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Why 2015 is going to be a huge year for trucks

Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn took center stage to introduce the 2016 Titan last week at the Detroit Auto Show. He spoke of the truck's new features, impressive Cummins V8 diesel engine and the extensive amount of time and money required to build a modern, competitive pickup truck. "We have done all of this because we see opportunity – an opportunity in the unmet needs of today's American truck customers," Ghosn said. He was speaking about the Titan, but his thoughts echo the industry's mindset: When it comes to trucks, find an opportunity and attack. Even with CAFE regulations looming and fickle consumer preferences, investing in trucks is a no-brainer for automakers. Some consumers will always need a truck for their job or lifestyle. And some people will always want one, whether they need it or not. With that in mind, here are four reasons why the pickup-truck sector is more important than ever and poised for growth in 2015. View 24 Photos The Nissan Titan Is Back Okay, it never left, but the Titan hadn't been redesigned since its launch in 2003, and Nissan sold more NV200s than Titans in 2014. It's an understatement to say the truck was languishing. That all changes with the 2016 model. The Titan will come in two variants, a traditional fullsize competitor and the Titan XD. The XD will lead the market launch, and it arrives late this year. It's pitched as a "whitespace" offering, Nissan sales and marketing vice president Fred Diaz said. The idea is to offer something in the general size and price range of a fullsize truck, but also have some of the capability of a heavy-duty truck. The XD uses a fully boxed ladder frame, the chassis design from Nissan's commercial division, and the wheelbase is about 20 inches longer than other Titan models. The XD, which Nissan is calling the flagship of the line, will be the only model with the 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8. It produces 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, while being able to tow 12,000 pounds. V6 and V8 gasoline models will also be offered on the Titan XD and the standard, non-XD model. When production ramps up, the Titan will be sold with several cabs, beds and trims. New features include trailer sway control, an integrated trailer brake controller, more storage options in the cabin and even laminated front and rear side glass to reduce outside noise. All of this has given Nissan fresh confidence in an area where it admittedly has been lacking. "We can compete," Diaz told Autoblog.

Joe Flacco wins C7 Corvette along with MVP honors

As part of a longstanding tradition, the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII, Joe Flacco, quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, was given a new car directly after the game and trophy celebrations. For 2013, that car is a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and it was presented to Flacco by Rick Flick of Banner Chevrolet, a dealership in New Orleans that was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 before returning to prominence as the only Chevy dealer in Orleans Parish.
Last year, Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning took home a 2012 Corvette GS Centennial Edition. Manning also won in 2008, when he selected a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid as his reward. In 2011, quarterback Aaron Rodgers accepted the keys to a Camaro convertible.
Though we're most definitely an auto-obsessed group, we did watch the Big Game along with nearly everyone else in America. And we've gotta say, as if winning the Super Bowl and receiving the Tiffany-designed Pete Rozelle Trophy wasn't enough for the multi-millionaire MVP athletes, a brand-new C7 seems like an awfully generous prize. Scroll down below for an official announcement from General Motors.

2020 Chevy Silverado HD vs. 2019 Ram, Ford heavy duty trucks: How they compare on paper

Last year was all about the latest in light-duty full-size pickup trucks, so this year, Ram, Ford and Chevy are launching the heavy-duty variants. The first out of the gate is the redesigned 2019 Ram 2500 and 3500 HD, and Ram dropped all the pertinent specs with the reveal. Chevy followed with the new Silverado HD in Chicago, and Ford revealed updates to the Super Duty at the same show. Ford hasn't released details on output, payload capacity, towing capacity or pricing for the updated Super Duty. As such, we'll be comparing the current Super Duty with the all-new Silverado HD and Ram HD. Both Chevy and Ram have revealed full specs for each of their respective trucks, leaving out only pricing, which we've estimated based on the outgoing models. You can see the raw details in the chart below, followed by extra information and analysis. Some things to keep in mind: These specifications cover all versions of the Ram HD, Silverado HD and Super Duty, such as 2500 and 3500 models, and all the way up to F-450. Specifications can vary widely based on engine, drivetrain, cab and bed configurations, so be sure to take a close look at the specific model you're interested in when you get particularly serious about buying. And of course, be sure to check out our car comparison tool if you'd like to look at other trucks on the market. Engines and drivetrains All three of these trucks offer gasoline and diesel engines, but only the Ram has two versions of the diesel. Starting with gas engines, Ram's 6.4-liter V8 has the power advantage with 25 more horsepower than the next-most-potent Super Duty, but the new Silverado HD's 6.6-liter V8 takes the torque crown at 464 pound-feet, nearly 35 more than the other two gas engines. The Ram is also the only one to pair an eight-speed automatic with the gas engine, whereas the Ford and Chevy make do with a six-speed. With diesel engines, horsepower is a weak point for the Ram. The Ram's entry-level turbo 6.7-liter inline-six is the weakest, as the only one with under 900 pound-feet of torque and under 400 horsepower. Even the high-output version only makes 400 horsepower, while the Chevy makes 445 and the Ford 450. But the tables turn with torque, as the Ram makes a best-in-class 1,000 pound-feet followed by the Ford's 935 and the Chevy's 910. Both the Ram and the current Super Duty diesels each get a six-speed automatic, but the new Silverado HD's diesel gets a 10-speed unit.