9 Cool Things to See, Do, and Learn About at the 2023 Chicago Auto Show

Ram unveiled its battery-electric truck concept, the Ram 1500 Revolution Concept, at CES last month. The forward-thinking EV is at the Chicago Auto Show this week, along with a promise that we'll learn more details about the production version during a Ram commercial during this Sunday's Super Bowl. During a press preview for the truck, Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. confirmed the production truck will be called the Ram 1500 Rev and that it will start production next year.

Ram calls the Revolution a "proof of concept" truck and filled it with tons of creative EV solutions, like the ability to carry 18-foot-long ladders or lumber with the tailgate closed thanks to a mid-gate pass-through and a frunk.

It has a movie projector on the front, the ability to autonomously follow someone walking around a job site, and a 3D scanner above the bed that could collect data for CAD files on location. Whether any of these clever ideas make it to the production version is not yet known.

We do know Ram is going to make sure its first electric truck sets the tone for future EVs by making everything from charging to driving easier for drivers, Koval said. One example he pointed to was the automated charging robot concept that Ram showed off at CES alongside the truck.

"When you look at offering electrified solutions across an entire lineup, as we will, you need to adopt disruptive advanced tech without disrupting the lives or the livelihoods of those who count on us," Koval said. "On Sunday, when the world gets its first look at the Ram Rev, people will see more than our first electric truck. They will see our commitment to the future. The Ram Rev will be the epicenter for a lineup of BEVs across the entire Ram range."

The Hyundai Motor Group won two awards this week for their family friendliness. The 2023 Hyundai Palisade (pictured here) was named the Family Vehicle of the Year, and the 2023 Genesis GV60 was awarded the Luxury Family Vehicle of the Year title by the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).

The Palisade beat out an eclectic duo of other finalists: the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The other two finalists in the luxury category were the Lincoln Navigator and Genesis G90.

To celebrate 20 years of the Rubicon, Jeep brought three special editions of the 2023 Wrangler Rubicon to Chicago. There were two powertrain variants—a Rubicon 4xe and a Rubicon 392—and both can be seriously modified with a Level II uplift kit by American Expedition Vehicles, which uses with 37-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tires and plenty of ground clearance (14.2 inches) to offer over more than a yard of water fording and truly incredible uphill and downhill skill with a 50-degree approach angle, a 33-degree breakover angle, and a 43-degree departure angle.

All 20th Anniversary Wrangler Rubicons feature a new variant of Jeep's seven-slot grille, beadlock-capable wheels, a triple hoop grille guard and, of course, 20th Anniversary decals. The 392 even has a Mopar onboard air compressor on a Wrangler for the first time. Jeep will start building the Rubicon 20th Anniversary editions in Toledo this quarter, and deliveries will start by the middle of the year.

McCormick Place is a massive convention center, and with the auto show returning to cover two halls (during the pandemic, only one hall was needed), there is plenty of floor space available for indoor test tracks. Some brands, including Jeep, Hyundai, and Toyota, have their own tracks, and there is also 100,000 square feet of space set aside for customers to quickly get behind the wheel of EVs from multiple brands, including the Nissan Ariya and Cadillac Lyriq.

Called Chicago Drives Electric, the EV tracks' official EV charger sponsor is Autel Energy, and the charging stations Autel has set up next to its booth are actually used to charge the cars this year, Autel COO John Thomas told Autoweek. It's all part of making potential EV shoppers feel more prepared and excited about the technology.

Thomas said Autel keeps updating its list of FAQs that it gets from people at events like this, so they're better prepared to answer charging questions at the next show (Autel will be part of the New York Auto Show this year, for example). For Thomas, the best EV salespeople are the cars themselves.

"Once you get somebody's butt in the seat of an EV and they drive these, they're like, oh, wow, that's really amazing," he said. "It's quiet. It goes super fast. It's got massive torque. When I first got my Tesla, my wife looked at me, and she goes, 'Is this legal? This is like a roller coaster.' I'm like, ‘Isn't it fun?’"

Subaru revealed specs on the third-generation Crosstrek even before it hit the show floor, and the good news? EyeSight driver-assist technology is now standard across the line. Great from a safety standpoint, but it's only possible because of some sad news for shift-it-yourself fans: The manual transmission option is now gone. 😢

MORE ON THE 2024 SUBARU CROSSTREK

VW is showing off its refreshed pair of Tennessee-built big utes, the three-row Atlas and two-row Atlas Cross Sport. Both rides lose V6 power but see a four-banger with roughly the same output take its place as the sole power unit available.

MORE ON THE 2024 VW ATLAS & ATLAS CROSS SPORT

The three-row Highlander doesn't exactly reward riders in the wayback seats with a whole lotta room in which to stretch out. Neither the stuff crammed into its cargo. But the unveiled-at-Chicago Grand Highlander fixes both with the addition of cubic feet of volume. Exactly how many cubic feet and how Toyota engineers achieved it has yet to be divulged, but in any case, big families should rejoice.

MORE ON THE 2024 TOYOTA GRAND HIGHLANDER

Hyundai used the Chicago show to unveil plans for its new electric vehicle subscription service, dubbed Evolve+. Looking to how to incentivize EV adoption, the service allows subscribers to drive a Kona Electric or Ioniq 5 for 1000 miles per month (28 days) at a comparable cost to monthly financing or lease payments.

How the Korean automaker believes it will succeed with its subscription service where every automaker that came before failed, we have no idea, but that's not to say we're not eminently curious to see how it fares. Good luck, Hyundai!

MORE ON HYUNDAI'S EVOLVE+