Trucks, SUVs, and electric vehicles were big this year at the Los Angeles auto show, and automakers demonstrated that those categories are in no way mutually exclusive. Not only did Jeep give us a truck version of its SUV of the Year-winning sport ute, but Rivian showed us that trucks and SUVs can be cool, practical, rugged, and also all-electric. Then there's the new Mazda3, Kia Soul, and Toyota Corolla, which prove small cars aren't dead just yet. And it wouldn't be an international auto show without a few sporty cars like the forward-looking, production-bound Audi E-Tron GT concept or the new Porsche 911, which updates the iconic model while staying true to its heritage. The 2018 L.A. auto show had a little something for everybody. Keep reading to find out which debuts most excited the editors of MotorTrend.
I'm always skeptical of new vehicle startups. History is littered with new automakers that made lots of noise as they promised to revolutionize the automotive industry, only to go down in flames: Tucker, DeLorean Motor Company, Fisker, Faraday Future (too soon?), and the list goes on. Rivian, it seems, has espoused Teddy Roosevelt's motto: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."
And what a big stick the Rivian R1S and R1T are. After nothing but radio silence from the Michigan-based startup for years, Rivian burst on the scene with an electric pickup (R1T) and SUV (R1S)—and it's hard not to be impressed by its first two efforts. Sharing the same skateboard platform, the R1T and R1S pack up to 180 kW-hrs of battery capacity (good for a claimed 410 miles of range), four electric motors with up to 754 hp, and drive systems that ought to ensure the two Rivians are the most capable electric off-roaders on the trail. Both Rivians are also attractively designed (I promise they look sharper in person) and have unique features such as the truck's bed-mounted air compressor and its pass-through tunnel.