Events: The Silicon Valley Auto Show
Over the weekend, while most people in the Bay Area were planning their schedules around the 49ers-Vikings playoff game, Cartrast went to the Silicon Valley Auto Show, the largest consumer exhibition that takes place at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Put on by the Silicon Valley Auto Dealers Association, we had an excellent time at the event, sampling some vehicles on the Ride and Drives surrounding the show, getting an in-person look at the upcoming Ford Mustang Mach-E, snapping photos of all the cool cars we saw, and sitting in the driver’s seats of as many vehicles as we could.
Notably, there were many vehicles available for test drives. Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, Chrysler, FIAT, RAM, and Jeep had tents set up for people to take some of their lineup for a spin around the convention center. We managed to get behind the wheel of the Ford Escape Hybrid, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4, and FIAT 500X. Showgoers were able to sample as many vehicles on hand as they wanted, and even received a complimentary gift from the manufacturers after their drive around downtown San Jose. From our very short time behind the wheel, we came away impressed with the comfort of the 500X, the roominess of the RAV4, the ride quality of the Equinox, and the fuel efficiency of the Escape Hybrid.
Vehicles that had an immense crowd around them included the Lincoln Aviator, with attendees dazzled by its design and the interior features, the Genesis G90, which presents a new challenge to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the new mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette, painted in a gleaming light blue, and the Mustang Mach-E, which was a popular sight for electric vehicle shopping in the Bay Area. In the truck department, the Ford F-150 Raptor and GMC Sierra AT4 had a constant throng of people surrounding them. Alfa Romeo had a Giulia on hand that was connected to a driving simulator for virtual laps of the Nürburgring and Hyundai had a simulator of their own in their floorspace. One manufacturer whose booth saw a horde of families was Subaru, who had puppies available for adoption on site courtesy of the Humane Society of Silicon Valley.
All-new for 2020 models that we saw were the Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Highlander, Ford Escape, Ford Explorer, aforementioned Lincoln Aviator and Genesis G90, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Venue, Mazda CX-30, as well as the Kia Seltos. The Highlander that we climbed inside was a top-end version, and certainly had the interior to match, while the Explorer was able to accommodate 7 people in comfort. We anticipate many families will be happy to have the Highlander and Explorer as their family vehicle. The Passat retains its comfortable back seat while presenting drivers with an updated dashboard and the Versa shows that subcompact sedans are no longer penalty boxes.
As usual, seven-passenger crossovers such as the Honda Pilot and Kia Telluride proved popular with families that came to the show, with both parents and children climbing around the vehicles, playing with the infotainment systems (while taking note of how large the screens have become), and taking photos of the vehicles with their phones. In addition, with the Chevrolet Traverse and Explorer ST available for test drives, consumers were able to experience for themselves the serious performance of the Explorer with its 400-horsepower engine and the ability for comfortably fit seven people in the Traverse.
There were also a number of exotics on display, courtesy of The Luxury Collection and Spider Custom Cars. Showgoers were regularly taking photos in front of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, McLaren 570S, Porsche 918 Spyder (which many enthusiasts were excited by), and Ford GT. The show was made even more interesting by the presence of not one, but two DeLoreans, with a standard one being showcased on the upper level while one outfitted in the style of the time machine from Back to the Future was exhibited right before people presented their tickets to enter the show.
In the end, the Silicon Valley Auto Show was an excellent way to go car shopping without traveling between multiple dealers. Most attendees had the opportunity to drive multiple vehicles back-to-back without feeling the need to check their finances on the spot. As most people who attend auto show plan to acquire a new vehicle within the next twelve months, the auto show presented an opportunity for consumers to discover features they never knew they needed and find out what kinds of vehicle catered best to their present needs.
To schedule test drives of the compact SUVs, compact sedans, minivans, or electric vehicles you’re interested in, click here or give Cartrast a call at 669-222-9588 today.
