For its 2017 event, a 117-year-old auto show is asking car enthusiasts: what's your drive?
This is the main theme for the long-running New York International Auto Show. The annual auto show has also unveiled its event poster artwork containing the "What's Your Drive?" line.
As car trends lean toward self-driving cars and electric vehices, popular brands are still expected to roll out April 14-23 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Several trends have been noticed by experts, such as the return of SUVs and reappearance of sedans.
'What's Your Drive?'
According to the press release, the question "what's your drive?" sets the tone for this year's New York International Auto Show. The organizers say they want to jumpstart conversations about the things that power people's imagination, rev their emotions, and ultimately, motivate them to buy and drive cars themselves.
"With all the talk of cars driving themselves, we wanted to have a little fun this year and remind people how exhilarating driving can be. And, although our poster art shows a high-performance red sports car, any of today's new cars and trucks offer the fun of driving and the freedom of mobility," said John LaSorsa, the show's chairman.
The poster will be the key visual in the show's multimedia campaign. It will appear on billboards, print ads, TV, subways, and social and digital media ads. The poster shows a red car on what looks like a street in New York. According to the show, the poster exemplifies the freedom (represented by the car) and New York (the street).
Return Of The SUVs
Once more, hulking, gas-guzzling SUVs (sports utility vehicles) will roll out in style in this year's show. After years of moving toward "green" vehicles, the show will once more feature gas-thirsty SUVs. The pack is led by the luxury SUV Ford Lincoln Navigator, the first of its fourth-generation line. Other notable brands that will come out this year are Range Rover (Land Rover), Buick Enclave (General Motors), and Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (Jeep).
The return of the SUVs is in response to consumers's want for new SUVs, after prices of oil dropped.
"The country has gone SUV crazy," said Ian Beavis, chief strategy officer for auto industry consulting firm AMCI. "You've gone from the sublime to the ridiculous."
The Sedans And Concept Cars Are Back
Korean company Hyundai will unveil a refresh of its popular midsize Sonata, while Buick is pegged to reveal two variants of its Regal sedan: a fastback and a wagon. Other exhibitors include Acura, Honda, and Mercedes Benz, which will unveil a concept sedan.
The show also unveiled a list of concept cars that will wow all the goers in this year's event. Some of these are: Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ, a zero-emission, all-wheel drive Microbus; Infiniti QX50, a "cabin-forward" next-gen crossover; and Jaguar I-PACE, an all-electric five-seat sports car expected to roll in 2018.
