Chicago Auto Show
-
Last summer, Volkswagen Group chairman Dr. Herbert Diess said that he doesn’t believe new-car shows will exist (in their present form) a decade from now, and that “motor shows are dead.” You might think Volkswagen of America didn't get the memo. This year it's investing more of its marketing dollars in auto shows, and it will have a presence at 60 auto shows. It also sees them as a pivotal step to get more people interested in their upcoming electric cars. The discord wasn’t lost on VW's U.S. officials, who attempted to explain the distinction last week at the Chicago...
-
2019 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid video preview
As they say: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. The first Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, launched for 2011, wasn't one of the better examples of the class for drivability. But Hyundai has updated its mid-size hybrid three times since then, with each generation getting markedly better. DON'T...
John Voelcker -
2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid released at Chicago auto show
What the auto industry calls a "mid-cycle refresh" can range from indistinguishable to very evident. The 2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid falls into the latter category, with new front and rear styling, changes to the interior and dashboard, and numerous added safety and connectivity features. The hybrid...
John Voelcker -
2018 Lexus RX 450hL hybrid three-row SUV priced from $51,600
Lexus invented the idea of a luxury hybrid utility vehicle in a version of its RX crossover well over a decade ago, but sales haven't been strong of late. Cheap gasoline, better fuel efficiency from all types of vehicles due to rising CAFE rules, and a lack of interest in hybrids have all hurt the...
John Voelcker -
2019 Ford Transit Connect Wagon gets "EcoBlue" diesel option, no hybrid so far
The last time Ford released a new hybrid or plug-in electric model was for the 2013 model year, and that's a long time ago in electric-car years. Detroit's second-largest automaker continues to work on boosting the fuel-economy ratings of its vehicle lineup, however. The latest example is a new...
John Voelcker -
2018 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback unveiled at Chicago auto show
Over the last 10 years, the Hyundai Elantra has emerged into the top tier of compact sedans, joining longstanding leaders like the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Volkswagen Jetta as well as more recent contenders like the Chevrolet Cruze and Subaru Impreza. The last-generation Elantra...
John Voelcker -
The 2017 Kia Niro "hybrid utility vehicle" revealed this morning at the Chicago Auto Show marks the South Korean brand's ambitious entry into dedicated hybrids. While dedicated hybrids have traditionally been hatchbacks--think Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, even the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt--none have yet been designed as crossover utility vehicles. Even better, Kia promises that there's a Niro plug-in hybrid version coming after the conventional hybrid launches late this year. DON'T MISS: 2017 Kia Optima Hybrids: Details On 27-Mile Plug-In Hybrid Given that the larger, heavier Kia Optima...
-
Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV Full-Size Plug-In Hybrid SUV: Chicago Auto Show
At today's Chicago Auto Show, Mitsubishi showed off a new concept for a full-size SUV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Called the Concept GC-PHEV, the large and angular design exercise had previously been seen at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show last fall, but its appearance in Chicago represented its...
John Voelcker -
2016 Chevrolet Equinox: Updated SUV Unveiled At 2015 Chicago Auto Show
The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox gets a handful of styling and trim changes.
Stephen Edelstein -
Kia Trail'ster e-AWD Soul Hybrid Concept Unveiled At Chicago Auto Show
At the very first automaker press conference of the Chicago Auto Show, Kia pulled the wraps off its Trail'ster Concept: an all-wheel-drive hybrid versions of its Soul that uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels. Bolder styling cues, a ride height more than 2 inches higher, and a fully...
John Voelcker -
GM Officially Confirms It Will Build Chevy Bolt Electric Car With 200-Mile Range
Six days ago, Reuters broke the story that GM would indeed build and sell the Chevrolet Bolt electric car, but that production would start late next year--not in 2017 as previously expected. This morning, the company's North America President, Alan Batey, officially confirmed at the Chicago Auto...
John Voelcker -
Kia Trail'ster Concept In Chicago: New 'DE' Dedicated Hybrid SUV? (UPDATED)
Kia has now issued another teaser photo of the "rugged runabout" crossover utility vehicle concept it will unveil next week at the Chicago Auto Show, and it now has a name: the Kia Trail'ster Concept. The photo shows the rear of the vehicle on a dirt road, with an upswept black bumper shield and...
John Voelcker -
Kia will unveil a concept car with electric all-wheel drive at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show.
-
2015 Kia Soul EV: Details From Execs Who Brought It To The U.S.
The upcoming 2015 Kia Soul EV is not only the Korean carmaker's first battery-electric vehicle sold in the U.S., it's also one of less than a dozen all-electric cars offered for sale. Launched last week at the Chicago Auto Show, it adds a new and much greener model to the very popular second...
John Voelcker -
2015 Kia Soul EV Electric Car: Chicago Auto Show Live Photos
Yes, they're still selling these things with hamsters. If you can get over the rodent-based adverts, Kia's new electric Soul, the 2015 Soul EV, is quite an interesting vehicle, and it's the first electric car sold by Kia in the U.S. It's making its debut at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, and gives...
Antony Ingram -
Nissan, Cummins Present Frontier Diesel Project At Chicago Auto Show
More and more automakers are slotting diesel engines into pickup trucks, and at this year's Chicago Auto Show Nissan and Cummins have made one of the most compact yet, the Frontier Diesel Runner. Based on the Frontier Desert Runner 4x2, Nissan has dropped a 2.8-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine into...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Kia Optima Hybrid Updated: Aerodynamic Tweaks And More
The 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid was unveiled at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Kia Soul EV Electric Car Unveiled At Chicago Auto Show
Call it electric Soul: Kia took the wraps off its first electric car to be sold in the U.S. this morning, officially launching the 2015 Kia Soul EV at the Chicago Auto Show. The Soul EV was one of three Kia vehicles featured at the Chicago show. It was shown alongside the Kia Niro Concept, a hybrid...
John Voelcker -
Kia's Niro concept, a subcompact-sized urban hybrid, is making its U.S. debut at the Chicago Auto Show today. First unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Niro points the way to possible future models for Kia, a potential rival for models like the Nissan Juke and upcoming Honda Fit-based crossover. It's the latest take on Kia's ever-evolving design language, so while the front grille will be familiar to owners of existing Kia products, the rest of the car is very different. Kia describes it as "ready to take on the city environment with style and a fun-to-drive attitude", which...
-
2015 Chevrolet City Express Small Van Launched At Chicago Auto Show
Chevrolet has announced full details of its 2015 City Express van, launched at this year's Chicago Auto Show. Basically a rebadged version of Nissan's NV200 van--best-known in its more fenestrated guise as New York City's "Taxi of Tomorrow"--the City Express promises greater fuel efficiency than...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Chicago Auto Show: Green-Car Preview
Chicago isn't as big as some annual auto shows, and at this year's show green vehicles are a little thin on the ground--March's Geneva Motor Show will provide more to that effect. Nevertheless there are a few significant vehicles set to appear in Chicago, so we've pieced together a green car...
Antony Ingram -
Henrik Fisker, A Comment On New Investors? 'Absolutely...Not'
Last week's Chicago Auto Show had relatively few debuts; the Chevrolet Cruze diesel and a redesigned Toyota Tundra pickup truck were the most noteworthy. But the featured speaker at a luncheon thrown by the Economic Club of Chicago drew a full room: Henrik Fisker, cofounder of struggling startup...
John Voelcker -
2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel: More Details From Chicago Show
Three years after the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan was launched as a 2011 model, it gains a new model with a diesel engine for 2014--although there appears to be some confusion over just what that variant is called. The turbodiesel sedan was launched at the Chicago Auto Show last Thursday. Absent...
John Voelcker -
2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel: Chicago Live Photos
As one of two new U.S.-built diesels going on sale in 2013, the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel is a hugely important car. Chevy launched the Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel (to use its full, rather awkward title) earlier this morning at the Chicago Auto Show, and now we can bring you photos of the car from...
Antony Ingram