San Antonio, Texas — I’d like to start my review of the 2025 Volkswagen Taos subcompact SUV from the backseat.

It’s terrific. I can easily sit behind myself. I’m 6’5” and my knees don’t even touch the seatback in front of me. I can cross my legs, and my giraffe neck isn’t stuffed into the roof. In fact, I have plenty of headroom under the panoramic glass roof. That’s right, a panorama roof in a $32,025 SUV, a rare find in this subcompact segment.

My reviews of compact V-Dubs usually start in the front seat of terrific corner carvers like the Golf GTI/Golf R hot hatches or Jetta GLI pocket rocket. But the Taos is no more interested in carving corners than roast beef. Happy to leave the motorhead antics to its car brethren, the SUV aspires to be a vintage V-Dub like a Microbus: affordable, entry-level utility vehicle.

In a market buffeted by high electric vehicle-development costs, government mandates and product cancellations, one of the most pleasing trends in recent years has been the burst of affordable new entry-level utes. Not just affordable, but loaded with a Santa’s workshop full of goodies. Utes like the quick Mazda CX-30, rugged Subaru Crosstrek and 2023 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year, Chevy Trax.

Like its fellow mega-brand Chevrolet, Volkswagen has bet the farm on EVs and has been rolling out expensive SUVs like the (Microbus-inspired) $60K ID.Buzz and $45K ID.4 while ditching more affordable sedans like the Passat and Golf. Customers can be forgiven for thinking the German brand had pivoted from affordable bratwurst offerings to a premium menu of Jäeger Schnitzel with Paprika Mushroom Sauce entrees.

The 2025 Taos is a welcome reminder that VW makes good brat ‘n’ potato salad for the whole family.

Buried in San Antonio rush hour traffic, my Taos tester (starting price, $26,420) was bubble-wrapped in standard safety equipment including forward collision alert, blind-spot assist, lane-keep-assist and adaptive cruise control. If I was also being buried by snow (instead of bathing in Texas sunshine) I would add all-wheel drive for 1,700 bucks for a total of $28,120.

I was a fan from Day One, 2021 when VW introduced its first subcompact SUV to the U.S. Its interior room, generous standard features and all-digital displays were fundamentals sorely needed in an entry-level segment aimed at single-car families who prize utility.

Check the affordability box, and you have a gateway drug to the similarly roomy Tiguan compact and three-row Atlas SUVs. VW has become a split personality brand of fun toys like the 241-horse Golf GTI and 228-horsepower Jetta GLI and the Atlas rolling living room. Taos was definitely a Son of Atlas, but still noticeably light on grunt. I mean, 158 horsepower? Seriously?

For Taos 2.0, VW engineers have injected the 1.5-liter turbo-4 with a dose of steroids to 174 ponies. That’s more like it.

When the traffic cleared, I nailed the throttle and the V-Dub leapt forward, its eight-speed automatic transmission smoothly throwing off shifts before I settled at 75 mph and set cruise control again. You won’t get the cheerful exhaust grunt or handling of the GTI/GLI hellions, but Taos has raided their wardrobes for a more athletic look.

The lumpy fascia has been cleaned up with a leaner, more horizonal grille and taillight elements (similar to Jetta, which also got needed facelift this year). Combined with toned shoulders and front hood, the Taos looks much healthier to go with its improved power.

The facelift continues inside, where Taos complements its standard tech with a tablet infotainment screen for the Gen-X laptop generation. Taos could use more console room (how about freeing up space with that nifty steering column-mounted shifter in the ID products?) to match its legroom, but it was enough space to keep my smartphone charged in a day of driving.

Taos does not suffer the ID models’ battery range anxiety, and I set off into the Texas wilderness with 360 miles of gas range and no worries of finding a filling station.

My smartphone wirelessly took over the dash displays, navigating to my destination while synching to my Google cloud account’s Sirius XM stations, contacts and so on.

But the steering wheel is my favorite feature.

It comes heated standard to warm up my cold mitts on a 40-degree December morning (20 degrees back home in Detroit), and its cornucopia of features means you don’t have to remove your hands to operate the automobile.

With my right thumb, I toggled through my favorite radio stations. With my left thumb, I adjusted volume. Cruise control buttons are intuitively arranged on the left spoke, so I never had to look away from the road, and the right spoke allowed me to thumb through screen menu items like Google Map directions and tire pressure. Like all VWs, the Taos has one glaring ergonomic omission — no radio mute button. Odd.

The Taos should be attractive to young couples given its price point — but also to empty-nesters looking to downsize. Why drive a supersized two-row Atlas Cross Sport when the Taos easily swallows four passengers? For such customers, Taos offers premium goodies like the panoramic roof, a blue interior and fancy 19-inch wheels on the top-grade SEL trim. My Moss Green, SE Black model was pretty stylish too, at just over $32K.

Taos has stepped up its game in a ferociously competitive segment. Once known for stubbornly resisting American driver preferences, this little brat is as American as a Big Mac. It even has condiments like a spare tire under the rear hatch.

In case I got a flat in the Texas boonies.

Next week: 2025 Jeep Wagoner S

2025 Volkswagen Taos

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and-all-wheel-drive, five-passenger compact SUV

Price: $26,420, including $1,425 destination fee ($32,025 FWD SE Black as tested)

Powerplant: 1.5-liter turbo-4 cylinder

Power: 174 horsepower, 184 pound-feet torque

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.0 seconds (Car and Driver est.); top speed, 125 mph

Weight: 3,300-3,600 pounds (est.)

Fuel economy: EPA est. 28 city/36 highway/31 combined (FWD); mpg 25 city/33 highway/28 combined (AWD)

Report card

Highs: Roomy interior; more athletic look

Lows: Lacks joy-to-drive of Golf/Jetta siblings; mute button, please

Overall: 3 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Detroit — Detroiters took a break from Lions-mania Friday to celebrate Racing Day at the Detroit Auto Show.

While motorsports (and other sports, for that matter) can’t rival football for its economic value, Racing Day illustrated how central racing has become to Detroit’s automakers, economy and global standing.

Headlined by Team Penske superstar driver and two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, the event showcased the breadth of Motown’s investment in racing, from June’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, to Bloomfield Hills-based Team Penske’s global ambitions to win the NASCAR/Indy 500/Le Mans trifecta, to General Motors Co.’s elevation of its Cadillac brand to compete against Ferrari and Mercedes in Formula One.

“I haven’t been involved in (GM’s) F1 project, I’m focused 100% on IndyCar,” said the 34-year-old Newgarden in between giving show attendees hot laps in the Detroit GP pace car, the 655-horsepower Corvette E-Ray. Team Penske cars are powered by Chevy engines. “GM’s involvement is great globally for the brand and I’m excited to see them represent our country and represent as a manufacturer.”

Newgarden’s comments came as part of a whirlwind, two-day tour of Detroit to promote the launch of ticket sales for the May 30-June 1 Detroit Grand Prix — and to accept the coveted “Baby Borg” trophies for winning the Indy 500 along with his boss and legendary team owner, Roger Penske.

Cadillac’s acceptance into F1 in 2026 has set off a frenzy of rumors about the drivers the team will choose after promising at least one race jockey will be American. Speculation at IndyCar’s opening, 2025 Content Day in Indianapolis this week centered on Colton Herta (who drives for Andretti Global, which is managing the Cadillac effort). But Herta would not qualify for the so-called FIA Super License required to compete in F1 since he has not won an IndyCar championship Newgarden has won two.

Like Mario Andretti before him — the last American driver to win a F1 race in 1978 — Newgarden is the face of IndyCar, a hugely popular figure in the sport. That popularity was turbocharged last weekend when Fox, IndyCar’s new broadcast partner for all 17 races, debuted its first IndyCar ad on NFL Sunday on Jan. 12.

Newgarden starred in the funny, fast-paced spot and it instantly went viral with a staggering 39 million views. A line of fans queued up at the auto show’s indoor track Friday morning to ride shotgun with Newgarden (and four other race drivers).

First in line was Vimal Saigal, 45, of West Bloomfield, who arrived a half-hour before the show’s doors opened.

“It was a sweet opportunity to get a ride with a two-time Indy 500 winner,” he smiled after Newgarden took him for a quick spin in the ‘Vette. “Josef loves the car. He gave it a little gas and said if we were outdoors he really could have opened it up.”

F1 also brings views to Cadillac as it launches an ambitious international rebranding as an electric car brand. The world’s most prestigious race series has big ambitions of its own as it adopts 50-50 gas-electric hybrid power plants. Cadillac sees the global sport as the perfect vessel. It opened a showroom in downtown Paris last summer — the first of many planned in Europe.

Team Penske also has international ambitions. “The Captain,” as its 87-year-old chairman is affectionately known to his troops, has won everything there is to win in NASCAR, sportscars, and IndyCar — including 20 Indy 500s. Only the world’s greatest endurance race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, has eluded him.

“What big race have we not won? The 24 Hours of Le Mans,” he said at The Henry Ford Museum after picking up his 20^th Baby Borg. “With the relationship with Porsche, great drivers, and three cars this year, it’s up to us to make that happen.”

Team Penske’s hybrid-powered Porsche 963 GTP racers will also compete in Detroit streets as part of the June Grand Prix. The IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship will feature a who’s who of Detroit brands, including Team Penske and Cadillac racing for the front-running GTP class — and Chevrolet (Corvette) and Ford (Mustang) knocking heads in the production-based GT3 class.

Detroit automakers say racing is key to their cultures — not just in proving track-to-production technologies, but also in recruiting top engineers.

F1’s premier Las Vegas street race has had a love-hate relationship with the city — shutting down The Strip and snarling city traffic. By contrast, the downtown Detroit GP has been embraced by the city since it relocated from Belle Isle two years ago.

“When it went back downtown, people felt like that was really where it was supposed to be,” Detroit GP President Michael Montri said in an interview. “In addition, we introduced the idea of having over 50% of the track open and free to the public. I was at (the Vegas) F1 race; it was totally different feel.”

Penske is part of Detroit’s fabric from the GP to bringing Super Bowl XL here in 2006. But the Indy is closest to his heart.

“In 1951, my Dad took me to the Indy 500 as a young kid,” he said. “Racing became a passion, and continues as a thread through our business.”

Newgarden puts it at the top of his priorities. “Our goals for 2025, as in every year, start with the Indy 500. Then we want to win the (IndyCar) championship.”

At The Henry Ford on Thursday night, the dynamic duo accepted their Baby Borg trophies at the museum’s “Driving America” exhibit — seven months after Newgarden crossed the finish line on Memorial Day and took a traditional swig of milk on the victory stand.

The face of IndyCar: On Friday, Josef Newgarden was on Detroit Auto Show posters – and in that Corvette E-Ray on track giving rides to fans.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

“Go Lions!” Newgarden exclaimed, cradling the trophy. “Winning back-to-back is beyond my wildest dreams.”

He has won it twice now in 13 starts — one of only five drivers to claim that distinction. His second win was one for the books — featuring a last lap pass to win (only the fourth time that’s happened).

“The pass you made to take the lead was amazing,” Penske told his ace. “The skill, the guts.”

Their trophies are miniature versions of one of sport’s most famous baubles, the Borg-Warner. The massive, sterling silver trophy stands over 5 feet tall, weighs 110 pounds and bears small busts of every driver to win the storied race.

“I’d like to thank my boss, Roger Penske,” Newgarden said at the ceremony. “He’s one of the titans of the industry, and one of the best men I know.”

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Brighton — BMW makes a state-of-the-art, all-wheel-drive X5 SUV for $88K with a curved 37-inch dash screen, color head-up display, 21-inch wheels, twin wireless phone chargers, leather seats, Level 2 driving assist, WiFi onboard, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto navigation and panoramic roof.

So does Hyundai. For $51K.

The gap between luxury and mainstream has been shrinking in the electronic age and Hyundai’s latest Santa Fe SUV is a luxury car hiding behind a mainstream badge. Badges still matter and BMW’s X-ceptional midsize model will continue to justify its rich sticker price with smooth power and that signature twin-kidney grille. But buyers of the Santa Fe can take comfort that they get the same value — in all the areas that matter — for nearly half the price.

The Alabama-made Hyundai even matches the South Carolina-built BMW’s value in offering three rows of seats, clever console amenities and bold styling. Yes, styling.

The Santa Fe turned heads ‘round town. The brand has crafted daring wardrobes since the 2009 Sonata sedan (followed by the Elantra compact, three-door Veloster, and Ioniq 5 and 7 electric vehicles) and Santa Fe continues the trend. With its upright, squared-off stance and horizontal accents, the ute looks like a LEGO married an Ioniq 5.

The letter H is everywhere on the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe’s design.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Look past the Goldfinger-like flat-bronze paint scheme and an H-theme emerges. It’s echoed in the headlights, lower grille and rear taillights that bracket “SANTA FE” stamped across the trunk.

Like Hyundai, BMW has taken the opportunity of a new EV model line to introduce radical new styling — but it’s limited to “i” models like the iX. My BMW xDrive50e (alphabet soup translation: “xDrive” for all-wheel-drive, “50” for model, “e” for plug-in hybrid) brings a familiar, muscular Bimmer look with swollen fenders and blacked-out fascia to convey power.

That power is where the price difference lies.

Where the price is. The $87k 2024 BMW X5 xDrive50e makes an impressive 483 horsepower – about 200 more than the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

As I merged onto I-96 West, the 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-6 engine cleared its throat and blew by traffic on the way to cruising speed. The 50e is a battery-assisted, plug-in hybrid system but the eight-speed transmission still must find its cogs, so don’t mistake it for the instant acceleration of the sister all-electric iX (yours for a 12-grand premium).

Dropping into a highway cloverleaf, I unleashed SPORT mode, the seat bolsters gripping my torso for the anticipated kick of 483 horses from the combined gas engine and 194-horse AC motor. Complicated? You bet. Pricey? Of course.

And heavy. All that plumbing mean X5 tips the scales at 5,573 pounds — just 150 shy of the iX, which carries around 106 kWh of battery. X5 goes XL.

Charge the X5’s onboard 25.7-kWh battery overnight on a 220-volt home charger (which adds a couple grand more to your $87K bill) and my Bimmer had an indicated 38 miles of pure battery range on tap for a morning appointment in Sterling Heights.

In ELECTRIC mode, I cruised quietly down Telegraph Road, but don’t expect drag-racer acceleration like iX from the small battery. The X5 eased out of stoplights before hitting I-696 West. My 16-mile journey sucked 30 miles of range off the battery as I pushed the big brick through the air at 75 mph. Better to use HYBRID (gas plus electric) mode on highways and leave ELECTRIC mode for neighborhood chores where aerodynamics are less taxing. As governments force the industry to go all-electric, expect the difference between brands to shrink even more dramatically.

The Hyundai ferries you about with a simple turbo-4 cylinder.

No electric motor, no modes, no charger box on the wall. Just the occasional quick stop at the pump to fill up 513 miles of range (the X5 gets 418 miles on gas alone). For further value, the Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles compared with the BMW’s four years/50,000 miles.

Hyundai is so proud of its four-bangers that its electric Ioniq 5 N track rat can replicate its sound on demand. Sante Fe’s 277 ponies are plenty of giddyap, and I merged quickly onto I-696’s racetrack.

The distinctive, muscular design of the 2024 BMW X5 xDrive50e.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

That’s all the performance most midsize SUV drivers require. I flogged a BMW X5 M around Autobahn Raceway a decade ago and it was a hoot, but I’m weird like that. If you want to do track days, buy a sports car.

Indeed, without the BMW’s extensive powertrain weaponry, the Hyundai is a serious 1,000 pounds lighter, and I felt it immediately. Some of that added Bimmer heft also goes to sound-deadening. The BMW was one quiet ride even when I put the cane to the inline-6.

The 2024 BMW X5 xDrive50e shows off its twin screens integrated under one piece of glass.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Otherwise, Santa Fe’s interior is Bimmer’s peer in all the ways passengers appreciate.

The twin digital screens in both chariots are crisp, quick to the touch. BMW offers a rotary controller so you can manipulate the infotainment screen remotely if you like, but it has the drawback of cluttering the center console — sharing space with Bimmer’s compact, cool chiclet shifter.

The Santa Fe, by contrast, assumes the smartphone generation will be satisfied with the touchscreen — then offers you two huuuuge charging pads for phones. The BMW, too, offers twin charging pads, but they are harder to access in the forward compartment of the cluttered console. Hyundai further improves console ergonomics by using a steering wheel-mounted shifter stalk and superior, tactile buttons on the elegant, Art Deco steering wheel that you can operate without diverting your eyes from the road.

The icing on the cake — er, console — is a double-hinged door that is accessible to the rear as well as the front seats. The Bimmer goes with a fashionable (if less useful) butterfly door. Both second rows are comfortable for six-footers and both have individual seatback USB-C ports so passengers can charge their phones. Both second-row seats will recline, and both vehicles offer third-row seat options (of my testers, only Hyundai had the third row).

In their high-tech cocoons, both brands offer a blizzard of goodies in the infotainment screen to entertain you, including Level 2 driver assist. My favorites? The Hyundai offers special first-to-third-row communication and programmable FAVORITES buttons on the steering wheel (for, say, a shortcut to the phone screen). The Bimmer options automatic lane change while in driver-assist mode, and its head-up display can scroll your favorite music stations.

The pair even boast clever storage items. X5 sports a lower tailgate to help keep backstop items in the boot. Santa Fe offers a second, secret dashboard glovebox for extra storage — maybe where you can stash the 30 grand you saved by buying this fashionable family SUV.

Next week: 2025 Volkswagen Taos

2024 BMW X5 xDrive 50e

Vehicle type: Front engine, all-wheel-drive, six-passenger SUV

Price: $74,275, including $995 destination fee ($87,745 as tested)

Powerplant: Turbocharged 3.0-liter, inline-6 cylinder mated with 25.7-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor

Power: 483 horsepower, 516 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.6 seconds (mfr.); towing, NA

Weight: 5,573 pounds

Fuel economy: EPA 22 mpg city/23 highway/22 combined (as tested); 38 miles on battery alone

Report card

Highs: Multitalented drivetrain; lovely interior

Lows: Crowded console; gets pricey

Overall: 3 stars

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front or all-wheel-drive, six-passenger SUV

Price: $35,674 including $1,395 destination fee ($50,905 as tested)

Powerplant: Turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-4 cylinder

Power: 277 horsepower, 311 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.2 seconds (mfr.); towing, 4,500 pounds

Weight: 4,487 pounds (as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA 19 mpg city/26 highway/22 combined (XLT as tested)

Report card

Highs: Distinctive style; clever interior touches

Lows: Ummm…

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Detroit — The envelope, please . . .

Winners of the 2025 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year are the Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Ranger and Volkswagen ID.Buzz. The prestigious NACTOY awards kicked off the Detroit Auto Show Media Day on Friday morning as the event returned to its traditional January slot as the first auto show of the year.

In a competitive field of nominees, the popular Honda won its fourth NACTOY trophy but the Ranger and ID.Buzz scored upsets as the Toyota Tacoma and Chevy Equinox EV were early favorites in the truck and SUV categories. Detroit brands scored four nominations, with the Ford winning for the fifth straight year in the truck category.

“With such a tremendous crop of vehicles to review, our jurors worked overtime to decide the ‘best of the best,’” said NACTOY President Jeff Gilbert, NACTOY president and WWJ Radio auto reporter, who handed out trophies to the recipients.. “This year’s winners are on the cutting edge when it comes to technology, styling and value.”

Car of the Year

Honda Zone Manager Josh Beckner with the Honda Civic Hybrid, which topped the Kia K4 and Toyota Camry to win North American Car of the Year honors at the Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.David Guralnick, The Detroit News

In a comfortable win, the $29,845 Civic Hybrid Honda Civic Hybrid (205 votes) beat out the $23,145 Kia K4 (165 votes), and $29,535 Toyota Camry (130) for top car. The Civic has been offered as a hybrid trim in the past, but this is the first time it’s expected to be the model’s best-seller.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” said Josh Beckner, Midwest Honda Zone Manager, who accepted the award. “The hybrid is a key part of our electrification strategy as we go all-electric.”

The Civic Hybrid starts at about the same price as the bigger Camry, which is only offered with hybrid drivetrains. Though perennially the best-selling sedan in the U.S., Camry has never brought home a NACTOY trophy. The Kia is a Civic competitor in the compact segment — and the brand’s replacement for the Forte compact sedan. The K4 significantly undercuts the Civic Hybrid’s price, but jurors knocked its polarizing styling and for not offering a hybrid option like its competitors.

Truck of the Year

The truck battle between the $34,575 Ford Ranger, $42,270 Ram 1500 and $32,995 Toyota Tacoma was a nail-biter. The two mid-size segment competitors have been significantly upgraded for ‘25 with state-of-the-art electronic systems and high-flying off-road variants like the Tacoma TRD Pro and Ranger Raptor. But the Ram boasted a new inline-6 cylinder drivetrain and its range-topping, $71k RHO super truck is aimed squarely the iconic F-150 Raptor.

In the end, the Ranger won the day with 183 votes to the Ram’s 161 and the Taco’s 156. An early favorite, the best-selling-in-segment Toyota was knocked by jurors for its high price and initial quality problems.

“The Ford Ranger starts at $34,575 and the well-equipped SuperCrew 4×4 XLT has a base price of $39,646,” said juror Drew Winter, contributing editor for WardsAuto. “It’s a midsize truck that looks like a full-size F-150, has combined fuel economy of 20 mpg and can tow 7,500 pounds. It has a solid and refined chassis, a nice interior and is a good choice for budget-conscious buyers.”

Utility of the Year

Petar Danilovic, the senior vice president for product marketing and strategy for Volkswagen, with the VW ID Buzz, the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, at the Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place on Jan. 10, 2025.David Guralnick, The Detroit News

The $61,545 Volkswagen ID.Buzz may have been the most expensive vehicle in the field, but it was also the most distinctive — remaking the iconic VW Minibus as an EV.

In another tight race, it edged the stylish, three-row $35,615 Hyundai Santa Fe by 187 votes to 185. The $34,995 Chevrolet Equinox EV was a distant third with 128 votes.

“If you have to drive a minivan, why not drive the one everybody waves to and just wants to hug?” said juror Ken Gross. “Seriously, the ID. Buzz has a decent 230-plus mile range, beaucoup space inside, lots of useful features and it’s fun to drive.”

Compact SUVs are the biggest segment in the market and the $35k Chevy Equinox EV was the favorite with its affordable EV price. But the three-row ID.Buzz wowed jurors with its auto sliding doors and clever, removable seats.

“What an amazing way to start the year,” said Petar Danilovic, VW senior vice president for product marketing and strategy. “How many chances do we have to bring back an icon to the the USA? This is a special vote for true car lovers.”

NACTOY finalists reflected the jurors’ practical streak as the nominees offer affordable transportation in a market saturated by high-priced EVs, SUV and an average transaction price approaching $50,000. Though pricey EVs made up nearly half the 25 semifinalists that jurors considered at their October national test, only two made the final round. Manufacturers must meet onerous government EV mandates, but the market cooled in 2024 to just 8% EV sales.

NACTOY finalists average price $36,057. The most expensive finalist was the Volkswagen EV. The cheapest was the Kia at $23,145.

In its 32^nd year, NACTOY honors vehicles that excel across several criteria, including innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, user experience, driver satisfaction and value. Judged by an independent jury of 50 journalists (including the author of this article) from the U.S. and Canada, NACTOY is one of the industry’s most prestigious trophies.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Sterling Heights — While my Cadillac Lyriq tester drove itself in Super Cruise at 75 mph on I-696 eastbound, I swiped through the gorgeous, curved 33-inch dash screen to show my friend, Peter, our Zmash Padel destination north of General Motors Co.’s engineering campus on Mound Road.

As we bore down on traffic, the Caddy automatically put on its left-turn signal and accelerated into the left lane to pass the car in front of us. Once past, it returned itself to the middle lane.

“This car is so smooth. So quiet,” said Peter.

Cadillac’s first electric vehicle, the Lyriq, is leading the way on a not-so-quiet transformation of GM’s storied luxury brand to battery power. GM is yelling the news from the hills, sidelining its internal-combustion SUVs, opening an EV showcase in the heart of Paris, even branding an open-wheel race car in the world’s most popular, electrified motorsport, Formula One.

Lyriq aims to redefine Caddy to take on Tesla. But it also must convince customers it is superior to its elegant, athletic, internal-combustion-engine CT5 sedans — ICEs made even more elegant because they have gained for 2025 the same digital screens and Super Cruise tech pioneered by the EV.

I first drove Lyriq in June 2022, and production has taken a winding road to get the vehicles into America’s showrooms. My friend Dicran, a past customer of the Cadillac STS and XT4, has been waiting — and waiting and waiting — for the Lyriq to arrive.

It was worth the wait.

“I like the design. It has real presence,” he said, circling the car. Leaning into Cadillac’s mid-20^th century, bling-tastic design heritage, Lyriq is a lushly styled counterpart to the iPhone simplicity of Tesla’s Model Y, which dominates the EV SUV space.

My Opulent Blue Metallic tester sported an etched front grille that lit up as we approached with key in pocket, a dance of northern lights across its face. Past Caddies, of course, have had huge chromed and shield-like grilles to feed air to their ICE engines. With no engine behind it, Lyriq’s mug is pure decoration. The vertical headlights frame the fascia like a theater marquee.

But it’s the hindquarters that really defined Cadillacs of yore — think sweeping tail fins on the 1959 Coupe De Ville and dramatic, vertical lamps on the 2011 CTS-V Sport Wagon.

Lyric adds to this portfolio with a striking combination of vertical bumper lights and hockey-stick lights that frame the rear window. It’s not easy to distinguish the hind quarters of SUVs these days, but the Caddy is unmistakable.

Slip inside and the jewelry store continues with piano-key climate controls, encrusted silver cupholders/rotary controller, and a console that pierces the cabin like a ship’s bow. Below the bow, an open tray extends across the floor (dressed in Opulent Blue, natch) to store purses and other cargo.

The high style is a throwback to ‘50s Caddy. Lyriq is a magic carpet ride, not a tight, corner-carver like its ICE sibling.

At 4,200 pounds, the comparably-priced, gas-powered twin-turbo V-6 CT5-V is a joy to drive fast — tempting you to take the long way home with its tuned chassis. I took a detour to Hell’s twisties myself once and had a ball.

Never once on my week with the three-ton Lyriq did I get the urge to carve corners. I’d nail the throttle out of stoplights for the rush of instant torque from its 102 kWh battery — then turn things over to the liquid-smooth drivetrain on cruise control (secondary roads) and Super Cruise (divided highways).

Caddy says a high-performance Lyriq V-series model is coming, but the standard $60K model is just fine, thank you very much. It costs about the same as the CT5-V, and with its low center of gravity, Lyriq feels more like a big sedan — especially now that CT5 has been upgraded with the same 33-inch curved screen. The gas-powered $45K Caddy XT5, by contrast, has not received interior updates and will likely be kicked out the door after the XT4, which ended production last year.

Equipping CT5 with the same high tech as Lyriq is where the EV equation gets tricky.

For all its bling-tastic styling, Lyriq’s defining trait was it was first to market with Cadillac’s mega-tron screen and superb Google Built-in operating system. Now that gas models are getting the same, EV must compete with ICE on driving convenience — and, ahem, range anxiety is the bane of an EV’s existence.

Google Built-in attempts to calm the anxiety. It requires a one-time, bar code-initiated setup that linked the car to my phone’s Google account. Thereafter, the crossover operated like a rolling extension of my smartphone.

I moved avatars around on the screen just like my Android — choosing apps I used the most for my home screen: 360-degree camera (so I didn’t bump parking curbs with that majestic front end), charging (set to 80% every night on my home charger) and navigation. Navi is key.

As much as he enjoyed Lyriq, Dicran hesitated at the EV charging experience as he regularly road trips to, say, Chicago.

Google Built-in integrates charging infrastructure with trip directions. We set a mock destination to Chicago and Lyriq planned two lengthy charge stops on the way — predicting arrival with 30% of charge, which would be enough to find local charging.

Needless to say, ICE vehicles have no such delays/fueling concerns, so efficient is energy-dense gasoline. If the CT5-V has a better power-to-weight ratio, Super Cruise, and 33-inch screen, why buy the EV?

That’s why the Lyriq’s unique styling, ride experience, and “new, new thing” vibe is so critical — and why some of its choices are head-scratching.

Unlike Tesla competitors, Lyriq does not provide a front trunk. The “frunk” is a defining EV cargo advantage (see huge Silverado EV and Mustang Mach-E frunks). Yet, open the Lyriq’s hood, and you stare into a sea of electrical wiring. Caddy has also removed the $1,500 home charger installation subsidy it once offered.

While a Caddy EV is still a tough sell against a Caddy ICE, the back-to-the-future, bling-tastic Lyriq makes a strong case as a Tesla alternative.

Next week: Mainstream upstart, Hyundai Santa Fe vs. BMW X5

2025 Cadillac Lyriq

Vehicle type: Battery-powered, rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV

Price: $60,615, including $1,395 destination fee ($80,485 Sport 3 AWD as tested)

Powerplant: 102 kWh lithium-ion battery with single rear or dual electric-motor drive

Power: 365 horsepower, 325 pound-feet torque (RWD); 515 horsepower, 450 pound-feet torque (AWD)

Transmission: Single-speed direct drive

Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.6 seconds (est.); top speed, 132 mph; towing, 3,500 pounds

Weight: 5,789 pounds (AWD as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA MPGe 89; range, 303 miles (AWD); 326 miles (RWD)

Report card

Highs: Striking design; Google Built-in navigation

Lows: No frunk; ICE peers have same tech, better range

Overall: 3 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.

Las Vegas — Honda Motor Co. is going all-electric, and on Tuesday at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show it introduced the most radical-looking vehicles this side of a Cybertruck.

The first models in its so-called 0 Series electric-vehicle lineup are the Saloon Prototype sedan and SUV Prototype. Both will be made in Ohio at Honda’s new flexible EV Hub manufacturing facility and are slated for production in 2026 (with global markets to follow) meaning the prototypes are close to production form.

Along with General Motors Co., which has targeted 2035 as the end of internal combustion engine sales, Honda has been the most aggressive legacy automaker in its electrification goals. Honda aims to be all-electric by 2040. Its exotic-looking flagship EVs are meant to dramatize the fact that the Japanese automaker is changing the way it makes cars for the company’s “Second Founding” as a zero-emissions, zero-crashes automaker. It’s a stylish turn from the utilitarian, entry-level Civics that first drew Americans to Honda in the 1970s.

The 0 Series halo will be the wedge-shaped Saloon, which looks like a Lamborghini and a station wagon had a baby. With an asphalt-sniffing anteater nose and sharply raked windshield, Saloon might be mistaken for a Lambo Gallardo, save for its four doors. The SUV’s measurements are similar to a Honda CR-V, and it bears a more conventional hatchback shape. But its big, squared-off rear end looks like a “spinner” car from the “Blade Runner 2049” sci-fi movie. Its mail-slot nose reminds of a 2025 Dodge Charger or Honda’s discontinued “e” electric car.

Honda gave a first look at its 0 Series lineup at last year’s CES with the Saloon and Space-Hub concepts. The new 0 Series prototypes have advanced on those concepts with more production-ready equipment like conventional headlights (though the Saloon sports exotic sliding covers), forward-facing seats and proper greenhouse appointments.

Exotic as they look, it’s the sci-fi tech inside that inspired Honda to debut the 0 Series siblings (0 for zero emissions/crashes) at the country’s premier electronics show. 0 Series electronics are on the industry’s bleeding edge.

Both models will be equipped with hardware to deliver Level 3 self-driving capability — leapfrogging the industry’s current Level 2 driver assistance leaders, Tesla Inc., General Motors Co., and Ford Motor Co. if Honda gets regulatory approval. Current L2 systems demand driver attention and monitor the pilot’s eyes. Honda calls its Level 3, hands-free capability “Eyes-Off” and it’s supported by multi-sensor technology, including lidar. The company has been experimenting with it on Japanese roads since 2021.

Pending U.S. government approval, Honda says the first step towards zero crashes will be to apply self-driving tech on expressways during low-speed traffic jams, then expand its capabilities via over-the-air updates. Over time, the L3 system will allow drivers to conduct “second tasks on the move,” such as watching movies and holding remote meetings.

The 0 Series is a dramatic departure from Honda’s first EV in the U.S. market, the midsize 2024 Prologue. The most expensive vehicle in Honda’s lineup, the $50k-plus Prologue is also one of the most vanilla-looking vehicles in an EV segment that includes dramatic designs like the Tesla Model X and Kia EV9.

This was due, in part, to the limitations of Honda producing the car on GM’s Ultium EV platform in Mexico. The Prologue shares the footprint and Google Built-in operating system with the Chevy Blazer EV. Nevertheless, Prologue sold a healthy 33,000 copies last year — nearly 30% mor than the Chevy and fifth best for U.S. EVs. That’s well shy of sales of Honda’s similarly-sized, gas-powered $42k Pilot/Passport SUV at 175,000 units.

The 0 Series models will be clean sheet from the ground up, built on Honda’s own battery-electric platform and controlled by its in-house Asimo operating system. The OS has its roots in the Asimo robot that Honda showed at CES in 2007.

“Nothing drew a crowd like Asimo,” said Jay Joseph, Honda’s vice president for business development, of the talking robot. “So it’s meaningful to us calling the car’s OS Asimo.”

While GM’s bulky Ultium platform can weigh up to three tons for a midsize SUV, Honda says its new architecture will be “thin, light and wise.” It will be made in Ohio with six 6,000-ton high-pressure die cast machines standing over 31 feet tall — the biggest die-cast parts Honda has ever made.

The interiors of the Saloon and SUV prototypes are also a dramatic departure from previous Hondas.

They share airy cabins with full length, Tesla-like panoramic glass roofs. With its sci-fi, squared-off rear end, the Saloon has no rear window, so drivers use a camera mirror to see out the back like a Polestar 4. The SUV has a rear window.

The wide horizontal dashes contain three digital displays like a $105k Mercedes EQS: an instrument display behind the Tesla-like yoke steering wheel, a central instrument display and a right-side passenger display. “Brake-by-wire” and “steering-by-wire” are electronically controlled. The high-backed seats and materials look premium but Honda would not share plans for pricing.

In addition to its cutting-edge electronics, Honda promises robust charging software to complement the brand’s investment in the IONNA network’s 30,000 chargers by 2030. IONNA is a joint project of eight automakers in order to rival Tesla’s proprietary Superchargers. Following Tesla’s lead, the Honda 0 Series models will come equipped with a NACS charger (North American Charging Standard) connector replacing the bulkier CCS nozzle of current models. NACS will also give Honda EVs access to Tesla’s network.

Charger access will be enhanced by a partnership with Amazon Web Services, which offers generative technology like Amazon Bedrock that will help drivers find charging stations and simplify payment methods. Another partnership with semiconductor maker Renesas Electronics also promises higher computing power in future 0 Series models through a central vehicle CPU.

With an eye on a larger social agenda, Honda’s Second Founding is governed by sustainable and autonomous goals promising aggressive moves to electrification and self-driving.

Previous reception of its battery-powered products, however, has been lukewarm.

Its 1999 Insight hybrid played second fiddle to the Toyota Prius for many years before being nixed in 2022. The automaker’s first all-electric model, the aforementioned subcompact Honda e, was sold in Asia and Europe (though not the U.S.) and was discontinued due to poor sales in 2024.

Honda is resetting its hybrid/EV strategy. Hybrid versions of its Civic, Accord and CR-V models are expected to make up 50% of sales this decade — a bridge, the company says, to EVs.

The 0 Series is a major commitment of resources as part of Honda’s Ohio EV Hub — with EV manufacturing that parallels gas-model production. Honda has moved construction of its popular Accord sedan from Marysville north of Columbus to Indiana. Marysville assembly is being retooled so the Ohio complex can make gas or electric cars depending on consumer demand.

“We can’t force our customers to buy EVs,” said Lance Woefler, U.S. vice president for auto sales.

The sprawling $5 billion EV Hub is a network of four vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities. The bulk of that investment is aimed at the East Jefferson battery plant near Cincinnati, where Honda has partnered with LG Energy Solutions to produce 0 Series cells.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

The Detroit auto circus is back to its January roots — a new show for a new era.

After an epic, media-stuffed, celebrity-encrusted, 30-year run as the world-renowned North American International Auto Show, Motown’s auto-palooza is dropping its international marketing theme and now is simply called the Detroit Auto Show. Its Detroit Autos Dealers Association (DADA) organizers are returning to a Jan. 10-20, regional event after a detour through a pandemic, one Motor Bella, and two September shows while seeking its identity in the post-mega show world.

The last January show was in 2019 — six years and a bygone epoch ago before social media, COVID-19 and compressed vehicle development dislodged auto shows around the world as automakers’ primary venue for vehicle debuts. Stakeholders in the show believe the January dates will increase attendance because the September timeframe interfered with school schedules and the opening of football season.

“Frankly, I was never a fan of moving it. I was opposed to it,” said Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit. “Throughout the time, I’ve been encouraging them to rethink the January timeframe. As a spokesperson for the hospitality community, my stakeholders, the restaurant owners, the hoteliers, they all are very in favor of this. This is a great return to tradition.”

Molinari expects more than 1,000 media members for the Jan. 10 Media Day, down significantly from the show’s 1989-2019 heyday. Those glory years were part of an age when international shows — Detroit, Frankfurt/Paris, Tokyo, Geneva — dominated new car debuts.

Detroit joined the party late in 1989 but would become one of the world’s biggest circus dates, attracting at its apex more than 5,000 media, 70 new car debuts, 800,000 public attendees, and the entertainment industry’s top acts. Its jaw-dropping entertainment created indelible images, media careers, and millions of dollars in charitable dollars for Detroit children through the annual Charity Preview.

“It’s not like the auto show in Detroit has been challenged more than any other,” Molinari said. “The largest auto show in the world used to be the Frankfurt Auto Show. Now, it doesn’t exist anymore. It’s important to recognize that while this (Detroit) auto show may not reach the levels of what it was, I believe that it is still the most important auto show in the world.”

Sam Klemet, co-executive director of the show, said in a recent interview the shift back to January “is a real natural fit. That’s where we have historically been. That’s kind of where people circle their calendars when you think about the auto show.”

The days of dawn-to-dusk auto reveals are in the rearview mirror. But Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions LLC, said shows like Detroit’s still serve an important purpose for the major automakers — converting attendees with some interest in cars into eventual buyers.

He anticipates the Detroit show can still draw big crowds, even without some of the flashiness and news-making of its past: “It’s the best way for consumers to look at a number of vehicles in one setting,” Fiorani said. “Even when you have the auto mall somewhere, it’s very difficult to cross-shop products and see which one fits our needs the best.”

Under pressure from global governments to sell EVs, brands at the Detroit Auto Show will have plenty of EVs for consumers to experience. Popular gas Jeeps, Broncos, other SUVs and pickups will be available as well.

Ford Motor Co. appears to be the only automaker planning to make product news this year. “The Detroit Auto Show is a longstanding tradition that brings the community, consumers and car enthusiasts together,” said Ford Product Communications Director Mike Levine. “We’re excited for its return, and we look forward to kicking off the show on January 9 with news and more — plus our full lineup of winning vehicles.”

General Motors Co. will not reveal any all-new vehicles but will have models making their auto show debut. Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac will all have floor displays.

“We are excited and proud to be coming to our hometown auto show with our incredible EV portfolio, that is the largest, most diverse and has the longest range, and our internal combustion powered vehicles that people know and love,” GM spokesperson Sabin Blake said in a statement.

Stellantis NV will have six of its brands on display: Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram. The transatlantic automaker is packing its indoor Camp Jeep consumer test track, but is not planning any product reveals. Among its featured models: the Dodge Charger Daytona EV, electric Jeep Wagoneer S, Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Duty pickups and 1500 RHO supertruck.

Toyota Motor Corp. will have its full North American lineup on display, including the all-new 2025 Toyota 4Runner.

All told, DADA touts 34 brands for this year’s show, including 12 ultra-luxury and exotic makes inside The Gallery. The four indoor consumer tracks include the Ford Bronco Built Wild Track and Camp Jeep’s off-road trail simulation. Outside, a Detroit Grand Prix-themed outdoor tour incorporates some of the signature elements of the street circuit and showcases gas-powered, hybrid and all-electric vehicles from Buick, Ford, Honda, Mazda and Volkswagen.

Show organizers have curated a showcase of more than 150 vehicles in partnership with Modded Detroit, a Michigan automotive enthusiast group. “Modded” or modified vehicles have a blend of high-performance tweaks and exterior cosmetic enhancements.

“There is going to be something for everyone,” co-director Klemet said. “That’s what you want it to be.”

The Big Idea

Since its founding in 1907, the Detroit show — like the New York, Chicago and Los Angeles shows — was for most of its life a local, dealer-organized event overshadowed by glitzy, manufacturer-organized exhibits in foreign metropolises like Frankfurt and Tokyo.

In the late 1980s, DADA members David Fischer, Ken Meade, Gordon Steward and Bob Thibodeau Sr. led a vision for Detroit to join their ranks as the biggest show in the richest consumer market on the planet. They circled the globe, recruited automakers and hired Orange County, California, auto show director Rod Alberts as their savvy circus ringmaster.

“Fischer and I went all over the world to learn from other shows,” remembered Meade, the now-retired president of Meade Toyota-Lexus of Southfield. “We had to do something different. People said we couldn’t do what the international shows did, but somehow, we did it.”

The 1989 show was rebranded as NAIAS. The goal? To put Detroit on the map with other international shows. “There is no place that has more auto history than Detroit,” said Doug North, who took over North Brothers Ford in Westland in 1990 and would ultimately rise to NAIAS chairman in 2020. “It came at a great time, as we kicked off a new year.”

Alberts had run regional shows from Arkansas to Orange County. “It started with a big idea to see if we could make things happen,” he said in an interview. “Chicago had been the largest show in the U.S. We traveled to Japan, Geneva, Frankfurt, Paris to learn best practices. We met with every auto manufacturer. We learned by living it.”

Meade and Fischer’s dealership connections to Toyota and Nissan proved crucial to launching the rebranded show with a bang. Both Japanese manufacturers were introducing their new luxury brands, Lexus and Infiniti, and they chose Detroit as their kickoff.

The launch of the all-new Lexus LS 400 and Infiniti Q45 flagship sedans at the 1989 show created headlines across the globe. And that instantly gave Detroit credibility as a show — not just for Detroit-based automakers — but for global brands to make their mark.

It didn’t take long before the home teams spun their own Motown hits. In 1992, Jeep debuted its new Grand Cherokee SUV by crashing it through the front window of Cobo Hall — with Chrysler Corp. Vice Chairman “Maximum Bob” Lutz at the wheel and Mayor Coleman Young riding shotgun.

“It was a brilliant demonstration of how you can use a low-cost PR stunt to far more effect at a product introduction than you could ever get from conventional advertising,” Lutz told The Detroit News in an interview. “That stunt was on every TV station, every major news media in the U.S. — and around the world.”

Part of Jeep’s 1992 planning team was communications whiz Jason Vines, a natural-born showman who marveled at the stunt’s media impact and would go on to create some of the show’s most memorable debuts for Chrysler and Nissan. As the first auto show of the year — and one of the most heavily attended media events this side of the Super Bowl — NAIAS became a linchpin of automakers’ product plans.

“We weren’t just launching a vehicle, we were launching an experience,” Vines said in an interview. And the show had to go on no matter what.

In January 1999, a blizzard buried Detroit under two feet of snow, paralyzing the city and Detroit Metro Airport. Nissan had targeted NAIAS for the launch of a rugged, off-road-focused SUV called the Xterra — the first Nissan developed entirely in the United States and a key piece of the brand’s future.

With commercial flights grounded, Vines’ Los Angeles-based team chartered a private jet to get into Detroit in time to pull off the reveal.

“In 1999, Nissan didn’t have two yen to rub together, but we had to pull off the Xterra reveal,” remembered Vines of the pricey trip from California to the Motor City. “We had created a giant backpack for the Xterra to emerge from on stage. The reveal got huge media coverage.”

The Roarin’ ’90s

From Asian to American to European brands, NAIAS steadily built an industry juggernaut.

Starting with seven to eight vehicle debuts at the beginning of the 1990s, the show introduced more than 40 new cars by 1999. Vines & Co. continued to ratchet up the entertainment factor, including the 1995 introduction of the first dual sliding-door minivans: Lutz and Chrysler Chairman Bob Eaton read giant children’s books in Mr. Rogers-style sweaters while Kermit the Frog drove a red Dodge Caravan over their heads and onto a fake pond’s lily pads, drenching media with water.

“It took years of incremental growth,” Alberts said. “Auto supplier Heinz Prechter would bring us three or four aftermarket cars in the early 1990s. Then, in the mid-1990s, Volkswagen came to us with a proposal to build a huge display — a wall — to introduce the New Beetle. That started the big structures.”

The New Beetle’s 1998 introduction was a sensation, as was its on-site café. “That really jacked up the price,” laughed Vines. “Now all the manufacturers had to have cafés to entertain the media. In 2001, we opened up the historic Detroit Firehouse across the street complete with (DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter) Zetsche tending the bar.”

Summit

With the turn of the century, the show was in full stride. Each year featured over 40 car reveals (hitting a record 79 reveals in 2004), more extravagant debuts, and a steady stream of celebrities, politicians and U.S. presidents. January 2003 would set a record public attendance of 838,066.

“We were the place to be seen. We had a constant stream of celebrities coming through,” said Alberts. “Some were here to introduce cars like David Spade and Eva Longoria. But others like Michael Strahan, Billy Joel, Mickey Rooney, Tony Danza and Michael Jordan were here just here to see the show.”

NAIAS burst at the seams to find real estate to showcase its new wares. To entertain a record 5,500 media members in 2008, General Motors took over the Detroit waterfront north of the Ren Cen with a sprawling display of concept cars accompanied by Kid Rock, Maroon 5, Mary J Blige and Jimmy Kimmel.

The show’s annual Charity Preview (aided by superstars like Celine Dion, who crooned her single “I Drove All Night” in 2008) also proved a boon to Detroit, raising millions for local children’s and police organizations.

“There was so much going on at each show,” said DADA member North. “Presidents, senators, governors were here. The Ford Dealer Group would host a big party after the Charity Preview and many of Ford’s executives would join us.”

The 2008 show was also memorable for another Chrysler stunt featuring 120 longhorn steers (plus cowboy escorts) imported from Oklahoma to accompany the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram pickup. “The video went viral around the world,” recalled Vines.

The 2009 Great Recession and the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler proved a momentary speed bump as automakers pulled back under financial distress. But NAIAS rebounded, attracting 815,575 attendees (the largest since 2003) in 2016. The ‘16 show’s 700,000 square feet was packed with cars, stages and jumbotron LED displays. Automakers spent $200 million on exhibits — 80% of them new.

“This is transformative. It supersedes anything at a major concert or the Super Bowl,” said John Tulloch, executive producer of Auburn Hills-based George P. Johnson, which helped set up Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ stage. “Our display is at an Olympic level never seen at an auto show anywhere in the world.”

In the wilderness

Back at the top of the world, Detroit’s 2017 mega-show was starting to show cracks.

Social media was changing the media game, allowing automakers to introduce new cars on their own schedule rather than competing with rivals for attention on crowded show floors. Industry practices were also changing as vehicle development times shrunk and concept cars became less relevant.

“Concepts were expensive to build, and it cost a lot to debut them,” said Alberts. “They made up about half of our debuts, so as the industry cut back, that impacted us.”

The same digital tech that was altering the media landscape and accelerating model timelines also fueled interest in January’s Consumer Electronics Show, diverting media attention to Las Vegas. NAIAS tried to adapt — opening its own technology forum, Automobili-D, in 2017 — then moving the show out of its January time slot altogether to new June dates in 2020.

NAIAS 2020 never occurred, a casualty of the COVID pandemic.

Straining to stay relevant in a world roiled by government pandemic restrictions and changing automaker demands, NAIAS landed at Oakland County’s M1 Concourse for Motor Bella in 2021. It returned to Cobo — now Huntington Place — in the fall of 2022 and 2023, its interior transformed from giant, vertical LED displays to horizontal test tracks for electric vehicles.

“The 2025 show has come full circle to be more consumer-focused than ever before,” said Alberts, who will co-direct the show for 2025, his last. “With crisis comes opportunity, and we know that people want to get into cars more than ever before. We have four tracks this year for EVs, gas cars, hybrids.”

2025 Detroit Auto Show schedule

Friday, Jan. 10: Media day, which includes the announcement of the 2025 winners of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards and EyesOn Design Awards

Friday, Jan. 10: Charity Preview to cap off the first day of the show.

Saturday, Jan. 11 through Monday, Jan. 20: Public show dates. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily except for 1-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20

Wednesday, Jan. 15 and Thursday, Jan. 16: Industry days with a mobility global forum and AutoMobili-D technology showcase, and Future Innovators, a new program with 1,000-plus high school and college students invited to visit the show to learn about career opportunities.

Monday, Jan. 20: The show will have special programming for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Tickets: Adults $20, seniors 65 and older $12, kids ages 3-12, $10

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.

Staff Writer Luke Ramseth contributed.