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Buyers ditching expensive European sedans to buy expensive American trucks

The New York Times ended the automotive week with a story that adds numbers and context to a range of other stories, from the crossover craze to the increasing median price of a new car to ever more grandiose pickup trucks. The NYT piece reveals that the shift to larger vehicles isn't merely about the average U.S. buyer swapping the midsize sedan for a Ford Edge. Luxury buyers are migrating from plush sedans to plush SUVs and trucks that creep close to six-figure prices, and the Detroit Three are running Treasury presses because of it. From 2013 to 2017, the truck category — everything from pickups to minivans — climbed from 30 percent of the market to 41 percent. In January of this year, trucks claimed 66 percent of new vehicle sales. At the milk-and-honey end of profits, GMC alone accounted for 11.3 percent of all vehicle sales over $60,000, not just trucks. That puts the luxury truck maker behind Mercedes-Benz and Ford, The Blue Oval's feasting on Lariat, King Ranch and Raptor versions of the F-150, which make up more than half of that pickup's sales, putting it ahead of Chevrolet, Porsche and Lexus on the high-dollar sales list. The average transaction price of a GMC in Denali trim last year was $56,000; it's easy to see why, when one dealer told the NYT he just swapped a 2012 BMW 550i for a $71,000 GMC Sierra Denali. That truck starts at $52,900. The NYT started its story with a buyer who took home a Ford Raptor instead of an Audi A6, and optioned that $50,020 Ford Raptor close to $80,000. Over at Lincoln, the new $72,055 Navigator — the one so popular that Ford will increase production — crossed hands for an average sale price of $77,000 in January. And a Jeep dealer told the NYT that the two $93,000 Trackhawks he had on his lot "won't be here more than a few weeks." While trucks head up in sales volume and price, cars are headed so viciously in the opposite direction that "the Detroit Three and even some foreign manufacturers acknowledge they are now losing money on many of the cars they sell." So ... get ready for a lot more crossovers and trucks. Related Video: Find out what vehicle is right for you. Give our Car Finder tool a try.

GM recalling 8.4M cars, 8.2M related to ignition problems

General Motors today announced a truly massive recall covering some 8.4 million vehicles in North America. Most significantly, 8.2 million examples of the affected vehicles are being called back due to "unintended ignition key rotation," though GM spokesperson Alan Adler tells Autoblog that this issue is not like the infamous Chevy Cobalt ignition switch fiasco.
For the sake of perspective, translated to US population, this total recall figure would equal a car for each resident of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, the District of Columbia, Vermont and Wyoming. Combined. Here's how it all breaks down:
7,610,862 vehicles in North America being recalled for unintended ignition key rotation. 6,805,679 are in the United States.

Truck Trend names GMC Sierra Denali 2016 PTOTY

Citing its best-in-class power, its amenities, and technology, Truck Trend magazine has named the GMC Sierra Denali its 2016 Pickup Truck of the Year. Seven "all-new or significantly revised pickup trucks" were invited to compete, and out of the seven tested categories the Sierra won interior, functionality, and "Empirical," and scored second in highway testing and exterior looks. It beat the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country and Colorado Z71 diesel, GMC Canyon SLT diesel, Nissan Titan XD Pro4X, Ram 1500 Rebel, and Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road. In the mag's 43rd annual Four-Wheeler of the Year award, the Range Rover SVR claimed the crown. The Sierra got refreshed this year with new front-end styling with HID headlamps and LED accents, tech features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and wireless phone charging, and optional convenience features like a remote locking tailgate and power articulated assist steps. The big powertrain upgrade was availability of the 5.3- and 6.2-liter V8s with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This is the second time Truck Trend has conferred a PTOTY award, the Ford F-150 walking away with the silverware last year. The nod to the Sierra comes after sister publication Motor Trend named the 2016 Chevy Colorado with the Duramax diesel engine its Truck of the Year. The press release below has the details on how the accolade was won. GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Wins TRUCK TREND'S 2016 Pickup Truck of the Year AwardFirst-Class Amenities, 21st Century Technology, and Best-in-Class Power Lead GMC Sierra 1500 Denali to Best Field of SevenLOS ANGELES December 22, 2015—TRUCK TREND, the nation's premier light-truck authority, has selected the GMC Sierra 1500 Denali as the winner of its second annual Pickup Truck of the Year Award.TRUCK TREND's Pickup Truck of the Year award program is an invitation-only shootout that is only open to all-new or significantly revised pickup trucks for the upcoming model year. For 2016, the field of vehicles included seven entries from five companies and consisted of one variant from each company's eligible product line. This year's contenders included:- Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country- Chevrolet Colorado Z71- GMC Canyon SLT- GMC Sierra 1500 Denali- Nissan Titan XD Pro4X- Ram 1500 Rebel- Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-RoadTRUCK TREND's experts were immediately impressed with the Sierra Denali, which is focused on comfort, safety, and innovation.