The New York International Auto Show’s press preview is less than 24 hours away, and CarGurus will once again be in attendance, delivering updates and footage of the show’s most exciting and noteworthy debuts. As we prepare for two whirlwind days of coffee (courtesy of Volvo), jokes (courtesy of Dr. Z), and discarded laundry (courtesy of every automaker pulling sheets off their cars), here are the debuting models we’re excited to see.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Hot on the heels of the Giulia sedan, Alfa Romeo is preparing its Stelvio crossover for a New York debut. As FIAT Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne aims to sell 400,000 Alfas worldwide and 150,000 in the United States, the company will be looking to its new crossover to earn Alfa Romeo some much-needed popularity in the American market. With either a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder or the Quadrifoglio trim’s 2.9-liter twin turbo V6, the Stelvio is expected to pack plenty of power into an American-friendly design.
Audi RS3 & TT RS
Audi appears to be building on the sales success of its A3 sedan, which the company positioned as an entry point to the brand for younger buyers. The RS 3 is finally coming to the United States and is expected to play the same role for the company’s speedy RS lineup. With a 400-horsepower, 354-lb-ft 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine, the RS 3 should feature the same startling acceleration and distinct rhythm and sound as the TT RS—also slated to take a bow in New York.
Buick Regal Sportback & TourX
Whoever crafted Buick’s “That’s not a Buick” commercials from a few years ago must have been promoted to the product development team, because the new Buick Regal Sportback and TourX certainly don’t look like your grandma’s Century. While the Sportback carries a silhouette similar to the stylish Audi A7‘s (but at a fraction of the price), the TourX wagon appears to be modeled specifically after the Subaru Outback. We saw the Toyota Venza try (and fail) to bully the Outback—can a more luxurious Regal compete against Vermont’s favorite car?
Dodge SRT Demon
You’ve probably heard about this one. Not only have we covered it on the blog, but Dodge has released a few trailers (okay, it’s released 13 trailers) teasing the upcoming 2018 Challenger SRT Demon. Although we’ve seen Nitto street-legal drag-race tires, a powertrain control module (PCM) calibrated to run 100+-octane fuel, and a hood intake large enough to swallow a small dog, we still don’t know the Demon’s official horsepower rating. After stunning everyone with the Hellcat’s 707 horses in 2015, Dodge has set a high bar for the Demon.
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk
Speaking of 707 horsepower, Jeep is set to debut a new Grand Cherokee with the Hellcat’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8 tucked under the hood. Although it boasts few styling differences from the old SRT8 Grand Cherokee, the new Trackhawk should be capable of hitting 60 miles per hour in less than 4 seconds. With new Brembo brakes and a beefed-up suspension keeping things in check, you can consider the Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk the fastest way to move 5,500 pounds.
Mercedes-Benz GLC 63 AMG, 63 AMG Coupe & 63 S AMG Coupe
If the Jeep Trackhawk is a bit too brutish for your taste, Mercedes-Benz may be more interesting with three new trims for the GLC-Class. The GLC 63, 63 Coupe, and 63 S Coupe all employ a biturbo V8 engine making 469 horsepower, which gets upgraded to 503 hp in the S. Each feature Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, and considering how impressed Chris Wardlaw was with the GLC-Class’s polished look and feel, the upgraded trims should delight anyone looking for an upscale entry to the high-powered crossover market.
Subaru Crosstrek
It might not look drastically different, but the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek promises to best the outgoing generation in more ways than one. Built on the new Impreza’s global platform, the Crosstrek will be significantly stiffer and boast slightly more ground clearance, meaning interested shoppers can expect better cornering and improved off-road ability. Despite a 2.0-liter engine that leaves much to be desired in the power department, we’ve always appreciated the Crosstrek as a good-looking, capable, and properly sized subcompact crossover—particularly for city-dwellers with a passion for the great outdoors. Of course, the available manual transmission doesn’t hurt either.
Toyota Sienna & FT-4X Concept
Toyota is still selling “swagger” with the Sienna, but whether America’s best-selling minivan earned its status from fashion-forward styling or simply by being the only all-wheel-drive option is up to you to decide. Toyota will be showing off a further enhanced 2018 Sienna with a bigger (and lower) grille, but for folks looking to Toyota to blow their socks off, we suspect the main attraction will be the FT-4X concept. We don’t spend a lot of time covering concepts here at CarGurus, but when the company that brought us the Land Cruiser suggests a new off-roader may be in the works, we’re inclined to pay attention.
What cars at this year’s New York International Auto Show do you most want to see in person?
-Matt Smith
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