Mercedes Benz

Demand for Acadia and XT5 is pretty great. General Motors is realizing huge sales gains from the new GMC Acadia and Cadillac XT5 crossovers. Increased demand for both of GM’s mid-sized crossovers has seen the automaker recently announce it would increase production for the pair at the company’s Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant in Tennessee. With the context of Ford’s decision to focus on crossovers almost exclusively in North America, along with the steady rise of the crossover–to the tune of 48.6 percent of the US auto market–the production ramp makes sense. Just look at the numbers, the XT5 has emerged as Cadillac’s top-selling model in literally every market where the company sells it, plus, it’s the second-best selling vehicle in its class in the US. First quarter demand for the XT5 is already up 10 percent compared to last year, while the Acadia is up 15 percent compared to the same point last year. With the additional shift added to the production line, GM will add 700 jobs to th...

Many Ford Fusion owners switch brands when they trade in their cars, KBB says. Ford Motor Co. could have trouble keeping some U.S. sedan customers after discontinuing the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Taurus, a Cox Automotive study indicates. Many Ford owners surveyed said they'll likely buy their next vehicle from one of Ford's rivals. Among Ford sedan owners, half said they would switch to a new or used car from another automaker for their next vehicle. Only 10 percent said they would get a new crossover or SUV from Ford; 5 percent said they'll get a Ford Mustang and 3 percent said they will drive a new Ford pickup. While the survey's sample size is small — of the 2,697 responders, only 104 owned Ford vehicles — it highlights the problems Ford faces as it repositions its lineup. And it suggests that, although Ford has said it will replace its sedans with new vehicles at similar prices, the public might not yet understand that strategy. "Ford's got some work to d...

The 2019 Tucson gets a cascading grille?and more advanced safety features. Hyundai's move to rework its notoriously car-heavy lineup with a batch of new, redesigned or freshened crossovers is paying off. The brand has seen record sales performance this year among its crossovers, which topped the 30,000-a-month mark for the first time in June.The second half of 2018 will see reinforcements with the redesigned Santa Fe, an electric version of the Kona and the freshened Tucson. Next year, two new crossovers could be added to the mix. Also, Hyundai's N performance subbrand will make its U.S. debut this year. Accent: The sixth-generation subcompact sedan hit the market last fall as a 2018 model. There's speculation that the discontinued hatchback model could be replaced by a yet-unnamed small crossover, spotted during road tests in July, that's positioned beneath the Kona. The Accent will be due for a freshening in 2020. Elantra: The compact sedan, now in its sixth genera...