SUVs and trucks continue to gain a good chunk of the market as consumers move away from traditional cars and toward utility vehicles. Halfway through 2018, automakers are selling more trucks, SUVs, and crossovers than traditional cars. Here are some of the best-selling SUVs and trucks midway through 2018.
SUVs and Crossovers
Nissan Rogue
215,202 units sold, up 10 percent year-to-date
Currently the best-selling crossover, the Nissan Rogue has overtaken the Altima as the Japanese automaker’s volume model. With the addition of the Rogue Sport last year, Nissan will sell you its volume crossover in two sizes depending on your needs.
Toyota RAV4
184,766 units sold, up 6 percent year-to-date
Toyota’s RAV4 has started to take over as the automaker’s new best-seller, ousting the Camry, which remains the best-selling car in the U.S. A new generation model, which goes on sale [...]
After missing prior deadlines, Tesla finally achieved its goal of producing 5,000 copies of the Model 3 per week. In the last seven days of the second quarter, Tesla reports cranking out 5,031 copies of the sedan. It also produced 1,913 Model S and X vehicles.
Tesla more than doubled its weekly production rate for the Model 3 during the most recent quarter with the help of a new assembly line built under a tent. The assembly line, which CEO Elon Musk says was built in three weeks, made around 20 percent of the Model 3s produced last week. During the entire three-month period, Tesla made 28,578 Model 3 sedans, which is more than the 24,761 combined total of Model S and X vehicles produced in this time.
Bloomberg reports that Tesla reached its target by early Sunday. The information comes from workers who didn’t want to be identified. Regardless of the exact timing, it’s [...]
Chevrolet is introducing a midsize crossover late in the game, but it hopes the Blazer name will bring a sense of familiarity to the new product. No longer a body-on-frame SUV, the Chevrolet Blazer has morphed into a car-based crossover that will compete with the Ford Edge. We’ll have to drive the Blazer before we make a final verdict on which is the stronger vehicle, but does the newcomer have the right look to compete against Ford’s segment stalwart?
Arguably, Chevrolet took a bolder approach with the design of the Blazer than the designs of its other crossovers. The upper part of the front end, including the hood and the upper lights, strongly resembles the Camaro. And that’s not a bad thing. The grille extends nearly the entire length of the car’s front fascia, giving it an assertive appearance. In an interesting arrangement, the headlamps are placed lower on the front of the car than [...]
Hyundai has released pricing information for the new Santa Fe that arrives this summer. The crossover starts at $26,480, an increase of $550 over the outgoing Santa Fe Sport.
For 2019, Hyundai has changed the name of its five-passenger SUV from Santa Fe Sport to just Santa Fe. The old three-row Santa Fe will be called the Santa Fe XL for the 2019 model year. Later, Hyundai will bring out a brand new three-row SUV that bears a different name.
The base 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe comes with 17-inch alloy wheels and a 7-inch audio display. There are many new standard features to this trim, including lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go capability, high beam assist, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and more. The next step up is the SEL, which adds heated front seats, proximity key with push button start, foglights, and a [...]
“What does the SH stand for?” a curious woman asked while loading groceries into her newish Explorer, referencing the “SHAWD” badging on my Acura’s tailgate. “Super handling,” I responded. After a pause and a slightly confused look on her face, she replied, “But it’s a big SUV, why would anyone want that? … And [is it] even worth the extra money?” she asked. Two fantastic questions about the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid. After spending several days in the three-row premium hybrid crossover, I can tell you exactly why someone would opt for a big hybrid SUV with a so-called “super handling” all-wheel-drive system.
Powering the MDX Sport Hybrid is a powertrain consisting of a 3.0-liter V-6 producing 257 hp and 218 lb-ft of torque, a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission, and three electric motors powered by a 1.3 kWh battery pack. The largest of the three motors is housed [...]
