Chevrolet surprised us with a reveal of the 2019 Silverado even though we are still a couple weeks away from the North American International Auto Show and it is still only 2017. If there are any surprises with this design it is that the bowtie brand continues to gravitate back toward its milestone 1988-98 truck design. The two tiered grille remains, but the body sides appear to attempt some stylistic connection to the passenger car line within the brand. This is the new Trail Boss trim so it will be interesting to see what variations in the styling are featured among the typical myriad of trim levels. Read more…
Once upon a time, Volkswagen was known for selling simple and inexpensive cars. The unconventional simplicity of the automaker’s designs carried over into the brand’s straightforward nomenclature designating its vehicles as the Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3. Somewhere in its history, VW decided to be more than just the company that provided Beetles and Microbuses. Read more…
As a traditional Cadillac enthusiast, I have felt Cadillac’s lineup has been somewhat incomplete since the departure of the magnificent Fleetwood at the end of 1996. While that car shared its powertrain entirely with the top-line offerings from Chevrolet and Buick, it was a car that was unmistakably a Cadillac. It was the ultimate car for being pampered and its sheer size made it the most imposing car on the road at the time. In its absence the smaller front-wheel-drive Deville had to hold its own against the likes of the Lincoln Town Car – a job it did well. In the decade and a half since Cadillac’s last body-on frame rear wheel drive sedan was built, the top end luxury market has erupted in an all-out war between the Audi A8, Lexus LS-variants, and the Mercedes-Benz S-class. While the Town Car is still in production, Ford threatens to discontinue it on nearly a yearly basis and does little to promote or improve it. Now Lincoln calls the Mercury-like MKS the flagship of its line. Yet another Taurus-based Lincoln, it is as if Ford has thrown in the towel as being a true competitor in the luxury class. Read more…
The revival of the Buick Regal name is surprising, largely in that it seems like the model name has been gone for only a couple model years. In fact, the Regal was last used on Buick’s version of the w-car platform in 2004. It was a buckets and console version of the mild Buick Century. The new car is a departure for Buick in that it will offer no V6 and a choice of manual or automatic 6 speed transmissions. Buick is marketing the LaCrosse as a Lexus competitor. If that is the case, this car seems to take aim at the Acura TSX – at least in powertrain configurations. Based heavily on the Opel Insignia, the car was thought to be planned as the replacement for the Saturn Aura. Since the Saturn experiment has now been terminated and Pontiac eliminated, the time was right for Buick to offer such an agile small sedan. Read more…
The new Buick LaCrosse is such a fresh departure from the w-car based model that introduced the nameplate that we felt a Design Critique was in order. That car looked old from the beginning, and worse, bore a large resemblance to the then-current Ford Taurus from nearly any angle. Read more…
