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Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, Toyota Tundra flunk IIHS headlight test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put pickup truck headlights to the test and found that the majority of them were equipped with subpar units. The 2017 Honda Ridgeline was the only truck to earn a rating of "good." The large pickup truck test was comprised of the: 2016 to 2017 GMC Sierra, 2017 Nissan Titan, 2016 Ram 1500, 2016 to 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, 2016 to 2017 Ford F-150, and 2016 to 2017 Toyota Tundra. The Sierra's headlights earned a rating of "acceptable," the headlights found on the Titan and Ram 1500 were found to be "marginal," and the ones on the Silverado, F-150, and Tundra were rated as "poor." IIHS claims the F-150 was the most disappointing out of the large pickup trucks as both its halogen and optional LED headlights failed to provide adequate visibility during testing. The Ridgeline (which earned a "good rating"), is usually considered a midsize or small truck, though IIHS included it in the field of large pickups. The headlights on the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, 2016 GMC Canyon, 2016 Nissan Frontier, and 2016 to 2017 Toyota Tacoma, which made up the small pickup truck group, all earned a rating of "poor." The IIHS claimed the Colorado had the worst headlights of any truck that was tested, as the base vehicle's units were only able to illuminate up to 123 feet in front of the car. The Ridgeline's headlights, for reference, were able to illuminate up to 358 feet in front of the vehicle. To conduct its test, the IIHS utilizes a special tool to measure how far light is projected out of the headlights in different driving situations. The trucks' headlights were tested in a straight line and in corners, while vehicles with high-beam assist were given extra praise. The headlights on the pickup trucks also mimic the testing that was done on small SUVs and cars earlier this year. Next year, automakers will need to fit their vehicles with headlights that earn a rating of either good or acceptable to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Related Video:

The 2019 Ram 1500 will wear a brand-new face

A day after a dealer meeting leak gave us a look at the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL and 2019 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, we now have this, our first look at the 2019 Ram 1500. The renderings, which come from a printout titled "Ram Brand Lit Signatures" on the wall of a dealer meeting, gives us a clear look at the next-gen truck's front and rear fascias. At the front, the 2019 1500, codenamed DT, gets a more modern, sophisticated look with a refined grille that boasts a massive vertical bar and a skinner horizontal slot. The headlights are slimmer than the current model's square-like units and feature modern LED lamps. The lower end of the front fascia also has slim lighting elements that could be used for fog lights, along with an off-colored skid plate. The hood continues to sport the same bulge as the current model's, but is shaped like a pyramid instead of a massive rectangle. It looks like Ram took a page out of Ford's design book at the back with a rugged design that imitates the 2017 F-150. The taillights, while retaining the same overall shape, have an unlit section that would most likely be used for the reverse lights and turn signals. With the front end benefiting from LED lamps, the rear taillights would probably get LED units, as well. With Ram still testing new configurations of the 1500 and a document revealing FCA's future products, we expect the next-gen 1500 to come out in the near future as a 2019 model year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Ram 1500 Dealer Leak Spy Shots Image Credit: KGP Photography Design/Style Spy Photos RAM Truck rendering

Pickup sales may hit 2M units for first time since 2007

Even as fuel prices creep back up, trucks are still a hot item among new-vehicle shoppers. To see how popular pickup trucks still are, you don't have to look any further than how much effort automakers put into the continual one-upmanship of their trucks. Backing this fact up, USA Today is reporting that the segment could top two million sales this year - a total not matched since 2007, though still far from the pre-recession, three-million-unit levels.
Through August, the Ford F-Series continues to be the segment leader with almost 500,000 units sold, but the Chevy Silverado (328,269), Ram 1500 (234,642), GMC Sierra (122,232) and Toyota Tacoma (110,293) are all seeing at least 20-percent sales increases, helping to account for around 1.44 million truck sales so far this year - not including possible outliers like the Suzuki Equator and Chevy Avalanche.
This year alone, General Motors has completely redesigned its fullsize trucks, Ram and Toyota have significantly updated their offerings, the next-gen Ford F-150 will be out next year and Nissan is promising an all-new Titan around the same time with an eventual Cummins diesel under the hood. It would seem, then, that truck sales are poised to continue their upward trend.