TheDetroitBureau.com covers the top stories occurring in the auto industry in the latest edition of the Headlight News podcast. The weekly roundup includes news, features, reviews and more.
CES 2022 dominated much of the week’s news, starting with the debut of the Chevrolet Silverado EV in Las Vegas. The pickup of the brand’s top seller and GM’s second all-electric pickup following the GMC Hummer SUT.
Other things you need to know this week include:
- The Silverado EV wasn’t GM’s only news out of the show, it also revealed plans to roll out a new Chevy Blazer EV and an all-electric Chevy Equinox as 2024 model year vehicles. The Equinox is scheduled to come in with a price tag of $30,000, CEO Mary Barra told show attendees virually;
- BMW got in on the fun at CES, introducing the high-performance version of its new midsize SUV, the iX M60. The new model puts out 610 horsepower and hits 60 mph in 3.6 seconds;
- Vietnamese EV maker VinFast hit the show hard, showing five new models across a variety of segments. Four of those are coming to the U.S., officials noted, while reiterating plans to produce some of its vehicles here in the future;
- Mercedes got in on the fun, showing off its EQXX concept. It’s striking design was aimed at making it more than just a pretty face, it’s functional too. It’s drag coefficient is topped by only the new EQS and helps it achieve a range of 625 miles on a single charge and,
- Chrysler fans got a treat — and some hope — as Stellantis showed off the Chrysler Airflow concept. The all-electric crossover “represents the future direction of the Chrysler brand,” officials said — a future in doubt in the minds of some.
The year just ended was noteworthy for several reasons, however, it marked a first-ever event in the U.S., noted Executive Editor Joseph Szczesny — Toyota outsold GM in the U.S. For decades, GM’s been the biggest kid on the U.S. sales block, but GM was hampered by the semiconductor shortage more severely than Toyota. Plus the Japanese maker sells passenger cars unlike GM. The real question: Is this a short-term result or is Toyota going to get comfortable with the crown?
Executive Editor Larry Printz takes on a tour of Maserati’s top touring model, the 2022 Ghibli Trofeo. The Trofeo trim includes a Ferrari-derived V-8, and it’s the first time the Ghibli sedan has been fitted with 8 cylinders. Lift the hood and you’ll find a Ferrari-derived 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that routes 580 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. Printz goes on to chronicle why the 2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo is very much the gentleman’s GT.
Managing Editor Michael Strong notes there’s no hangover this week from the Consumer Electronics Show. The winners of the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year Awards will be revealed this week. Additionally, Honda is offering journalists a look at the new HR-V, Lexus is giving us some seat time in the new LX and GM officials will tell us how they’re going to improve shopping, buying and owning their vehicles.
Speaking of GM, Executive Editor Printz, walks us through the history of Pontiac, which was founded this week in 1926. Part of a group of brands developed to bridge the pricing gaps between existing GM brands, like Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac, it outlasted siblings such as LaSalle and Oakland. Find out more in the podcast.
Find out more the industry’s history and more by listening to TheDetroitBureau’s latest edition of the Headlight News podcast by clicking here. And look for a new episode every Monday!
