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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.

2024 GMC Sierra HD prices start at $46,295, increasing $100 to $2,500

After an online reveal in October of last year, prices for the 2024 GMC Sierra HD have crept online thanks to GM Authority. The upscale heavy duty pickup gains a new-look design and a more powerful turbodiesel V8 that boosts the tow ratings every HD buyer likes to keep up their sleeves like aces. The optional 6.6-liter turbodiesel Duramax V8 increases horsepower 25 ponies to 470 and torque by 65 twists to 975 pound-feet, both numbers matching the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD's diesel output. The torque comes with more useful delivery as well, GMC saying it increased low-end twist by about 25% thanks to a new turbocharger. Buyers who go for the 6.6-liter gas V8 will command 401 hp and 464 lb-ft. Both engines run output through a ten-speed automatic. One the gasser, the new gearbox replaces a six-speed auto. The standard 2500 HD's towing capacity checks in at 22,500 pounds (a 4,000-pound improvement), the 3500 HD capable of towing up 36,000 pounds. Broadly speaking, designers drew a more angular front end with a new-look grille, sharper-looking lights, and a redesigned bumper. New wheels are part of the update as well; the 3500 HD dually gets 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, and 22-inch units are optional on single-rear-wheel trucks. Finally, the color palette grows with six optional shades called Titanium Rush Metallic, Sterling Metallic, Volcanic Red Tintcoat, Redwood Metallic, Meteorite Metallic and Downpour Metallic. Configuration variables include Regular, Extended and Crew cabs, and Pro, SLE, SLT, AT4, AT4X, Denali and Denali Ultimate trims. The AT4X is late availability, the Denali Ultimate is new for 2024. The Denali Ultimate comes with the 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8, a trim-specific grille, 20-inch machined-aluminum wheels with high-gloss black accents, power-operated running boards, leather upholstery, wood interior trim, massaging front seats, a Kicker sound system and exterior emblems featuring Alaska's 20,310-foot Mount Denali.  Pricing is up by $100 to to $2,500 depending on trim.

GM earnings rise 1% as buyers pay more for popular pickups

DETROIT — General Motors said Thursday that higher prices for popular pickup trucks and SUVs helped overcome slowing global sales and profit rose by 1% in the second quarter. The Detroit automaker said it made $2.42 billion, or $1.66 per share, from April through June. Adjusting for restructuring costs, GM made $1.64 per share, blowing by analyst estimates of $1.44. Quarterly revenue fell 2% to $36.06 billion, but still beat estimates. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $35.97 billion. Global sales fell 6% to 1.94 million vehicles led by declines in North America and Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The company says sales in China were weak, and it expects that to continue through the year. In the United States, customers paid an average of $41,461 for a GM vehicle during the quarter, an increase of 2.2%, as buyers went for loaded-out pickups and SUVs, according to the Edmunds.com auto pricing site. The U.S. is GM's most profitable market. Chief Financial Officer Dhivya Suryadevara said she expects the strong pricing to continue, especially as GM rolls out a diesel pickup and new heavy-duty trucks in the second half of the year. "We think the fundamentals do remain strong, especially in the truck market," she said, adding that strength in the overall economy and aging trucks now on the road should help keep the trend going. Light trucks accounted for 83.1% of GM's sales in the quarter, and pickup truck sales rose 8.5% as GM transitioned to new models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, according to Edmunds, which provides content to The Associated Press. As usual, GM made most of its money in North America, reporting $3 billion in pretax earnings. International operations including China broke even, while the company spent $300 million on its GM Cruise automated vehicle unit. Its financial arm made $500 million in pretax income. Suryadevara said GM saw $700 million in savings during the quarter from restructuring actions announced late last year that included cutting about 8,000 white-collar workers through layoffs, buyouts and early retirements. The company also announced plans to close five North American factories, shedding another 6,000 jobs. About 3,000 factory workers in the U.S. whose jobs were eliminated at four plants will be placed at other factories, but they could have to relocate. GM expects the restructuring to generate $2 billion to $2.5 billion in annual cost savings by the end of this year.