2022 Detroit Auto Show: Hits and Misses

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Detroit played host to the 2022 North American International Auto Show this week, inviting automakers, enthusiasts, and journalists from around the world to gather for a multi-day celebration of automobilia. 

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Stellantis had a healthy presence, with exciting vehicles like the Charger Daytona SRT Concept and the segment-pioneering Hornet and Hornet GLH; as did Ford, which had an indoor obstacle course showing how its EVs handle on the bumps and hills, or in a straight line, fast. Joe Biden even came!

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That is no doubt good for the event’s overall brand, which is still gathering steam after the pillaging it experienced during the multiple years of COVID-19 cancellations, but it was a source of great confusion and some annoyance to journalists who suddenly found themselves quarantined in a media room and adjacent hall with almost no notice.

Driving Experts Clayton Seams and Coleman Molnar were on the showroom floor (when they weren’t locked out by secret service agents) sussing out the hits and misses. Here are their takes for the 2022 Detroit Auto Show’s highs and lows.  

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Hit: Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept

Well, my favourite car on the planet is here – the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – but it’s neither news nor newsworthy, so it doesn’t really count. Of the cars that made their public debuts here, I’m in love with the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept. I don’t think an electric car has ever looked better. And in a world where every electric car is trying to be friendly and save the planet and just plant some trees, this is an electric car for the bad guys. 

We don’t know how fast it is. We don’t know how much power it makes. We don’t even know when and if Dodge is going to build it, and when it does build it, if it’s even going to look like that. But the styling and promise alone is enough for me to make it my hit of the Detroit Auto Show. 

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Miss: The Detroit auto show itself

Every high has a low. And while I would love to talk about how the Toyota Crown was a wacky-looking sedan, I actually don’t hate it. And it could be fun for me point out that some brands brought out some aging products here on the floor. Stellantis brought out a Fiat 500X. Remember those? 

But I really have to say that the lowlight of the Detroit show is the Detroit show itself. This is a show that’s been missing from the calendar since 2019, and you think they would come back with a bit of a bang, instead of a largely empty show floor. 

The Big Detroit Three have some reveals, but Ford’s isn’t even going to be at the show. It’s going to be off-site later, and Stellantis’, well, it’s a car it’s already showed us on the Internet. Chevrolet? It debuted cars we’ve already seen on the web, and in person only revealed an option package on the Tahoe. Not exactly the strongest showing for the Motor City’s auto show.

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I’d really like to see some more prominent debuts come back to the auto show, and maybe fewer Presidential visits. And that’s why the show itself is the low of the Detroit auto show. 

Hit: 2024 Ford Mustang and Dark Horse

Ford all but took over downtown Detroit with a “Stampede” event that gathered together hundreds of Mustangs of all ages and trims and their owners, all there to witness the reveal of the all-new all-gas seventh-generation Mustang. 

The new pony car, the world’s best-selling sports car, will feature the most powerful Coyote V8 engine ever to slide into a Mustang (making more than 480 horsepower, according to one of the evening’s presenters) or the entry-level EcoBoost, and will be available as a coupe or convertible with either an automatic or standard transmission (well, on the V8; it’s auto only for the Eco). 

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Styling is in line with previous generations, though the coupe’s roofline now has something more of a bubble to it to accommodate helmeted heads, and the interior features a fighter jet-inspired dash. 

But just as Ford was pretending to wind the evening down, it stomped back on the gas and pulled the sheets off a surprise brand-new performance model, the first of its kind since the Bullitt launched in 2001. The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is a track-oriented performance trim with a 5.0L V8 “targeting 500 horsepower,” racing rims borrowed from Shelby, a racier styling overall, and its sights set on Le Mans. 

So thorough was the surprise that our First Look of the 2024 Ford Mustang, which was written ahead of time with advanced press materials, didn’t even include mention of the new track pony. It’s nice to be surprised sometimes. Well done, Ford. 

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Miss: Chrysler Pacifica and 2023 Chrysler 300C

Chrysler’s presence at the show was, well, let’s call it “middling.” And the brand brought its entire portfolio, so it’s not for a lack of trying. The problem is that the portfolio is only two vehicles deep. It’s got a stalwart minivan in the Pacifica, and what is essentially a pretty old sedan. 

The Pacifica’s family values aside, the booth’s main event was the 2023 Chrysler 300C, a special send-off version of a car that was born in the 1950s and reborn in the early 2000s. It has the same basic shape, look, and vibe as the current model; a Hemi V8 like the 1955 model (only now with 455 horses); plus a few performance upgrades. 

Chrysler says it’s planning to send 2,000 models to the U.S. and 200 to Canada. We think that’s probably enough.