Chicago Auto Show presenters were busy this past week unveiling special editions of seemingly every model sold today. That may be a stretch, but not by much. Instead of future model announcements and major flashbangs of news, manufacturers loaded up heavy on fresh trims and equipment concepts at every turn. This is a quick roundup of everything from the event, just in case you missed our coverage.
Luckily, we did see automakers have a little fun with their products at Chicago this year. Several manufacturers including VW and Toyota announced their newest adventuresome editions to their crossover and SUV lineups, making sure you’ve got all the capacity you need for a day of exploring. The VW Atlas Weekend Concept featured a host of accessory upgrades to the model’s top-of-the-line trim package by adding tough materials and luggage racks to hold up to your demands. The Toyota RAV4 Adventure maintained a similar theme with a go-anywhere attitude, providing owners some extra off-road bits that’ll surely come in handy. Raised suspension, fender flares, and armored body panels give you the confidence you need for some light wheeling.
Autonomy was a hot topic at Chicago as well. Kia made their presence known by revealing three unique concepts displaying the often-overlooked advantage of self-driving cars. The Sorento Ski Gondola features monster snow-tracks to chauffeur you up and down the slopes while the School of Rock Sedona maintains plenty of utility for an active family of instrumentalists. Lastly, the Niro Triathlon is a fitness junkie’s wet dream featuring plenty of room for your equipment as well as a lounge area to recoop from a hard workout. While we view autonomy as a way to get us through the mundane parts of driving, Kia showed us these other ways to take advantage of the technology.
But most importantly, the Chicago Auto Show played host to the reveal of TONS of special trims. Ram kicked things off with their Copper Sport Edition 1500 and HD Night trims, giving a load of appearance tweaks to the pickups. Infiniti then followed with their Signature Edition models, creating a middle ground for the QX80 and Q50 in terms of luxury and convenience. Lastly, Nissan introduced the Midnight Edition to six new models, including the Pathfiner, Murano, Rogue, Altima, and Sentra, hoping to carry on the success of the SR Maxima from 2016.
Collectively, these subtle changes made the real story for Chicago in 2017. With the Toronto Auto Show popping up this week, it’ll be interesting to see what automakers have left on the table for release. Make sure to check back with us to catch up on the freshest news from the event.