1978 Jeep Cj5 Base Sport Utility 2-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

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2023 New York Auto Show Editors' Picks

The New York Auto Show has typically marked the end of the auto show season. That's arguable now that shows have been shuffling around, but if we stick with it, that means that show season wrapped up with a modest bang. While the number of reveals were a bit modest, some of them were some seriously big deals for the car industry. Some of them were also literally big. And these are the reveals that were our favorites. They range from updated classics to the latest EVs. Read on to see what topped the list. 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe View 22 Photos 5. 2024 Jeep Wrangler The 2024 Wrangler is impressive as mid-cycle updates go. It's both a reflection of the longevity of the Wrangler's product cycles (we get a redesign once a decade, almost on the dot) and the Ford Bronco toppling Jeep's once firm monopoly on soft-top off-roaders. The cheaper 4xe entry is a welcome addition, and the ongoing one-upmanship between Ford and Jeep will continue to serve enthusiasts who want the best of the best. This is why competition matters, folks. — Associate Editor Byron Hurd Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept View 9 Photos 3. (Tie) Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept Even though it was far from the most important vehicle at the show, the Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept weirdly stole NY for me. IÂ’ve been largely unimpressed or neutral on most SUV coupes, but now thereÂ’s finally one that I love. Genesis design in general has been on fire lately, and the fact that it can turn out a crossover coupe that actually looks good is more evidence of its excellence. The stunning interior with those orange-backed seats and sporty-looking orange accents everywhere probably wonÂ’t make it into production, but IÂ’d love to see Genesis really amp up the performance angle with the coupe version of the GV80. Oh, and please offer the conceptÂ’s orange paint in the production carÂ’s palette, too. — Road Test Editor Zac Palmer 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric View 21 Photos 3. (Tie) 2024 Hyundai Kona The Hyundai Kona has been a favorite mini-crossover of ours for a while, but it has had some foibles. Most notably, it's been almost too small in some areas. That's been fixed and then some with this new one. It also doesn't lose any of the funkiness that made the model so distinct in the first place, while also gaining some fun styling cues from its bigger siblings.

2019 Jeep Cherokee reveals a much more normal face

Since we started seeing redesigned Jeep Cherokee prototypes, we've suspected that the crossover would lose its controversial split headlights and pointy grille. Finally, we get a good look at a mostly uncovered test car, and it confirms that the new Cherokee will look quite conventional. The obvious change is the headlights. Instead of the slender daytime running lights at the top next to the grille, and the actual illuminating headlights lower in the bumper, all of the elements are integrated into single housings on either side. They're somewhat rectangular now, looking more like those on the Compass and the Grand Cherokee. But you can still see the same hockey-stick shaped LED running light design in the new lamps. The grille has changed, too. It looks much more blunt than the sharply creased, almost pointy grille of the current model. It also looks as though it may extend farther down than the current version. The rest of the Cherokee is very similar to the current model. The flanks are virtually unchanged, as is the interior, and the tail sees only minor changes. The most significant is the move of the license plate from the bumper to the hatch. The taillights' shape hasn't really changed, but the white section is now broken up by black lines, and the red element looks darker. We expect to see the Cherokee refresh soon, possibly by the end of the year. Related Video:

Fiat Chrysler dumped 40,000 unordered vehicles on dealers

In a move that echoes recent history, Fiat Chrysler has been making more cars and trucks than dealers in the U.S. are willing to accept, with Bloomberg reporting that at one point the automaker had built up a glut of around 40,000 unordered vehicles. That’s led some dealers to accuse FCA of reviving the dreaded “sales bank” accounting practice of obscuring inventory to improve the balance sheet. The company reportedly began building up its inventory of unordered cars this summer despite an industrywide slowdown in sales and an eagerness by some dealers to thin their inventories because rising interest rates are making it more expensive to hold unsold cars. The inventory build-up also coincided with Fiat ChryslerÂ’s efforts to find a merger partner, first with Renault, which fell through, then last monthÂ’s announcement that it will merge with FranceÂ’s PSA Group. FCA denies any such scheme and tells Bloomberg the rising inventory is down to a new predictive analytics system designed to better square supply with demand from dealers that is helping the company save money and narrow the numbers of unsold vehicles. The company recently agreed to pay a $40 million civil penalty to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to settle a complaint that it paid dealers to report fake sales figures over a span of five years. While no one is suggesting that FCA is in dire financial straits — the company saw higher than expected earnings in the third quarter and record profits in North America — the practice has strong historical precedent by Chrysler, which built up bloated inventories in the run-up to its two federal bailouts, in 1980 and 2009. It was also common at GM and Ford during the 2000s, when all three Detroit automakers struggled with excess manufacturing capacity and plummeting sales in the lead-up to the Great Recession. Back in 2012, CFO Magazine wrote about a report that explained automakersÂ’ rationale for the practice and how it works: Say fixed costs for a given factory are $100, and that the factory can make 50 cars. Consumers, however, demand only 10. Under absorption costing, if the company makes all 50 cars, its cost-per-car is $2. If it makes only up to demand, or 10 cars, the cost-per-car is $10. Although each car adds variable costs for steel and other parts, if those costs are low, the company still has an incentive to make more cars to keep the cost-per-car down.