Whether you love Lexus’ styling or not, you have to admit the LC coupe is a fantastic looking car. It sports concept looks throughout the exterior, from the slim front and rear lights to its wide rear haunches and its lines and creases. When we saw the LC Convertible Concept at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, we thought Lexus hit upon one of the few ways they could improve the look. We also noted how this “concept” looks remarkably production-ready. Now, we finally have our answer: Lexus will put the LC convertible into production.
The company debuted the production LC convertible at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Weirdly, it sported this digital camouflage — as if it wasn’t insanely obvious what this car what this car was going to look like — but you still get the gist of where Lexus is going with this. The car looks great from a frontal three-quarter view with the hardtop roof removed.
If anything, though, this LC convertible is quite a looker in profile. From the side, you can see the proportions even more clearly, as well as the steeply angled windshield. Unlike some convertibles derived from coupe or sedan ancestors, this doesn’t look gawky. To my mind, it almost looks as if Lexus may have been better off designing this car as a roadster from the start. Never mind the fact that roadsters don’t sell, if the fate of the Mercedes-Benz SLC is any indication.
More details to come
What’s even better is what will likely power the LC convertible. Lexus has not directly confirmed this car’s powertrains, but we’re almost certain it will share what is currently available in the LC coupe. That means the LC 500 convertible will most likely get a 471 horsepower 5.0-liter V8 under the hood. Even if the LC is rather heavy for what it is, and not the last word in speed, having that engine even closer to your ears when the top’s down is just icing on the cake.
Lexus has not announced a launch date, but we expect more information later this year.
Provided you could actually get your hands on one in the first place, an ordinary Ford GT cost $400,000. This, as you may have guessed by the racing livery, is a bit more expensive than that. This is the Ford GT Mk II, a limited-run model meant to send out the current generation with a bang. And it does just that, as the sticker price is a whopping $1.2 million, and Ford is only going to build 45 examples.
And no, it’s not road legal.
Mind you, there is a bit more power added to the equation for that price. The 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost engine has been massaged to produce a nice, round 700 horsepower — 43 more than the standard production model. It’s also 200 horsepower more than the actual Ford GT racer, as this road car is not limited by any racing sanctioning body. The race car rolled out in 2016 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ford’s conquest over arch-rival Ferrari at Le Mans. Back in 2016, it also won the 24 Hours or Le Mans race. Now, the Ford GT Mk II is setting up at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
According to Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product development and purchasing officer, “The GT Mk II unleashes the full performance potential of the Ford GT without any artificial performance limitations dictated by racing sanctioning bodies. It’s the closest GT owners can get to the Le Mans-winning performance and exhilarating feeling of crossing the finish line in the Ford GT race car.”
Improving the Ford GT
This track-focused GT hinges around aerodynamic improvements, as well as the increased grunt. Ford removed the street car’s adjustable ride height and drive modes, saving 200 pounds. They also fitted Multimatic DSSV shocks with a lowered, fixed ride height to improve handling and reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible. Ford installed a roof-mounted intake to handle engine, clutch and transmission cooling, allowing the Ford GT Mk II to take on more serious track duty.
While the Mk II gets more power, it uses the same carbon ceramic brakes as the standard street-going model. That includes 15.5-inch discs up front and 14.1-inch discs in the rear, each end fitted with Brembo aluminum calipers.
Apart from debuting at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Ford GT Mk II will also compete in a supercar shootout.
The microbus is a favorite among collectors and those who treasure nostalgia from the 60s and 70s. Volkswagen has always recognized the world’s love affair with the microbus and decided to bring back some memories with a 21st-century twist. Today they revealed the Type 20 Concept Vehicle born again from a 1962 Type 2 11-window microbus.
An electrified VW bus
The original air-cooled 1200cc 40-horsepower engine was replaced by an all-electric drivetrain made up of a 10 kWh battery, 2,500-Watt onboard charger, and electric motor that sends 120 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque to the wheels—three times more powerful than the original.
Walk up to the modernized microbus and a custom-designed air suspension developed with Porsche lifts the body. Instead of a typical key fob, biometric identification secures the vehicle. Integrated into the driver’s side second window is a wide-angle camera that uses a real-time facial recognition system that identifies users. An NVIDIA Jetson TX2 prototyping package handles image recognition.
This car talks back
With the emergence of Siri, Google Voice, and Alexa, the idea of using conversation to handle tasks is more commonplace today. In this case, the developers added a conversational digital assistant to anticipate the needs of the passengers further. Directional microphones in three zones—the front exterior, driver cockpit, and rear passenger zone—are integrated into the Type 20 to receive natural language commands. If you ask it, “are you ready to go?”, it will reply with the vehicle’s battery level.
All of the orange parts you see on the Type 20 were created using generative design methodology showcasing Autodesk’s software engineering and design tools. After entering the design goals and physical parameters such as maximum strength with minimal weight, manufacturing processes, and cost limitations, the generative design software calculates all the possible permutations and solutions. The resulting patterns emulate natural evolution to create organic shapes. The wheels, for example, may look atypical but are 20 percent lighter than forged aluminum.
What wasn’t demonstrated today was the holographic infotainment system. Integrated into the dashboard is a Looking Glass II holographic display generating 3D images viewable without the need for VR glasses.
Plush seating featured in rear passenger area
Front cockpit features holographic infotainment system
“We are excited to move into our next chapter as the IECC, to continue designing innovations that will bring the Volkswagen Group vehicles into the future with cutting-edge technology,” said Nikolai Reimer, Senior Vice President of the IECC. “The Type 20 is a fantastic example of how we celebrate our heritage while striving to advance our technology.”
ERL expands and gets a new name
The reveal took place at Volkswagen Group’s Innovation and Engineering Center California (IECC), formerly known as the VW Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL). The Silicon Valley facility works on projects that shape Volkswagen Group future vehicles. From its humble beginnings in 1998 with three employees and a small office near the Stanford University campus, The IECC in California is one of three global Group Innovation centers that work on leading-edge vehicle technologies for the VW Group and engages more than 180 engineers, social scientists, researchers, and product designers.
Over the past two decades, the center developed several key vehicle technologies, such as predictive navigation and online speech, and working with the Stanford Racing Team to build “Stanley,” the first robotic car to win the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge by navigating 132 miles of desert without the help of humans.
Iacocca was one of the greatest auto executives around.
The Ford Mustang. Dodge Caravan. Jeep, as we know it today. All of these came about with one of the auto industry legends, Lee Iacocca. Sadly, he passed away this morning at his home in Los Angeles, California, but not before leaving behind one hell of a legacy over his four-decade career.
Iacocca was born in 1924 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and originally started on an engineering track. He got into the automotive industry in 1946, when he joined on as an engineering trainee at Ford. From there, he eventually moved on to sales and marketing, where his career flourished. In 1960, he became vice president and general manager of the whole Ford division.
Iacocca introducing the Ford Mustang at the 1964 World’s Fair. [Photo: Ford]
It was here he oversaw the design of one of the most iconic cars in history: the Ford Mustang. After that, he ended up becoming President of Ford Motor Company in 1970. While that is a serious feather in any auto executive’s cap, his tenure at Ford ultimately succumbed to the fallout from one of the company’s most controversial cars. After being the driving force — pardon the pun — behind the Pinto, Ford sacked Iacocca in 1978 after the fallout from the car’s fuel tank fire issue.
Iacocca at Chrysler
From there, Chrysler courted Iacocca, at a time when the company looked to be on the verge of death. He took the reins and started rebuilding the company from the ground up. He even starred in commercials like the one below, as Jalopnik points out, where he said this: “I have one and only one ambition for Chrysler: To be the best. What else is there?”
And that sort of sums it up, really. He oversaw hugely successful projects lik e the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager. Then there was the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon, as well as all of Chrysler’s K-cars. Love them or hate them, they were commercially successful, and Iacocca quickly turned the company around, including paying off government-backed loans seven years earlier than expected.
Lee Iacocca in 1978. [Photo: FCA]
Before his retirement in 1992, Iacocca oversaw Chrysler’s acquisition of AMC in 1987, which brought Jeep under the company’s wing. By that time, Jeep had largely finished work on what would be the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was exactly what Iacocca wanted. Even today, the Grand Cherokee name is a force to be reckoned with among SUVs, and is one of Fiat Chrysler’s best-selling cars.
Iacocca was also a force to be reckoned with in the industry. After his retirement from Chrysler, he sporadically worked with the company, as well as headed up the Iacocca Foundation, which raised funds for diabetes research after his wife died from the disease.
He will certainly be missed, and he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest auto industry executives of them all.
The Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling crossover in June 2019, selling 39,152 examples.
Sales of the RAV4 were up 3.8 percent, marking a best-ever June for the model.
Toyota brand sales were down 3.5 percent in June 2019.
Lexus brand sales were down 3.0 percent in June 2019.
The Toyota RAV4 and Land Cruiser drive the brand’s sales.
SUVs are hot right now, and the 2019 Toyota RAV4 continues to lead the pack in June. Toyota announced its monthly sales figures today, with its staple crossover selling 39,152 examples. That’s up a modest 3.8 percent from June 2018, but it still marks the best June ever for the model.
So, too, did sales rise significantly for the Land Cruiser in June. Mind you, the Toyota Land Cruiser is a large SUV that starts at $85,165. Nevertheless, it racked up a 17.2 percent improvement in its sales from the same time last year. In fact, these models models along with the Toyota Camry and Corolla, which both marked a small sales gain around 2.5 percent, were the only ones to gain in June 2019. The relatively scarce Marai also picked up, but it’s currently only sold in California.
But what about Lexus? In June 2019, Toyota’s luxury brand dropped 3.0 percent from this time in 2018. While most brands are doing well with crossovers, all of Lexus’ crossover models suffered in June 2019. In fact, only the redesigned ES sedan and heavily-marketed RC coupe posted gains last month.
Check out the full numbers below in our in-depth sales report. For more information on Toyota Tacoma and Tundra sales, head over to TFLtruck.com!
Toyota: 179,305 vehicles (-3.5%) sold in June 2019
Surprise, surprise, the Toyota RAV4 is the brand’s best-selling model. Despite that, however, the brand as a whole was down 3.5 percent in June 2019. The brand’s newer models did better, like the updated Toyota Corolla. The company sold 28,869 Corollas in June, up 2.5 percent from 28,168 sold in June 2018.
Despite sedans’ tough fortunes these past several years, the Camry did manage to claw back some sales as well. Toyota shifted 28,889 examples in June 2019, up 2.4 percent from 28,215 this time last year. On the whole, the Toyota brand is down 3.6 percent so far in 2019 in year-to-date sales.
Toyota sales: Month-over-Month (MoM)
Model
June 2019
June 2018
MoM
4Runner
9,638
11,569
-16.7%
86
259
368
-29.6%
Avalon
2,616
2,996
-12.7%
Camry
28,889
28,215
+2.4%
Corolla
28,869
28,168
+2.5%
C-HR
3,640
4,331
-16.0%
Highlander
19,824
21,604
-8.2%
Land Cruiser
272
232
+17.2%
Mirai
166
103
+61.2%
Prius
5,769
7,844
-26.5%
RAV4
39,152
37,722
+3.8%
Sequoia
769
885
-13.1%
Sienna
7,163
7,101
+0.9%
Yaris
1,925
2,462
-21.8%
Toyota sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
YoY
4Runner
62,873
64,828
-2.4%
86
1,661
2,288
-27.4%
Avalon
14,857
19,495
-23.8%
Camry
176,008
178,795
-1.6%
Corolla
152,868
161,462
-5.3%
C-HR
25,811
26,239
-1.6%
Highlander
111,183
114,254
-2.7%
Land Cruiser
1,628
1,523
+6.9%
Mirai
963
743
+29.6%
Prius
29,241
46,171
-36.7%
RAV4
200,610
198,392
+1.1%
Sequoia
4,564
5,441
-16.1%
Sienna
41,083
46,003
-10.7%
Yaris
16,657
16,616
+0.2%
BRAND
1,016,373*
1,054,311*
-3.1%*
*Figure includes truck sales (including Tacoma, Tundra).
The Lexus RX remains the brand’s best-selling model. [Photo: Lexus]
Lexus: 23,047 vehicles (-3.0%) sold in June 2019
The Lexus RX is still the brand’s best-selling model, moving 8,228 examples in June 2019. That’s down 7.1 percent from the same time in 2018, however. The story is much the same for the rest of Lexus’ lineup, with the exception of the ES and RC.
Lexus just redesigned the ES for the 2019 model year, and its sales have picked up since. Lexus sold 4,350 examples of the ES in June, up from 3,592 during the same period last year. The RC has seen some heavy marketing in recent months, and its sales went up from 326 in June 2018 to 381 in June 2019. That’s still a relatively small number, but it does represent a 16.2 percent increase in sales.
Lexus has the UX as well, its newest, smallest and least expensive crossover in the range. It just recently went on sale, so there’s no year-over-year data for comparison on that model just yet.
Lexus sales: Month-over-Month (MoM)
Model
June 2019
June 2018
MoM
IS
1,560
2,017
-22.7%
ES
4,350
3,592
+21.1%
GS
214
602
-64.5%
LS
357
789
-54.8%
RC
381
328
+16.2%
LC
89
161
-44.7%
UX
1,351
New
N/A
NX
4,248
4,862
-12.6%
RX
8,228
8,854
-7.1%
GX
1,947
2,149
-9.4%
LX
322
396
-18.7%
Lexus sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
YoY
IS
8,362
11,296
-26.0%
ES
23,980
19,901
+21.3%
GS
1,730
3,688
-53.1%
LS
2,697
4,369
-37.9%
RC
2,109
1,749
+20.6%
LC
668
1,016
-34.3%
UX
7,969
New
N/A
NX
26,876
28,672
-6.3%
RX
48,061
50,051
-4.0%
GX
10,971
11,670
-6.0%
LX
2,309
2,582
-10.6%
BRAND
135,735
135,000
+0.5%
Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more sales updates coming soon!
The GMC Acadia was General Motors’ fastest-growing seller, improving by 41.3 percent over June 2018.
The Chevrolet Equinox crossover was the overall best-selling car in June, moving 85,657 units.
GM’s total sales dropped by 1.5 percent in Q2 2019, as the company sold 746,659 vehicles.
This quarter comprised 77 selling days, as did the first quarter of 2019.
Most GM brands improved, with the exception of Chevrolet.
As the June 2019 sales figures roll out, we take a closer look at General Motors. The company switched to quarterly reporting, so this is the first opportunity we’ve had to see sales figures since April. Within GM, similar sales trends continue that we’ve seen in previous years. Sedans and niche models continue to drop off, while crossovers dominate the landscape.
The best-selling car GM has this past quarter was the Chevrolet Equinox, which sold 85,657 cars in the past three months. That averages out to 28,553 cars per month, putting it behind the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue.
Other crossovers across GM’s lineup also fared well. The GMC Acadia’s quarterly sales picked up 41.3 percent from June 2018, to 28,420 units (up from 20,108).
Since GM reports its sales quarterly, we’ll stick with those numbers in the getting down to the individual brands. When we post the best and worst sellers of the month though, we will look at average monthly sales against the other automakers.
See the quarterly sales breakdown by brand below.
The Encore is Buick’s current best-selling model. [Photo: Buick]
Buick: 55,373 cars (+4.7%) in Q2 2019
In the past few years, Buick has shifted the bulk of its focus from old-fashioned sedans like the LaCrosse over to crossovers instead. The Encore is the brand’s entry-level crossover, and by a wide margin it’s the brand’s best-seller. Buick shifted 24,291 Encores in a three-month period, up 4.9 percent from the same time a year ago. The Enclave sold 15,159 examples (up 20.8 percent), while the Envision is also up 28.4 percent (9,138 sales).
For Buick’s other models, though, the tale isn’t quite so rosy. The Cascada fell slightly by 4.5 percent, down to 1,312 sold in Q2 from 1,374. The LaCrosse fell 38.6 percent down to 2,487 units (from 4,053 last year). Finally, the Regal fell to 2,985 this past quarter, down from 4,507 during the same period in 2018. Buick is culling the Cascada and LaCrosse from its lineup, and after some more of these results, the Regal may not stick around much longer either.
Buick sales: Quarter-over-Quarter (QoQ)
Model
Q2 2019
Q2 2018
QoQ
Cascada
1,312
1,374
-4.5%
Enclave
15,159
12,551
+20.8%
Encore
24,291
23,167
+4.9%
Envision
9,138
7,118
+28.4%
LaCrosse
2,487
4,053
-38.6%
Regal
2,985
4,507
-33.8%
Buick sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
2019 YTD
2018 YTD
YoY
Cascada
2,058
2,292
-10.2%
Enclave
27,739
22,420
+23.7%
Envision
16,761
16,814
-0.3%
LaCrosse
5,389
11,119
-51.5%
Regal
6,393
8,215
-22.2%
BRAND
107,240
109,695
-2.2%
The Cadillac XT6 is the brand’s most recent new car, and will go on sale soon. [Photo: Cadillac]
Cadillac: 39,739 cars (+1.3%) in Q2 2019
Cadillac has two new crossovers in play this year: the compact XT4 and the XT6, which will soon be available at dealers. Its sedans, on the other hand, are dropping off as the ATS and CTS hit the end of their life span. Sales of the ATS are down 90.2 percent, as the ATS is only available as a coupe for 2019. Sales of the CTS dropped by a slight 7.5 percent in June, down to 2,443 sales from 2,640 this time last year.
Strangely, the Cadillac XTS, which will meet its maker in October, actually picked up from June 2018. Sales of the sedan were up 46.2 percent in June 2019, up to 5,359 from just 3,665 sold last June. These are popular livery cars, which could explain the recent uptick in sales. It’s not the best-known Cadillac out there, but you can get it with a 410 horsepower twin-turbo V6 in the V-Sport trim. If you don’t need a new car, you can also get a used XTS for an absolute steal on the used market.
Cadillac sales: Quarter-over-Quarter (QoQ)
Model
Q2 2019
Q2 2018
QoQ
ATS
371
3,785
-90.2%
CT6
1,862
2,427
-23.3%
CTS
2,443
2,640
-7.5%
Escalade
9,432
9,655
-2.3%
XT4
7,080
New
N/A
XT5
13,118
17,045
-23.0%
XTS
5,359
3,665
+46.2
Cadillac sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
2019 YTD
2018 YTD
YoY
ATS
893
7,747
-88.5%
CT6
4,050
4,894
-17.2%
CTS
4,871
5,082
-4.2%
Escalade
16,251
17,766
-8.5%
XT4
14,106
New
N/A
XT5
26,396
31,890
-17.2%
XTS
9,093
8,563
+6.2%
The Equinox is Chevrolet’s current volume-seller. [Photo: Chevrolet]
Chevrolet: 499,847 vehicles (-5.3%) in Q2 2019*
Chevrolet managed to move nearly half a million vehicles in the second quarter of 2019, including trucks. Its single best-selling car, as ever, is the Equinox, which moved 85,657 units in Q2. That’s up a substantial 15.8 percent from the same time in 2018. The tiny Spark hatchback also did well, picking up 62.2 percent during the second quarter as the same time in 2018. In the second three months of 2019, Chevrolet moved 7,226 Sparks, up from 4,454.
We’re in an SUV-crazy time, so it’s only natural that Chevrolet’s SUVs fared well on the sales charts. The Tahoe sold 32,942 units, up 22.6 percent from the second three months of 2018. During the same time, Chevrolet moved 18,266 full-size Suburbans, up 20.7 percent from Q2 2018. The Bolt EV also fared well, up 13.8 percent with 3,965 sales.
The two cars that suffered most in Chevy’s lineup are two cars that have already met the ax: the Cruze and the Volt. The Volt is down 73.6 percent (1,146 units), while the Cruze sold just 16,166 in the second quarter of 2019. That’s down 57.3 percent from the same period in 2018.
Midsize and full-size Chevrolet truck sales are available over on TFLtruck.com
Chevrolet sales: Quarter-over-Quarter (QoQ)
Model
Q2 2019
Q2 2018
QoQ
Blazer
11,772
New
N/A
Bolt EV
3,965
3,483
+13.8%
Camaro
12,433
13,588
-8.5%
Corvette
5,788
5,785
+0.1%
Cruze
16,166
37,836
-57.3%
Equinox
85,657
73,967
+15.8%
Impala
12,536
13,595
-7.8%
Malibu
30,974
42,267
-26.7%
Sonic
4,024
4,582
-12.2%
Spark
7,226
4,454
+62.2%
Suburban
18,266
15,136
+20.7%
Tahoe
32,942
26,880
+22.6%
Traverse
38,152
35,892
+6.3%
Trax
21,790
26,507
-17.8%
Volt
1,146
4,336
-73.6%
Chevrolet sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
YoY
Blazer
14,795
New
N/A
Bolt EV
8,281
7,858
+5.4%
Camaro
24,516
25,380
-3.4%
Corvette
9,731
10,242
-5.0%
Cruze
39,477
77,691
-49.2%
Equinox
174,157
156,365
+11.4%
Impala
25,795
27,662
-6.7%
Malibu
65,171
76,417
-14.7%
Sonic
8,484
10,565
-19.7%
Spark
13,649
11,399
+19.7
Suburban
29,295
29,861
-1.9%
Tahoe
53,795
50,523
+6.5%
Traverse
72,375
74,090
-2.3%
Trax
46,370
46,989
-1.3%
Volt
3,666
7,814
-53.1%
BRAND
952,248*
1,019,019*
-6.6%
*Figure includes light van (Express) sales, commercial vehicles (LCF, Silverado Medium Duty), light trucks (Colorado, Silverado 1500) and heavy duty trucks (Silverado HD).
The GMC Acadia was one of GM’s fastest-growing models. [Photo: GMC]
GMC: 151,700 vehicle sales (+9.8%) in Q2 2019
Buick isn’t GM’s only brand that leans toward SUVs. In fact, GMC has no passenger car in sight, instead existing as a wholly SUV and truck brand. Among those, the Terrain was GMC’s best-selling model, with the Acadia bringing up a remarkably close second. The Terrain sold 24,988 in Q2 2019, up 11.9 percent from the same period in 2018, when GMC sold 22,327 examples.
The Acadia, on the other hand, wound up growing by a whopping 41.3 percent last quarter. The 28,420 Acadias GMC shifted is a stark improvement over the 20,108 moved in Q2 2018, making it one of GM’s fastest-growing models when it come to sales. The Yukon also grew, selling 20,023 models in Q2 2019. That’s up 2.6 percent from the same period in 2018.
Midsize and full-size GMC truck sales are available over on TFLtruck.com.
GMC sales: Quarter-over-Quarter (QoQ)
Model
Q2 2019
Q2 2018
QoQ
Acadia
28,420
20,108
+41.3%
Terrain
24,988
22,327
+11.9%
Yukon
20,023
19,520
+2.6%
GMC sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
2019 YTD
2018 YTD
YoY
Acadia
59,620
50,008
+19.2%
Terrain
50,352
55,291
-8.9%
Yukon
34,970
34,522
+1.3%
BRAND
277,277*
269,507*
+2.9%
*Figure includes light van (Savana) sales, as well as light trucks (Canyon, Sierra 1500) and heavy duty trucks (Sierra HD).
New reports suggest the new Defender will get a stretched-wheelbase, eight-passenger variant. [Photo: Land Rover]
New information keeps on rolling in on the revived 2020 Land Rover Defender. Set to actually launch at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show in September, the new Defender will reportedly come in these forms:
Two-door “Defender 90”: This version will seat five or six passengers, with a 170-inch overall length.
Four-door “Defender 110”: This model will seat five, six or seven passengers, with an overall length of 187 inches.
Long wheelbase “Defender 130”: This one will be the eight-passenger version, with more space to accommodate more people. The 130 model will have an overall length of 201 inches. Previously, the Defender 130 came as a pickup.
The 2020 Land Rover Defender will have six enging options.
On top of the two-door and four-door versions we knew were coming, there will be a third option. Sources close to the Defender’s development revealed there will be a larger, eight-passenger version, according to recent reports. Land Rover will ultimately offer three variants of the new Defender to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. That way, off-road enthusiasts will have the short wheelbase version, while those seeking a family hauler will have a suitable choice.
Not only that, but a new presentation shows the range of available engines. Nothing out of place here, as these are all tried Land Rover powertrains, although we may not see all of them in the United States. Disco4 forums and Automotive News originally spotted the presentation, with engines ranging from a 2.0-liter turbodiesel to a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine. We don’t believe all these engines will come to the U.S., but it’s likely we’ll see all the gas units as well as at least one of the diesels.
This comparison chart shows the engines with power and torque figures, converted to horsepower and lb-ft.
Model
Engine
Power
Torque
D200
2.0-liter I-4 diesel
197 hp
317 lb-ft
D240
2.0-liter I-4 diesel
237 hp
317 lb-ft
D300
3.0-liter V6 diesel
296 hp
479 lb-ft
P300
2.0-liter I-4 gasoline
296 hp
295 lb-ft
P400 (PHEV)
2.0-liter I-4 gasoline
398 hp
U/K
P400
3.0-liter V6 gasoline
395 hp
406 lb-ft
Stretching the Defender’s appeal
More than likely, close enthusiasts of the old model will protest this latest piece of news. The Defender has stood in the range as a simple, rugged SUV against the likes of the high-riding, high-class Range Rover. Land Rover needs to win new customers over, though, for the 2020 Land Rover Defender to be a financially viable move.
To that end, Jaguar Land Rover will build the new Defender at its plant in Nitra, Slovakia, alongside the current-generation Discovery. The Land Rover Discovery’s D7u platform will also underpin the new Defender model.
Fiat sales continue to tumble in June 2019, but the rest of FCA’s brands except Ram didn’t fare so hot either.
FCA reported 206,083 sales in June 2019 — up 2 percent from June 2018.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee was FCA’s best-selling car last last month.
Ram sales soared 45 percent in June 2019.
Jeep sales fell 12 percent in June 2019.
Dodge sales fell 17 percent in June 2019.
Chrysler sales fell 4 percent in June 2019.
Fiat sales fell 35 percent in June 2019.
Alfa Romeo sales fell 29 percent in June 2019.
Monthly sales across other FCA brands fell in June.
In America, we love, love, love our trucks. If you need some clear proof, take a look at FCA’sJune 2019 sales. Sales of Ram trucks soared, thanks to the lineup’s recent redesign of its 1500 light duty and the Ram HD trucks, from the 2500 through the 5500 Chassis Cabs. Notably, nearly every other FCA model fell from this point in June 2018.
This month, we’re going to take a slightly different approach with how we cover car sales. Apart from simply doing the best or worst-selling cars by segment, we also want to look at each brand in turn. FCA US LLC, as the company is officially called, covers five brands in the U.S.: Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram.
Let’s take a look at each brand’s June 2019 sales versus the same point in 2018. We will report more specifically about Ram’s sales over on TFLtruck.com, so stay tuned for that coming up soon!
The Stelvio was Alfa Romeo’s best-selling car last month.
Alfa Romeo: 1,595 cars (-29% Month-over-Month)
While Giulia and Stelvio sales served as a boon for the Alfa Romeo brand in 2018, sales have started dropping off in 2019. Last month, Alfa Romeo sold 768 Giulias and 818 examples of the Stelvio crossover.
The Alfa Romeo 4C has never been a hot seller, but the brand sold just nine examples in June 2019. That’s it. Of course, that mainly falls on the brand’s omission of the 4C coupe, leaving just the 4C Spider as the model’s last breath in the U.S. With the coupe’s departure, the cheapest 4C you can buy now starts at $66,900.
Alfa Romeo Sales: Month-over-Month (MoM)
Model
June 2019
June 2018
MoM
4C
9
39
-77%
Giulia
768
979
-22%
Stelvio
818
1,231
-34%
Alfa Romeo Sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
2019 YTD
2018 YTD
YoY
4C
91
134
-32%
Giulia
4,346
6,362
-32%
Stelvio
4,600
5,769
-20%
BRAND
9,037
12,265
-26%
The Chrysler 300 is still hanging on, but its sales fell in June 2019.
Chrysler: 12,941 cars (-4% Month-over-Month)
So far as Chrysler is concerned, its fortunes in the public sphere lie almost entirely with the Pacifica minivan. The Pacifica sold particularly well in June, but its year-to-date sales are down by 23 percent.The Chrysler 300 waxes and wanes on fleet sales, where livery companies swap out their models every so often. Despite its age, Chrysler’s last remaining sedan still sells a decent number of units, although monthly sales dropped significantly in June, along with most of FCA’s models.
Chrysler will soon have another minivan with the new Voyager.
It’s worth noting here that we will soon see another model line from Chrysler. The brand is spinning off its lower-end Pacifica models into the new 2020 Chrysler Voyager. Essentially, it’s a budget version of the Pacifica minivan, but it will “drop” Pacifica sales if FCA starts reporting the two models separately when the Voyager goes on sale.
Chrysler Sales – Month-over Month (MoM)
Model
June 2019
June 2018
MoM
300
2,904
4,318
-33%
Pacifica
10,037
9,114
+10%
Chrysler Sales – Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
2019 YTD
2018 YTD
YoY
300
15,857
24,707
-36%
Pacifica
48,527
63,024
-23%
BRAND
64,422
88,630
-27%
Sales of the Dodge Charger grew last month.
Dodge: 38,561 cars (-17% Month-over-Month)
The Dodge Charger and Challenger still sell at a fairly steady pace, even if both are getting long in the tooth by now. Sales of the Durango SUV also picked up in June, and are up in 2019 as a whole. The Journey and Grand Caravan have also shifted a healthy number of units this year, contributing to the brand’s year-to-date sales figure of over 228,000 units.
However, there were some pain points on the numbers strictly looking at June 2019. The brand was down 17 percent on the whole. However, the Durango did grow by a slight 4 percent over June 2018. The Charger did well last month, with its sales growing by 36 percent. The other models, including the Challenger, saw their sales slide by at least 26 percent this past month.
Dodge Sales: Month-over-Month (MoM)
Model
June 2019
June 2018
MoM
Charger
9,034
6,640
+36%
Challenger
5,067
6,822
-26%
Journey
6,704
11,286
-41%
Grand Caravan
12,215
16,267
-25%
Durango
5,538
5,344
+4%
Dodge Sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
2019 YTD
2018 YTD
YoY
Charger
45,046
41,406
+9%
Challenger
28,668
37,367
-23%
Journey
45,431
52,309
-13%
Grand Caravan
71,947
86,778
-17%
Durango
36,991
32,722
+13%
BRAND
228,099
250,933
-9%
Sales across the Fiat brand were down in the June 2019 sales report.
Fiat: 933 cars (-35% Month-over-Month)
To say Fiat is losing steam in the U.S. market would be an understatement. It does still carry a range of four models: the tiny yet fantastically fun 500, as well as the larger 500L, the 500X crossover and the 124 Spider. We’ve seen Fiat’s sales continue to slip month after month, and the June 2019 sales picture is no exception. The brand slipped 35 percent, with each of its models losing ground over June 2018.
The worst-selling Fiat model last month was the 500L, which shifted just 90 units nationwide. The best sellers were the 500 hatchback, which sold 306 units last month, and the Spider, which moved 337.
Fiat sales: Month-over-Month (MoM)
Model
June 2019
June 2018
MoM
500
306
354
-14%
500L
90
157
-43%
500X
200
514
-61%
124 Spider
337
401
-16%
Fiat sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
2019 YTD
2018 YTD
YoY
500
1,692
2,262
-25%
500L
399
904
-56%
500X
1,484
3,225
-54%
124 Spider
1,528
1,894
-19%
BRAND
5,103
8,285
-38%
The Jeep Grand Cherokee was the only model that improved its sales in the June 2019 sales report.
Jeep: 76,826 cars (-12% Month-over-Month)
Right now, two brands have been instrumental in FCA’s growth over the past couple years: Ram and Jeep. The company redesigned most of Jeep’s lineup within the past two years, from the current-generation Compass to the Cherokee and the Wrangler JL. Jeep went from strength to strength on sales figures in 2018, but now it seems they’re starting to slow down. That said, Jeep is still by far and away a sales leviathan, and FCA’s best-selling brand by a huge margin. So far this year, the brand has moved nearly half a million cars.
Let’s start with the Wrangler, for example. Jeep moved 20,055 Wranglers in June 2019, down from 23,110 during the same period in 2018. The Compass is down 28 percent month-over-month from June 2018. The recently refreshed Cherokee and the Renegade are both down 29 percent from June 2018. Notably, however, the Grand Cherokee is actually up 11 percent last month, and its sales have improved by 13 percent for the year as a whole.
There are a few factors at play in Jeep’s sales figures as we head through 2019. Crossover and SUV competition has always been fierce, and recent redesigns are likely taking a bite out of the brand’s sales. In the crossover world, I’m talking about vehicles like the redesigned Toyota RAV4. However, Jeep does have an ace up its sleeve with the new Gladiator pickup (more on that over on TFLtruck.com!). Its sales are increasing, which looks to be having an impact on Toyota’s best-selling truck, the Tacoma.
Jeep sales: Month-over-Month (MoM)
Model
June 2019
June 2018
MoM
Compass
10,976
15,142
-28%
Cherokee
15,826
22,433
-29%
Grand Cherokee
19,660
17,724
+11%
Renegade
6,077
8,533
-29%
Wrangler
20,055
23,110
-13%
Jeep sales: Year-over-Year (YoY)
Model
2019 YTD
2018 YTD
YoY
Compass
75,513
87,510
-14%
Cherokee
97,210
113,719
-15%
Grand Cherokee
123,272
109,313
+13%
Renegade
36,036
50,439
-29%
Wrangler
116,985
133,492
-12%
BRAND
456,281
495,022
-8%
More coming soon!
Check back to TFLcar.com often for more in-depth sales posts and looks at the best and worst sellers in the June 2019 sales report.
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