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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.

2021 GMC Canyon Denali shows its new grille

GMC showed us its new 2021 Canyon AT4 pickup at the beginning of the year. We got a few details on the "more upmarket" top-tier Denali trim coming next year, but we've been missing good photos of the article until now. The more upmarket part rings true when it comes to the front fascia of the the 2021 Canyon Denali, achieved at the cost of a busyness compared to the 2020 model. That's because designers bent the set-square lines on the current trim into angles and flared edges from top to bottom, adding more prominent textures along the way. The comparison shot in the gallery above reveals all,  the "exclusive heroic grille design" — really, that's GM's name for it — the heart of "a more distinctive and sophisticated design that has become synonymous with Denali," according to Holt Ware, the brand's head of exterior design. Inside, the luxury trim offers a new and exclusive open pore ash wood for accents, a Cocoa/Dark interior treatment, heated and cooled front seats, aluminum trim, and embroidered headrests. There's wholesale change coming for the entire Canyon lineup, but we need to wait for GM to officially announce the 2021 pickup to codify everything properly. The trim walk has changed, from Canyon, SLE, All Terrain, SLT, and Denali to Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali, and we're still wondering what this might to do the $650 Elevation Edition cosmetic package. The bargain basement models have also gone away, putting the new MSRP floor $4,200 above the 2020 model to go along with other price increases dotted throughout the lineup. GM Authority says Canyon production won't be delayed by the coronavirus lockdown, so production should begin n Wentzville, Missouri, in a few months. Related Video:    

11 vehicles from Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas worth watching

This weekend will see the world's collector car crowds descend on Las Vegas, NV for one of the biggest shows on Barrett-Jackson's popular auction circuit. There are hundreds of vehicles up for bidding, ranging from a brand-new Lamborghini Aventador to a spattering of Art Deco classics and a huge swath of classic muscle cars.
While it's virtually impossible to assemble an inarguable list of the best cars coming during the three-day, 700-plus vehicle auction, we've sifted through the listings for this year's show - it was a tough assignment, we promise - and assembled a list of what we think will be some of the most interesting lots. We'll admit, it's a bit heavy on American iron, but if you browse BJ's listings, you'll come to a similar conclusion. Still, scroll down for our list of what we think will be the most interesting vehicles at the upcoming auction.