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May 2016: FCA wins, Ford and GM stumble on weak car volumes

The May 2016 sales numbers are in, and it looks as though FCA is getting some vindication for boldly cancelling two slow-selling car models. Meanwhile, Ford saw overall sales dip and GM's May volume took a big dive versus the same month in 2015. While Marchionne's decision to axe the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart has drawn criticism as being short-sighted, it's working for FCA so far. Although the Dart and 200 aren't out of production yet and no capacity has been shifted to crossover or trucks, May's numbers show that the emphasis on Jeep and Ram models makes sense right now. FCA's US sales rose 1 percent last month compared to May 2015, putting the year-to-date total at 955,186 vehicles, an increase of 6 percent compared to the same period last year. Standouts included the Jeep Renegade, Compass, and Patriot, and the Fiat 500X. Ram pickup sales were down 3 percent. And your fun fact is that Alfa Romeo sales were up precisely 10 percent, for a total of 44 4Cs sold versus 40 in the same month last year. At FoMoCo, the Ford brand took a hit to the tune of 6.4 percent from May 2015 to 2016, registering 226,190 sales last month. Lincoln showed improvement on its modest numbers, going from 9,174 to 9,807, a 6.9 percent increase. Overall, Ford was down 5.9 percent for the month to 235,997; despite the slump, year-to-date total Ford sales are up 4.2 percent to 1,112,939. Strong sellers included Escape, Expedition, F-Series, and Transit - big stuff. Most small and/or efficient models (Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, C-Max) saw sales slides. Fusion sales were also down, likely due to effects of model changeover to the freshened 2017 model. Ford has promised four new crossovers and SUVs by 2020 and if things keep trending this way the company will be able to sell them, but things could change in the next four years. GM saw the worst of it for domestic brands. Retail and fleet sales were down for each of the four divisions, with the May 2016 total dropping 18 percent to 240,450 vehicles. GM's year-to-date sales are down 5.0 percent in 2016 to 1,183,705. Both the Sierra and Silverado were down significantly, and the majority of Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac nameplates saw sales decreases, with both small cars and larger utilities included. Not even big stuff could help GM this month, it seems. We'll have more on the rest of the industry's May sales as those figures trickle in.

More head-up displays are coming to a dashboard near you

With the exception of Apple products — $1,000 for a freakin' smartphone? — one great thing about tech is you typically get more for your money with each passing year. This is particularly true with automotive tech: Features like driver assists and surround-view cameras that were once exclusively available in luxury vehicles now come standard even on some economy cars. The same thing is slowly happening with head-up displays (HUD). For example, the 10-inch HUD in the 2018 Toyota Camry is one of the largest and best HUDs I've seen in any car. And a big improvement on the much smaller HUD in the latest Toyota Prius. Mazda is another mainstream brand that offers HUDs in several of its vehicles. But instead of embedding expensive components in the dash and using a special windshield, the HUDs in the Mazda3 and Mazda6 use a thin plastic lens that folds down when not in use. MINI has a similar solution, but this low-cost approach has limits in terms of size and position of the images compared to traditional HUDs that use the windshield as a screen. We're also starting to see similar lens-based aftermarket options that can be added to any car. Last year I tested a portable HUD called Navdy that taps into a car's OBD-II port to provide info on speed and RPM and uses built-in GPS and Google Maps to show the surrounding area, display speed limits and route you to your destination. Navdy also connects to an Android or iOS smartphone via Bluetooth to display data from phone calls, texts and music playing on a connected device, and it's simple to use and easily visible in almost any lighting condition. While Navdy is still available online, late last year the company ran into financial difficulties, and product support has been halted. I recently tested a new portable HUD called Hudly that's not quite fully baked and falls short of Navdy because it doesn't tap into an OBD-II port. Since a companion smartphone app for Hudly isn't scheduled to launch until next month, for now it only mirrors what's on a smartphone. So it can be used for nav and other apps, and its features are very limited. Between automakers adding HUDs in more reasonably priced cars and the aftermarket filling in the gaps for existing vehicle owners with add-ons, the technology is becoming more prevalent and affordable. And it's also getting better.

Lincoln reignites the Navigator with bold concept

The Lincoln Navigator's demise has been greatly exaggerated, and nearly 20 years after it first revolutionized the luxury segment, a new generation of the iconic sport-utility vehicle will again point the way forward for the brand. Previewed by a concept at the New York Auto Show, the new Navigator will hit showrooms next year joining the much-anticipated Continental sedan as Lincoln's twin flagships. The concept is "a very strong" hint of what the production Navigator will look like, Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra said. He's referring to the general appearance of the tall concept, which is confident, creased, and a bit reminiscent of a Range Rover. There are huge wheels, lots of chrome, and "Navigator" spelled out in blocked capital letters over the fender vents. It runs a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 making 400 horsepower and will ride on a new chassis, though Galhotra wouldn't offer more details. Oh, and it has gullwing doors. The crowd audibly oohed and aahed when that feature was demonstrated at a preview event in New York, but those are purely for show. They won't be on the production model, Galhotra said, and they're meant to demonstrate the spacious cabin. "The nature of the vehicle is very important ... and it's a great way to showcase that interior," he said. The inside of the concept is an interesting place. It has a rear cargo area that doubles as a closet, complete with shelves that make up a wardrobe management system, and there's a rail running down the middle of the passenger area. A multi-level running board cascades forward when the gullwing doors open, and the six seats are adjustable 30 ways. There are also wifi-equipped touchscreen monitors mounted in the seat backs. Inside and out, the Navigator carries a nautical vibe. It's covered in a soft shade of blue paint, while the interior has blue leather and teak accents. The Navigator concept features some of Ford's semi-autonomous technology, including pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection. The radar-and-camera-based system will look for obstacles in the vehicle's path, warn the driver, and then brake if needed. It also has a 360-degree camera and lane-keeping assist. Look for all of this on the production model. Launched in 1997, the Navigator is one of the original all-American large luxury SUVs – the Cadillac Escalade didn't arrive until 1999.