2020 Toyota HighlanderDerek McNaughton / Driving The 2019 New York International Auto Show hasn’t been a record event in terms of bombastic reveals. There’s the Shanghai Motor Show happening at the same time; Genesis revealed its tiny, futuristic EV in NYC before the auto show for some reason; and BMW didn’t even bother attending at all this year. Well who needs BMW anyway?! Not only did our editors find plenty of new rides to nerd out on (and some to make fun of) down in the Big Apple, they also picked up on a handful of new vehicles that are, for one reason or another, considerably important in the grand scheme of things. Here are five of the most significant reveals from the 2019 NY Auto Show. VW forays into small-truck territory with the Tarok Concept The Tarok Concept is part SUV, part small truck and all gamble for Volkswagen. And as a concept, it’s a gamble they’ve yet to fully make, but we’re kind of hoping they do, because this functional unit with a reconfigurable cargo bed with more capacity than the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger or Jeep Gladiator, is bound to have its share of use cases. The powerplant is the same 147-hp turbo’d 1.4-litre 4-cylinder the Golf uses, and a solid rear axle is an unlikelihood at this point, but if you’re looking for a way to ease into a pickup truck, this segment-defying concept from VW could show you the way. The 2020 Toyota Highlander takes the high road with a full redesign Picking up on what the newly restyled RAV4 recently put down in terms of design language, the fully redone 2020 Toyota Highlander debuted in NYC looking fresh and ready to carry the next generation of North American middle class families wherever it is they need to go. The Highlander is riding on Toyota’s New Global Architecture Platform (TNGA-K), and contains a 295-horsepower V6 that’s paired to smooth 8-speed automatic. The new hybrid variant is more efficient than ever; 17 per cent more efficient than its predecessor, in fact, and it comes with the option for AWD or FWD. The 2020 Subaru Outback takes centre stage Subaru displayed its new 2020 Outback in a sort of terrarium it set up within the Javits Centre, showing off the car’s new style, new engines, and updated platform and tech. It may not be the main breadwinner, but the Outback epitomizes Subaru in many ways, and is an important vehicle for the brand in that sense. Power for the sixth-gen Outback comes from either the new direct-injected 2.5-litre Boxer four-cylinder, or a 2.4-litre turbo-four, the latter of which makes 260 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque. Other new tricks in the Subaru bag include its ability to send power to side-to-side with its new active torque-vectoring system; new modes for Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud; and Subaru’s DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System that searches driver facial cues for signs of fatigue. Mercedes brought a rare and noteworthy product: a hot sedan 2019 Mercedes-AMG A35 Derek McNaughton / Driving The 2019 Mercedes-AMG A35 is a sedan. Remember those? But its rarity as a four-door car is just the hook here. It’s also something of a limited edition, and pretty speedy too. Inspired by its 2.0-litre turbo-four making 302 horsepower and 29295 lb.-ft. at just 3,000 rpm, the AMG A35 will do 0 to 100 in 4.8 seconds with Race Start launch activated, which is a tenth of a second quicker than the hatchback variant for some reason. Coming early 2020, but there’s no price yet, so maybe wait to place your order. Nissan honours the 240Z with the 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition Fifty years ago the Datsun 240Z debuted in New York. This year Nissan is celebrating the anniversary with a limited edition coupe featuring retro racing stripes a la BRE (Brock Racing Enterprises), a 332-horsepower 3.7-litre V6 engine, a 6-speed manual or 7-speed auto, and a bunch of unique badging and suede-trimmed details. We’re the Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition a bonafide future collectible right off the bat, especially with only 50 destined to arrive in Canada.    And finally, here is our take on the best and worst of the New York Auto Show from our Editors:
Origin: News Roundup Auto Show Edition: The most popular reveals from New York