Here Are Our Favorite Concepts From The 2019 LA Auto Show

At the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, carmakers showcased a variety of new models and prototypes that gave the world a glimpse into what their future vehicles could be like. It also had the biggest manufacturers showcase their concepts for the future, each of them different in their own way. But which of them was the most eye catching? Here’s a countdown of the top concepts from manufacturers including Hyundai, Volkswagen, Karma, and Kia.

5. Kia Seltos X-Line Trail And Urban Concept

At the Kia Motors pavilion, we saw the US debut of the Seltos compact SUV at the 2019 LA Show. Aside from that we also got a couple of radical Seltos concepts in the form of the X-Line Trail and X-Line Urban with a variety of modifications.

The Seltos X-Line Trail Concept heads down the off-road route in terms of modifications. Some of them include eight Hella auxiliary lights, a 2-inch lift kit to give it a ground clearance of 233mm, and off-road tyres. It is powered by a 1.6-litre T-GDI engine producing 177PS and 265Nm, mated to a 7-speed DCT. An electronic AWD system with a centre differential lock is present to claw through the rough stuff.

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The X-Line Urban Concept is more for the city drivers, with modifications like a custom slate gray paintjob, four Hella auxiliary lights and a black roof. It shares its 2-inch lift kit, painted alloy wheels and powertrain with the X-Line Trail. 

4. Hyundai Vision T Concept SUV

Hyundai has finally unveiled the Vision T plug-in-hybrid SUV concept at LA after teasing it earlier. It gets the carmaker’s Sensuous design with features like the cascading grille design. Another interesting tidbit in the grille is active flaps for aerodynamic benefits. Squared-off wheel arches and tail lights connected by a lightbar make up the exterior look.  It could also be considered a glimpse of the next-gen Tucson, with elements like the front-end being similar. The other similarity is that the concept SUV is a hybrid offering with the Tucson also expected to get one. 

3. Volkswagen ID Space Vizzion Concept

Volkswagen showcased the ID Space Vizzion electric wagon at the 2019 LA Auto Show making it the third ID model in the lineup after the ID.3 and ID.4. Exterior highlights include Matrix LED headlamps, honeycomb LED DRLs, touch sensitive door handles, and 22-inch turbine style wheels. Features like a 15.6-inch infotainment system, Apple Skin upholstery, digital cockpit instrument display and augmented reality head-up display make up the interiors. It gets VW’s 4MOTION 335PS  all-wheel drive system and a 275PS RWD version. Expect its production spec model to debut after the ID.4 around the end of 2020.

2. Hyundai RM19 Prototype Race Car

Aside from the Vision T concept SUV, Hyundai’s N division unleashed the RM19 prototype race car at the 2019 LA Auto Show. It is essentially a mid-engined Veloster powered by a 2.0-litre turbo producing 390PS of power, mated to a 6-speed sequential gearbox. These propel the race car from 0-100kmph in less than four seconds and tops out at speeds in excess of 250kmph. Other race-spec tweaks include a front-splitter, large fenders, rear wing and a large diffuser. Interior tweaks consist of bolstered sport seats and a race spec steering wheel. The RM19 will serve as a platform for future N models with targets of supercar performance.

1. Karma SC2 Concept

We finally head towards the creme de la creme of the concepts showcased at LA with the radical Karma SC2 concept. The main highlight is under the hood with twin rear-mounted electric motors producing 1000PS and a whopping 14,000Nm of torque. It gets a 0-100kmph sprint time less than 1.9 seconds and boasts a range upto 350 miles (563 km) on a single charge. Other performance bits include carbon-ceramic brakes, torque vectoring gearbox and a dynamic regenerative panel for handling. It also gets future tech like VR driving simulations, fingerprint and facial recognition sensors, biometric steering wheel and a 3D audio system.