The New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) celebrated its 125th anniversary this year, and all of the biggest players in the automotive biz were in town to celebrate the show’s milestone. From April 18-27, hundreds of thousands of car buffs descended on New York City’s Javits Center to explore the exhibits, interact with their favorite brands and maybe event get behind the wheel on a test track. And EM was on-site to site to check out the latest in booth design and engagement. Follow along for a lightning-fast recap of five trends spotted on the show floor.
Games & Simulators
Games, driving simulations and friendly competitions were incorporated into several booths, and with a large chunk of consumers attending NYIAS with kids, it was a smart tactic. Hyundai offered a multiscreen Racing Challenge, with participants qualifying during select periods for a daily tournament and top scorers receiving prizes, as well as an EV Ride simulator. Over at Genesis, Magma racing simulators gave attendees a chance to play Gran Turismo 7 while driving the Genesis Gran Berlinetta race car.
Plus, Nissan launched a five-part giveaway program that included a scavenger hunt that yielded a bandana, a bike photo op, a collectible poster and vehicle walkaround, a brand trivia contest and an Ariya EV ride-along. But Toyota, which dedicated the majority of its exhibit to its partnership with the NFL, may have taken the cake in the category. The brand’s lively group of stage presenters brought kids up on stage for live trivia games that also included audience participation throughout the day. Visitors could also participate in “Let’s Play Flags” and “Tacoma Toss-To-Win” games.
Lifestyle Gear
Almost of all of the big players, including Ford, Toyota, Chevy and Genesis, dedicated a portion of their booth space at NYIAS 2025 to a mini lifestyle-gear pop-up where items from jackets to shirts to tumblers to keychains and beyond were on display and available for purchase. It’s worth noting that many people who attend the auto show are already superfans of a brand, and some of them are willing to shell out a decent chunk of change to buy the automaker’s apparel, especially if it’s exclusive to the event.
Special Appearances
Some exhibitors leaned into influencer and celebrity appearances to up the ante on their booth experiences. Take Kia, which delivered an NBA appearance and signing on April 26 with former New York Knicks star Latrell Sprewell as part of the brand’s NBA sponsorship.
The talk of the town, however, was a two-day showcase featuring global auto influencer and founder of RAUH-Welt Begriff, Akira Nakai, who performed a live vehicle build for the first time at any auto show while on-site at NYIAS 2025. EM was lucky enough to spot Nakai as he worked on a 2006 Porsche Carrera S in real time, which drew consistent crowds.
Connected Homes
Some of the brands pushing their electric vehicles leveraged their show presence to demonstrate how their broader product ecosystem works by creating connected-home vignettes that displayed how car charging ports and vehicle-to-home power backups operate. Both Kia and Hyundai took this route.
Themed Flooring
We saw a number of exhibitors leverage flooring materials to delineate the kind of terrain that a vehicle is capable of traversing, the storyline behind a product, or to match the theme of the broader exhibit. From football fields to the mountains to nature preserves to cobblestone, vehicles were positioned in a variety of environments.
