What should you be looking for when you go to the 2025 Detroit Auto Show?
The show this year is a shift towards more interactive, consumer-focused automotive experiences, blending nostalgia, innovation, and practical transportation solutions. We get into it on the podcast with Eric Trytko, a veteran covering the auto industry.
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Key Conversation Highlights:
• Show Transformation (01:27) - Shifted from North American International Auto Show to a regional consumer-focused event - Reduced emphasis on splashy media reveals - More space for experiential brand interactions
Automotive Brand Insights:
• Ford (05:28) - Maverick Lobo with 3D printing customization options - Jared Goff appearance generated significant buzz - Diverse vehicle pricing range
• Cadillac (00:07:23) - Escalade IQ electric vehicle - Optique EV with sophisticated interior design - Emphasis on tactile buttons and luxurious materials
• Stellantis (11:54) - Price reductions between $3,000-$9,000 - Jeep Wagoneer S electric SUV - New Charger EV with innovative design Interesting Wildcards:
• Volkswagen ID Buzz (17:02) - Named Utility Vehicle of the Year - Nostalgic design - Potential for family and road trip use
• INEOS Grenadier (18:53) - Inspired by classic Land Rover Defender - Robust off-road capabilities - Premium pricing around $80,000
Additional Notes:
- Show runs through January 20th
- Adult tickets: $20 - Includes vintage movie cars and concept vehicles
- EV education section by DTE and IBEW 58
Guest: Eric Trytko (Instagram: @RumbleStrip) and Raoul Duke Media https://raouldukemedia.com/
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Jer Staes: Hello, and welcome to your Daily Detroit. It is Tuesday, January 14th, 2025.
I am Jer Staes, coming to you from our studio at TechTown. And today we're going to talk about the Detroit Auto Show. We had a chance to go check out some of the wares. And to help me do this, someone who attended the press days and is a long time watcher of the automotive space, Eric Trytko on the line. Where are you coming from? Eric, it is good to hear from you.
Eric Trytko: Hey, Jer, great to hear from you again. Up my home in Royal Oak today, so.
Jer: Yeah, though, the winter is keeping us apart, my friend. I am looking forward to having you down at the studio, but we were both at different parts of the early days of the Detroit Auto Show late last week, and it is something that I want to talk about because it's a big deal for the area.
It's something that a lot of people are interested in. I think we should just start out with some of our initial thoughts about the layout, what's going on and everything. Because I think this is an interesting show, but I've seen a lot of posts about this. And, I feel like we really need to look at the Detroit Auto Show from here forward in a different way than we did, say, before the pandemic. And even a few years before that, not just because of things in Detroit, but because of overall shifts in media and everything else. Why don't we kind of walk through that and set expectations for people?
Eric: I think first and foremost, it's a different show now where everyone always here referred to it as the Detroit Auto Show, but it was technically the North American International Auto Show. Well, it's actually the Detroit Auto Show, which means it's a regional show meant and designed to be for the consumer to see what's on sale and give them a preview of what they might be interested in buying.
Jer: Maybe this is a little too insane. But I have seen some members of the media be upset about some of the changes, but I think that the auto show now and we're going to get into it kind of reflects that more consumer focus as opposed to being a media event with splashy reveals and Jeep Grand Cherokees busting through glass and stuff like that. Those things happen on social media and across the board now more than, say, like an in-person thing. At least that's my read.
Eric: 100% correct. And this really even started the beginnings of it 10, 12 years ago.
It's interesting to look through my Facebook memories feed and just look at all the different auto shows and look at how things were done. And it starts with some of the off-site stuff before the event even begins, reveals from, whether it's Chevrolet, Mercedes, whoever, I mean, the list goes on and on. And you look at the number of press events we used to have to attend, you'd be jumping between 8, 10, 12, 14 a day. And back when immediate was two days, there were like 30 total events. And the OEMs want more coverage and longer lasting coverage from that so they feel they can do private events or individual events with, as you say, social media influencers and other things and get far more coverage that's longer lasting doing it that way than setting up these multimillion dollar displays and spending $10, $15 million by the time everything's done for a couple minutes of coverage.
Yeah, the first thing I noticed walking into Huntington Place was so much room for experiential stuff with the brands.
From a consumer standpoint, I think this is going to be great because both Stellantis and Ford have basically off-road tracks where you get to ride along in a Jeep, or Gladiator for Stellantis, for the Broncos for Ford. And yeah, it's a nice little off-road track. It gives you an idea of some of the capabilities, what's available.
And then there's a couple areas where you can go for ride along in some of the EVs and a couple even gas cars, but really get to experience what's possible and what's new with some of the EVs that are available.
To give an idea of how much space there is for experience, when I went to a Ford preview event before the press days, there was the Mustang RTR, which is still under development. They still had the wrap. Listeners, if you're in Metro Detroit, will know that it is not an uncommon thing to see a vehicle with crazy patterns on it. And that's because they're trying to hide the actual final lines and everything from cameras and stuff, but still give a vehicle some road time. And that RTR literally did spins and drifting in the hall. And so, that tells you how much room there was for that stuff.
Yeah, I would say probably a third of the hall that used to be set up in displays for manufacturers and other things. That's all part of that experiential driving experience stuff now.
Yeah. And part of that story too, when I went to that event, a big deal that got a lot of press coverage, wasn't the vehicles per se, but the appearance of Jared Goff, who came in a Ford vehicle, and threw some footballs into the crowd. People went crazy.
And when I looked at what really gained traction afterward, it was, "Oh, Jared Goff was here." And then, "Oh, by the way, there were some vehicles, and I saw a few things." It wasn't really like a reveal as much per se, but you know, the Maverick Lobo, the Maverick is very popular. It's in a very good price point. You know, I think some of the automakers are starting to see where like we need to offer some things at more friendly price points all the way up to, you know, your cars that are basically belong on a racetrack, like a GTD. So it was really interesting to me to see that range.
100% agree. And then, especially what happened last year and how the the Lions are looking this year, you can understand why a lot of local people would be very excited to see Jared Goff up close and in-person.
So that kind of tracks especially.
And they are pushing that Ford F-150 Lion Special Edition that even has Lion logos embroidered into the head-rest. And that gets me to ... it's something that I think, and we'll walk through a number of automakers, but we're starting with Ford because that's where I started.
Sure.
I like that there is more variance on the interiors. I like that there's more color pops. I like there's more creativity. I went inside the Bronco Stroppe Edition, a number of other vehicles where it's like, there was some care to the interiors. There's some color. There's some things. The Maverick Lobo actually has 3D printing plans you can get to 3D print your own organizers inside the vehicle. There is just like really interesting stuff that is more creative than years past, in my mind.
I feel like there's a few brands doing that.
Yeah, and I think this is what we're seeing is during the pandemic when we had all the supply issues and production issues, they had to limit a lot of things, whether it was exterior colors, interior colors, materials and all that.
And now that we're out of that and sort of back into full bore production, we're starting to see that variety once again. Also as a way of differentiating vehicles from one another, we're starting to see, and I'll talk about this when we get to one of the other brands, much better and more interesting materials again, or contrasting materials just to give vehicles a little bit of texture and style and interest.
Why don't we do that and move over to Cadillac? I know that they had some things going on.
I was struck by how large the Escalade is, that new version of the Escalade. But there's some interesting things happening over at General Motors. And that is something that is an important brand to a lot of people.
Yeah, absolutely. So I would agree with you when I walk by that Escalade IQ, which is the EV version of the Escalade. I believe I'm correct on this when I say it's built on the same platform that the Hummer EV and the Sierra Silverado pick-up trucks are. I believe that's correct.
Someone will let us know if I'm not, but that's a very large platform. You stand next to it. And yeah, it's big. It's very complicated, but very luxurious as well. I can imagine that it's going to be very quiet driving down the road. The other Cadillac EV that I found more interesting was the Optique, which is their new smaller EV sort of, if you think XT4 of their current ICE platform sized vehicles, very well laid out, good interior room, lots of interior space. But more importantly for me, I mean, the, the general design language is pretty good, but the choice of materials and the design, and it's not just all about the big screens. It's about the texture and the materials that make it feel more luxurious, more special, and also they haven't abandoned all of the buttons.
Yeah, with these internal combustion engines and EVs, it's a pretty penny for some of these vehicles. And I think part of it is making sure that the value is provided, that if you're gonna spend this kind of coin, that your experience is also top notch.
And I think that's a way that interior experience is a way that they can do that without breaking the bank, you know, completely as far as profitability. And I tell you, I love real buttons. I know that so many people are into screens. I don't know if it's a sign. I would love to hear from listeners, dailydetroit@gmail.com.
I understand the point of a screen. I'm not anti-screen, but for some things, I just prefer a dang switch or a toggle or something.
The challenge I would have for everyone is put your phone or a little GoPro or something on your dash and have it film you as you try to make adjustments to whether, if you have a mainly touchscreen for all your interface, whether you're trying to change the temperature, whether you're trying to adjust your seat, whatever audio you're listening to, just whatever, and look how long your eyes are away from what you're actually doing and driving.
Now with buttons, it's a very tactile thing, and you learn what the buttons feel like and where they're laid out. And so, you can keep your eyes on the road at that point and still pay attention, but still accomplish what you wanna do, or very quickly just glance and know you're right and then move on. So I would challenge people to try that.
And I think they'd be shocked at the difference in time that their eyes are looking away from the road. Long story long, I agree with you.
We'll talk about some more brands in a second, but one thing I wanted to highlight was a lot of this mixture of vehicles, like some were really pushing more of the hybrid thing. Hybrid sales are definitely doing better. That was something that, you know, we at Daily Detroit have kind of predicted for a while that whether it's the plug-in hybrid or the pure engine hybrid, that that would be something that a lot of people were interested in as a medium step.
You saw some electric vehicles. I got some guff on social media for the fact that there weren't as many electric vehicles pushed. I'm going to talk about an electric vehicle I really liked. But the reality is, is you got to buy what people want. And although, you know, you've seen some increases in Lightning sales, they also stopped production for a while. You have to adjust to user demand, whatever your like belief set is, as far as the general world at the end of the day, if you can't sell the car, it doesn't matter.
100% correct. And we've talked about this over the years. There is a mix and there is a good use case for EVs, but it's not the only answer. And it's not the answer for everyone.
And I think a 30 to 40% mix of EVs in general, I think is about right. And then we can throw in a version of hybrid, whether again, as you say, it's just a straight hybrid or a plug-in hybrid. And then there are times where you need either gasoline or a diesel engine to accomplish things. And it's going to be a mix for a while. There's not a magic bullet that solves all of this.
Why don't we talk a little bit about what's happening over in Stellantis land because I did come wandering through there, and there was a smile brought to my face because I have a friend who dearly loves small cars. I sent him pictures of every Fiat that was there, including they had a ... I like this touch of the show in general. They had some historic cars there, so they had like a Fiat from like the sixties, which is just the cutest little thing. I'm not sure I'd want to drive it more than five miles, but it's the cutest little thing.
But let's talk about Stellantis and Stellantis' kind of presence in general.
Yeah, the original Fiat 500 is an amazing little vehicle and packaging and a bit like the original Mini. They are so small on the outside, but shockingly large on the inside. Now, and I'm not saying you want to get an accident in one of those, but yeah, the difference in size between the current 500 and the original one is kind of interesting.
I think some good things are happening over there. Obviously, everyone knows about the shake-up and management over there. I think that's going to inject some life. If they are being honest about similar pricing and a lot of the stuff has been cut anywhere between $3,000 and $9,000, I think that's going to help a lot. And they have a couple. They're finally starting to refresh some of their stuff.
The new Jeep Wagoneer S, which is delayed about a year, is now just about to go on sale. I think that's exciting for them. That is a pure EV SUV. I think it's nicely done. And then, of course, the other big one is the Charger, which is going to be, well, charger as an EV, but with a gas motor, it's the Challenger, right? I believe that's correct. That's a really interesting vehicle. Took a hard look at that when I was at the LA Auto Show and where me as a hardcore love my horsepower in burning dyno juice. I don't hate that car. In fact, I think the interior of that Charger is quite clever. And with the hatchback, it's got a ton of room in it in the back. So I think that's going to be quite good. And then every few other things that have been updated. I think Stellanis is looking up.
One thing that caught my eye, and Norris Howard joined me for this trip, is I was glad to see a concept car. That concept car is not practical, but it's so futuristic. That's part of things I love about auto shows - the Halcyon.
Yeah! Yeah, the Halcyon. They showed it a while ago, but it's sort of been in, I don't say they tucked it away, but it was good to see that one back out. That was very beautiful.
Then if we want to circle back to Cadillac, they also had the Velocity concept, which ended up winning the Eyes on Design Award. So it was really good to see concept cars that are actual concept cars and not something like, oh, this is going to be in production in 18 months. It's more, what can we do with styling? What would we love to do? But you might see elements of this in the future. So yeah, I think that's awesome that we actually saw a couple of really cool concept cars this year.
I like that the show looks to the future like that. And then also to the past, I mean, listen, I cannot tell you how exciting it was to see the Ferris Bueller's Day Off car, to see the National Lampoon station wagon. Listeners will know that I'm like a weirdo who like loves giant boat station wagons.
And then also the Magnum PI vehicle? I like seeing those lined up, I was like, "oh, that is like part of the fun of cars." The stuff that's famous for movies and things like that.
Yeah, you make a great point. That is also one of the notes that I had for myself in here is that one of the ways that this is more of a consumer show is it's not just about the new metal, it's about paying tribute to the past or some things, a couple other vehicles that you might have seen at Autorama or something, which is the hot rod Show. Mixing it up a little bit just to create a little more interest, draw some more eyes to some things. So yeah, I agree.
I think that that's a good mix to throw in there, not only from the OEMs like we talked about with Stellantis, but Hagerty, as you said, having that display. And then there was another group that had some things as well. So Velocity, I think was the name of the group that had some old hot rod stuff as well.
Yeah, I went into that section where there was just like a bucket load of Maybox and McLarens, which was kind of fun.
It's interesting because that was my least favorite part of the show.
I know that people will like it, so here's the thing. I'm a McLaren guy, and so I found it entertaining. Everything else, I felt the cars were too packed in together. It was like a little too much like a car lot, but I enjoyed getting to see McLarens, in the polycarbonate or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, no, no, no. And I think that's one of those things I'm just jaded and not that I see them all the time, but I see them here and there at different events and different things. But I would 100% agree with you. I think you nailed my main objection to it.
Everything was jammed in like it was a car park. And most of the cars were dark in color. And I'm like, these are fun cars. They should be in fun colors. Even a lot of the Ferraris were like black. I'm like, no. Anyways, there are a lot of people who don't either don't get to see them or love those cars. And I totally get the excitement of just being able to see them up close.
Why don't we pick out some wild cards of things that we thought interesting? I will start out with the Volkswagen ID buzz. I had seen this on YouTube and I was like, okay, this like calls to me in a weird way for like road tripping or like just a big, like I have this weird dream of like having like a podcast studio where you just hop in and that would be a big enough vehicle to do that in. And I know it's not the perfect vehicle, but I just enjoyed it.
It like had this fun stance to it. I think it enlivens a segment that's kind of boring, like no shade against the Pacifica and the vans that Toyota does or whatever, but if you need something that can like haul a lot of people, it's really a people hauler or go on a road trip and I know that there's like charging it like it's an electric car. So it is what it is. That car made me smile. So I'm going to nominate that as a wild card. I really enjoyed.
Well, not only did you enjoy it, but it ended up being the NACTOI utility vehicle of the year. So the North American Car and Truck of the Year utility vehicle choice. So not only you, but a number of professional writers and journalists and industry people thought so as well. And I think you nailed it exactly.
It's a fun vehicle. There is a nostalgia to it. You look at that and how can you not smile every time you see it? You know, and it was in that beautiful white and blue color they had there on the floor. And it's not the most affordable vehicle in the world at all, although not completely out of line for an EV. But yeah, that would be a vehicle for hauling kids and family around, especially around town. But you could definitely, if you planned correctly, do some fun road trips in that. So I agree with you. That's a great choice. What about you? Probably one of my favorite vehicles because they have just started selling them here in Metro Detroit that they had there is the INEOS Grenadier.
INEOS is a international chemical corporation, mostly Asian-based, but I think they're pretty much worldwide. But the gentleman who's the CEO of it is an English gentleman who loved old defenders. And when Land Rover shut down the Defender production, he tried to buy it and keep going and they said no. So he said, okay, well, I guess we're just gonna build our own vehicle. And so it's a bit of an homage to the original Defender in so many ways. And it's very old school in the sense we talked about all the switches and buttons because it has it. In fact, it looks like an aircraft above. It has so many buttons and switches. It's not a vehicle for good mileage, I tell you that. It gets like 15 city, 15 highway, but if you want a fun, honest, off-road vehicle, that's it. Now, again, you got to be fairly reasonably well to do. I think they start at about 80 grand. They're very cool vehicles. They're something I would love to have, but have no practical reason to own.
I think that's part of the fun of this. I know that we can talk about practical vehicles and there will be a practical shoppers out there. I know that, you know, some people want us to give a try out of the Blazer EV and some other vehicles. And. we can talk about those in the future, but part of the fun of like why you're going to plunk down your 20 bucks for an adult ticket is yeah, maybe you're interested in buying something, but also it's like that aspiration. And then, the art of it.
I really, you know, I got some great feedback from a listener talking about design and Detroit being a center of design. And I love seeing so much more of the design side of cars. The reason I love old cars is here's a speed and everything. I love the art of them, just like I love the art of architecture.
And so for me, I go to the show going, I know I might not buy this, but I enjoy seeing the art behind it.
I agree with you on that. One last thing I wanted to point out is, because we have talked about EVs, there was a large section set aside both between DTE and IBEW Local 58 for EV vehicle education or information to find out. So, whether that's understanding from the IBEW standpoint of, you know, for installers or from production line stuff, and then DTE obviously talking about charging and home installation and off-peak hours.
But just understanding what it takes to run an EV, I think that was a really good idea to have that as its own little section so people can find out more information on that. Again, definitely geared towards the consumer there.
I'm so glad that you mentioned it. I saw it out of the corner of my eye. I didn't have a chance to go explore it. When I visited the show, it wasn't staffed or person-ed up. I'm really glad that you made a mention of that because that's going to be an important thing that we talk about as we go through the next few years.
Eric Trytko, I really appreciate you. It's been a minute, but do not be a stranger. I think there's just so much that's interesting to talk about on so many angles when it comes to vehicles and transportation.
And if you want to check out the [Detroit] Auto Show yourself, tickets for adults are 20 bucks. Seniors, 12 bucks, kids, 10 bucks. It's open now and runs through January 20th. So get on down to Huntington place.
Well, Eric Trytko, if people are looking for you, where can they find you?
My social media presence is a little sparse these days, just because I'm pretty busy, but on Instagram, @RumbleStrip. I also have a personal website, which is Raoul Duke Media, where you can see all the other things that I do outside my day job, as far as announcing, presentation, and on-camera work.
Make sure to give him a follow. I will link to all of it in the show notes.
Send him a DM or send us an email, dailydetroit@gmail.com. I'm sure, Eric, that you would be up for listening and answering the people's questions about vehicles and automotive. I think this is a conversation we should have ongoing in 2025.
Yeah, please reach out to me, just DM me on Instagram. I am happy to talk to people.
Well, with that, I'm Jer Staes. Thank you so much for listening to your Daily Detroit.
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