It seems as though 2018 just came and went.
Time always flies when there’s a lot going on. provided the thrills and spills that many have come to expect from the automotive industry in recent years. From the SUV craze to several new enthusiast cars that have hit the market, it just goes to show you that nobody really knows what’s just over the horizon.
There weren’t any “Deiselgate” type scandals this year, but there was enough to keep anybody who paid attention on their toes.
So, sit back, grab some coffee, and take yourself back through the past year. Here are some of the top news stories from:
Truck, SUV sales soar while car sales snore:
It seems as though the car – the sedan, hatchback, and compact car – are all becoming a thing of the past. At least, that’s what Ford thinks.
In a bold move just several months ago, Ford announced that its car production would cease in North America. Sales have been on the decline for years, not just for Ford, but for everyone. Ford is just the one who said they could justify not selling them anymore.
Then GM decided to do the same thing… They announced in late November that they would be discontinuing several, but not all, cars in their lineup. This includes the Chevy Cruze, which came as a big surprise to many people.
With the discontinuation of all these cars come thousands of layoffs. People who have worked at the same place for years are suddenly finding themselves having to look elsewhere for a paycheck.
As of right now, everyone else will still carry on with business as usual. After all, SUVs and trucks are outselling cars at an increasingly growing rate. The beloved Fiesta ST, Focus ST, and Focus RS won’t be gracing our land again in the near future, nor will the beloved little cruze, but there’s always hope for a comeback down the road… right?
Tesla, Elon Musk make the news… again:
President Trump is famous for making headlines with his foot-in-mouth tweets, but somebody else has to have a turn every once in a while. This time it was Elon Musk.
After a tweet about taking Tesla private because of “secured funding”, Musk was forced to step down as the Chairman of Tesla and pay millions of dollars in fines. This move was seen as fraudulent and shady by his investors (Source).
Elon Musk is a mainstay in the news, and he is notorious for lashing out at those who criticize his products and his work. This time, things caught back up with him.
Fire, Fire, Everywhere:
More and more reports are surfacing of certain Hyundai and Kia models randomly catching on fire, presumably because of a wiring defect. No official reason for the fires has been pinpointed and no official recalls have been issued… yet.
220 reports have been filed for models that include the 2011-2014 Kia Sorento, Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Santa Fe, and the 2011-2015 Kia Soul (Source). Kia and Hyundai have both insisted that investigations are underway and that nothing abnormal has been found.
If reported fires continue to rise, the sister companies will be forced to recall almost 3 million vehicles.
The Toyota Supra still isn’t here:
There isn’t too much to say here except that Toyota has just taken their sweet time in releasing a modern version of one of the greatest cars ever made.
The Supra has appeared everywhere, it has been driven by many, and all with its camouflage still on. Reports on just about every aspect of what the car is, can be, and should be are all over the media. What we do know is that the new Supra will definitely be a car…
More Power, please:
The demand for horsepower has increased. Just about every manufacturer has answered the call, including Mazda who added a turbocharged engine option to their Mazda6 and a little more grunt to their already peppy MX-5 Miata.
Fiat-Chrysler, not to be outdone in the horsepower department, is offering the Challenger Redeye, a marriage between the now discontinued Demon and their already mighty Hellcat. They also offer the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which features the Hellcat V8.
And, it’s not just sheer horsepower numbers that are increasing. Desired horsepower is being reached with smaller displacement engines with the help of turbochargers. The new Honda Accord and the Mazda6 both added turbocharged engines this year with the Nissan Altima joining the ranks in the very near future.
Electric Everything:
While turbos are being added to regular internal combustion engines to increase power and efficiency, electric vehicles and plans to start manufacturing electric vehicles are working against gasoline to be the future of the automotive industry.
Companies like Jaguar, Volkswagen, General Motors, and even Ferrari all have plans to have either a complete lineup of electric vehicles or electrification of some kind integrated into their lineups within the next 5-10 years.
Total vehicle electrification may prove a little more difficult than many foresee. That doesn’t mean that manufacturers from every country aren’t shifting their focus. They are certainly laying the groundwork to move away from tradition and into a new era.
The news can be exciting, but more often than not, it isn’t. Something that is exciting most of the time is the new cars that became available for you and me within the past year. Take a look at the lineup…
2018 Kia Rio:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Nobody ever said that inexpensive needs to be terrible. Kia certainly doesn’t think that needs to be the case, and the Rio proves it.
It’s one of the cheapest new cars you can buy, it was just completely redesigned for, and it will give its buyers a great value for their money. It looks good and its appearance is backed up with a rather healthy amount of oomph for its class.
2018 Kia Stinger:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Another Kia that has made quite a splash is the Stinger. Critics have been pleasantly surprised by what the Stinger is, does, and stands for.
The Stinger is more of a grand tourer than a hard core sports sedan/hatchback, but it’s one of the best vehicles you can buy today. Part of what makes it good is that it’s a Kia. Not enough people realize how much they are missing if they’ve discounted the car because of its badge. Don’t make the same mistake yourself.
2018 Honda Accord:
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
One of Honda’s perennial best sellers has gotten a lot better this year. A complete redesign makes it one of the best looking cars in its class and adds features that bring it to the forefront of the family sedan ranks.
We’re sad that the V6 engine is gone, but in its place is a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes almost as much power as the previous generation’s outgoing V6. This car will make many people happy with their purchase, and it should be considered over most SUVs… even though it probably won’t be.
2018 Lexus LC 500:
It’s beautiful, it’s closer to the LFA than any other Lexus to date, and it’s one of the few new cars that still use a naturally aspirated engine. All of that make it pretty special.
It is pricey, which means that it will be one of the harder cars to obtain on this list, which isn’t ideal. It’s also one of the cars on this list that you look at and have a hard time looking away, because you just need to have one.
2018 Nissan Kicks:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
I have to be honest… I really don’t like this vehicle. But, there are a lot of other people in this world, and it seems like most of them do. That being said, it perfectly quenches today’s modern day thirst for everything SUV.
It also provides a faux replacement for those who loved the recently deceased Juke. It retains the spunk and character that defined the Juke just on a smaller – both literally and figuratively – scale. Expect it to do pretty well for Nissan and turn some heads in the process.
2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Quite possibly the one SUV on the market that can fake being some sort of sports car for a few minutes, the Stelvio separates itself enough from the largely humdrum SUV market to warrant its own section here.
It sounds great, handles better than every other SUV available, and it’s an Alfa Romeo. That alone adds something special that no other manufacturer can add no matter how hard they try. It’s a true sports SUV, if there even is such a thing.
2018 Hyundai Kona:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
The Kona is perfectly balanced. It has the sensibility and practicality that Hyundai provides with a bit of flair, even if it is only in its design. It’s also an SUV which automatically gives it some cred in today’s market.
The Kona comes with plenty of spunk – 175 horsepower from a turbocharged 4-cylinder. You can even get a dual clutch transmission with all that spunk. We all know that none of anything we’ve said makes the Kona fast, sporty, or exceedingly capable off-road, but you have to admit that the Kona sounds pretty good anyway.
2018 McLaren 720S:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Most of us aren’t going to be able to afford the McLaren’s 720S’ asking price of a little under $300,000, but there’s also a reason that those who can afford one are buying them. The 720S is probably one of the best supercars one could buy today.
Some have said that its looks are a little controversial and weird, but I would assume that its performance makes up for whatever people might have to say about how it looks. The point is, that it’s a fantastic supercar, even by supercar standards.
2018 Ford Mustang:
The Mustang continues to improve every year. At least, in terms of keeping pace with the competition. Lovers of the classics will always say otherwise, but with the reinstatement of the Bullitt to the lineup, we may see some old-timers come-to just a little more.
Despite some early engine problems, the Mustang offers truly good performance at a bargain price. It is the quintessential American sports car.
All the SUVs:
SUVs were everywhere in 2017. They’re even more everywhere in. With the market being so hot, there have been numerous new models that have come out and manufacturers that previously never made SUVs before have jumped into the game.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much time and space able to be dedicated to each one. So, we don’t feel the need to use up our space and time for each new SUV that has come out in.
Quite frankly, all the new SUVs have already blended in with all the other SUVs that are available to you and me. All have their merits, and all have their shortcomings. Every manufacturer needs an SUV in their lineup to make sales, but none have been transcendent or ground-breaking in any way.
Nonetheless… some of the new or redesigned SUVs that came out this year include the Lincoln Navigator, Ford Expedition, Volvo XC60, Buick Enclave, Range Rover Velar, Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Equinox, Volkswagen Tiguan, Volkswagen Atlas, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Subaru Crosstrek, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Ford EcoSport, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota C-HR… whew! There are a few more, but, well… you get it.
Out with the old, in with the new…
Unfortunately, there are also cars that have had to enjoy while it lasted because they aren’t coming back. They say you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Let’s just hope, at least for some of these cars, that becomes a reality. For others, maybe not so much.
Dodge Viper:
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
The Viper was like a fine wine that got better each year. Apart from the fact that the Viper was more like Moonshine than wine, it did actually get to the point where it was a legitimate, top-performing supercar before it was put to rest.
There have been rumbles here and there that the Viper will make a return one day, but we would guess that it just won’t be the same. Perhaps “hybrid” might sneak into the equation? We hope not, but we wouldn’t be surprised.
Dodge Demon:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
A car that’s the farthest from a hybrid as humanly possible, we knew the Demon would have a limited production run, so there aren’t any surprises here.
It will still be missed, and we won’t be surprised when the Dodge Devil – or whatever they decide to name its successor – sets a new production car record on the drag strip, probably with about 1500 horsepower from its two rocket boosters.
Chevy SS:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
The Chevy SS was the perfect family sedan. Well, it would have been if people weren’t so gung-ho about SUVs. It was the perfect balance of crazy and well-mannered. Who wouldn’t want an under-the-radar family car with a V8 under the hood? Apparently, not many.
If you missed buying one new, you’d better hurry and find a nice used one, because the value on these things is going to skyrocket before you know it. Just look at the Pontiac G8 GT if you need any proof. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Hyundai Azera:
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
Nobody knew what a Hyundai Azera was. In fact, it was similar to the Kia Cadenza, which most people also don’t know anything about. This is going to be harder than I thought… Let me put it this way: Take a Hyundai Sonata, throw a bunch of luxury at it, and make it bigger. That’s a Hyundai Azera.
Now that you kind of have an idea of what it is, you probably also get the idea that nobody really wanted a larger Hyundai Sonata with a bunch of extra luxury features added to it. That’s exactly why is the year it finally died.
Chrysler 200:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Fiat-Chrysler just can’t get it right when it comes to the “Just make the car right so it doesn’t fall apart and fail miserably” game. The Dodge Dart was awful and fell first. The Chrysler 200 is right on its heels. The 200 might have been nicer than the Dart but you can only fake quality for so long.
The 200 wasn’t just a victim of poor craftsmanship. It always lagged behind competitors in just about everything else too. Pair that with the lack of consumer car-buying and you can see why the 200 is dropping to 0.
Mitsubishi Lancer:
Even if Mitsubishi didn’t plan on taking their lineup to SUV-only, it would have been time for the Lancer to disappear. It was time to retire – even if it was forced to retire by its own people.
The death of the Lancer Evolution started the process a few years ago, and Mitsubishi just decided to let whatever was left of the Lancer go and weather the storm by itself. The truth is that it never had a chance, but it will always have a soft spot in our hearts.
Honda Accord Coupe:
The Honda Accord is all new for, but instead of continuing every variant, the Accord Coupe was dropped in favor of four doors all the time. It was the last honest-to-goodness sports coupe on the market, at least in terms of affordability.
The Accord was always large enough and affordable enough fill a special niche that nobody else really had. Now, if you want two doors, you will have to get a true sports car, an Audi A5, or something with a BMW logo on the front.
Volkswagen CC:
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
The CC was a car that didn’t really fit in anywhere. It looked great but it was never a huge seller. It did have all the Volkswagen charm that you got with a Golf, the refinement you got with a Passat, and the engine you got with any other VW car, but that just wasn’t enough.
Anybody who knew about the CC could have seen this coming a long time ago, but it died an honorable death. We loved it, but we’re really not sure why. The good part about it is that we don’t really need to know why. And, that’s fine with us.
So… What have we learned from?
The first thing we learned is about the future and where it is going. We all know that electric cars are on the horizon. We also now know that manufacturers are serious about pushing for them, because more than ever before have revealed solid plans to electrify their lineups with deadlines to make sure it happens.
The second thing that we’ve learned is that autonomous vehicles may still be further away than many of us are led to believe or already think.
Companies like Tesla and Google are always the front runners in the news for their work with self-driving cars. A lot of manufacturers are also using an increasing amount of automated systems in their vehicles like automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control.
Even so, the lack of news on the automation front has led us to believe that fully functioning and safe self-driving vehicles are a ways down the road. Better doesn’t mean perfect, and perfect needs to be achieved before full automation is.
The third thing that we’ve learned is that driving isn’t dead. The Kia Stinger, Ford Mustang, and even the Alfa Romeo Stelvio show us that cars don’t have to be boring, but rather are made to be more than a box on wheels that just gets the job done. Even the Kia Rio’s simplicity and its commitment to remaining an inexpensive car is refreshing.
We’ve also seen the opposite, though. The Dodge Viper, Honda Accord Coupe, and Chevy SS have been discontinued. It may be that nobody realizes the importance of each model that gets removed from production until they actually disappear.
As unimportant as a car might be due to low sales, there will be some kind of hole left over in its wake. A little something special dies with any car when its time comes, and cars like these are disappearing at a faster rate each year.
What more can be said except that another year has come and gone and we will have to continue pressing on along with the cars available to us.
Whether you’re a car nerd, enthusiast, or the most average consumer, offered something for you. That’s great news, because it means that every market is still being honored and catered to in a quickly changing and demanding world.
At the very least that’s good to hear and at best, it’s pretty special. It means that there’s no better time for anybody from anywhere to have a car, because there’s still a car for everyone.
We hope that will be the case for years to come, and we hope that you will have a wonderful 2019 full of surprises and great car news!
