Blog Posts
What We Saw on Day 1 at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show
There's definitely a different feel on the floor of 2019 North American international Auto Show in Detroit. With big German automakers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi absent (Volkswagen is here), the media crowds are down and there's not as much flash and sizzle. Still, there's plenty of news here from manufacturers like Kia (showing off the new 2020 Telluride) and Toyota (Remember the Supra? It's returning for the 2020 model year.). Unfortunately, neither brand had any pickup truck news.
Most of pickup news this year comes from Ram. Here's a quick rundown of what we saw on Day One of the auto show.
2019 Ram 1500 Wins Another Award
Always the first press conference of the show — although we can't imagine that will continue when the show moves to the summertime — the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards were announced, and the 2019 Ram 1500 took home the truck award. NACTOY awards are determined by a group of 54 U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists. During the presentation we heard another journalist say, "Good lord. It's just like I'm back in high school where everyone thinks so-and-so is the prettiest, smartest and nicest person in school — and I just think she's OK." We think the new Ram 1500 is more than OK; in fact, it's a contender for the Cars.com Best Pickup Truck of 2019 award that will be announced Jan. 31. And there certainly seems to be many folks (especially ones who give awards) who like what Ram cooked up with the new half ton.
Classic Pickups Drive Across Country
One of the coolest displays at the show is a group of classic trucks that were driven to Cobo Center in downtown Detroit from Houston as part of The Drive Home road rally. The 10-day journey across the Midwest traversed Detroit's iconic Woodward Avenue before the classic Ford, Chevrolet and International pickups were parked in Cobo for the show.
Biggest Press Conference of the Show
When you have the biggest torque numbers in the industry, you certainly have a reason to crow, and that's exactly what Reid Bigland, head of Ram Brand, did as he delivered all the pertinent details about the new, improved 2019 Ram 2500, Ram 2500 Power Wagon and Ram 3500 to a packed house. Additionally, Bigland introduced a new 2019 Ram 2500 Laramie Black special edition with a stunning paint color. This was Bigland's first big announcement as head of Ram following his return to the brand after several years with the more exotic cars on parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' roster.
Jeep Gladiator Still Draws Crowds
During our several loops around the convention hall, we were surprised by the constant crowds checking out all the versions of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The lifestyle/adventure pickup has captured the imagination of many journalists, and we'll assume by extension, consumers as well. If you visit the Detroit auto show, be sure to stop by the Mopar section of the FCA booth, where a fully dressed and accessorized Gladiator is on display. We were quite impressed that the under-bed spare tire carrier was large enough to hold a 35-inch tire (only doable with at least a 2-inch lift).
We'll have a few more observations following Day Two.
