Ford's announcement that it will stop investing in its lineup of sedans in North America and instead fill out its portfolio with more trucks, SUVs and commercial vehicles raises the question of what crosstown rival GM will do with its own fleet of cars. Or maybe, when it will do it. And by "it," we don't mean, "invest heavily in a new generation." Reports have suggested that GM will end production of the Sonic subcompact as early as this year, with five other slow-selling models also rumored to be endangered: the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala and Chevy Volt. Now, we get a hint of which one could be next. GM Authority reports that the full-size Impala sedan is getting a whopping three updates for 2019, and they're not exactly major: the loss of Graphite Metallic as an exterior color option, expanded availability of wheel locks as an accessory, and the availability of jet black premium cloth/leatherette interior color in the LT Convenience Package. That's … [Read more...] about Could the Chevy Impala be the next American sedan to go?
American sedan
Ford Will Phase Out All Its Small Cars And Sedans In North America Except The Mustang And Focus Active
The Ford Fusion, Focus, C-Max, Taurus, and Fiesta—all on the way out in North America as Ford transitions its lineup to one that is all but entirely dominated by SUVs, crossovers and trucks, the automaker announced today. In the coming years, only the Mustang and new Focus Active mini-crossover will be in Ford’s North America lineup, Ford said today in a Q1 financial report. “Over the next few years, the Ford car portfolio in North America will transition to two vehicles – the best-selling Mustang and the all-new Focus Active crossover coming out next year. The company is also exploring new ‘white space’ vehicle silhouettes that combine the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as higher ride height, space and versatility.” Additionally, the company said “Given declining consumer demand and product profitability, the company will not invest in next generations of traditional Ford sedans for North America.” One thing Ford did … [Read more...] about Ford Will Phase Out All Its Small Cars And Sedans In North America Except The Mustang And Focus Active
Buy/Drive/Burn: 2018 Upmarket American Sedan Showdown
Last time on Buy/Drive/Burn, we took a look at full-size sedans of an American persuasion and non-luxury intent. The consensus was loud and clear on which vehicle of the trio to burn; the Taurus was the subject of a flame war. Citing the sedan’s outdated everything and bad packaging, most of you didn’t like it. Some of you also complained that the three offerings were too basic, and lacking in content and luxury. Today we turn up the luxury dial and look at three full-size Americans which are a bit more aspirational. Ready, comrades? This might be tough. A target price of about $45,000 for our premium large sedans nets different badges on the grilles of each. Chevrolet becomes Buick, Ford becomes Lincoln, and Dodge becomes Chrysler. Buick LaCrosse Avenir For 2018, Buick rolled out a brand new top-spec for its LaCrosse large sedan. Sharing the platform with the Impala from our previous sedan trio, the Avenir comes loaded with standard equipment. A panoramic sunroof … [Read more...] about Buy/Drive/Burn: 2018 Upmarket American Sedan Showdown
Buy/Drive/Burn: It’s a 2018 Full-size Sedan Showdown
A recent report on the potential demise of the long-running Taurus nameplate brought mixed reactions in the comments section, and is still doing so as of this writing. Said report also inspired today’s Buy/Drive/Burn, in a get it while you can sort of way. Soon, the Blue Oval in this trio will take the dirt nap. But that’s then and this is now — and you must choose what to do with three full-size American sedans on sale in 2018. Ford Taurus SEL In its sixth generation since all the way back in 2010, the Taurus was updated for the 2013 model year. Exterior updates matched with an upgrade to the standard 3.5-liter V6 engine, bringing horsepower up to 288. Selected for today’s challenge is the SEL model, which is front-drive and comes with standard dual-zone climate control. Seats are cloth, and a sunroof is not included. You do get SYNC and a backup camera. The Taurus is yours for $30,120. Chevrolet Impala 1LT Newer than the Taurus by a few years, … [Read more...] about Buy/Drive/Burn: It’s a 2018 Full-size Sedan Showdown
Say Goodbye To The Great American Sedan
The four-door sedan may have once been the staple of American highways. But those days are quickly disappearing. These days cars are rapidly being replaced by pickups, crossovers, and SUVs. And that’s showing no sign of slowing down. According to figures cited by CNBC, as recently as ten years ago, Detroit’s Big Three automakers sold slightly more cars than trucks in America. The split was 51/49 then, but by the end of last year, it had gone all lopsided. In 2017, the proportion was 35 for cars, 65 for trucks. At this rate, LMC Automotive figures that trucks (including pickups, crossovers, and SUVs) will account for about 90 percent of the market by 2022. The industry tracking firm forecasts that, within four years, GM’s domestic sales will consist 84 percent of trucks (with only 16 remaining for cars). Ford’s will be even higher at 90 percent. And Fiat Chrysler will focus almost entirely on trucks at 97 percent of capacity. The reasons, according to CNBC, … [Read more...] about Say Goodbye To The Great American Sedan