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Why 2015 is going to be a huge year for trucks

Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn took center stage to introduce the 2016 Titan last week at the Detroit Auto Show. He spoke of the truck's new features, impressive Cummins V8 diesel engine and the extensive amount of time and money required to build a modern, competitive pickup truck. "We have done all of this because we see opportunity – an opportunity in the unmet needs of today's American truck customers," Ghosn said. He was speaking about the Titan, but his thoughts echo the industry's mindset: When it comes to trucks, find an opportunity and attack. Even with CAFE regulations looming and fickle consumer preferences, investing in trucks is a no-brainer for automakers. Some consumers will always need a truck for their job or lifestyle. And some people will always want one, whether they need it or not. With that in mind, here are four reasons why the pickup-truck sector is more important than ever and poised for growth in 2015. View 24 Photos The Nissan Titan Is Back Okay, it never left, but the Titan hadn't been redesigned since its launch in 2003, and Nissan sold more NV200s than Titans in 2014. It's an understatement to say the truck was languishing. That all changes with the 2016 model. The Titan will come in two variants, a traditional fullsize competitor and the Titan XD. The XD will lead the market launch, and it arrives late this year. It's pitched as a "whitespace" offering, Nissan sales and marketing vice president Fred Diaz said. The idea is to offer something in the general size and price range of a fullsize truck, but also have some of the capability of a heavy-duty truck. The XD uses a fully boxed ladder frame, the chassis design from Nissan's commercial division, and the wheelbase is about 20 inches longer than other Titan models. The XD, which Nissan is calling the flagship of the line, will be the only model with the 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8. It produces 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, while being able to tow 12,000 pounds. V6 and V8 gasoline models will also be offered on the Titan XD and the standard, non-XD model. When production ramps up, the Titan will be sold with several cabs, beds and trims. New features include trailer sway control, an integrated trailer brake controller, more storage options in the cabin and even laminated front and rear side glass to reduce outside noise. All of this has given Nissan fresh confidence in an area where it admittedly has been lacking. "We can compete," Diaz told Autoblog.

GM extends production cuts, affects Cadillacs, Camaro and Acadia

General Motors is extending production cuts at some of its North America factories due to a chip shortage that has roiled the global automotive industry, the U.S. carmaker said on Thursday. The move's impact has been baked into GM's prior forecast that the shortage could shave up to $2 billion off this year's profit. GM's Lansing Grand River assembly in Michigan will extend its downtime through the week of April 26. The plant makes Chevrolet Camaros and Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans. It has been out of action since March 15. GM's Spring Hill assembly in Tennessee will shut down for two weeks starting the week of April 12. The plant makes the Cadillac XT5, XT6 and GMC Acadia. The company said it has not taken downtime or reduced shifts at any of its more profitable full-size truck or full-size SUV plants due to the shortage. The news was first reported by CNBC. Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Sriraj Kalluvila

2021 GMC Yukon will pull a 180 thanks to a Hurricane Turn feature

GMC isn't a hip, young startup, but its engineers are out to prove it's possible to teach an old dog new tricks. The next-generation Yukon will offer adventurers seeking a quick turn-around a "Hurricane Turn" feature that functions a lot like Rivian's Tank Turn technology. The two systems use different hardware to perform a similar action. We didn't hear anything about the Hurricane Turn feature during the Yukon's unveiling because GMC planned to keep it under wraps until later, but an eagle-eyed report at Motor Trend uncovered it and quizzed the firm. It's real, and it's engaged when the driver switches the stability control system off, energetically turns the steering wheel in either direction, and mashes the accelerator pedal to the floor. The Yukon needs to be on a loose surface, too. If you're turning right, the on-board computer applies braking power to the passenger-side wheels to prevent them from spinning, while the engine continues to turn the driver-side wheels to rotate the Yukon on its own axis. The exact opposite happens if you're turning left. It's clever and relatively simple; there's no extra hardware required to enable the feature, though it shows the next Yukon is far more advanced than its predecessor. It goes without saying that only four-wheel drive models will receive the Hurricane Turn feature. There's no word yet on whether it will be compatible with all three engine options, or if it will be limited to a certain trim level. GMC will publish additional details about the system, and hopefully a video of it in action, in the coming months. Rivian, on the other hand, leveraged its four-motor electric powertrain to teach the R1T (and presumably the R1S) how to pull a 180. The right wheels turn in the opposite directions as the left wheels – hence the name Tank Turn – to spin the truck around like a CD in a Walkman. Its system doesn't use the brakes. The 2021 Yukon is due in showrooms in the summer of 2020, and Amazon-funded Rivian won't start making the R1S until the end of 2020 at the earliest, so GMC will beat its younger rival to the punch. What remains to be seen is how often motorists use either function. We're betting not very once the initial novelty wears off. Related Video: