2019 Detroit Auto Show recap: Ford Explorer, Mustang GT500, Toyota Supra and more
From 700-plus-horsepower Ford Mustangs, to electrified crossover concepts, to the long-awaited return of the Toyota Supra, here's everything we saw at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show.
The 2019 Detroit Auto Show was certainly one for the books. On one hand, it's the last time Detroit will host the North American International Auto Show in January; starting next year, the show moves to June. It's also the year many automakers decided to skip the show completely. But on the other hand, the 2019 show saw some hugely important debuts.
From things like the 2020 Ford Explorer and Mustang Shelby GT500, to electrified concepts, to the return of the Toyota Supra, there was a lot to talk about in Detroit this week. Don't miss the gallery of our editors' top picks, and scroll down for all the photos, videos and information about every new debut from this year's Detroit Auto Show.
Cadillac
Cadillac gets a new crossover at this year's Detroit Auto Show: the XT6. It's a three-row, luxury SUV designed to compete with the Acura MDX, Infiniti QX60 and Lexus RX L, with a 310-horsepower V6, a 9-speed automatic transmission and optional all-wheel drive.
The XT6 looks pretty sharp, with its slim headlights and long, vertical taillamps. There's a huge amount of onboard tech, too, including adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, night vision, a rear-view camera mirror and a head-up display. Cadillac's CUE infotainment system comes on an 8-inch touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a Wi-Fi hotspot standard.
Look for the 2020 XT6 to arrive in Cadillac dealers in late spring or early summer, with pricing likely to start in the high-$40,000 range.
Cadillac also used the Detroit Auto Show to tease a new, electric crossover concept. General Motors has said that Cadillac will be its "lead electric vehicle brand," and this concept is apparently the shape of things to come.
Ford
We brought you the lowdown on the 2020 Explorer earlier this week -- it's a huge improvement over the model it replaces, despite looking mostly the same. Ford moved the Explorer over to the rear-wheel-drive platform that will also underpin the upcoming Lincoln Aviator, stretching the SUV's wheelbase by 6.3 inches in the process. That means the Explorer will be a lot more spacious than before.
At launch, a 2.3-liter turbocharged I4 engine will be standard, with a 365-horsepower, 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 available as an option. All models come standard with an 8-inch, Sync 3 touchscreen infotainment system, though a portrait-oriented, 10.1-inch screen will also be available.
In addition to the regular 2020 Explorer, Ford will also show the Police Interceptor variant, as well as the Explorer Hybrid and high-performance Explorer ST. The Explorer ST ups the 3.0-liter V6's performance to 400 horsepower, while the Explorer Hybrid aims for 500 miles of range on each tank of fuel.
And then, of course, there's the Shelby GT500. The big news is that it's an incredibly powerful Mustang -- like, 700-horsepower powerful, all thanks to a supercharged, 5.2-liter V8. With its seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission (that's right, no manual), expect mid-3-second 0-60 sprints. With its magnetic ride suspension, the Shelby ought to be no slouch in the corners, as well.
GAC
Chinese automaker GAC is no stranger to the Detroit Auto Show, having had a presence there on and off since 2013. This year, the company is back, and it's showing the new Entranze concept, something the company calls "a hyper-modern family vehicle" with the groundwork for autonomous driving.
GAC will also bring its GM6 minivan and GS5 SUV, neither of which have been shown in the US. And while the company does not yet sell cars in the US, it's preparing to open a new research and development center outside of Detroit, to join its other two US-based facilities in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.
Hyundai
Hyundai brought two little darlings from its N performance division to the show: one meant for the street, and one designed for the track.
First, the 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT sprouts a new N Line trim, which effectively replaces the Sport designation. Its 1.6-liter turbocharged I4 engine produces the same 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque as before, but the handling chops get a pretty nice upgrade. The rear sway bar is fatter, the shocks are retuned and there's a new steering calibration, too.
On the more serious performance end of the spectrum, Hyundai is using the Detroit show to debut its new Veloster N TCR race car. It uses a Hyundai Motorsport 2.0-liter turbo engine, good for 350 horsepower, and power heads to the front wheels via a six-speed sequential transmission. Teams wishing to use the Veloster N TCR will have to pay about $155,000 for the privilege.
Infiniti
Infiniti's Detroit debut is the QX Inspiration, an EV crossover concept that the company says previews the design language for its future electrified offerings. Infiniti will offer electrification options across its entire portfolio beginning in 2021.
The QX Inspiration is more of a high-riding hatchback than actual crossover, and it's not necessarily meant to signal an actual production car. To that end, Infiniti isn't saying much about what powers the QX Inspiration -- rather, it's saying that if an EV SUV were to come to market, it might look a little something like this.
Kia
Even though we first saw the production-spec Kia Telluride at New York Fashion Week in September, we're finally getting all the details at the Detroit Auto Show this week. The seven-seat SUV gets Kia's first implementation of what it's calling Highway Driving Assist, which combines radar and lidar to provide lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control simultaneously, for hands-on, Level 2, semi-autonomous driving.
Since the Telluride shares its architecture with the Hyundai Palisade, it uses the same 3.8-liter V8, producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. The Telluride will face some fierce competition when it hits the market, from the likes of the 2020 Ford Explorer, to segment staples like the Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent and Toyota Highlander.
Lexus
Though Lexus is calling its LC Convertible a concept, we're pretty sure this one will enter production. When the company revealed its new droptop earlier this week, it said, "Open top concept suggests future direction of LC flagship," which is a pretty serious nod to production intent.
No official details have been confirmed, but we'd expect the production LC Convertible to use the same powertrains as the coupe. That means a 5.0-liter V8 with 471 horsepower, as well as a hybrid option.
Lexus is also bringing the refreshed RC F coupe to Detroit, complete with a new Track Edition package.
Lincoln
Lincoln doesn't have an official press conference on the Detroit Auto Show schedule, but that doesn't mean there won't be something new on display. Look for Ford's luxury brand to show the Continental Coach Door Edition that debuted in December.
The Coach Door Edition is a stretched version of the Continental sedan, with a large pair of suicide doors -- reminiscent of the 1961 Continental. Lincoln is only planning to build 80 of these cars initially, priced above $100,000.
Nissan
Nissan's Detroit debut is the IMs concept, a weird, kinda-sedan, kinda-SUV thing, with an electric powertrain. The IMs is also capable of Level 4 autonomous driving.
The concept is said to be powered by a 115-kilowatt-hour battery, good for 483 horsepower, 590 pound-feet of torque and 380 miles of range. The IMs is about two inches shorter than a Nissan Maxima sedan, yet rides on a longer wheelbase, and has an adaptive air suspension.
The IMs doesn't have any sort of immediate production-intent future -- instead, the company will bring its IMx electric SUV concept to the road in some form. Still, the IMs looks to be something special.
Back to reality, Nissan brought the new Leaf E+ to Detroit, with its more powerful battery and 226-mile range. The Leaf E+ first debuted at CES, but is making its official auto show debut in Detroit.
Ram
This current generation of heavy-duty trucks have some polarizing faces, but Ram came to the Detroit Auto Show to prove that it can make a big ol' truck that's both capable and somewhat easy on the eyes.
The 2019 Ram Heavy Duty is modeled after the latest Ram 1500, and it looks pretty handsome. But the most important part of this truck isn't visible from the outside -- its new 6.7-liter Cummins diesel I6 puts out a mind-bending 1,000 pound-feet of torque, more than any other heavy-duty pickup. That enables it to carry nearly 8,000 pounds in the bed and tow up to 35,100 pounds.
It's not capable from a truck-stuff perspective alone. The Ram HD also packs a bunch of tech, including an available 12-inch portrait infotainment screen that can display multiple apps at once. It can also be equipped with safety tech that includes a surround-view camera system, automatic emergency braking and a second camera that monitors the payload in the bed.
Subaru
Subaru is using the Detroit Auto Show to show its most hardcore STI variant yet. Called the S209, it's the first STI-tuned "S-Line" car to be sold in the US, and man, it packs a wallop.
For starters, the S209 is wider and lighter than a stock STI, and it gets upgraded suspension and braking hardware to make it a much better performer. That's complemented by more power -- an estimated 341 horsepower from the STI's 2.5-liter turbocharged H4 engine, routed through a six-speed manual transmission to all four wheels.
Subaru will build around 200 of these bad boys, and while we don't have pricing information just yet, we don't think it'll be cheap. Considering the STI Type RA already costs around $50,000, this one will surely be a bit more dear.
Toyota
We finally -- finally! -- have the official information about the 2020 Toyota Supra, the internet's worst-kept secret.
Power comes from a BMW-sourced, 3.0-liter, turbocharged I6 engine, with 335 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. An 8-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels, and the car is estimated to accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 4.1 seconds.
The Supra looks... like the images we've already seen. Which is to say, it's not exactly pretty. Fake vents are everywhere, and the rear three-quarter view is a little bulgy for our tastes.
Look for the 2020 Supra to hit Toyota dealers this summer, priced from $50,920, including $930 for destination. The first 1,500 units built for the US will be Launch Edition cars, priced at $56,180.
Volkswagen
The 2020 Passat sedan isn't all that different from its predecessor. We drove a prototype of the new Passat late last year, and though our time with that car was brief, we found the new four-door to largely stay the course.
All Passats will be powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged I4 engine, with 174 horsepower and a 6-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. A sporty-looking R-Line model will roll on 19-inch wheels, and all models will get LED head- and taillights. An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system will be found inside, but we won't see Volkswagen's Digital Cockpit gauge cluster. Womp womp.
The 2019 Detroit Auto Show officially opens to the public on Saturday, Jan. 19.
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