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After a three-year hiatus, the Detroit Auto Show is back with big announcements from Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, and more.
New Cars Revealed at the 2022 NAIAS
The last Detroit Auto Show was held back in January of 2019 and despite a plan at the time to bump the next show up to June of that same year, events around the world made that impossible. Now, after multiple missed shows, the North American International Auto Show is back. This year, 15 different automotive brands will present their products, some of which have never been seen before. Here’s a breakdown of everything to look out for at this year’s Detroit Auto Show.
All-New 2024 Ford Mustang
Perhaps the biggest news of the show is likely to be the reveal of the new Ford Mustang. Since the current generation’s reveal in 2015 little has changed aside from nips and tucks here and there to the exterior of the famous pony car. While we don’t know exactly how much of the new Mustang is “All-new”, we do know that Ford itself calls it the S650, suggesting that it’s quite a comprehensive redesign.
Today, we expect to see similar nips and tucks to the outward sheet metal and very likely an all-new interior cabin design with new screens, more features, and better ergonomics. We just hope that Ford will announce some sort of seriously horsepower-heavy version as this could very well be the last generation of the Mustang with a big V8 under the hood. That might sound wild but indications are that Ford plans to sell this version of the sports car for some eight years. Not only would that give them time to create an electrified version, but it’s in keeping with the same sort of practice that’s been wildly successful for Chrysler with its Dodge Charger and Challenger models. You can check out our coverage of the all-new Ford Mustang reveal here.
Chrysler Reveals the Last 300C
It’s the end of an era over at Chrysler and one car that was revealed just hours before the start of the show is the final 300C. That’s right, after the 2023 model year the 300C will be discontinued until a suitable, and electrified replacement can be found. Not too dissimilarly from the “Last Call” series of Chargers and Challengers that corporate cousin Dodge is selling this year, the 300C is going out with a bang.
Today, we expect to see similar nips and tucks to the outward sheet metal and very likely an all-new interior cabin design with new screens, more features, and better ergonomics. We just hope that Ford will announce some sort of seriously horsepower-heavy version as this could very well be the last generation of the Mustang with a big V8 under the hood. That might sound wild but indications are that Ford plans to sell this version of the sports car for some eight years. Not only would that give them time to create an electrified version, but it’s in keeping with the same sort of practice that’s been wildly successful for Chrysler with its Dodge Charger and Challenger models.
Chevrolet Tahoe RST
If you’ve followed our review of the Chevrolet Tahoe in the past you know that we largely like the burly family hauler. One thing we didn’t love was that the RST trim was little more than an appearance package meant to look cool. Last year, Chevy changed that up with an expensive but at least optional performance package that added actual horsepower under the hood. Now, the 2023 Tahoe RST Performance Edition is taking things to the next level with what is essentially a police pursuit vehicle underneath an everyday Tahoe suit.
It comes with a police-spec chassis calibration, updated springs, a lower ride height, bigger Brembo brakes, and exactly 13 more horsepower for a grand total of 433. Chevy says that it’ll do 0-60 in 5.78 seconds and the quarter of a mile in 14.2 seconds. It’ll still tow up to 7,600 pounds too.
Attractions and Special Demonstrations
A number of automakers are bringing special experiences to the show that will demonstrate vehicles’ abilities. Ford for example is bringing an F-150 Lightning and using it to shock passengers with its acceleration. Jeep is bringing back its “Camp Jeep” test track. It includes a 28’ tall mountain obstacle with 45-degree approach and departure angles. Thankfully, attendees won’t be asked to drive that course on their own, a Jeep employee will do that.
RAM Trucks will also have an obstacle for its vehicles to demonstrate their prowess on. While it’s only 13 feet tall it does have 30-degree approach and departure angles which is considerable for any pickup truck to traverse. Finally, there are a couple of very unique vehicles that will be on display.
Six different mobility companies are bringing their ideas for the future of mobility. That includes flying taxis, hoverboards, jet suits, and even an amphibious sport plane. Bosch is bringing some electric bicycles and even one with ABS. Oh, and Bigfoot #20, the world’s first battery-powered monster truck is also scheduled to make an appearance.
We’re expecting big things from this year’s Detroit Auto Show despite it being smaller than in the past. Most importantly, the cars revealed here shouldn’t end up just being fanciful concepts like these ones from 2021. Instead, we expect the cars unveiled this weekend to be production models that we’ll soon see on the roads.
