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Trucks, SUVs — and Camry — shine in mixed U.S. January vehicle sales

DETROIT — Automakers posted mixed U.S. new vehicle sales data for January, with American consumers continuing to abandon passenger cars for the larger pickup trucks, SUVs and crossover models that manufacturers also love because they are far more profitable. Total industry auto sales for the month rose 1 percent versus January 2016. According to Autodata Corp, which tracks industry sales, the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of U.S. car and light truck sales in January fell to 17.12 million units from 17.44 million a year earlier. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a January SAAR of 17.2 million units. U.S. auto industry sales fell 2 percent in 2017 to 17.23 million vehicles after hitting a record high in 2016 and are expected to drop further in 2018 despite a solid economy. Interest rates are rising and around 4 million late-model used cars will return to dealer lots this year to compete with more expensive new ones. Automakers have used consumer discounts to boost sales, a growing concern for observers who say this undermines resale values and profits. Discounts declined in January, but remained above 10 percent of manufacturers' recommended prices. ""I think the industry has accepted that (sales) volumes will fall somewhat in 2018 ... and I don't think the industry is going to go over the cliff with insane incentives," Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of AutoNation Inc, told Reuters after his company, the largest U.S. auto retail chain, posted a higher quarterly net profit. Mark Wakefield, head of the North American automotive practice for consultancy AlixPartners, had a gloomier perspective. The industry's less-than-stellar sales performance for January showed "we are now past the peak," he said. "Automakers are now selling the deal instead of the vehicle," he said. "That's a tough spot to be in because that treadmill is hard to get off once you're on it." General Motors January sales rose 1.3 percent, driven by a 16 percent rise in fleet sales. Sales to consumers fell 2.4 percent. GM posted strong gains for models such as the Silverado pickup truck and Equinox crossover model, while its passenger cars continued to struggle. Ford The Blue Oval posted a 6.6 percent sales decline for January, with retail sales down 4.3 percent. Sales of Ford's F-Series pickup trucks - America's best-selling vehicle brand for decades — rose 1.6 percent. Passenger cars were down more than 23 percent.

Stellantis axed the SRT engineer team, but performance isn't going away

Stellantis has broken up the Street & Racing Technology (SRT) engineering team that created over a dozen high-performance vehicles, including the Dodge Charger Hellcat, but the situation isn't as dire as it sounds. The newly-formed company assigned SRT's former engineers to different positions, where they'll continue to make hot rods. "All of the core elements of the SRT performance engineering team have been integrated into our company's global engineering organization," a spokeswoman told enthusiast website Mopar Insiders. She added that integrating SRT's personnel into other brands in the Stellantis portfolio will ensure that the lessons learned from decades of peddling speed will permeate other products. Previously, SRT operated with a high degree of independence. Don't get too excited. Her statement does not necessarily mean that Citroen will begin building cars powered by the Hellcat engine, though a C3 Chat D'enfer sounds absolutely epic. Technology transfer will likely be limited to fields like aerodynamics and thermal management, and the design department might learn a couple of neat new tricks. Dodge will still move forward with the development of its next SRT-branded cars; the decision to dissolve the SRT team will not affect future models, according to the spokeswoman. Whether they'll be powered by a V8 is up in the air, because company boss Tim Kuniskis warned that regulations are killing the eight-cylinder engine. Similarly, Jeep will continue designing high-performance models, like the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. What changes is that the model will be developed and designed by a group of engineers and designers from Jeep, not from SRT. SRT is dead, but performance isn't going away. SRT's demise nonetheless marks the end of an era for Chrysler. The division traces its roots to 1989, when some of the company's brightest minds were brought together to develop the first-generation Dodge Viper. It merged with Team Prowler to form the Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE) group, which was renamed Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO) in 2002 and finally dubbed SRT in 2004. SRT has operated as the carmaker's in-house tuner since, its resume includes a diverse selection of cars ranging from the Neon SRT-4 to the 1500 TRX, and it was promoted to a standalone brand led by designer Ralph Gilles in 2011. Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) axed the SRT brand in 2014 but kept the name and the development team. Related video:

2021 Ram 1500 TRX debuts as a Hellcat-powered, desert-running Raptor killer

The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is here, and Ford’s free ride is over with the F-150 Raptor. Ford has had it good for a long time without any significant competition. Neither GM nor FCA entered the off-road full-size truck market with an offering like the Raptor. Chevy makes the Colorado ZR2, but itÂ’s a midsize truck. With the introduction of the Ram TRX, Ford finally has a proper competitor. Timing of the Ram TRXÂ’s release happens to fall in an in-between time for the Raptor, too. The F-150 is all new for 2021, but Ford hasnÂ’t released any details on the Raptor variant — though, weÂ’ve heard that the wait wonÂ’t be long. Regardless, Ford had better be aiming for the moon if it aims to best the TRX, because RamÂ’s new off-road truck is one hell of a moonshot. There is a lot to take in here, so weÂ’ve divided the chunks of information into a few digestible sections. LetÂ’s start with the underneath bits, which are arguably the most important of all when desert running and jumping is taken into consideration. Ram TRX frame and suspension Ram boasts that the frame underneath the TRX is 75 percent different from a regular Ram 1500. It uses thicker high-strength steel with low torsion attributes for stability and durability. The side rails are fully boxed, and sections of the frame are hydroformed. Ram claims its truck holds up to jumping and high impact events better than the competition, which in this case is simply code for the outgoing Raptor. ItÂ’s designed to handle rough terrain at 100 mph-plus. Compared to a Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter V8, itÂ’s 600 pounds heavier. Ram is not messing around here. Damping is taken care of by Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive shocks, aided by nitrogen-charged remote reservoirs to ensure maximum durability. The shocks will continuously adjust damping force to best handle the terrain, but you can control them via a number of modes, too. Ram says that in addition to the off-road capability, the shocks make for a smoother ride on pavement. The internals of the shocks feature a “Jounce Cut Off” that has three zones for progressive bottom-out control. You know, for when you take that jump at speed on your way to the office. 2021 Ram 1500 TRX chassis with brakes View 7 Photos Just like the other Ram 1500s, this one uses a five-link coil suspension design for the rear. However, the design is unique to the TRX with different hard points to allow room for a Dana 60 rear axle.