Full throttle: Chicago Auto Show cruises into McCormick Place
The Chicago Auto Show is in full throttle with a fleet of sleek sports cars, fuel-efficient hybrids, muscular trucks and re-imagined minivans for consumers to check out.
The show opens to the public Saturday and runs through Feb. 16 at McCormick Place.
Returning favorites include Camp Jeep, Bronco Mountain and an EV test track. New features are an indoor test track with Chevrolet, KIA and Volkswagen gas-powered and hybrid vehicles, and Chi-Town Alley —featuring Chicago-themed performance vehicles and custom-built cars,
At a media preview Friday, Toyota showcased its new RAV4, Stellantis touted the latest Jeep Cherokee and Kia celebrated a revamped hybrid Carnival minivan.
For muscle car aficionados, Greg Webb, a partner at Packey Webb Ford in Downers Grove, recommended checking out the stable of Mustangs and the Corvette ZR1. “It’s a monster,” he commented.
What’s ahead for the auto market in 2026? Industry experts predict new vehicle sales will hit 15.8 million compared to 16.2 million in 2025.
It’s also likely that electric vehicle momentum will slow following the retraction of federal incentives
“I think people are more interested in hybrids than electric vehicles,” Webb said.
It’s been a relatively slow January for sales, but consumers are still enamored with SUVs and trucks, he noted. “SUVs in general are still No. 1 (and) the F-150 is always going to sell.”
As for interest rates, “the incentives are back out there in full force. Some are as low as zero percent again,” Webb noted.
A survey of Daily Herald readers showed that affordability, good snow traction, and fuel efficiency were top priorities. And despite the market hiccup, many consumers are EV believers.
“I currently own a 2023 Chevy Bolt EV, and I can emphatically say that it is the best automobile I've ever bought and I've been buying cars since 1971,” John Pontikes of Des Plaines said.
“EVs are the future of the industry. By 2040, people will be wondering what could possibly have been the thought process in 2026.”
Bernard Sandner of Arlington Heights told the Herald, “I really want to see all of the electric vehicles” at the auto show. “My next car will be an EV because I'm 88, and I want my last car to have the latest technology.”
Show doors open at 10 a.m. every day. Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for kids ages 4 to 12 and fans 62 and older; children 3 and younger are free. To learn more, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com.