or Yakima adapter setup with crossbars plus cradles on top, it gets too high for my wife to easily manage.
If Subaru still offered a Legacy wagon, we’d have bought that in a second over the OB.
Ah you have the crossbar adapters that plunk in and span over the top of the rail system? I have a friend with those. The integrated crossbar system is great, unless you need the flexibility to tie things down on either side of the rail.
They left the crossbars super long, nearly beyond the width of the car. Need to be careful to not poke your eye out when getting in and out, lol.
Yes, the integrated system is somewhat of a compromise. I find it handy for carrying loads you just strap down and go, but not for adapters such as bikes, kayaks, etc., if they’re not used constantly. Part of that is our use case, which is hauling two kayaks every so often…it’s much easier to keep the kayak adapters permanently mounted to the crossbars, so we don’t have to fiddle with positioning every time we use them. The Yakima setup’s also far sturdier…the integrated ones do not inspire confidence.
Some people like them, I do not. I actually thought about buying some Wilderness rails and installing them so I could use some cheaper generic Malone crossbars, but the net cost was higher and, given how little we use them, not worth the effort.
I got hooked on wagons from my first car which was a 1984 Chevy Celebrity (ironically the Volvo I replaced it with was a sedan) and roof load height and general versatility are the main reasons. I was recently handed down a cedar strip canoe my dad and grandpa made 40 years ago mostly because my dad didn’t feel he could safely load it on their minivan anymore. He gets a fancy new Kevlar canoe and it’s a win for me because I love the canoe and it looks great loaded on the roof of my allroad!
Now that’s cool. Seems like a photo of what you described could basically be a print ad for the Allroad.
Based on all the spy shots and renders we’ve seen they’ve already made the mistake. But let’s see what the give and take is. Interior looks more promising than current gen with return to hard buttons for HVAC etc.
We’ve been putting off replacing our 2016 Outback for a while…and while I had pretty much written off the current gen Outback mainly because of its horrendous touchscreen and so so fuel economy, now buying the last of the current gen is suddenly at the top of our list. Funny that the new gen fixes both our issues with the current model (hybrid option and touch controls)…but they really screwed it up by not making it a WAGON. That’s what kept us with the Outback in the first place.
Subaru may realize that many buyers will start looking elsewhere if they’re presented with yet another CUV with zero wagon DNA…at that point what’s keeping them from a Passport or dozens of other options out there?
I can almost smell Adrian’s jimmies rustling from here
ew
“he has even curtailed his erotic activities since you hurt his feelings Mr. Kramer.”
What I’m looking forward to in the automotive world? 2026 Subaru Outback wagon.
What I’m NOT looking forward to in the automotive world? 2026 Subaru Outback SUV (a.k.a. Forester XL or Ascent XS).
I could see the Outback getting a bit taller, but adding a third row at the same time would essentially make it the Ascent, so I don’t see that happening.
Over the weekend I rode in a friend’s 2025 Santa Fe and am torn – I like most of the exterior styling, but less the interior. The dash being 75% screen had a cheap look and didn’t really fit with the rest of the cabin design (which didn’t seem to have a consistent design ethos). I hope they do better with the Palisade.
The Outback could become something akin to what the Passport is to the Pilot.
Another thought is that since the Forester completes with the RAV4, CRV, Rouge, Subaru is trying for the 3rd row CUV title. Not sure that title is worth much in the real world. Nissan dropped the 3rd row from the Rouge in 2019.
I had the same thought about the Passport and Pilot, and I’d not be surprised at all if Subaru did as well, especially now that the Passport is solidly in the “outdoorsy” segment Subaru lives in.
It’s kind of funny, as Hyundai makes the exteriors more and more different from one product to the next, the interiors have gotten more similar. Sure everyone does it – look at Honda’s interiors – but for me something about Hyundai newer interior design theme loses a little character over the prior interiors.
Yeah, I guess I was expecting an interior that sort of mirrored the exterior, and instead it just seemed like the interior design was someone going “We need three feet of dash screen and then grab the rest from the corporate parts bin”. I suppose I should at least give Hyundai credit for mostly maintaining an otherwise logical dash layout, unlike some other automakers.
Oooh, a Kia wagon? Maybe I can stop ogling Stingers in favor of something a little more practical. Hopefully they’ll remember to add door handles for the rear…I’m still wildly bothered by how almost every single car in Kia and Hyundai’s lineups look like they came from a completely separate brand. It’s unsettling in a way I can’t articulate. A few years ago, this wasn’t the case.
Better than a corporate styling that makes it difficult to quickly identify whether its a Corolla or Camry from the mid 2010s. Better than the bland styling of Ford in the 2000s.
Kia seems to have been bringing more commonality to their design language in the past few years. Hyundai less so. (Though I do really dig the new Santa Fe)
Random observations on a Tuesday morning:
The roof rail that resolves into the D-pillar on the Palisade is sooo good.
Also, the old Forte hatch was the Forte5. The Rio hatch was the Rio5. Will the K4 hatch be the K45?
That Chevelle thing has some junk in that trunk. Dayyumm.
Re: Chevelle. These sort of retro exercises always look really forced and awkward to me.
And the cost of these really seems to be absurd to end up with a turd.
YMMV of course.
The K4 design flows much better as a 5-door hatch (not quite a wagon), it looks like they that first, then glued a Yeti cooler on the back and styled around it to make the sedan. A new Telluride is around the corner soon but seems like they wouldn’t debut it at the same show as the Palisade.
I am one of those “it hasn’t really been a wagon for a while” types when it comes to the Outback but it still looks like a substantial change. Most regular shoppers tend to have warped sense of vehicle sizes (or maybe just “normal people” since most don’t jump to spec sheets like those of us that comment on auto news/blog sites) and don’t fully grasp how much larger the Outback is over a Forester, traits like the lower height hide it/the Forester’s tall greenhouse amplifies it. Now there will be no question. I did wonder when reading the Trailseeker theories if something else is going to get a 3rd row. Which seems like it would overlap or eat into the Ascent, now the oldest design in the stable but seemingly no rumors or news on an update.
Honda has a few facelifts in store this year but I assume if it hasn’t been hinted it may not be happening at this show.
The only thing I’m expecting from Honda is a US debut of the production-spec Prelude. Likely no pricing announcements on that yet, though. Maybe an Accord or CR-V refresh or something, at most, but I haven’t seen any out testing so I doubt it.
Oh yeah there could be the Prelude – but I don’t think they’ve technically done a true, global debut of the whole car yet. They just keep doing these piecemeal unveils and going to burn out any interest in the car if they keep it up.
In January Honda said the CR-V, HR-V and Integra would see refreshes this year. Honda’s refreshes have been so minor the past few gens that none would really warrant an auto show, except perhaps the CR-V since they’re adding a TrailSport version of it.
It sure would be nice to see a hybrid powertrain in the Integra….
It would be a good little surprise for HR-V or Integra to add the hybrid in. I feel like they would have mentioned it in that outlook though. At this point I feel like they’re focused on volume for the Civic & CR-V and that’s where the hybrid resources will continue to go. Civic hybrids aren’t cheap as it is and already outsell the Integra line. I’d be interested in an Integra hybrid but the refresh needs to pull in a few more features to make the extra cost worth it over a loaded Civic.
I get the feeling Honda is playing their cards close to their chest on the Prelude, since nobody has any clue what the tariff situation will be like when it releases in the US in late ’25. Can’t imagine they want to spend millions marketing an already niche, low-volume sports car that could potentially balloon in cost depending whether Fearless Leader has a fart crossways that week or not.
I’m glad you’re excited, but it speaks to the bleak state of the industry and auto shows in general when the most noteworthy things about NYIAS are a few new SUVs from Subaru and Kia/Hyundai.
Yeah a bunch of daily drivers. Nothing really cool I like seeing ridiculous concepts that most likely will never make it to production but certain aspects might make it into future vehicles. Would like to see stuff like the viper coming back, the future Miata, any plans for the Camaro? 2dr/FJ type offroader from Toyota maybe the Jimny brought over? A K5 blazer type vehicle brought back to compete with the bronco and wrangler. Shit a Subaru brat or even Baja brought back.
If it was 2003 you could reasonably expect all of this, plus Volvo debuting a hovercraft and GM announcing a 24-cylinder Cadillac or something.
I had to reach adult hood late in life everything is just mass produced boring and possibly garbo nowadays. Our fridge in our house is from the year I was born (1992) and starting to go kaputs and trying to find a decent one that will last as long seems to be impossible nowadays according to reviews online.
Planned Obsolescence. More like Planned Failure Windows.
Stay away from LG refrigerators. They may have redesigned their Linear compressors to avoid failing in 3 years, but like their washer and dryers, they probably only engineered the lifespan out to 10 years.
Wish I never got our $2800 LG refrigerator. Loud, interior lights flicker, had to design a special tool to replace the filter, french doors don’t seal well and freezes everything on the top shelf just to keep the rest of the unit cold enough.Its running too poorly to simply up and die.
Add Samsung to that list of appliances to avoid. Friends of mine had a fridge that didn’t even make it five years (thankfully I wasn’t around when it came out, because getting it in the house was an ordeal), and when they tried to make a warranty claim, the hoops required to jump through basically made the factory warranty worthless.
Flip side: The LG washer and dryer here at home are chugging along at 18 years old. Only washer repair was seals and the main bearing on the tub drive; for the dryer, rollers, both jobs I did at home a couple years back.
Still have our first LG dryer and it works fine. Second LG washer. I replaced the rear seal and bearing in the first one, but by the time it was failing, the shaft was already corroded. The bearing and seal only lasted another year. Doubt the washer would have lasted another year because the spyder arm that attaches the tub to the shaft was holed in many places. LG made it out of some metal that corrodes in the presence of water and soap.
“Its running too poorly to simply up and die”
I read this almost EXACTLY like the phrase we ALL know and love:
“A GM car will run bad longer than other cars will run at all”
That was a great time for the Auto Shows. Regularly going to the Chicago Auto Show many moons ago, I got to see the Cadillac 16 Concept, the XLR, the Dodge Razor concept, the Dodge Copperhead, the Ford GT in its first year, the Cadillac Cien concept, the Chevy Volt concept, the unveiling of the Pontiac Solstice, and GM’s Hy-Wire hydrogen skateboard concept among many others.
This is tasting like a few pieces of beef jerky after all those years of filling up on porterhouses.
Very much so. My first ever auto show was Detroit in 2004, and that was just insane. So much excitement and optimism, and car designers were basically gods who were being allowed to do whatever they wanted.
Having lived through that era, it’s just impossible for me to work up any enthusiasm about Hyundai unveiling their 5th new SUV this quarter.
What an excellent show to start on! I’ll post this link for any doubters on their way through:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/2004-detroit-auto-show/
Yeah! Also…”Introducing the 2026 Yugo!” (New Features: None! It’s the same as the one Torch just got rid of and that’s a huge positive…no screens/nannies!) Really I want this: “Introducing the 2025 AMC Eagle SX/4!” (Done right, not ruined)
THAT would be exhilarating!
Hyundai’s design department still appears to be made up of people who just want to make cars with all the design trends on every car.
I don’t know if it’s their price point, or the styling, but I do see these cars everywhere. They certainly look dated rather quickly, but when your goal is to sell new cars, that’s not all that big of a deal. It doesn’t particularly appeal to me, but it looks like it’s working for them.
This. While I drive and like my Hyundai I do find most of the current Hyundai/Kia designs to be way too busy. I think there was a point 3-5 years ago when they really wound up in the sweet spot. The Telluride is a great looking car, the Stinger was a great looking car, I’m biased obviously but I think the OG Kona is unique without being overdone, for all its quirks the Veloster is a pretty clean design, the prior gen Elantra hatchback looks great, etc.
I think they got things right with the Ioniq 5 and then went way too hard on the trends. Lightbars on everything look ridiculous. Trick exterior lighting on everything looks a bit silly. Not every inch of the car needs a different design detail, etc. That being said I think the Genesis stuff looks fantastic and I hope they don’t fuck with it.
However, it’s working, and I think it’s a solid business strategy. Hyundai and Kia have always been value propositions, and it wasn’t that long ago that economy cars were penalty boxes. People don’t want to drive penalty boxes and in this day and age I think it’s safe to assume the average person likes attention.
The Korean offerings are definitely not anonymous penalty boxes. The first few times you see this stuff on the road it’s impossible not to do a double take. Whether that’s good or bad is up to interpretation, but it used to be something that was reserved for luxury cars and it isn’t anymore. Hyundai and Kia have basically made style accessible for everyone…and now that I’m writing it out I think that’s kind of cool, even if the designs aren’t to my liking.
This is a great take. Hyundai and Kia have carved themselves a nice niche creating vehicles that tend to lean heavily on value and style. When you start off in life as “barely preferable to walking” you have to push that much harder to get noticed and they’ve done a great job with that since the OG Soul and 2011 Optima.
Matt must be eating All-Bran. The Morning Dump is early today!
Very interested to hear about and see Kia’s options. They have their share of misses, but they are certainly going for it design-wise. The new Palisade is fugly though.
As a side note: what an incredible, car-focused TMD. Like a tall glass of cool water on a hot day.
Also refreshing to skip a day of tariff threats from the White House idiots.
Kia have some of the coolest designs right now. Never woulda thought that 10 years ago.
I like the slicks on the Mack Truck
I’d love to hear some pricing information on the Ramcharger, if that’s even a thing that’ll be there.
I use to go to our cities auto show every year and take my kid. We stopped going it is just a sad husk of what is was even 15 years ago. I would look for any vehicles that are any color other than red and grayscales.
Are any of the “Big 3” even going to be there? All seemed conspicuously absent from the article.
According to the floor map, they all will, and Ford/Chevy have pretty competitive stall sizes to the rest of the floor.
I like the new Kia K4 wagon, but I think it’s going to price out around $30K before tariffs. So it’s looking like $35K minimum. Sad
As equipped, but hopefully it won’t be ringfenced to the higher trim levels. The sedan starts at $22k so if they can keep a base model below $25k they’ll have a hit on their hands.
The fact that Kia may actually be blessing the US with a small wagon in any powertrain form is incredible. I’d be very keep to see what percentage of vehicles have any enthusiast focus or spin. Given auto shows are in a weird sorta-resurgence, I wonder if any companies will use this as a way to pointedly pitch to enthusiasts who are more likely to tune into coverage.
ERevs? Keep an eye out for anything new, especially battery only range. Thanks
I’ll second EREVs. I want em, and I wanna hear about em.
EREV BRONCO EREV BRONCO EREV BRONCO FORD PLS
Electric automobiles with mechanical door handles.
Yes, please keep a list of these cars for us.