Buick: Almost exclusively driven by people with gout until quite recently, the Buick nameplate has experienced something of a revival. With a new lineup of surprisingly luxurious and sporty vehicles at competitive prices, look for Buick to experience a small revival, especially once the Verano Turbo becomes widely available.
Car to watch: Verano Turbo
Cadillac: The former luxury barge of the elderly, Cadillac is clawing away a share of the performance luxury market from BMW and Mercedes. Truly great engineering and a marketing campaign seemingly authored by God has contributed to the massive revival of a brand once given up for dead. Expect even more great things in the next few years.
Car to watch: CTS-V Coupe
Chevrolet: Baseball, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet. Once synonymous with America, the venerable automaker can't seem to decide what it is. Does Chevy make trucks? Cars? Biplanes? It's difficult to tell from their marketing and their cars have lacked definition recently. The brand does seem to have big things on the horizon though, and its return to racing is bringing back some much needed prestige.
Car to watch: SS
Chrysler: Chrysler as we knew it is dead. Risen from the ashes of Chrysler is basically the American arm of Fiat. This in itself isn't a huge problem. Every since the company was restructured, product quality has increased dramatically. While I still wouldn't buy a Chrysler, the marque has improved to an outstanding degree.
Car to watch: Alfa Romeo Giulietta (Yes, I know it's technically not a Chrysler, but it will basically be sold as one in the USA)
Dodge: The purveyor of cheap muscle cars has made one of the largest contributions to the auto industry of the last year with the reintroduction of the Dodge/SRT Viper supercar. Although the snake is still undergoing testing, early figures suggest that it will give the flashy European supercars cause for some serious concern.
Car to watch: SRT Viper
Fisker: The more attractive, exclusive, and expensive version of Tesla, Fisker hopes to lead the way into a more sustainable automotive future. Unfortunately, the company's halo car, the Karma, has been plagued by bad press and technical difficulties (something about it spontaneously bursting into flames) that have cast a dark shadow over the marque. Personally, I would really like to see Fisker succeed. Unfortunately, we can't rely on internal combustion forever, and Fisker made some serious strides in the field of alternate energy. Also, the Fisker design studio is like no other and the Karma and Atlantic are arguably two of the year's most attractive cars.
Car to watch: Karma
Ford: My pick of the American marques, Ford really has something for everyone. From the Mustang, arguably one of the most iconic cars ever, to the new Fusion, which looks like a downsized DB9, Ford makes quality machines that do their job with a certain swagger that you won't find on other American cars. Thanks to the OneFord global initiative, model lineups are being boosted and this allows Ford to provide a car for literally any type of person.
Car to watch: Mustang (2015) & Fusion
Jeep: Jeeps are quintessentially cool. There is really no argument to be made. Recent technical improvements have given some models better gas mileage, which makes them a bit more practical. Nothing more to be said.
Car to watch: Grand Cherokee
Lincoln: Ford's luxury arm needs serious help. Although Lincolns are fine cars, they look little different from the Fords that they are based on and they suffer from a dull image. There is an almost universal consensus that driving a bathtub filled with Elmer's Glue is a more invigorating experience. Lincoln needs to innovate or die.
Car to watch: MKS
Scion: The brand originally meant to appeal to spiky haired millenials is now facing a serious problem: the brand's entire target market finds them uninspiring and boring. The new FRS has flashes of brilliance, but it's only one car. A total lineup reinvention is necessary if this brand wants to renew its appeal.
Car to watch: FRS
Tesla: The first company to try to produce a feasible electric supercar, they have been eclipsed in every conceivable way by Fisker. The company is now facing some serious financial problems and is counting on a halo car to boost sales.
Car to watch: Model S
No comments:
Post a Comment