Detroit auto show 2023 will be made for shopping: Here's what to see and do
Shoppers will get a first look at some of America’s favorite cars, trucks and SUVs when the Detroit auto show kicks off Sept. 15 with its annual Charity Preview and opens its doors to the public Sept. 16-24.
In addition to new vehicles ranging from pickups to high-performance coupes, electric vehicle pioneer Tesla returns to the show for the first time in years, with four vehicles available for rides on an indoor EV track.
Eagerly awaited new vehicles on display are expected to include these models:
Cadillac Escalade IQ
Cadillac XT4
Chevrolet Traverse
Chevrolet Corvette E-ray
Ford F-150
Ford Ranger
2024 Ford Mustang
GMC Acadia
Jeep Gladiator
Toyota Tacoma
Toyota Grand Highlander
Indoor test tracks, outdoor test drives
Multiple brands will offer vehicles test rides inside the Huntington Place riverfront convention center and on the adjacent streets of the Detroit Grand Prix course.
Ford and Jeep will have indoor test tracks showcasing their vehicles’ off-road capabilities.
The EV test track inside the convention center includes a 300-foot straightaway where riders can experience legendary acceleration in EV vehicles from BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Tesla and VW.
Ford will also provide vehicles for test drives along the route of the recent Detroit Grand Prix.
Ford, Ram and Jeep will reprise their indoor tracks inside Huntington Place. The popular attractions showcasing off-road capability drew long lines at the 2022 show.
A pickup bonanza
New versions of pickups include two leading midsize models and more, such as:
Ford is to show its new 2024 Ranger, which will for the first time offer a Raptor model.
The latest version of the best-selling Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup will be on Toyota’s stand in TRD off-road trim.
An updated Jeep Gladiator midsize is to debut at the show with a number of new features.
America’s perennial No. 1 selling vehicle, the full-size Ford F-150, also debuts new features and styling tweaks.
In addition, the new top version of the electric F-150, the $99,990 Lightning Platinum Black, will be on Ford’s stand.
‘Flying cars’ return
Personal aircraft — flying cars, for want of a better term — return to the show for a second year.
Israeli manufacturer AIR will display its electrically powered AIR One two-seater, and offer a virtual reality flight simulator for showgoers to experience the VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.
Alef Aeronautics of San Mateo, California, is bringing its Model A, described as “the first and only drivable flying car with vertical take-off and landing fitting today’s road infrastructure.”
The Model A fits in a standard street lane or garage and can drive on the street or take off vertically to escape traffic jams.
See the Corvette E-ray and Mustang GTD
Two historic performance cars from Ford and Chevrolet will be among the show's stars: the Mustang GTD and Corvette E-ray.
Ford’s stand will be a pony-car lover’s dream, featuring the 2024 Mustang — with its all-new displays, upgraded V8 and Darkhorse performance model, and the $300,000 GTD carbon-fiber-bodied supercar wrapped in Mustang styling. The ’24 Mustangs should be in dealerships any day. The GTD will be built to order with deliveries beginning in late 2024.
The GTD will be on Ford's stand for the whole show, following a private event Thursday evening that will also include the Mustang GT3 race car scheduled to compete in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France next June.
With its emphasis on the F-150, Ranger and Mustang — all built in metro Detroit — Ford is billing the show as a celebration of "Hometown heroes."
The first all-wheel-drive Corvette, the E-ray, also promises to be the fastest 0-60 mph.
It features an electrically powered front axle and the ‘Vette’s quickest ever 0-60 mph acceleration: 2.5 seconds. The E-ray’s total system power from its 6.2L V8 and electrically powered front axle is 655 horsepower. The E-ray’s stealth mode allows all-electric driving at up to 45 mph.
Chevrolet’s stand also is expected to feature three of the brand’s vital upcoming EVs: the Silverado pickup, Blazer midsize SUV and Equinox compact SUV. All three of the new EVs should be in dealerships shortly.
New family-hauling SUVs
A brace of new three-row family SUVs will be on the show floor:
GMC is expected to show a new, bigger version of its Acadia that will offer more room and capability than the outgoing model.
Toyota’s Grand Highlander will be on that automaker’s stand, featuring several hybrid models and a much roomier third-row seat than the long-running Highlander. Toyota expects the Grand Highlander to eventually outsell the Highlander, which has been one of the automaker’s core vehicles in the U.S. for decades.
The 2024 Chevrolet Traverse get a new design with a more upright, trucklike grille and profile. New features include a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces more power than the previous model’s V6.
A Z71 model will amplify the Traverse’s more rugged looks with an inch more ground clearance, all-terrain tires and other features.
Cadillac shows electric Escalade, other updates
The public will get its first up-close look at the electric version of Cadillac's signature vehicle as the Escalade IQ makes its auto show debut. To be built in GM's nearby Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant and due to go on sale next summer, the Escalade IQ promises a range of up to 450 miles on a charge and up to 750 hp.
The IQ also promises to be the most luxurious Escalade ever, with power-opening doors, 55 inches of screens across the front compartment, executive rear seating and a 40-speaker AKG audio system. The EV retains the traditional Escalade look, with vertical front and rear lights. The EV is about 15% more aerodynamic than the internal combustion Escalade, thanks in part to a more sharply angled windshield and tailgate.
The updated 2024 XT4 compact SUV also is expected on Cadillac’s stand, along with an update to another existing model.
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit auto show 2023: Tesla's return, hot new vehicles you'll see
