For those of us bemoaning the general demise of our beloved auto shows, the 2025 New York Auto Show was strong evidence that our lamentations may have been premature. Seriously, this event had a strong pulse and plenty of exciting vehicle reveals, with both electric and traditional internal-combustion powertrains, and we had our team on the ground to bring you the latest news and photos from the show floor.
New York International Auto Show
- Location
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Jacob Javits Convention Center
- Address
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11th Ave. Between 34th and 40th Streets
Some of the vehicles revealed in New York made a bigger splash than others, either with gorgeous styling, innovative features, or targeting a compelling slice of the market, and no two tastes are the same. With that in mind, we polled our staff in order to pick our best-in-show. It was a close contest, but one vehicle pulled ahead to be named TopSpeed’s favorite vehicle of the 2025 New York Auto Show.
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2025 New York International Auto Show – Big Debut Gallery
Celebrating its 125th anniversary, the 2025 New York Auto Show featured over 1,000 new vehicles, including world and North American debuts.
The Winner: 2026 Hyundai Palisade
Hyundai updated its family-friendly three-row crossover, and pulled the covers off at the New York Auto Show. The 2026 Hyundai Palisade builds upon its winning formula with updated styling, tech upgrades, new powertrains (plural), and a burlier, off-road-oriented XRT PRO trim. It’s packed full of useful technology that will benefit the driver and passengers alike, and only make the Palisade that much more appetizing to the crowd looking for a crossover that does all the things a minivan can do without the sacrifice in style.
“The Hyundai Palisade has been an absolute tour de force in the midsize crossover SUV segment, and the second-generation model looks to crank up its already unbeatable and value-packed winning formula a few notches,” said TopSpeed Journalist Chris Chin. “From its more rugged exterior design and more upscale vibes inside and out, the addition of a highly desired gas-electric powertrain, and even the retention of six-cylinder power. Quite simply, we can’t wait to get behind the wheel.”
Second Place: Genesis X Gran Equator Concept
Along with its splashy foray into racing with the GMR-001 hypercar, Genesis catered to the luxury off-roading crowd with its ruggedly handsome X Gran Equator concept SUV. Poised to take on the likes of Land Rover, and maybe even Mercedes’ G Class, the Genesis X Gran Equator represents just one of the many directions the brand is exploring with its product line, and it came in as a very close second to the Hyundai Palisade for our favorite car of the show.
“Genesis flexed on all other automakers at NYIAS this year, showing off everything it does best at with the Gran Equator,” said TopSpeed Contributor Seyth Miersma. “A wheel/tire package that got lost on its way to SEMA? Check! Interior materials suitable for a billionaire’s cigar room? Check! Dash-to-axle porn that leaves car nerds like us in a romantic state of mind? Check!”
Third Place: 2026 Subaru Trailseeker
For 2026, Subaru gave its Solterra a welcome update, but its New York debut was overshadowed by the reveal of the brand’s second EV, the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker. Looking more like an adventure-ready station wagon than an actual SUV, and featuring standard all-wheel drive and a variety of go-anywhere drive modes, the Trailseeker seems aimed right at the heart of the loyal Subaru crowd who have been waiting for an electric offering with its own unique personality. It’s surprisingly quick, too, with Subaru claiming a 0-60 time of just 4.4 seconds. Pretty compelling.
“Subaru needed the Trailseeker to feel more authentically its own, and to cohere with the overall direction you now see on the revised and slimmed-down, more muscular Outback,” said TopSpeed Journalist Michael Frank. “First read of the Trailseeker is now ‘Subaru,’ and that’s important. Carmakers have finally stepped away from thinking (a la early Prius) that EVs need to scream their powertrain message to the world. Phew! It was about time.”
Honorable Mentions
In addition to the winners and runners-up, there were a couple other cars that garnered a respectable amount of points — and attention — from the TopSpeed staff.
2026 Kia EV4
Making its U.S. debut at the New York Auto Show, the 2026 Kia EV4 comes to the states in sedan form. It promises to be a truly affordable EV, while still offering the heaps of available comfort, convenience, and useful tech content that has helped cement Kia‘s reputation as a high-value brand. Available with all- or front-wheel drive (as opposed to other Kia EV offerings that offer rear-wheel drive in their single-motor layouts), its smaller battery means less cost, but less range, at a modest 235 miles.
Still, we’re glad to see Kia serving an underrepresented segment of EVs, complete with tech that customers have come to expect and a price tag they’ll be able to stomach.
2026 Kia K4 Hatchback
For those who prefer an internal combustion engine and a fifth door, the Korean brand also brought the 2026 Kia K4 hatchback to the New York Auto Show. With considerably more cargo space than the sedan — it’s good for a total of 59.3 cubic feet of volume with the seats down — it’s also a shorter vehicle, which should translate to better maneuverability. With up to 190 horsepower, the K4 is no hot hatch, but it should still satisfy those with sporting intentions, with GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo trims offering sportier suspension tuning.
The K4 hatchback should also prove a frugal choice. While pricing will be announced closer to the car’s launch later this year, its sedan sibling costs $21,995 MSRP for the LX trim. It should make for good competition with the likes of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
