The 10 Best Cars at the 2025 New York Auto Show – Robb Report

Lucid’s second model, the Gravity SUV, may not be as svelte as its predecessor, the Air, but it’s still quite fetching. We were rather taken by a gleaming all-black example on display at the company’s booth. The slick people carrier came equipped with a roof rack holding a surfboard matching the SUV’s color scheme, highlighting how much more versatile the EV is than its city-centric sibling.

A big part of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz’s allure is its decidedly nostalgic styling. But as good as the EV may look, it can’t compete with the original van that inspired it. The German automaker brought a beautifully restored example of the first-generation Type 2 with it to New York this year, and it was easily the highlight of its display. The 21-window model from 1967 is done up in orange and cream, a delicious combo further highlighted by the vehicle’s sparkling chrome trim.

As nice as it to see the latest and greatest of what the automakers have to offer at a car convention, it’s also a thrill getting to see the more far-out concepts that will never make it to production. Just look at the Calty Land Cruiser ROX that was one of the stars of Toyota’s booth. The open-top bruiser, which debuted at last fall’s SEMA show, takes the J250 Land Cruiser—launched here in 2025—and turns everything up to 11. The rugged 4×4 may lack a fixed roof, but it does come with a ton of off-road goodies, a truck bed, and a giant set of chunky all-terrain tires. Now if only Toyota would see fit to actually build the thing.

What would the oldest auto show in the U.S. be without some American-made muscle. There were a few muscle cars on display at this year’s convention, but our favorite, by far, was the new Ford Mustang RTR. It may not be as hardcore as the GTD variant that caught our eye last year, but this special ‘Stang, which is a collaboration between the Detroit giant and the tuner RTR, is a machine specially designed for drifting. The variant, which has still only been viewed under a camo wrap, is expected to go on sale later this year.  

From the beginning, it’s been clear that the eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette is an attempt to bring the long-running nameplate more in line with its European peers. The latest model variant, the ZR1, now takes things even further. The aggressive speed machine, which can be seen in glossy black topped with blue racing stripes at this year’s convention, is basically a hypercar, thanks to a twin-turbocharged V-8 that pumps out 1,064 hp, easily making it the most powerful production ‘Vette of all time.

Kia may not be a name that usually excites American car buffs, but the Korean automaker was responsible for one of the coolest concepts we saw at this year’s exhibition. First glimpsed at SEMA last fall, the WKNDR is the marque’s attempt at designing the camper van of the future. The ultra-rugged take on the electric PV5 van comes armored in chunky cladding, has a pop-up tent built into its roof, and rides on a set of knobby all-terrain tires. As striking as it looks from the outside, its modular interior, which promises the ability to take the comforts of home on the road with you, might be even more impressive.

The Ford Bronco Stroppe Edition may be inspired by desert racers of the 1960s and ‘70s, but it looks good in any setting, including this year’s New York Auto Show. Photos don’t really do the 4×4’s livery justice, one comprising Atlas Blue, Oxford White, and Code Orange. As nice as it looked at the Javits Center, we wouldn’t mind seeing the commanding two-door with some dust and caked mud on it.

Not every car needs to be commanding or powerful. Just look at the Fiat Topolino, easily the smallest vehicle we saw at the convention. The pint-size European exclusive is an electric quadricycle inspired by the original Fiat 500 city car, and is as adorable as can be. Now if only the Stellantis-owned brand would bring it over to this side of the Atlantic.

The big story when it comes to the new Bentley Continental is the new hybrid V-8, which, in the Speed variants, makes 771 hp. But let it not be forgotten that the luxury grand tourer is a truly gorgeous vehicle. The marque brought a Racing Green example of the convertible—with blacked-out trim—to this year’s convention, and it was easily the best-looking car we saw.

The Genesis X Gran Equator is why car buffs still care about concepts, even though few of them ever actually go into production. It looks like something out of a sci-fi blockbuster, which is exactly what you want from a prototype. The Korean marque unveiled the futuristic off-roader the night before the start of this year’s convention, and there was never any doubt that it would be the car of the show.  Its interior is just as dazzling, mixing old and new like few other cars on the market today, and providing yet more evidence that Genesis knows luxury.