The latest reveals at the New York International Auto Show

Vehicles being revealed at the show (check back for updates):

Genesis Essentia

Genesis unveiled the car it says shows the way forward for the Hyundai Motor Co.-owned luxury brand. The Essentia Concept is an all-electric concept coupe. Made from a super-lightweight, low-slung, carbon-fibre monocoque body, and with battery-powered motor that the brand says will get it to 100 km/h in about three seconds, it is Genesis's first electric vehicle. It's clear that Genesis has launched it in order to keep up with the likes of the electric cars and prototypes (i8, Project 1) of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, respectively. The Essentia does have a stunning, sexy look. This is a good thing considering the fact that while Genesis makes excellent cars, it continues to generate less awareness and hype than its flashier competitors from Germany. The most striking thing about the Essentia is its two butterfly doors that open silently with fingerprint- and facial-recognition-enabled push-button controls. The transparent hood ends in a Formula 1-style nose, and air intakes on each side are flanked by thin quad headlights that sit flush with the car's body, which is wrapped around by seamless glass windows front to back. – Bloomberg

Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder

Thirty-five kilograms lighter than the Spyder, the Peformante Spyder is made of light-weight composite with a patented Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA) system, which adjusts to high down force or low drag driving situations. The technology enables aero vectoring at high speeds – powered by a naturally aspirated V-10 engine, the car reaches 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds with top speed of 325 m/h. The engine produces 640 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. The Performante also gets an enhanced suspension system. Lamborghini, which sold a record 1,306 cars in Canada and the United States last year, has established a retail price of US$308,859 for the Huracan Performante.

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

The popular SUV is getting a supercharged 5.0-litre V-8 engine capable of zero-to-100-kilometres-an-hour acceleration in 4.3 seconds and top speed of 283 km/h. The F-Pace SVR packs a whopping 502 lb/feet of torque and 550 horsepower, or 170 hp greater than the F-Pace S trim. Enhancements to the F-Pace – a vehicle named the 2017 World Car of the Year by an international jury – include an aerodynamic package with restyled front and rear bumpers, rear spoiler, lower body sides and larger air intakes at the front and side fenders. – Staff

Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Named crossover of the year by Popular Mechanics magazine, the Stevelio and its cousin Giulia is receiving a new, dark miron "Nero Edizione" exterior package which includes 20-inch sport aluminum wheels (Giulia: 19-inch), "V Scudetto" grille surround, exterior mirror caps, black- or red- or yellow-painted brake calipers, exhaust tips, headlamp bezels, rear fascia, plus gloss black roof rails and window surrounds. – Staff

Volvo XC40

Volvo's new compact SUV, the 2019 XC40, will be equipped in Canada with the T5 Drive-E powertrain and all-wheel-drive in three trims – Momentum, R-Design and Inscription. Standard interior equipment includes an Orrefors Crystal gear shift, Harman Kardon 13-speaker system and ergonomically designed leather seats, and driftwood inlays adapted from the XC60 which was named 2018 World Car of the Year by an international jury on March 28. An optional 360-degree camera eases woes of the parking-challenged. The base Momentum trim starts at $39,500. Pre-orders are being taken online and at dealerships for delivery in the third quarter of this year. – Staff

Acura RDX

Honda's luxury brand telegraphed the new entry in the red-hot luxury mid-size SUV market with a concept vehicle unveiled in January. Now it's displaying the production version in New York. The revamped RDX gets a new chassis for better ride and handling. The distance between the wheels is 2.6 inches longer for more cargo and passenger space. Its old V-6 engine is replaced by a 272-horsepower 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder motor, mated to a new 10-speed automatic transmission. Acura promises quicker acceleration. All versions get standard safety features including collision mitigation automatic braking. The 2019 RDX is due in dealers by the middle of this year. Price and gas mileage weren't released. – The Associated Press

Mercedes-AMG C 63

Offered in sedan, coupe and cabriolet models, the C 63's Speedshift MCT 9G transmission with wet start-off clutch is paired with a 4.0-litre V-8 biturbo engine in two outputs, rated either at 469 or 503 horsepower. Top speed: 290 km/h. Six drive programs, selected by gearshift paddle, include Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race and Individual. Engine response, suspension and other driving dynames are selected automatically to confrom to the chosen drive program – ranging from "safety-oriented to highly energetic." The driver has the option of manually selecting options such as manual transmission mode with display buttons in the centre console. – Staff

Kia Sedona

The refreshed 2019 minivan gets an eight-speed automatic paired with the same 3.3-litre V-6 engine, and an optional rear entertainment system with smartphone mirroring. Redesigned front and rear fascias will correspond to the design language being used on the newer models. Six versions – L, LX, EX, EX Premium, SX and SXL – will be available. LED headlamps will be standard on SX and SXL trims. Inside, an available wireless charger is inserted in the floor console and an electronic parking brake comes standard on SX and SXL trims. In the rear, an available USB charge point is added to the luggage area, perfect for tailgating. The entertainment system features 10.1-inch dual touchscreens on the back of the front seats, internet access through the user's compatible smartphone, and two wireless Bluetooth headphones. A Lincoln-esque Harman Kardon premium audio system is new. Flexible seating continues in seven- and eight-passenger configurations. – Staff

Subaru Forester

Re-erected on the foundation of the Subaru Global Platform (SGP), the 2019 Forester is more evolutionary than revolutionary, retaining a Subaru family look and signature engineering elements such as a horizontally opposed (Boxer) four-cylinder engine, continuously variable automatic transmission and standard symmetrical, full-time all-wheel drive. A more rugged-looking and slightly larger body with standard LED headlamps sits on a 28-mm-longer wheelbase, which adds space to one of the segment's roomiest cabins. The tailgate opening is wider – up to 1,300 mm, more than enough to swallow four-foot-wide building materials. Wider side-door sills allow easier access to roof-mounted items. Safety aids include facial-recognition software to detect driver fatigue or distraction, and works with the existing EyeSight suite of active-safety technologies – lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise etc. The 2.5-litre Boxer engine gets auto stop/start, and direct fuel injection helps boost outputs to 182 horsepower (from 170) and 176 lb.-ft. of torque (from 174). For engaged drivers, the CVT transmission has an available seven-speed manual-shift mode, and standard SI-Drive features Intelligent, Sport and Sport# modes. But a manual gearbox is no longer offered, nor a high-output turbo engine option. Interface the world with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto through a 6.5- or 8.0-inch touchscreen. The Forester is expected in showrooms in the early fall. – Jeremy Sinek

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai has been struggling to cope with the sea change in the North American auto market toward SUVs at the expense of sedans. Several of the eight all-new or redesigned models it's promised by 2020 are debuting at the Javits Center. The South Korean car maker has given the compact Tucson a nose job and packed it with more advanced safety features, including a standard collision-avoidance system. The overhauled Santa Fe SUV first revealed earlier this month in Geneva also is reaching a show on American shores for the first time, along with an electric version of the Kona crossover that should boast about 250 miles of battery range. – Bloomberg News

2019 Lincoln Aviator

Lincoln's handsome new luxury SUV, the Aviator, uses the term "quiet flight" to describe the planned driver experience. Where other mid-sized utility vehicles put the emphasis on zoom, Lincoln has chosen a calmer path. In Canada, the seven-passenger vehicle will be offered solely in AWD. "We are creating an experience of effortless power," said Lincoln president Joy Falotico. "And the best way to do that is through an electrified powertrain." Driven either by a conventional gasoline-powered twin-turbo V-6 engine or by a plug-in hybrid backed by the V-6, the Aviator puts the emphasis on smooth power. The Aviator will come equipped with the latest iteration of driver-assist technology, called Co-Pilot 360, which includes an auto-braking feature, suspension that automatically adjusts to road conditions, heads-up display, massaging function in the front seats, a key fob that lets you start your car remotely – and even an app that lets you loan your car to someone else via your smartphone. The Aviator will put Lincoln solidly into the medium luxury SUV segment that represents more than one-quarter of all premium SUVs sold. That pits it against the Audi Q7, Acura MDX, Lexus RX350L and Cadillac's planned XT6. – Doug Firby

2019 Audi RS 5 Sportback

The all-new 2019 Audi RS 5 Sportback is a five-door "coupe" (as the company calls it) with a 444-horsepower V-6 engine and seating for five. It's the seventh introduction in the Audi sport line that includes the RS 5 Coupe and the RS 7 Sedan. The announcement comes a week after Audi AG said it plans to invest nearly US$50-billion in new models and technology over the next five years in a bid to regain lost ground from German rivals Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz as each automaker extends its range of sporty sedans and crossovers. Audi's strategy is to increase variants and electric models in its already sedan-dense lineup. Executives have said they'll show 20 new models this year alone. As part of that plan, the Audi RS 5 is the higher-tuned version of its $54,400 S5 Sportback. You'll be able to tell them apart on the road by the RS 5's uniquely wide and flat grille, large honeycomb air intakes, specific diffuser, oval exhaust pipes, and matte detailing on the exterior. Or by the distinct "RS" sound of its engine. It can get to 100 km/h in four seconds and has a top speed of 280 km/h. – Bloomberg News

Toyota RAV4

The remodelled RAV4, Toyota's top-selling vehicle in Canada, is built on Toyota's new TNGA platform, which will eventually underpin all the auto maker's models in some form. The chassis is apparently 57-per-cent stiffer, with a multilink rear suspension, and it rides more than a centimetre higher off the ground. The wheelbase is increased by 30 mm and the width by 10 mm, while the overall length and height are both reduced by 5 mm. There will be three distinct trims: the regular version, a "Trail" version that's more focused on off-road driving and the Hybrid version, which will only be available in the sporty XSE trim. Hybrids currently account for about one in four RAV4 sales in Canada. The compact SUV is quickly distinguished from the previous edition by a large new central grille at the front and by its mirrors, which are now attached to the doors and no longer the A-pillars for improved visibility. A new digital mirror is now available for the main rear-view mirror, in which a camera image can replace the real-time image, as Cadillac features on its CT6. All versions have a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine, either gas or hybrid, that Toyota shares with the Camry; the conventional drivetrain uses an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrid uses a continuously variable transmission. – Mark Richardson

GMC Sierra AT4

The AT 4 shows just how far the humble pickup truck has come. While GMC already offers trucks decked to the gills with luxurious accoutrements, their latest creation is something different: a cross between a luxury SUV and a jacked-up four-by-four. With its elevated stance, blacked-out trim and contrasting red vertical-recovery hooks mounted on its front bumper, the 2019 GMC Sierra AT4 is designed to make a statement at the curb. The interior is similarly statement-making, with seats done up in Jet Black and Kalahari tan leather, and dark-tinted aluminum accents throughout. Tech-minded buyers, meanwhile, will be wooed by segment-firsts such as the AT4's multicolour, configurable, head-up display and an integrated rear-view mirror camera. – Jeremy Freed

Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport concept

Volkswagen broadens its growing SUV lineup with a five-seat version of the three-row Atlas. The company calls the Atlas Cross Sport a concept, but it's almost ready to be built at the automaker's U.S. factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The new version is 7.5 inches shorter than the seven-seat Atlas. The concept is powered by a 355-horsepower plug-in hybrid system with a V-6 gasoline engine and a battery that can take it 26 miles on electric power. The hybrid concept can go from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, VW says. There's also a "mild hybrid" with 310-horsepower from a V6 and a smaller hybrid battery. The SUV is due in showrooms sometime next year. Mileage and price were not announced. – Associated Press

Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak pickup truck

Volkswagen AG unveiled a prototype pickup truck at the New York auto show on Wednesday, a vehicle that would fill a gap in the German company's North American product lineup in what is one of the most profitable segments of the market. The German automaker said the dual-cab, short-bed concept Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak pickup truck could be built off the same platform at its Chattanooga, Tenn. assembly plant, where it builds the Atlas SUV and Passat car. – Reuters

Nissan Altima

Undeterred by the market's tidal movement toward light trucks, Nissan has rejuvenated its signature mid-size sedan in its sixth iteration with new styling, a pair of new powerplants, all-wheel drive and the company's ProPilot Assist. As a 2019 model, the Altima goes on sale in North America this coming fall. The 3.5-litre V-6 in current models is being replaced by the world's first production variable-compression turbo inline four-cylinder engine, as an option. Nissan promises it will produce V-6-level performance with four-cylinder fuel efficiency. The standard engine will be a new 2.5-litre DOHC inline four-cylinder direct injection. Gains over the current engine include horsepower, torque, noise and vibration reduction, fuel economy and cleaner emissions, Nissan says. – Staff

Cadillac XT4

Cadillac hasn't had a product to offer in the compact SUV market – until now. The General Motors luxury brand rolled out the new XT4 SUV at a preshow event in New York Tuesday night. It's built on underpinnings specifically designed for the Cadillac brand and comes with sculpted looks and an interior that Cadillac says is luxurious and spacious. The company says it will have segment-leading back-seat legroom. It's powered by a 237 horsepower 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a nine-speed automatic transmission that will get an estimated 13 litres/100 km on the highway. The XT4 is available in the fall. Pricing unavailable for Canada. – Associated Press

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