From tires screeching on test tracks to serene booths boasting naturescapes, brand experiences at the 2023 New York International Auto Show ran the gamut. Held this year April 7-16 at New York City’s Javits Center, the 123-year-old event was rife with interactive activities, ride-and-drives, experience design inspiration, sustainable builds and inclusive programming. And EM was along for the ride. Now, settle in and buckle up as we take you through our favorite activations from this year’s show. (For more scenes from the event, check out our video recap.)
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Chevy’s mega-booth centered on its EV lineup and included plenty of tech-forward moments, including an augmented reality experience that offered a look at the Silverado’s defining features and a “star in your own comic book adventure” video op that attendees lined up to participate in. Bonus points for giving us a place to rest our backs and charge our phones.
Ford’s Unbridled Ride Experience also had a consistent line, with attendees eager to cruise in the Mustang Mach-E on the Ford EV track—and let us tell you, it wasn’t for the faint of heart. There were also areas dedicated to two of the brand’s most iconic vehicles, the Bronco and the Mustang, with loads of swag on display and available for purchase. There was also an avatar-led trivia game on massive screens, a forest-inspired installation of a bear surrounded by tree stumps, a green screen photo op and an abundance of Ford’s signature blue hue.
Color us surprised. Many New York International Auto Show brands offered special access or experiences for owners, but Genesis spread the love to everyone. Along with bold vehicle displays, the company offered a relaxing lounge, a coffee bar that dished out complimentary cups of joe and a photo op.
Hyundai leaned into its sustainability initiatives with the Hyundai House, a tiny home that showcased the brand’s home energy ecosystem, including solar panels, a home EV charger and an energy storage system. In addition, the Hyundai EV Test Track gave attendees a chance to ride in the IONIQ for the very first time, while the IONIQ 5 Disney100 Platinum Concept car was revealed at the show and brought to life through large screens, lighting effects and the sound of classic Disney tunes.
Camp Jeep is an NYIAS staple, and this year was no exception. Since the debut of the program at the show in 2004, more than 1.5 million people have participated in the interactive off-road experience in the U.S. This time around, the electric Wrangler was the star of the show. Attendees signed up in droves to ride up a 40-degree gradient, 28-foot-tall “mountain,” over a 30-degree banked wedge obstacle course and up and down an actual cement staircase (we may have screamed). The definition of a thrill ride.
Meanwhile, indoors, Jeep took up plenty of real estate with shiny car displays supported by a massive curved screen and an installation of a Wrangler off-roading in the wilderness. (Agency: George P. Johnson)
Kia’s larger-than-life booth, and its rows of vehicles, couldn’t be missed. The screens wrapping the entire length of the footprint immersed attendees in nature scenes and brand messaging, while a separate screen simulated motion behind an EV9 concept car display. There was also a KIA EV6 Nürburgring Driving Simulator featuring three large screens that proved popular among attendees. Another popular draw: a free duffel bag for those willing to share some information, like their email address and favorite Kia model.
Botanicals and light wood peppered Lexus’s sleek booth experience, which included a special gift for owners, and multiple interactive screens that allowed attendees to play around with the interior and exterior features offered in various Lexus vehicles. What’s more, a 98-inch screen gave visitors the opportunity to create a unique artificial intelligence-powered image using AI prompts to produce a photorealistic or artistic image.
Nissan occupied two different areas: one on the main show floor and one just inside the entrance to the show. On the floor, Nissan’s booth emulated a garage with screens and sound effects. Attendees were invited to complete four out of five tasks within the booth or on the ride-and-drive track to score a prize from a vending machine. There were also intermittent trivia games hosted by lively ambassadors that attendees could participate in on their smartphones by scanning a QR code for a chance to win a Meta Quest 2 VR headset.
Then, in the Javits Center’s “Crystal Palace” area, Nissan touted the ARIYA e-4ORCE with a floral-drenched booth featuring the physical vehicle and a screen behind it that showed blossoming flowers falling from the trees “above” at regular intervals. (Agency: George P. Johnson)
Perhaps our favorite booth at the show, Subaru returned with its national park-inspired footprint that included the sound of birds chirping, rock formations, an assortment of real plants that were donated after the event, warm lighting effects and wooden wayfinding posts. A showstopping stage presentation for the 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness included an extended reality-like, projection-mapped waterfall scene that spread across a gargantuan screen and onto the floor (the sounds of crashing water included), followed by an equally impressive mountaintop landscape. A second floor enabled attendees to get a better view of the footprint, and a cabin for “park staff only” contributed to the booth theme. A digital welcome center that eliminated the need for printed materials was also part of the mix.
The attendee-favorite Subaru Loves Pets pet adoption program also returned to the auto show and visitors lined up to meet local shelter puppies and apply to give them a forever home. As the largest corporate sponsor of the ASPCA, Subaru has donated more than $30 million to the organization and impacted the lives of more than 250,000 pets nationwide, including those with special needs. We’re not crying, you’re crying.
On the new outdoor EV track, Toyota’s Thrill Ride experience allowed attendees to cruise in the latest Toyota models with teams of professional drivers and trained product specialists. But the show floor was where the brand really shined with the Toyota Sports Festival, hosted in partnership with its US Olympic and Paralympic sport partners. It was a distinctly accessible environment that featured free adaptive sports activities, like wheelchair basketball, hand cycling, sled hockey and skateboarding. In addition, Team Toyota and Team USA Wheelchair basketball gold medalist Steve Serio presented grants for adaptive sports equipment and training expenses during the event, and hosted a basketball wheelchair game scrimmage for visitors to watch.
VW aimed to demonstrate the auto world’s “electrified future” with in-vehicle experiences, a showcase of the quirky ID.4, a Redwood Battery Recycling installation to mark VW’s new partnership with the organization and brand-based trivia games. The biggest draw? An RC car remote driving challenge featuring the ID.4 and the Golf GTI. (Agency: George P. Johnson)
