Top Takeaways from the 2019 Boston Auto Show

Another New England International Auto Show is in the books. Every January, manufacturers and local dealers bring their latest models to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for five full days of automotive enjoyment. It's a great opportunity for casual and dedicated car enthusiasts to walk around and touch the cars and trucks of their dreams. People in the market for a new car will appreciate the chance to browse specifications without a nosy salesperson breathing down their neck. Today I am going to run through some of the highlights from the 2019 show.

Running in the 90s

There were times while I was walking around the show floor that I thought I had travelled back in time to my early childhood. Long retired nameplates have been given new life as consumers continue to flock towards SUVs and automakers scramble to fill every available niche in their lineups. Playing off of nostalgia is always a useful sales tactic, and it seems automakers are counting on millennials looking for a new car to remember some of the names from their youth. Take the all new 2019 Honda Passport, the return of a name last seen on a rebadged Izuzu Rodeo some 16 years ago. The partnership with Izuzu was an inexpensive way for Honda to enter the growing SUV market back in 1993. A couple years later Honda developed the car-based CR-V as a companion to the larger and truckier Passport. By 2003, the partnership with Izuzu ended and the Passport was replaced by Honda's homegrown Pilot three-row SUV. This new Passport is a shortened version of the current generation Pilot with only two rows of seating and a decidedly more rugged personality than either the Pilot or the CR-V. Objectively, it fills a niche for those who desire more space and capability than a CR-V can provide in a tidier package than the larger Pilot.

Then there's the new Chevrolet Blazer making its Boston Auto Show debut. The 2019 Blazer fills the same role in Chevrolet's lineup as the Passport does for Honda's. Like the Passport, the Blazer is a two-row midsize crossover intended to split the difference between the compact Equinox and the three-row Traverse. But whereas the Passport carves an identity as the off roader of Honda's lineup, the Blazer wants you to see it as the sports car among Chevy's vast range of SUVs. Styling inside and out of the Blazer draws heavy inspiration from the Camaro, and a top level RS trim adds stiffer damping, a quicker steering ratio, and a torque vectoring rear differential. Old school aficionados who fondly remember the K5 or the S-10 Blazers of years past may scoff at this latest iteration, but those looking for a practical and stylish sporty crossover will likely find a lot to love.    

Here Come the Koreans

Can you believe how far the Koreans have come? Last year Kia unleashed the Stinger which promptly shook up the performance sedan segment with its combination of high power, spacious and practical interior, muscular styling, and affordable price. Then came the Hyundai Veloster N, a high performance version of the quirky three door hatchback. A turbocharged 2.0 liter packing 275 hp puts the Veloster N squarely between hot hatches such as the Volkswagen GTI and total maniacs like the Honda Civic Type R. 

Now we have the Genesis G70, the first true sports sedan from Hyundai's still young luxury brand. The G70 uses the same platform as the Stinger and is powered by either a 252 hp 2.0 liter turbo or a 365 hp turbocharged V6. The exterior is handsome. The interior looks and feels like a premium environment, and it undercuts it rivals by several thousands of dollars. Car and Driver selected the G70 to its prestigious 10 Best list and Motor Trend crowned it Car of the Year last month. For first efforts in their respective segments, all three of these cars are the real deal and should definitely be on your list if you are in the market for a sporty new ride.   

I was a German Luxury Car Drop-Out

Auto shows worldwide are on the decline. There's no denying that. Manufacturers are increasingly looking toward viral marketing moments to drive interest in new reveals. Its one of the reasons that I no longer have much desire to attend the Detroit Auto Show. The spectacle that used to grace international car shows is gone. Be that as it may, I can't come up with any excuse why local dealers can't pitch in and bring their cars to smaller affairs like the Boston Auto Show. Missing this year were several luxury automakers such as BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac, and Porsche. Mini and Mitsubishi were no shows as well. What this meant is that there was a lot of empty floor space that the organizers attempted to fill out with rest areas, concession booths and a few Winnebagos. I'm curious to know what the turnout for this year's show was, since being able to sit in and interact with these higher end cars has traditionally been one of the show's major selling points. On the bright side, attendees were able to sit inside an Acura NSX this year, so it had that going for it.  

McLaren Might

Supercar Speedway has always been a highlight of the Boston Auto Show. Each year brings a fresh batch of automotive exotica for kids and adults to take in. This year marked the New England debuts of the 2020 Bentley Continental GT, the 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and the 2019 Lamborghini Urus. However no one surprised the attendees more than McLaren which brought an entire lineup of cars to the show including a couple 720S models, a 600LT, one each of the 570 Spider and 570GT, a P1 and finally a beautifully detailed Senna. As the latest in McLaren's Ultimate Series of cars, the Senna is powered by a 789 hp version of the British automaker's 4.0 liter twin turbo V8. The Senna may be down 100 hp compared to the hybrid P1, but it's also lighter, which means that performance should be comparable. You're unlikely to ever see a Senna on the road, so getting to take a close look at it during this year's Boston Auto Show was an unforgettable treat.