The 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, only the second major U.S. auto show to take place since the pandemic began, was again a showcase of electrification, new concepts and bold styling. And some automakers, notably Porsche, are still having fun with a combustion engine under the hood. Here are some highlights.
Though Kia’s first vehicle on a dedicated EV platform, the EV6, isn’t scheduled to arrive in U.S. dealerships until early 2022, the automaker is already hinting at its next electric crossover with the Concept EV9. Kia calls it “the clearest signal yet” of what might be its next EV, a three-row crossover. The Concept EV9 shares the Hyundai Seven concept’s E-GMP architecture.
— Laurence Iliff
Hyundai’s Seven concept previews styling elements and features the brand could bring to a three-row electric crossover, the Ioniq 7, in 2024. It features a loungelike interior, ultrafast charging and targeted range of over 300 miles. Hyundai stressed the design flexibility that its dedicated E-GMP electric vehicle architecture offers.
The Ioniq 7 will be the third Ioniq subbrand EV after the Ioniq 5 compact crossover launching late this year and the Ioniq 6 midsize sedan due in 2023.
— Laurence Iliff
An intriguing — and California-appropriate — element of the Fisker Ocean is the giant touch screen that rotates into “Hollywood mode.”
It features a 17.1-inch vertically oriented screen to handle numerous functions. But when the crossover is in park, say killing time during a charge, a click of a button rotates the screen horizontally so passengers can watch a movie or show, maximizing the screen space.
Production is set to begin in a year, with prices from $37,499 to $68,999, before tax credits and shipping fees.
— Jamie Butters
Four-year-old Vietnamese automaker VinFast made its global debut as an EV brand, showing the VF e35, right, and VF e36 crossover concepts. VinFast said it plans to open its first U.S. showrooms in 2022 and begin taking preorders from American customers in the first half of next year. Its retail strategy will bypass franchised dealers. VinFast US CEO Nguyen Van Anh told CNN Business: “We want to control the customer journey from A to Z.”
— Marcus Amick
Porsche, appealing to track-obsessed fans, is dialing up raw performance in the 718 Cayman with the GT4 RS. It packs the 911 GT3’s naturally aspirated engine and produces 493 hp, up 79 hp over the 718 Cayman GT4.
— Urvaksh Karkaria
Delivering more dynamic handling to Porsche’s top-selling car, especially in corners, are the Taycan GTS sedan and Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, left. They feature the same powertrain, producing 590 hp, slotting the GTS models in between the Taycan 4S (462 hp) and Taycan Turbo (670 hp).
— Urvaksh Karkaria