The Most Interesting Cars, Trucks, and SUVs at CES 2022

Amid a sea of fantastic and futuristic tech, these vehicles destined for production stand out.

Roberto Baldwin | 

Jan 19, 2022 | 5 min read

Chevrolet

With Omicron raging, many automakers decided to cancel their booths at the 2022 CES technology show, but that didn’t stop brands from making big announcements. CES accommodated virtual reveals this year, and as anticipated, EVs took center stage, with marques either evolving their current electric lineups or playing catch-up. Some concepts—such as Cadillac’s autonomous luxury two-seater, the InnerSpace—will never grace showrooms, but other vehicles shown at CES will. Among them, these models excited us most.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes Vision EQXX

Mercedes kicked off the week with the unveiling of its Vision EQXX concept car. This electric sedan uses electrons more efficiently than a Tesla Model 3, stretching a full charge to an estimated 620-mile range. While the aerodynamic design certainly helps the Vision EQXX slice through the wind, the real news is its battery. Mercedes has created a pack that is 30 percent lighter and 50 percent smaller than the battery in its four-door EQS, which is just now showing up on U.S. roads. Those gains, or rather reductions, should help Benz keep EV weight in check as well as benefit acceleration, passenger room, and handling. It’s unlikely the Vision EQXX will make it to showrooms in its current form, but the automaker announced that the concept’s powertrain will end up in Mercedes vehicles, possibly as soon as 2024.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet Silverado EV

During a virtual keynote, General Motors CEO Mary Barra unveiled the Chevy Silverado EV, one of the most anticipated electric pickup trucks at CES. A design departure from the current internal-combustion-powered pickup, this truck has an uncanny resemblance to the old Chevy Avalanche, which GM discontinued after the 2013 model year. Rehashed aesthetics aside, the electric Silverado will come in two trims to start: the RST First Edition and the fleet-oriented WT. Both boast DC fast-charging capability and a target range of 400 miles.

The RST has a claimed 60-mph time of under 4.5 seconds when in Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode, which unleashes the truck’s peak 664 horsepower and 780-plus pound-feet of torque. (Fleet models launch with 510 ponies and 615 pound-feet.) As for utility, the Silverado RST can tow up to 10,000 pounds and has a load capacity of 1,300 pounds. If the five-foot, 11-inch bed isn’t long enough for your hauling needs, you can order the Multi-Flex Midgate; this pass-through from the bed into the cabin extends that space to more than nine feet. The electric truck will arrive in $41,595 WT form first, in spring 2023, followed by the $106,695 RST First Edition that fall. Reservations for the latter reportedly filled up in 12 minutes. Anyone late to the ordering game will have to make do with a standard RST, expected in the summer of 2024.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV

What’s more, Barra surprised the streaming audience a bit when she announced forthcoming electric versions of the Chevy Blazer and Equinox. We weren’t expecting these to debut at CES and GM showed no images of the Blazer and revealed little about it apart from the mid-size SUV’s 2023 arrival date. We did get a glimpse of the Equinox compact crossover, though. It has a sleek design and a starting price around $30,000, beating that of other small electric sport utes such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Volkswagen ID.4. We suspect GM priced it this way because Chevy EVs no longer qualify for the $7,500 federal tax incentive, whereas electric Hyundais, Fords, and VWs do.

BMW

BMW iX M60

BMW’s iX electric SUV is getting some M power. Before showing off a novel body-color-changing concept and 31-inch rear-seat Theatre Screen, the automaker took a few moments in its livestream presentation to unveil the iX M60. Only the second EV to wear an M badge (following the sedanlike i4 M50), this electric crossover makes up to 610 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque from two motors. Arriving in showrooms this June, the M60 starts at $106,095 and features an M-enhanced adaptive air suspension. BMW estimates it’ll go 280 miles on a charge—a 44-mile drop from the less powerful iX xDrive50’s range. But what you lose in range you gain in acceleration: BMW claims the M60 hits 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, while the xDrive50 does it in 4.4 seconds.

Chrysler

Chrysler Airflow

With only the Pacifica minivan and 300 sedan in its lineup, Chrysler needs…something. Anything. Parent company Stellantis knows this and has a plan. It announced that the Pentastar brand will go fully electric by 2028, with the first Chrysler EV launching by 2025. It also unveiled a new vehicle at CES — the Airflow, a concept vehicle that looks more like a production-ready electric crossover than a futuristic prototype. Indeed, with a projected range of 350 to 400 miles, DC fast-charging capability, and handsome yet unimaginative styling, Chrysler’s concept car doesn’t disrupt the status quo but rather previews the marque’s EV design language. While the automaker was mum on battery capacity, we do know that the four-seater has eight displays (six up front, two in back), and each seat has a camera to allow for video conferencing. Chrysler won’t comment on if the Airflow will become a production vehicle, but we’d say it’s a safe bet.

Roberto Baldwin

Roberto Baldwin is an automotive and technology reporter based in Northern California. In addition to traditional car coverage, he has focused on the emergence of electric vehicles and driver assistance features in vehicles and the eventual launch of autonomous vehicles. Over the past seven years he’s sat in more autonomous test vehicles than he can remember but still reminds the average driver to keep their eyes on the road. He currently owns a Subaru BRZ, Hyundai Kona Electric, and a Vespa GTS 250.