Organizers are promising that the 2023 North American International Detroit Auto Show will feature more brand participation and vehicle reveals than last year, although it’s unclear which companies plan to return to the mid-September event.
The Detroit Auto Dealers Association, which runs the show, said the 2023 version will include a new indoor track for electric vehicles, more outdoor ride-and-drives and a new mobility forum featuring executives and politicians such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. They vowed “multiple vehicle debuts” and “double” the brands that participated last year, which was the first Detroit show to attempt an indoor-outdoor format.
Brand representatives for VW, Audi, Mazda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo, Subaru, Lexus, Polestar and Lucid told Automotive News they would not have a stand at this year’s show, while Honda has previously said it would delegate future show duties to local dealers. The loss of Subaru is notable, as it was among the few non-Detroit automakers to attend last year.
The dealers association said last week that hometown companies General Motors, Stellantis and Ford Motor Co. will participate with their full brand portfolios, which each of the automakers confirmed. A Stellantis spokesperson said the automaker will hold two press conferences, while GM and Ford did not specify.
A Toyota brand spokesperson also confirmed it would have a presence at the show, as it did last year, but does not plan a press conference.
The media preview will take place Sept. 13-14, with the annual charity preview happening Sept. 15. The show will be open to the public Sept. 16-24.
“This year’s show represents the next step in its evolution and in the evolution of the industry itself,” auto show Chairman Thad Szott said in a statement. “Automotive technology is changing so rapidly; how do we make people comfortable with it? We’re planning for a show that not only embraces and educates about this new technology but offers an immersion into it. And with twice the number of brands participating, there’ll be no shortage of engaging with it.”
A spokesperson for the show last week declined to specify which brands will be there but noted participation will come from the “corporate, regional and dealer level.”
Szott told The Detroit News last week that the Detroit dealers association expected to win back some automakers that sat out last year but did not provide details.
According to last year’s show floor map, automakers paid for 14 displays inside Detroit’s Huntington Place convention center. A number of other brands, including Volkswagen, Porsche, Honda, Kia and Mazda, did not directly participate but were represented through dealer-sponsored displays.
Ford, Jeep and Ram will bring back tracks for vehicles such as the Bronco and Wrangler, which last year drew big interest during the public show.
The new indoor EV track, called the Powering Michigan EV Experience, will allow showgoers the chance to be transported by a professional driver through a serpentine track that includes a 300-foot acceleration lane. When they exit the vehicle, they’ll get an educational overview of the charging process.
In addition to automaker displays, this year’s show will include space for about 150 technology startups as part of the AutoMobili-D showcase, sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
The Detroit show last year, the first since January 2019, struggled to attract the same level of support it had received before the pandemic. Fewer than half the usual number of journalists were credentialed, and show organizers never publicly revealed public attendance figures, which were believed to be down.
Ford’s reveal of the seventh-generation Mustang was among the few highlights, although attendees got to experience new features such as outdoor displays, a 61-foot inflatable duck and a handful of “air mobility innovators.” President Joe Biden helped draw some attention with a visit during the media preview.
Richard Truett, Urvaksh Karkaria, Carly Schaffner, Lindsay VanHulle, Vince Bond Jr., Omari Gardner, Hans Greimel and Laurence Iliff contributed to this report.