Automotive sales are predicted to continue rebounding in the fourth quarter of 2020, despite current public health and economic impacts around the world. Below, the Engine Block breaks down some high-level industry data to provide a useful snapshot of the current market. And, since “bigger-is-better” in the world of new vehicle design, we have some exciting information about the U.S. truck market, too. The extreme off-roading RAM TRX, towing extraordinaire Chevy Silverado HD, and yes, even the quirky-but-practical Honda Ridgeline all receive some attention for the 2021 model year.
While this week concerns the current market—and its love of 4×4 utility—check in next week for a deeper dive into upcoming trends. This includes electrification and autonomous technology, but also some wild developments in transportation infrastructure.
Current Market Snapshot
According to a recent auto industry sales study, September was a solid month for auto sales overall. Vehicle sales are expected to finish near 15.5 million, the fifth consecutive month of growth. Even more encouraging, new light-vehicle sales for September should near 1.275 million units, nearly equal to year-ago levels.
These numbers are even more impressive when put into a context that includes delayed vehicle debuts and low inventory levels across the board.
According to Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive: “Available Inventory is far below last year’s levels, yet sales continue to show surprising strength. Going into the fourth quarter, the key question is: Can this continue? Clearly new vehicle buyers haven’t been hit as hard as other consumers during this recession, so demand is likely to remain stable over the near-term.”
It's lunch hour on the east coast. Here's a snapshot of the economy to go with that sandwich. https://t.co/KONi0ZdbWB
All in all, it seems like sunnier days ahead for the auto industry. However, there remain some hurdles to overcome before we can consider this recovery truly sustainable.
What to Watch
Year-to-date sales numbers are still worrisome, dipping nearly 20% overall. And every segment should see lower sales numbers in September, with only pickups and SUVs projected for year-over-year gains.
On top of that, only 3% of available inventory is model year 2021. (For comparison, at this time last year, 25% of dealer supply was model year 2020.) Such debuts are critical for building consumer excitement. With only a handful available—plus a red hot used vehicle market and record-high transaction prices—buyers may be disappointed when they go shopping this Fall for the latest and greatest rides.
It’s worth noting that Hagerty’s 2020 “Why Driving Matters” survey showed a boost in classic car ownership among younger generations. According to the study of 10,000 U.S. drivers, Millennials and Gen Zers now report they are more likely to want to own a classic or collectible car than their parents and grandparents.
This data—in addition to some current auction trends—indicates we may see a boost in special-interest vehicle sales among younger demographics. More importantly, it helps disprove the myth that young people hate driving. (That spells good news for car culture and indicates a strong future for the classic car hobby!)
Demand for classic 4x4s is so high that some companies, like Gateway Bronco in Hamel, Illinois, are specializing in quick turn-key restomods. It’ll cost you close to $100K, but you’ll have it in about six months. Plus, it won’t have the usual gremlins associated with a vintage off-roader. Photo: Robb Report
The Verdict
At this point, the numbers do look encouraging, but keep an eye on upcoming sales reports. Additionally, between the impending election and the start of flu season, we can’t rule out a potential second shutdown—or at least new restrictions. While dealerships got crafty during quarantine, selling vehicles online and instituting home deliveries, it’s hard to sell a car when people have nowhere to go. Fingers crossed we remain on track.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Redesign
Instead of talking about the lack of 2021 designs, let’s discuss one that does exist, shall we?
Honda launched its brand new, fully-redesigned Honda Ridgeline with a refreshed, more-streamlined truck-like aesthetic. Since the pickup debuted for the ’06 model year, it has been a bit of an anomaly. Not quite a mid-size truck, but not an SUV either. And while we all thought the 2017 generational redesign would bring some more ruggedness to the table, it looks like Honda just found the memo now, for 2021.
Brand-new sheet metal covers the body from the front pillars forward. The grille is fairly standard for a truck, now featuring a large, bold design displaying the Honda logo. A chrome strip runs along the nose of the car, shifting upwards to meet the now taller, squarer hood. A fully remade front bumper and new LED headlight design stand out most on the nose of the truck. Honda cites the changes as both an aesthetic and aerodynamic upgrade.
The back-end of the truck remains relatively similar, with the exception of a new bumper crafted to match the twin exhaust pipes. The same can be said of the interior, which stays largely unchanged, save for “crisp new graphics, easier-to-use icons and a physical volume knob,” added to the infotainment system, per Honda.
The engine, chassis, and transmission stay the course, too, offering a respectable 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque.
Overall, this mid-cycle refresh is all about outward appearance. Honda wanted to give its Ridgeline a more “macho true-truck” aesthetic and, in our humble opinion, did just that.
According to Motortrend, “This is step one of Honda’s new light truck strategy of beefing up—and talking up—the capabilities of its utility vehicles in a world eschewing passenger cars at a rapid pace.” As a result, we should expect to see the brand’s SUVs follow suit.
A New Voice
As part of the company’s desire to shake off some of the family-friendly vibe from the Ridgeline, Honda also dropped Fred Savage as the voice of the brand. Replacing the Wonder Years wonder boy with John Cena strikes us as a bold move. Although, if you’re looking to “beef up” your vehicle portfolio, I suppose a professional wrestling brand ambassador is the way to go.
It will be interesting to see how truck consumers react to the refreshed Honda pickup, and whether it will give the automaker a stronger foothold in the ever-lucrative mid-size market. With the advent of the Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator, the existing brand cachet of the Toyota Tacoma, and the respectable status of the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, Honda’s new tough-guy act certainly won’t switch up the leader board.
However, it does have the potential to bring more non-traditional truck owners into the fold and, for them, a model like the Ridgeline likely checks all the boxes.
2021 Ram TRX Go-Goes Gadget
While Honda is trying to inject a little testosterone into its quirky mid-sizer, RAM is busy re-coding pickup truck DNA, a la Jurassic Park style. “Life, uh, finds a way,” says Jeff Goldblum in the beloved blockbuster. And, uh, the 2021 RAM TRX has certainly done that.
Simply put, this truck is insane.
First off, it’s absolutely massive. This is easily one of the largest, most-powerful street-legal trucks to ever hit the market. The 700+ hp Hellcat-powered behemoth is eight inches wider than the standard RAM 1500 and is built with off-road adventures in mind. Featuring a juiced-up frame, a new-and-improved suspension, and a smattering of some of the latest cutting-edge RAM truck tech, the TRX is setting the current standard for what a powerful truck can look like.
On top of its almost-cartoonish power, the new RAM TRX also comes with more than 100 optional Mopar accessories to take capability, appearance, and performance to even higher levels. After all, if you’re expecting buyers to drop more than $70K on a new truck, what’s another $10K on tricked-out accessories?
The available upgrades range from practical to fun. There are the useful bed-mounted spare tire holders and all-weather floor mats, as well as rock sliders, beadlock-capable wheel rings, and a bed-mounted roll bar with integrated LED lighting.
Remember, the aftermarket hasn’t really gotten its hands on this truck yet. So, if you think these accessories are cool, just wait until Fab Fours dreams up a wild steel replacement bumper or GRID shines up some envelope-pushing new wheels.
2021 Chevy Silverado HD Pulls Its Weight
Chevy made waves when it announced at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show that its brand new 2020 Silverado 3500HD would have a maximum towing capacity of 35,500 pounds. (This was particularly sour news for RAM, who had just debuted its all-new HD a month prior with a mere 35,100 pounds.) Not to be outdone, Ford dropped its new 2020 F-350 Super Duty, capable of towing a jaw-dropping 35,750 pounds.
But why stop there, eh? These are the Capability Wars—going to crazy lengths to one-up each other is the point of existing!
As such, Chevy rates its newest Silverado HD at a staggering 36,000-pound towing capacity. That means, at the time of writing, the automaker now holds the title of best-in-class towing for one-ton pickup trucks. (Again.)
Photo: Truck Trend
So how did they do it?
Well, according to Truck Trend, who spoke with Chris Depolo, lead development engineer for GM full-size HD trucks, and Jim Holtgreven, vehicle performance engineer for GM full-size HD trucks: “While the 2020 truck was immensely capable, it wasn’t “fully optimized” for extreme towing. This was a nice way of saying, ‘We left a little bit on the table just for such an occasion.’ Doing so allowed GM’s engineers to go back to the drawing board and extract another 500 pounds.”
Areas for improvement included swapping the Silverado’s front and rear outside steel wheels for aluminum, and extensively reworking the front suspension to increase spring rate of the torsion bars and retune the front shock absorbers.
As Truck Trend points out, to get your hands on the 36,000-lb capability, you need to order a two-wheel driver, regular-cab, dual rear wheel, 3500HD equipped with the Duramax diesel engine and Allison 10-speed automatic transmission. It will also need to be a Work Truck trim and equipped with the NHT max trailering package.
Chevy Sure Does Love A Special Edition Model
On top of the newly-claimed best-in-class towing crown, Chevy also announced four special editions for the 2021 Silverado 2500 and 3500 3/4- and one-ton pickup trucks.. These are: the Carhartt Special Edition, Midnight Edition, Z71 Sport Edition, and Z71 Chrome Sport Edition.
The Carhartt Edition, which builds upon a 2016 SEMA Show concept, starts production this Fall. The remaining special editions should hit dealers by the end of the year.
Click here for a full breakdown of what is included in each special Silverado.
Remember, while this week concerns 4×4 love, next week will dive deeper into upcoming trends. So, leave us your thoughts in the comments and check back next Monday.
