And the Best-Selling Automobile of 2009 was…
…the Ford F series pickup…again.
The honored F was redone for ‘09. But once the shining child of the American auto market, the F is far from its prime. The pickup achieved its high-point in ‘04 with almost 940,000 units sold. The number for ‘09? Well under 414,000. With all the cash, advertising, and labor put into it, the F couldn’t break out of the recession’s pull. The Chevrolet Silverado (#3) was well behind it with 317,000, and Dodge Ram (#10) came in with a rather weak 177,000 units.
The big truck losers? The GMC Sierra came nowhere near the Silverado’s numbers (112,000), making the argument for us that it’s time to assimilate the damn thing into the Chevy line. The Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, Honda Ridgeline, and Ford Explorer were nowhere to be seen. The smaller Tacoma, Escape, and RAV4 all did well, however.
The Toyota Camry was the top car and #2 overall. The sale decline with the Camry was small, as the sedan managed to push out 357,000 units. Behind it were the Corolla with 297,000, the Honda Accord with 290,000, and Civic with 260,000. The only American car to break into the top ten was Ford’s Fusion. That came in at #9 with 181,000.
Image Gallery: Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai’s new Sonata clearly looks more creative than the old. The radical styling takes many cues from the Mercedes CLS-class–and we’re not complaining. No V-6 will be available for the Sonata; instead, Hyundai will be pushing ahead with improved safety, interior amenities, and fuel economy. Weight is down to a total range between 3,100 and 3,400 lbs.–an astonishing figure for the growing mid-size range.
The standard engine will hover around variations of a 2.4 L direct-injection unit averaging just under 30 mpg and achieving 190+ hp. Engines will be linked to either a 6-spd. manual or automatic transmission. Interior space and luggage capacity are both greater than their top competitors from Honda and Toyota. Hyundai will be making a “Blue Drive” gas-electric hybrid system available for preview soon after the regular sedan’s release. A more powerful turbo-charged 2.4 will be offered for drivers seeking output in a V-6 range. Read more
Honda to Build the CR-Z, Fit Hybrid to Follow
Honda will be continuing its hybrid path with full steam, despite the poor reception to its Insight sedan. The CR-Z, a sport hatch designed in the spirit of the old CRX, will be the attention-grabber. The CR-Z will utilize lightweight materials, a streamlined form, and possibly a reworked version of the Inisght powertrain to create the greenest sport compact in the market. Honda will also be producing a gas-electric version of its Fit subcompact, said to be targeting a $19,000 starting price range. Both are reportedly scheduled for the 2011 model year and may premiere in the upcoming LA auto show.
Diesel Dropped as a Priority for Automakers
For those of you still hanging onto the idea of a diesel renaissance here in the States, there’s bad news: Automotive News has reported that the six of the biggest names in the auto business have halted their diesel development plans for the US.
Honda, Nissan, Toyota, GM, Ford, and Chrysler execs felt the cost in making diesel engines fully compliant with US (and especially California) air standards was too high; in addition, consumer perception was not favorable enough to dent the move towards hybrids.
Honda had been on the forefront among the six, with diesel variants of the Accord, TSX, and TL in the pipeline. One-by-one, management axed the proposed diesels, eventually putting the whole project on hiatus. Plans from BMW and Volkswagen, however, appear to be moving forward.
-
Social Groups
-
Sponsors
Car Insurance
Cool Cars
Car Insurance Comparison
Car Insurance
Breakdown Cover from The AA
Car Insurance from Hastings Direct
Motor Insurance Quote
Car Insurance
Automobile transport
Auto Transport
-