5 can’t-miss things to see at the 2023 Philadelphia Auto Show

Here are some of the highlights of the 2023 Philadelphia Auto Show, opening Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Eight electric vehicles from Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen will be piloted by professional drivers and available for rides on the floor of the show.

The first year of the track helped EVs make inroads with consumers, data from the Greater Philadelphia Automobile Dealers Association suggest. A survey after the 2022 show found that three of show visitors’ five favorite vehicles were EVs that were available for rides: The Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6, and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Here, show attendees can ride along with professional drivers who explain the highlights of the various EVs.

“People are starting to realize that it’s coming, and it isn’t just hyperbole and headlines,” Kevin Mazzucola, executive of director of the show’s sponsor, the Auto Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia, said of vehicle electrification.

The mainstay of any auto show has to be the cars themselves, and it’s become even more important as cars on dealer lots have become scarce.

At the Philadelphia Auto Show, visitors can see the revamped 2024 Subaru Impreza; the newly arrived 2023 Nissan Ariya electric SUV, and the hard-to-find 2023 Toyota BZ4X electric SUV.

A highlight will be the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime, a redesigned gasoline-electric hybrid with an electric range more than double its previous 25 miles.

Another big hit at the show is the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, and the 2023 version will be there.

Other new EVs on display include the 2023 GMC Hummer EV, Subaru Solterra, and Toyota Crown.

Beyond new cars, Hollywood Rides returns with such well-known vehicles as the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine 1969 Dodge van and the Truckster wagon from National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Not all the indoor rides will be electric-powered. Camp Jeep, which allows visitors to ride in gasoline-powered 4-by-4s over a course of hills, bumps, and stones in the Convention Center, is making a return appearance. Camp Jeep campers will find the traditional Wrangler and its pickup version, the Gladiator, and the more modern Compass, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee SUVs.

And new this year to the show: Ram Truck Territory, where visitors can ride in the Ram 1500, 2500, or Power Wagon on an indoor course designed to bring the great outdoors to you.

Forget sitting in the passenger seat inside the confines of the Convention Center. If you’re a licensed driver 18 or over and pass a Breathalyzer, you can try out a variety of vehicles on city streets near the Convention Center from Stellantis and Toyota with someone from the show riding along.

Stellantis will host vehicles from Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Fiat. Toyota will have four of its SUVs available to test.

The Classic Auto Mall and Antique Automobile Club of America will show off more than three dozen vehicles from bygone eras. Among the models will be a 1912 Ford Model T, 1930 Duesenberg, 1951 Studebaker, 1966 Pontiac GTO, 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle, and 1989 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur.