At the New York auto show, it wasn’t hard to grab the spotlight

So it was a big display for Hyundai — which also bought to rejoice its Ioniq 5 electric powered crossover profitable Environment Car or truck of the Calendar year — and to a lesser extent for sibling model Kia. Each showed off freshened versions of their hugely profitable massive crossovers: the Palisade and the Telluride.

It also seemed like a very good display for Stellantis, with its Jeep Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L prolonged variations, which seemed nicely timed with gasoline selling prices slipping from the thermosphere to the stratosphere. A dressed-up Chrysler Airflow Thought and a tiny information about the progress of the Ram EV extra to the pleasurable.

But if not, automakers’ engagement with the demonstrate was very restricted. Various manufacturers — most prominently the European luxurious marques — failed to even hassle to put up a stand.

Toyota experienced a big stand — it appeared like an acre of house — while it failed to maintain a push convention this calendar year. North The united states income main Bob Carter said it was just a purpose of the timing of new releases.

But then the subsequent week, Toyota unveiled the Lexus RZ electric powered crossover on the internet. And Lincoln, which also experienced a big and beautiful show at the Javits Center, unveiled its initially EV thought — an inspiration for the brand’s potential — at an function in Los Angeles. That idea had been planned for the Beijing display, which was not held very last 7 days for the reason that of a surge in COVID-19 instances.

(Apart No. 3: Absolutely sure, the U.S. is powering the curve on electrification, but Lincoln’s choice for Beijing above New York was a placing contrast to pre-pandemic periods when Matthew McConaughey aided show off the redesigned Navigator at the Huge Apple show. Although I see he is nevertheless connected to the brand — signing up for model main Pleasure Falotico on stage in L.A.)

Those slights to New York could be forgiven, most likely, as a products of the shifting calendar. But BMW unveiling its redesigned iconic 7 Collection online immediately after briefing media in New York (outside the house of the display) is a impressive condemnation of the current — and possibly the long run — of vehicle shows.

Initially, it may perhaps just be the current. Last month, Honda’s Jay Joseph instructed me that the enterprise failed to see significantly stage in applying car reveals to attract consumers into the procuring funnel when the company can’t generate ample automobiles to fulfill latest demand. Honda, like BMW, did not have a stand at the exhibit.

And the choices might have to do with the recent earlier: Following so several stops and starts off — specially for the New York clearly show — automakers with critical reveals could be understandably cautious of hanging their products rollout options on the city that has been a bellwether of the pandemic in The usa.

This 12 months, it felt a ton like a Chicago-level car present from the Prior to Periods. Some refreshes and new trim stages. Some smart walkarounds. And aside from Hyundai, not a good deal of star ability.

Is it the stop of the car clearly show as we know it? I hope not. And the close was not proved by this show, but it wasn’t disproved, both. If the pandemic carries on to recede and the upcoming year of reveals — from Detroit in September to New York following spring — will not get a lot more participation, they truly could come to be activities for dealers and shoppers only.

On-line reveals are plainly the wave of the current. If they are also the wave of the upcoming, we’re heading to want gatherings these kinds of as the Automobile Forum and our Automotive Information Congress more than at any time.