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Buyers ditching expensive European sedans to buy expensive American trucks

The New York Times ended the automotive week with a story that adds numbers and context to a range of other stories, from the crossover craze to the increasing median price of a new car to ever more grandiose pickup trucks. The NYT piece reveals that the shift to larger vehicles isn't merely about the average U.S. buyer swapping the midsize sedan for a Ford Edge. Luxury buyers are migrating from plush sedans to plush SUVs and trucks that creep close to six-figure prices, and the Detroit Three are running Treasury presses because of it. From 2013 to 2017, the truck category — everything from pickups to minivans — climbed from 30 percent of the market to 41 percent. In January of this year, trucks claimed 66 percent of new vehicle sales. At the milk-and-honey end of profits, GMC alone accounted for 11.3 percent of all vehicle sales over $60,000, not just trucks. That puts the luxury truck maker behind Mercedes-Benz and Ford, The Blue Oval's feasting on Lariat, King Ranch and Raptor versions of the F-150, which make up more than half of that pickup's sales, putting it ahead of Chevrolet, Porsche and Lexus on the high-dollar sales list. The average transaction price of a GMC in Denali trim last year was $56,000; it's easy to see why, when one dealer told the NYT he just swapped a 2012 BMW 550i for a $71,000 GMC Sierra Denali. That truck starts at $52,900. The NYT started its story with a buyer who took home a Ford Raptor instead of an Audi A6, and optioned that $50,020 Ford Raptor close to $80,000. Over at Lincoln, the new $72,055 Navigator — the one so popular that Ford will increase production — crossed hands for an average sale price of $77,000 in January. And a Jeep dealer told the NYT that the two $93,000 Trackhawks he had on his lot "won't be here more than a few weeks." While trucks head up in sales volume and price, cars are headed so viciously in the opposite direction that "the Detroit Three and even some foreign manufacturers acknowledge they are now losing money on many of the cars they sell." So ... get ready for a lot more crossovers and trucks. Related Video: Find out what vehicle is right for you. Give our Car Finder tool a try.

GM will no longer remove parts from trucks to calculate curb weights

Following last week's mild uproar after it was discovered that Ford and General Motors were removing some optional parts from their pickups to lower the curb weight and consequently increase the maximum payload, GM has come out and committed to a base curb weight for its upcoming Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact trucks (although it has yet to publish them) and its current Silverado and Sierra. The company will do the same for its heavy duty offerings, although those numbers have not been finalized yet.
"This will make our curb weight and payload specs more consistent with those of most other truck makers, making it easier for customers to compare vehicles," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson told Autoblog in an emailed statement.
As GM notes - and as every manufacturer has noted since this story broke - customers still shouldn't take max payload ratings as gospel. Instead, they should refer to their truck's Tire and Load Label, like the one shown at the inset, which will offer detailed information on max payload, specific to their truck.

2019 GMC Sierra 1500 All Terrain spied with raised suspension, off-road tires

The 2019 GMC Sierra is here, though we've only seen the two top-tier trims, SLT and Denali. As past spy shots show, the Chevy Silverado's corporate sibling has more on the way. We now have a new batch of images showing what looks like the new All Terrain package, sort of a GMC equivalent to the Silverado's Trail Boss guise. The current All Terrain package is available in three different tiers on the Sierra SLT: All Terrain, All Terrain SLT Premium and All Terrain X. In addition to equipment from the Z71 package (skid plates, suspension upgrades), the All Terrain package adds Rancho shocks, an Eaton locking rear differential and more aggressive tires. There are some additional features and appearance changes, too. The more aggressive All Terrain X adds things like a cat-back exhaust and Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires. The truck in these spy shots is definitely wearing different wheels and tires than the Sierras we've previously seen. It also looks like it's sitting a little higher, just like the Silverado Trail Boss. This also looks to be an SLT model as it doesn't have the MultiPro tailgate. Expect the 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8s to return, but don't rule out a diesel-powered Sierra All Terrain sometime down the line. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2019 GMC Sierra All Terrain spy shots View 9 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams Design/Style Spy Photos GMC Truck Off-Road Vehicles gmc sierra 1500