The 115th edition of the Chicago Auto Show concluded Monday, February 20, after a successful 10-day run at McCormick Place that saw a dramatic increase in overall attendance compared to the previous year. The Chicago show grew back to its traditional two-hall footprint in 2023 and welcomed more than 300,000 total attendees—100,000 more than the previous year.
“The buzz on the show floor this year was palpable,” said 2023 Chicago Auto Show Chairman Kevin Keefe. “You could just feel the energy and excitement from everyone that the Chicago Auto Show is not only back, but back in a big way.”
The Chicago Auto Show featured exhibits by global automakers, new-vehicle introductions that made worldwide or national debuts, a host of interactive exhibits, indoor test tracks and outdoor test drive opportunities.
The 2023 show received significant vehicle introductions, including the ’23 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary editions, ’24 Subaru Crosstrek, ’24 Toyota Grand Highlander, ’24 Volkswagen Atlas and ’24 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.
Notable new vehicles at the show included the BMW XM, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Chevrolet Trax, Dodge Hornet, Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Honda Accord, Honda Civic Type R, Honda CR-V, Honda Pilot, Hyundai IONIQ 6, Lamborghini Countach, Lexus RX, Lexus RZ, Maserati MC20 and Toyota Prius.
In addition, concept cars were prominently on display and included the Buick Wildcat, Chrysler Airflow, Dodge Charger Daytona SRT and Ram Revolution.
In addition, across the 11 ride-and-drive opportunities, the show produced nearly 150,550 in-vehicle driving experiences.
Camp Jeep, which celebrated its 3 millionth rider at the show, featured its indoor track where attendees could ride inside a range of the latest models and take on the 28-ft. hill at a 40-degree angle. More than 600,000 Camp Jeep rides have taken place at the Chicago Auto Show.
Toyota tackled the four seasons on its electrified indoor track in the Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Sienna and Tundra. Ram Truck Territory also returned with an indoor test track, an interactive ride experience with a 28,000-sq.-ft. in-truck adventure, to demonstrate the power and capabilities of the Ram Truck.
Hyundai demonstrated the all-electric IONIQ 5 with a brand-new test track right within its display. Ford returned with two indoor test tracks: Built Wild, showcasing the Ford Bronco’s off-roading capabilities, and Built to Electrify, thrilling passengers with the instant speed of the all-electric F-150 Lightning. Chicago Drives Electric made its debut in the form of a 100,000-sq.-ft. track allowing attendees the chance to experience a range of brand-new EVs including the BMW i7, BMW i4, BMW iX, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Nissan ARIYA and Volkswagen ID.4.
The Chicago Auto Show will return to McCormick Place in February 2024. For more information on the 2023 Chicago Auto Show, visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com.