Trucks were the big story at the Chicago Auto Show last week, with heavy-duty trucks, light-duty trucks, and a whole host of other trucks in between dominating much of the show. That doesn’t mean, new trucks were all we got, as the show debuted a good load of notable smaller vehicles, too. Here, we look at our favorites.
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 HD
Arguably the best debut of the show, the 2020 Silverado HD gets an imposing look that really sets it apart from the light-duty variants, all while getting a big boost in capabilities. Chief among those talents is the maximum towing capacity of 35,500 pounds, ensuring you can hitch, pretty much, any cargo on this thing without worrying about how it’s going to perform. At the low end of the range is a gas-fed V8, although if you’re treating this like a workhorse, you’ll probably want to opt for the diesel model, as Chevy points out that only diesel variants of the truck will be able to tow 30,000 pounds and up. At the top end, the engine can produce 910 pound-feet of torque, all of which the 10-speed Allision automatic transmission can deliver to the pavement right at first gear.
Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition
This one’s for longtime fans of the Land Cruiser badge – a limited-edition model with some really nice cosmetic updates. Available in two new colors (Midnight Black and Blizzard Pearl) designed to complement the black-trimmed grille and lightly-bronzed forged aluminum wheels, the vehicle gets an overlanding focus, with Toyota removing the running boards and lower body side moldings, while adding darkened headlight housing, fog lights with dark chrome surrounds, and dark chrome details on the side mirrors. It also gets the vintage-style Land Cruiser exterior badge to give it that classic feel. Only 1200 units of the Heritage Edition will be made, so you might want to put a call in if you intend on scoring one.
2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty
Not to be outdone, Ford’s heavy-duty F-Series line shows off some mild exterior tweaks, such as a new grille, deleted chrome bars, and a revised tailgate finish, along with some heavy mechanical changes under the hood. Available engines include a 6.3-liter gasoline-powered V8, a brand new 7.3-liter gas V8 (a pushrod design with port injection, an iron block and a forged crank), and an updated 6.7-liter turbocharged diesel V8 (which gets a new variable-geometry turbo, revised injectors for quieter operation, and reinforced strength across multiple parts), all mated to a brand new Torqshift 10-speed automatic transmission. Oh yeah, it also gets Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist, so you can steer the truck and the trailer in reverse using a knob on the dash.
2020 Nissan Rogue Sport
Nissan’s subcompact SUV gets a few welcome updates for the 2020 model, including a new hood, wider headlights, and a more aggressively-styled V-motion grille out front, as well as new taillights in the rear. The standard feature set also gets expanded, as the vehicle now gets blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high beams for every trim, which should make this an even more fun all-around commuter.
2020 Cadillac XT6
Bigger, roomier, and equipped with plenty of legroom and headroom on all three rows, the new XT6 should make for a really comfortable vehicle for moving groups of people. Even better, access to the third row is particularly convenient, courtesy of the tall roof, tall door opening, and the foldable (and moveable) seat on the second row (which, by the way, can be folded and moved by just one hand). While the space inside is luxurious, the actual car isn’t, whether on the exterior or the interior, which is quite disappointing for a vehicle with the Cadillac badge. Still, if you’re frequently on the road with a big group of family or friends, comfort will be a priority and this delivers that in spades.
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition
Yep, the Miata is now 30 years old and, to celebrate it, Mazda is producing this limited edition model, which comes in both soft top and retractable hard top variants. Covered in a bright orange hue, the model gets a lot of upgrades from the standard model, including Rays wheels, Recaro seats, Brembo front brake calipers (in a matching orange color), and Bilstein dampers, alongside smart tech elements such as rain-sensing windshield wipers, automatic high-beam headlights, and automatic air-conditioning. Only 3,000 examples of the 30th Anniversary Edition will be made, with only 500 going to the US. And yes, they’re all spoken for now.
2020 Subaru Legacy
Yes, the new Subaru Legacy looks like a minor refinement of the outgoing model. It looks, pretty much, the same, albeit with narrower headlights and taillights, along with a few other minor aesthetic enhancements. Under the similar-looking body panels, it’s an all-new car, having been built on an entirely new platform that, the automaker claims, is quieter, stiffer, and handles a whole lot better. Aside from having an entirely new architecture, the interior also gets some nice updates, with nicer material, more premium detailing, and a really, really nice 11.6-inch touchscreen display, which is running a software that allows you to customize the screen layout to your exact liking.