2024 LA Auto Show: All the New Debuts

• The 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show runs from November 22 to December 1.
• New debuts include EVs from Hyundai and Kia and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Volkswagen and more.
• Several luxury brands are absent from this year's show.

The 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show is a barren husk of what it used to be. Luxury brands have all but abandoned this show, and the number of new car reveals have dwindled. Even some of the cars you'll read about here are midlife refreshes instead of from-scratch redesigns. Flashy new concept cars? You won't find those in LA.

Nevertheless, a handful of car brands have taken advantage of this quasi vacuum to showcase new metal at the 2024 LA Auto Show. Kia is the big one, as it introduced three updated models. Other new vehicles making their public debuts were the next-generation Honda Passport TrailSport and Volkswagen Tiguan, as well as the new Acura ADX and Hyundai Ioniq 9. Here are their highlights.

2025 Acura ADX

The 2025 Acura ADX may be a new model, but we wouldn't exactly call it all-new, as it shares a whole heap with the Honda HR-V. The overall length and wheelbase are longer, but the rear seat legroom and cargo capacity are identical between the two SUVs. The body shapes are similar, especially at the rear, and the SUVs' interiors share many components. 

Differences for the ADX include a much-needed power boost courtesy of the same 200-horsepower turbo 1.5-liter engine found in the Acura Integra and Honda Civic Si. The interior is also offered with far more comfort, convenience and luxury equipment while being fitted with some higher-quality materials. Pricing is expected start in the mid-$30,000s when the ADX arrives in early 2025. 

2026 Genesis GV70

The GV70 compact luxury SUV gets a refreshed exterior for 2026. Seriously, it's different — we promise. The interior changes are more obvious thanks to the enormous 27-inch expanse of touchscreen that blends instruments and infotainment functions (as opposed to two separate screens in one ultra-wide housing). The interface that operates that touchscreen is also new, but Genesis has maintained the redundant control knob. The rest of the dash is similar in appearance, but look closer and you'll notice the center console now rises to meet a redesigned pod of air vents and infotainment shortcut touch buttons. Genesis also says that the car's voice recognition software has been enhanced.

That's pretty much it, though. There are no mechanical changes. But that's fine — the GV70 is already our top-rated luxury SUV.

2026 Genesis Electrified GV70

All that stuff we just wrote about the gas-powered GV70's interior? Well, it also applies to the Electrified GV70. There are a few trim/detail differences, but otherwise, copy and paste. Unlike the standard GV70, however, the fully electric version does get some notable mechanical changes. 

The GV70's battery grows in capacity from 77.4 kWh to 84 kWh, which should increase range slightly. (The current version is estimated to travel a thoroughly underwhelming 236 miles.) The 2026 Electrified GV70 also gets an NACS charging port, opening the door to charging at Tesla Superchargers. The port itself has a heating element for improved charging in cold weather.

2026 Honda Passport

The 2026 Honda Passport is boxy, has legit off-road chops, and boasts enough flares, tow hooks and amber-hued lighting to satisfy the tough-guy look. As before, the Passport is mechanically related to the larger Honda Pilot and shares its engine and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, but it’s no longer just a shortened two-row version of Honda’s three-row family hauler. 

Available in RTL, TrailSport and TrailSport Elite trim levels (much like the Ridgeline), the only way to get a 2026 Passport is with a rugged look. The TrailSports are just extra rugged thanks to 31-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires, a thick steel skid plate and tow hooks. The amber lighting’s exclusive, too. The suspension is strengthened and retuned compared to the base Passport RTL's, but ground clearance is the same. Dealer-installed accessories include rock rails, different wheels, a cargo shelf that doubles as a table (the ears of first- and second-gen CR-V owners just perked up), and a full-size spare tire that fits in the cargo area. The interior design is basically the same as the Pilot’s, though it comes standard with Honda’s latest 12.3-inch touchscreen interface that features Google built-in, which isn't available in the Pilot. The 2026 Passport goes on sale early next year with prices starting in the mid-$40,000s.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 joins the mechanically related Kia EV9 in the mainstream three-row electric SUV space. Getting out of the gate later allows the big Hyundai EV to receive a newer, more energy-dense battery: a 110.3-kWh pack that represents a 10% bump over the one in the EV9. Hyundai says it’s targeting 335 miles of range for the rear-wheel-drive version and that all trim levels should offer more than 300 miles on a full charge. (The best the EV9 can manage is 304 miles.) All Ioniq 9s will come with the NACS charging port standard, granting it access to Tesla Superchargers. 

Inside, the Ioniq 9 is quite clearly related visually to the Ioniq 5, though it’s hardly a Russian nesting doll situation. It’s like similar notes in a different song. The same can be said of the exterior, which is striking in person, especially the Volvo-esque rear. There are six- and seven-passenger versions available, and interior space is more like a Palisade than a Santa Fe. Distinctive features include powerful 100-watt USB chargers and a center console that slides 7 inches to serve front or rear occupants. The Ioniq 9 will be built in Georgia and Hyundai says this EV should qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit. 

2025 Kia EV6

Kia’s handsome EV6 electric crossover gets it first significant update for 2025. The styling is new up front, most notably the headlight housings, but the EV's unique overall shape is maintained. The interior gains Kia’s latest tech interface and some new features, plus a new steering wheel, but that’s about it. 

Both battery choices pack in more electrons, but the only range increase Kia announced was the long-range rear-wheel-drive combo yielding 319 miles — an increase of 9 miles. The bigger news may be that all but the GT trim level now have Tesla’s NACS charge port — it’s also been relocated to the left rear fender to match Tesla’s location and therefore make it easier to position the car at Superchargers. The EV6 GT does not get this Tesla-fied update, but it does get a big-time power bump from 576 hp to 641 hp, plus virtual gear changes like the ones in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. 

2026 Kia EV9 GT

The EV9 gains its own high-performance GT trim level for 2026. Although it falls well short of what the smaller EV6 GT can manage, a three-row family SUV boasting an estimated 501 hp still verges on silly. So does the estimated 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds. Like the updated EV6 GT, it also gets a Virtual Gear Shift function. But unlike the EV6 GT, the EV9 GT will get the NACS charge port for Tesla Supercharger access. 

Other unique elements include an electronically controlled suspension, an electronic limited-slip differential and upgraded brakes. A GT mode is added to the usual selection of Normal, Eco, Sport and My Drive settings. Visually, the GT is differentiated with neon green brake calipers, unique 21-inch wheels and special accent lighting up front. There’s also an exclusive steering wheel, special trim and sport seats. The EV9 GT should go on sale in the second half of next year.

2026 Kia Sportage

Kia’s compact SUV gets a midcycle refresh for 2026. The front end is reworked to be a bit blockier with a new LED lighting signature, while the tail end gets subtler tweaks. Like other redesigned or refreshed Kias, the Sportage gets the company's latest tech interface and a slightly redesigned instrument/touchscreen housing.

The Sportage Hybrid gains a pair of new trim levels: the S and X-Line, the latter of which was previously available with the electrified powertrain. It also gains 4 hp, while the plug-in hybrid picks up 7 hp. Unfortunately, the sad-sack 2.5-liter base engine carries over unchanged.

Newly available features include a 10-inch head-up display, Kia’s more advanced Highway Driving Assist 2 adaptive cruise control system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot and the Kia Connect Store that lets you add entertainment and connectivity apps to the car. The 2026 Sportage arrives in dealers in the second quarter of 2025. 

2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

The third-generation Tiguan is a much sportier-looking compact SUV, with shorter overhangs and a less boxy profile than the outgoing version. Both of those elements contribute to what sure looks like a smaller cargo area, but VW says that passenger space has increased. The total number of seats, however, is most definitely down, as the Tiguan’s previously available third row is no more. We doubt anyone will miss it. The new Tiguan is also 170 pounds lighter than its predecessor and there’s more power under hood — the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four now produces 201 hp, up from 184 hp. 

The Tiguan's interior design is radically different, with the range-topping trim shown at the auto show boasting a far richer ambience thanks to wood-look trim and a tasteful two-tone color scheme. The 12.9-inch touchscreen is the big-ticket upgrade, though; the Tiguan’s MIB4 infotainment system features a refreshed menu structure and extra permanently docked shortcuts. There’s a huge physical volume and drive mode knob on the center console, but the temperature is still adjusted using touch-sensitive slider buttons. The 2025 Tiguan goes on sale next year, and a hybrid version will follow a few years down the road. 

Lead photo: David McNew / Stringer