Autoblog’s 2018 Detroit Auto Show roundup

Since then, Toyota has done fine with its smaller Tacoma truck.

General Motors spent heavily to update its top-selling Chevrolet Silverado pickup, cutting up to 450 pounds of weight by using more aluminum and lighter high-strength steel. GM’s new Chevrolet Silverado and Fiat Chrysler’s 2019 Ram are both created to chop at the F-series’ lead as the best-selling vehicle line in the United States.

“We need to look at other states and say how can we continue to compete successfully, because this is a new world”.

“The message we are left with is akin to ‘we’re working on some big projects and the numbers are significant … but please be patient while we put the pieces together, ‘” he wrote in a note.

Ford Motor Co.is making a special edition Mustang to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bullitt, whose unforgettable vehicle chase scene helped turn the sports auto into an icon.

Automakers turn big profits on large pickups. It said that including that extra payout, it expects to distribute about $3.1 billion in dividends for all of 2018.

Pickups are the most popular vehicles in the USA, and trucks unveiled at the show make clear that will continue for a long time.

The SUV will have a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, 10-speed auto transmission and automatic emergency braking. That provides a blend of great fuel economy and performance. The F-150 will introduce a diesel option in 2019, but that will not be available on the Ranger. Like similar systems offered by numerous other manufacturers, Ford’s automatically tailors different vehicle settings for different types of terrain.

The Ranger will share its underlying engineering with the company’s upcomingBronco off-road-capable SUV, which will be produced starting in 2020. But now, finally, the Ranger is back. For its reintroduction to the market, the American automaker made sure that the 2019 Ranger’s design, chassis and powertrain were tailored to the needs of USA customers. “We have a rock-solid foundation and we have seen growth in key areas, but we know we must evolve to be even more competitive, and narrow our full line of nameplates in all markets, to a more focused lineup that delivers stronger, more profitable growth, with better returns”.

According to Hackett, Ford has “nothing to worry about” in the race to dominate the future of auto. But consider rival Volkswagen, which said in late 2017 that it will be investing $40 billion into electric cars, autonomous technology and mobility services between now and the end of 2022. Trucks and SUVs, however, remain extremely popular.