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Buyers ditching expensive European sedans to buy expensive American trucks

The New York Times ended the automotive week with a story that adds numbers and context to a range of other stories, from the crossover craze to the increasing median price of a new car to ever more grandiose pickup trucks. The NYT piece reveals that the shift to larger vehicles isn't merely about the average U.S. buyer swapping the midsize sedan for a Ford Edge. Luxury buyers are migrating from plush sedans to plush SUVs and trucks that creep close to six-figure prices, and the Detroit Three are running Treasury presses because of it. From 2013 to 2017, the truck category — everything from pickups to minivans — climbed from 30 percent of the market to 41 percent. In January of this year, trucks claimed 66 percent of new vehicle sales. At the milk-and-honey end of profits, GMC alone accounted for 11.3 percent of all vehicle sales over $60,000, not just trucks. That puts the luxury truck maker behind Mercedes-Benz and Ford, The Blue Oval's feasting on Lariat, King Ranch and Raptor versions of the F-150, which make up more than half of that pickup's sales, putting it ahead of Chevrolet, Porsche and Lexus on the high-dollar sales list. The average transaction price of a GMC in Denali trim last year was $56,000; it's easy to see why, when one dealer told the NYT he just swapped a 2012 BMW 550i for a $71,000 GMC Sierra Denali. That truck starts at $52,900. The NYT started its story with a buyer who took home a Ford Raptor instead of an Audi A6, and optioned that $50,020 Ford Raptor close to $80,000. Over at Lincoln, the new $72,055 Navigator — the one so popular that Ford will increase production — crossed hands for an average sale price of $77,000 in January. And a Jeep dealer told the NYT that the two $93,000 Trackhawks he had on his lot "won't be here more than a few weeks." While trucks head up in sales volume and price, cars are headed so viciously in the opposite direction that "the Detroit Three and even some foreign manufacturers acknowledge they are now losing money on many of the cars they sell." So ... get ready for a lot more crossovers and trucks. Related Video: Find out what vehicle is right for you. Give our Car Finder tool a try.

2017 GMC Acadia, tech and design, Indycar Boston | Autoblog Podcast #476

Episode #476 of the Autoblog Podcast is here. This week, Dan Roth, and guest George Kennedy talk about the 2017 GMC Acadia, this year's New England Motor Press/MIT Technology conference on the intersection of technology and design, and the failure of the efforts to bring an Indycar race to Boston. It all starts with the Autoblog Garage - check it out! Check out the rundown with times for topics, and thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #476 Topics 2017 GMC Acadia Tech intersecting Design Grand Prix of Boston In The Autoblog Garage 2017 GMC Acadia 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2016 BMW 750i 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Touring Hosts: Dan Roth Guests: George Kennedy Rundown Intro & Garage - 00:00 GMC Acadia - 1:00 Tech/Design - 34:13 Indycar Boston - 46:52 Total Duration: 54:22 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes

Hummer teases crab mode, reveal set for Oct. 20

DETROIT — GMC confirmed it will reveal the Hummer electric off-roader Oct. 20 and released a video teasing the vehicleÂ’s so-called crab mode. Crab mode allows the Hummer to move diagonally and is enabled by the vehicleÂ’s four-wheel steering. The video shows tires, and well, a crab. “When you're in the really difficult terrain, this just gives you unparalleled maneuverability,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president of Buick GMC. The Hummer will be offered as truck and SUV models, and customers will be able to make reservations beginning on the reveal date. Deliveries are expected to begin in fall 2021. The Hummer was supposed to be revealed May 20, but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Hummer was teased in a Super Bowl ad this year with NBA superstar LeBron James, who is the vehicle's frontman. It will have several EV powertrains which General Motors calls Ultium, and the most capable variant will have an estimated 1,000 hp and hit 60 mph in three seconds. The Hummer will also offer removable roof panels. “This is very much going to be a luxury vehicle which competes against a broad spectrum,” Aldred said Monday on a conference call with reporters. The Hummer will take aim against a variety of vehicles, including the four-door Bronco, RivianÂ’s truck and SUV and the Jeep Wrangler 4xe. Aldred is optimistic the return of the Hummer name will help GMC carve its niche in this growing segment of trucks and SUVs with varying degrees of electric propulsion and off-road capability. GM sold vehicles under the Hummer brand from 1992-2010, before scrapping it in the wake of GMÂ’s historic 2009 bankruptcy and restructuring. Hummer is relaunching under the GMC umbrella. “ItÂ’s real desirability, itÂ’s almost cult-like status,” Aldred said. “I think a huge amount of people are going to have interest in this.” GM, which is re-emphasizing its defense division, could also repurpose the Hummer for military use, perhaps as transport vehicles. Hummers are descended from the Humvee, which is still used by U.S. forces.