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U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2018 rise slightly to 17.27 million [UPDATE]

DETROIT — Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. rose slightly in 2018, defying predictions and highlighting a strong economy. Automakers reported an increase of 0.3 percent over a year ago to 17.27 million vehicles. The increase came despite rising interest rates, a volatile stock market, and rising car and truck prices that pushed some buyers out of the new-vehicle market. Industry analysts and automakers said strong economic fundamentals pushed up sales and should keep them near historic highs in 2019. "Economic conditions in the U.S. are favorable and should continue to be supportive of vehicle sales at or around their current run rate," Ford Chief Economist Emily Kolinski Morris said after the company and other automakers announced their sales numbers Thursday. That auto sales remain near the 2016 record of 17.55 million is a testimonial to the strength of the economy, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. The job market, he said, has created new employment, and wage growth has accelerated. "That's fundamental to selling anything," he said. "If there are lots of jobs and people are getting bigger paychecks, they will buy more." The unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, a 49-year low. The economy is thought to have grown close to 3 percent last year, its best performance in more than a decade. Consumers, the main driver of the economy, are spending freely. The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate four times in 2018 but is only expected to raise it twice this year. Auto sales also were helped by low gasoline prices and rising home values, Zandi said. It all means that people are likely to keep buying new vehicles this year even as they grow more expensive. The Edmunds.com auto-pricing site estimates that the average new vehicle price hit a record $35,957 in December, about 2 percent higher than the previous year. It will be harder for automakers to keep the sales pace above 17 million because they have been enticing buyers for several years now with low-interest financing and other incentives, Zandi said. He predicts more deals in the coming year as job growth slows and credit tightens for higher-risk buyers. Edmunds, which provides content, including automotive tips and reviews, for distribution by The Associated Press, predicts that sales will drop this year to 16.9 million.

GM mulling Chevy Cruze hatchback for US, Buick 'Panamera' among other new models

We've spoken at length previously about the fallacy of poor hatchback sales in the US, and with the runaway success of its Chevrolet Cruze sedan, it's somewhat unsurprising to hear that General Motors is rethinking its decision not to sell an overseas five-door variant in North America as it looks to plug a number of holes in its lineup. GM North American President Mark Reuss admitted during a media luncheon this week that not offering the model "... was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake," says Forbes. With the next-generation model already well-along in development, it's likely that the current Cruze hatch (shown above) won't see US dealers.
Reuss admits not offering the model "was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake"
In what must have been a far-reaching conversation, Reuss hinted at a number of new products for many GM brands, including "a much more beautiful Panamera" range-topper for Buick (which sounds a bit like the line of reasoning the TriShield brand has been pursuing with its Riviera concepts) and a "Ford Transit Connect-fighter" to supplant the recently announced badge-engineered Chevy City Express from Nissan.

2022 Buick Enclave revealed with a handsome new look

Here is the 2022 Buick Enclave! That's all now. Move along. At least, that’s according to Buick, which offered no information beyond these two photos. We know itÂ’s for the 2022 model year, and we know it will go on sale “later this year.” The visual changes are obvious enough on their own. It amounts to what weÂ’d expect a mid-cycle refresh would look like. Buick gave it a totally new front and rear. WeÂ’re most taken by the new look up front, though. That grille gives it the presence it was lacking before, and the horizontal slashes meeting in the middle at the Buick logo are a nice touch. New LED headlights are slimmed way down and tuck in neatly under the hood. Even the lower bumper adds some pizazz with swooping lines and a handsome, verging on sporty, finish. Nothing much changes in the middle, but sharp LED taillights steal the show in back. TheyÂ’re still connected by a central trim piece, but itÂ’s been darkened and massaged to a cleaner look. Buick also looks like it has gone for a concealed exhaust design — it had a visible dual exhaust pipe exit before. The last obvious change is a new set of dark-painted wheels. There are certainly a number of tech updates to be found on the interior, but Buick isnÂ’t talking about (or showing) those yet. WeÂ’ll have to wait for a later date to know every last detail of the refreshed Enclave. For now, the styling changes are a nice change of pace and make it look far more appealing. Related video: