#LAAutoShow

The latest episode of the TTAC podcast is here!

Auto shows aren't all a grind of bad food, bad lighting, and too much coffee. Sometimes, one gets to have a little fun.

I often, though not always, write a quick recap of each auto show I attend. I try to see if there's a theme or pattern to what was shown, or at least talk about the vibe. The 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show defies easy characterization, however.

Kia’s had a great run the past few years. The Telluride was a hit when it landed, and the new EV6 is selling out all over the place, and the automaker has established itself as a forward-looking company that has outgrown its budget-friendly beginnings. Kia took the opportunity to unveil a revised Seltos crossover and brag about its recent accomplishments at this year’s LA Auto Show.

Hyundai has had a busy week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The automaker unveiled the N Vision 74 Concept that it previously teased, and it pulled back the curtain on the new Ioniq 6, a sleek electric sedan with a stunning interior.

The 2024 Subaru Impreza debuted in L.A., and after wandering over to the brand's floor stand -- and nearly getting sick due to the psychedelic floors -- I gotta say, Subie's little inexpensive hatch looks good up close.

The on-paper specs look pretty good, too.

Hello from sunny Southern California. You may notice a later-than-usual posting schedule today and tomorrow as we work our way through the LA Auto Show -- we're sorta working on West Coast time.

Which brings me to the QOTD -- what debut from this show has you perking up?

Despite being chided for reliability issues of late, Hyundai Motor Group has been launching some of the most interesting designs the industry has had to offer – with the Genesis brand unveiling some of the most tasteful and novel concepts we’ve seen in years. Chalk up another one with the X Convertible Concept that was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week.

LOS ANGELES – Lost in all the Prius hoopla is the Toyota bZ SUV concept.

The brand chose the show as a prime (get it?) opportunity to show a batter-electric SUV that could, and almost certainly does, preview a future vehicle for its lineup. Building off the bZ4X EV, this concept also showcases the use of “green” materials. The seats are made from plant-based materials, for example, and recycled materials are also used.

LOS ANGELES – Like a lot of automotive enthusiasts, I’ve always been a little derisive towards Toyota’s Prius, mostly because the car has always been a bit lacking in guts. In fact, a running joke I have with a few other automotive journalists I know involves uttering the words “it’s always a f*cking Prius” when we come upon slower traffic during press drives. That’s because it often actually is a Prius holding up the works. I’ve dropped this line on many a California freeway, from Sacramento on down to San Diego. And, of course, I’ve said plenty of times bopping around my home base of Chicago.

The Toyota Prius may have kickstarted the hybrid revolution, but its star has faded over the years as newer, more efficient hybrids have hit the market with less polarizing style. That’s about to change, though, as Toyota just released teasers for a new model that looks an awful lot like a new Prius. The Prius entered its fourth generation back in 2016, so it was time for an overhaul. Toyota's teaser of the new fifth-generation car appears to show an evolutionary update rather than a radical redesign. 

The 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show media is about two weeks away. For the most part, there hasn't been a lot of news leaking about planned debuts, though we know Ram has plans for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, instead. That said, Subaru has dropped a teaser of the next Impreza.

Your humble author is about to put Los Angeles in the rearview mirror, but before I do, I wanted to leave you with one last news nugget.

It involves … Barbie.

We’ve already covered the Subaru Solterra EV, so I don’t have much to add.

Instead, you can enjoy two poorly-lit pics from the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Fisker seems to have many lives, and the small brand led off the L.A. Auto Show’s main media day with the debut of its Ocean SUV.