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Poor headlights cause 40 cars to miss IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

Over the past few months, we've noticed a number of cars and SUVs that have come incredibly close to earning one of the IIHS's highest accolades, the Top Safety Pick rating. They have great crash test scores and solid automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. What trips them up is headlights. That got us wondering, how many vehicles are there that are coming up short because they don't have headlights that meet the organization's criteria for an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating. This is a revision made after 2017, a year in which headlights weren't factored in for this specific award. This is also why why some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, might have had the award last year, but have lost it for this year. We reached out to someone at IIHS to find out. He responded with the following car models. Depending on how you count, a whopping 40 models crash well enough to receive the rating, but don't get it because their headlights are either "Poor" or "Marginal." We say depending on how you count because the IIHS actual counts truck body styles differently, and the Infiniti Q70 is a special case. Apparently the version of the Q70 that has good headlights doesn't have adequate forward collision prevention technology. And the one that has good forward collision tech doesn't have good enough headlights. We've provided the entire list of vehicles below in alphabetical order. Interestingly, it seems the Volkswagen Group is having the most difficulty providing good headlights with its otherwise safe cars. It had the most models on the list at 9 split between Audi and Volkswagen. GM is next in line with 7 models. It is worth noting again that though these vehicles have subpar headlights and don't quite earn Top Safety Pick awards, that doesn't mean they're unsafe. They all score well enough in crash testing and forward collision prevention that they would get the coveted award if the lights were better.

GM planning to put its fullsize pickups on a big diet, too

General Motors is just coming off a complete redesign of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra for 2014, but in the US fullsize truck market, there is no rest for the weary. According to Reuters, plans are already unfurling for both trucks to drop pounds from their curb weight over the next few years, but this will unlikely be able to keep pace with the 700-pound diet targeted for the next-generation Ford F-150, a truck expected to debut late next year.
The biggest weight reduction for these trucks might not be available until the next full redesign, which will likely happen around 2019, but the article says that smaller updates could shave pounds in the meantime. Two examples given include an "aluminum-intensive" version of the Silverado that could shed 250 pounds and debut around the same time as the lighter-weight, aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford, and there is also talk of reducing weight for driveline components such as axles and driveshafts. These changes are all part of an attempt to meet strict new fuel economy standards coming in 2017, targets which will get even tougher in 2025.

2023 GMC Sierra AT4X AEV starts at $90,490

The 2023 GMC Sierra hid a surprise we didn't know to look for. We covered the pickup's pricing for next year, which included noting the $3,395 increase on the price of the $83,595 AT4X trim. Only the Denali Ultimate 4WD with the 6.2-liter is more expensive, at $83,995. The AT4X rise pays for extra equipment. the standard AT4X inheriting parts from the Sierra ATVX AEV created in collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles. The extra gear includes a revised grille with gloss black and dark nickel trim, AEV front and rear bumpers with increased approach and departure angles, a hot-stamped hardened steel front skid plate inflate the cost and give the ATX4 a little more capability off-road. The equipment list narrows the gap from the regular AT4X to the AT4X AEV, the latter going just a bit further with four more skid plates, AEV's Salta wheels, and a smattering of black trim around the body. The surprise is that the configurator lists the AT4X AEV as a package for the AT4X, not as a separate trim, which is what we were looking for. That package costs $6,895, putting the MSRP at $90,490 after the $1,895 destination charge.  Unlike some other spendy trucks that can be optioned with another 10% or 15% of their MSRPs in options, there's not much left on the menu for the Sierra AT4X AEV. The most expensive substantial change would be paint, which costs at least $495 for anything but Summit White. There are no other wheel choices, no other interior choices than Obsidian Rush full leather. Checking the boxes for equipment like the console-mounted safe, off-road high-clearance steps, and hard-folding tonneau cover, plus a fancy metallic paint, comes to $3,650 for the bundle. Make it $95,000 before dealer fees and add-ons for Chevy's trail-focused truck. That's about midway between the hi-po high-speed desert runners, the $78,600 Ford Raptor and the $109,600 Raptor R, and $4,300 more than a base Ram TRX, a truck with three $10,000 option packages. It costs a lot more to get dirty than it used to. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.