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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 is quietly slashing prices on base models

While General Motors' fourth quarter financial figures haven't yet been released, the automaker seems to be weathering a potentially rocky time well, even beating third-quarter projections last year. To keep the climb going, the company is launching new base trims for several popular models that make them cheaper than ever but with tight dealer margins. The new entry-level trims are the Chevrolet Cruze L, Equinox L, GMC Terrain SL and Buick LaCrosse 1SV. Buyers lose some content by picking them, but the prices are slashed. According to Cars Direct, the biggest savings are on the LaCrosse, where customers pay $31,065, plus $925 destination, $2,570 less than the previous base 1SB trim but must accept things like 17-inch wheels and no cargo net in the back. If you're wondering how Buick can remove only a little equipment but cut the price so much, it's because the company also slashed dealer margins. According to Cars Direct, the difference between the invoice and MSRP for the LaCrosse 1SV is only around $150, compared to around $1,350 before. The disparity is even greater for the Cruze with an $81 difference in the prices, compared to about $600 for the LS version. Showrooms are expected to keep very low stocks of these trims, though. "Dealers use such vehicles to get people in the door, but they do not generally want to do high volumes of these strippers. The margins are next to nothing; they don't make much money off these cars," said Ed Kim, Vice President of Industry Analysis for AutoPacific to Autoblog. Dealers are also expected to advertise that these new base trims undercut major competitors. For example, the Cruze L rings up for about $2,320 less than a Honda Civic LX, according to Cars Direct. One potential drawback for buyers is that these models might not be eligible for incentives. While the attractive prices might get customers into dealers, folks may not actually end up driving home with these entry-level models. Kim indicated base trims also make up a small portion of the sales mix. "Consumers aren't asking for stripped out vehicles, even at the low end of the marketplace," he said. Featured Gallery 2015 Chevrolet Cruze View 9 Photos News Source: Cars DirectImage Credit: Chevrolet Buick Chevrolet GM GMC Car Buying Car Dealers Crossover Sedan gmc terrain cheap cars

2016 Chevy Silverado puts on a better face

When Chevrolet introduced the redesigned Silverado pickup for 2014, you, our loyal readers, gave the new truck's front-end a lukewarm response. Aside from saying it was ugly, one commenter came to the far more damning conclusion that this brand-new vehicle already looked dated. For 2016, Chevy has attempted to address opinions like that, issuing a comprehensive facelift to its bread-and-butter pickup. Designers cut way back on the chrome for 2016, fitting a body-color strip across the middle of the grille and going to a single-headlight design. Combined with twin LED running lamps, the new look is much more modern while still harkening back to the retro-ish look introduced a few years back. The new truck also gets a much more muscular and aggressive hood, while the front bumper is significantly more modern, and features vertical housings for what look like LED foglights. The bad news, here, is that there's only one picture, shown above. We have no idea what changes Chevy has made to the rear of the pickup, nor do we know what other versions of the truck beyond the Z71 seen here may be available. The Bowtie brand did, however, confirm that we'd see a wider application of the eight-speed automatic transmission, as well as a new version of the MyLink infotainment system, which will play nice with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Look for much more on the freshened Silverado when it makes its official debut this fall. Until then, check out the press release and hop into Comments. We'd love to hear what you think about this facelift. 2016 Silverado: The New Face of Strong - Bolder, more sculpted look reflects Silverado strength, dependability - Available support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay - Expanded use of 8-speed transmissions; additional safety technologies DETROIT – Chevy Trucks are on a roll, with Chevrolet pickup sales up 32 percent so far this year. Chevrolet intends to strengthen this momentum with significant updates for the 2016 Silverado 1500 full-size pickup. "The redesigned 2016 Silverado will build on Chevy Trucks' legacy of dependability. It will feature a more muscular appearance and offer new customer-focused technologies," said Sandor Piszar, marketing director for Chevy Trucks.