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Detroit Three's lucrative pickup war intensifies as Ram makes big gains

DETROIT — The battle for profits from sales of large pickup trucks is intensifying among the Detroit Three automakers as sales of small cars in the United States shrivel. For decades Ford has had the single best-selling truck brand in its F-Series trucks. General Motors' Chevrolet brand was a solid No. 2, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Ram was a distant third. Now, that hierarchy may be in flux. Sales figures for December and the fourth quarter released on Thursday show Ram tied with GM's Chevy for the No. 2 spot, as sales of the redesigned Ram pickup surged, fueled in part by demand for an optional 12-inch (30.48 cm) dashboard screen. Chevy not long ago held second place to Ford by a wide margin. GM executives said on Thursday they are bullish on their new GMC and Chevy trucks for 2019.Related: How the Detroit Three's pickups compare on paper 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie review 2019 Chevy Silverado 2.7L four-cylinder review 2019 Ford F-150 2.7L EcoBoost review "There's no doubt this segment (pickup trucks) is one of the epicenters of the auto wars," said Sandor Piszar, director of marketing for Chevrolet at GM. "It's been that way forever, and we wouldn't have it any other way." On Wall Street, investors give electric car leader Tesla a higher valuation than any of the Detroit automakers. But in the nation's heartland, big pickups remain far more popular and profitable than any electric car — and most other consumer vehicles of any kind. Large pickups generate at least $17,000 a vehicle in pretax profit for GM, the company has indicated in disclosures to investors. By contrast, many Detroit Three sedans are so unprofitable, their manufacturers have decided not to build them anymore. 'Hotly contested' Sustaining sales and pricing in the large-pickup segment will be critical in a year when most forecasters expect overall U.S. car and light truck sales to fall. Ford's U.S. sales chief, Mark LaNeve, on Thursday called the F Series "the backbone of our franchise" during a conference call, and added the "segment will continue to be strong, but hotly contested" in 2019. Automakers are banking on pickup truck sales to stay strong even if U.S. interest rates continue to rise. Rising interest rates translate into higher monthly car payments and are expected to deter some buyers in 2019. GM has said 27 percent of Chevrolet and GMC trucks — which can haul trailers by day and substitute for a luxury sedan by night — sell for more than $55,000.

Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon get trim levels reworked again

GM Authority reports that GM has fiddled with trim packages on the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon for the 2021 model year, eliminating the base trims on both pickups and implementing small price changes. When the new model year goes on sale, the Chevy will lose the rear-wheel drive Base Extended Cab with the automatic transmission that starts at $22,395 after a $1,095 destination charge. The new entry-level is going to be the Work Truck model with the extended cab in rear-wheel drive, starting at $26,595 assuming the destination charge holds steady. That represents a $4,200 jump over the base 2020 model. MSRPs for the entire Work Truck lineup, from base to the Crew Cab Long Box, rise by $400. Elsewhere in the Colorado line, the four Z71 trims go down by $100, while the two ZR2 trims increase by the same amount. Only the six LT trims don't see any change.  The GMC side is a bit more involved due to previously announced changes. The 2020 Canyon comes in SL, Base Canyon, SLE, SLT, All Terrain, and Denali steps. Last month, GM Authority reported the 2021 Canyon would give all that up for the new names Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali. Since the SL base model retires in 2021, the Elevation Standard takes over at the entry level. Unlike on the Colorado, which sheds one trim, the Canyon lineup gets pared from 20 total combinations of trims, cab sizes, and bed lengths, to 14 total combinations. But like the Colorado, due to the loss of the cheapest configuration, the least expensive 2021 Canyon becomes $4,200 more expensive than in 2020, assuming the destination price remains the same. What's more, the 2021 Elevation Standard pricing adds $700 or $800 to the prices of the 2020 Canyon base and SLE models. There are more increases up the range. The 2021 Elevation trim replaces a combination of SLE and SLT models, bumping prices up by up to $900. In 2020, the least expensive All Terrain model is the Extended Cab Cloth for $37,695. For next year, the least expensive AT4 trim is the Crew Cab Short Box for $39,295. Like-for-like, though, the AT4 represents a $300 premium over the 2020 All Terrain Crew Cab Short Box. Three Denali trims will still stand at the top of the heap, each one going up by $400 in 2021. Until GM details the equipment changes, we won't know how the new pricing equates to value.

2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 reservations closed

Reservation slots for the 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 are gone. As is the case with just about every vehicle that can be reserved, regardless of cost, there weren't enough slots to satisfy the initial rush. Carscoops noticed the situation first, getting confirmation from GMC that the only avenue remaining for now is to get on a waitlist. GMC's page for the Sierra EV affirms the same, declaring "Reservations are currently full" for the Denali Edition 1. Doing so meant putting down a $100 refundable deposit, a nominal sum that anyone could back out of, but we know by now that market conditions mean between reservation holders and the waitlist there are plenty who will conclude the transaction. Duncan Aldred, head of GMC and Buick, said so himself, telling Automotive News, "It's pretty amazing. A few years ago, when we were planning Hummer, the amount of vehicles sold over $100,000 in the entire industry was not that many. Now, that has radically changed in the last three years. There's been a rapid increase in vehicle prices and there's been an even quicker rise at the top end. We expect to sell out really quite quickly." The Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 comes loaded with quilted seats, real wood trim, Super Cruise, and two motors making a combined 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque, and starts at $108,695. We don't have a number to put to the phrase "sell out," though. As GM did with the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Silverado EV, reps wouldn't divulge production caps. Aldred did admit that the reservation number is below 10,000. Two more Sierra EV trims are coming, but they're not due until 2025. That starts with the base Elevation trim bringing an MSRP around $50,000. Note, that MSRP is the prediction now. Three years is a long way away. When reservations open to the public for the standard Sierra EV Denali expected in 2024 and the following trims, GMC plans to keep a tight lid on the pot. Remember, with the Hummer EV, GMC took so many reservations that current production rates mean the automaker won't clear the list for years. Production rates will climb, certainly. However, GM builds the pickups and its Cruise Origin delivery vehicle at its Factory Zero, and there are already 110,000 Silverado EV reservations alone to get through.