Here are some of the most interesting and significant vehicles in both camps. This is based on the outline of a new vehicle roundtable discussion featuring IHS Markit Principal Analyst Stephanie Brinley, Consumer Reports Director of Automotive Testing Jake Fisher and USA Today reporter Mark Phelan. The Automotive Press Association presented the conversation, which included questions from an audience of prominent analysts and journalists.
Honda
Sketch of the 2023 Honda HR-V. Photo: Honda via usatoday.com
This year was a big year for Honda, and by extension, for mainstream American buyers. The automaker has new versions of its best sellers , the CR-V compact SUV, the midsize Pilot and Passport SUVs, and the HR-V subcompact.
Honda hopes to continue its campaign to improve the off-road capabilities of modest SUVs with references to rugged ATVs; tough fender flares and grille, and some mechanical upgrades. Possibly a hybrid CR-V.
Honda's leadership in safety features is more than skin deep, so don't be surprised if the SUV's strut excels there.
Sedan sales have fallen, but the midsize Accord remains one of America's bestsellers, making the expected update big news for hundreds of thousands of buyers.
The compact performance Civic R will arrive later this year to remind buyers that no one combines fun, affordability and efficiency better than Honda.
Chevrolet and GMC
GM's best-selling models, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups , get meaningful technology additions including the Super Cruise highway driving assistant, updated to allow hands-free towing and passing of trailers . Chevy and GMC wanted updated pickups on the road in 2021, but computer chip shortages delayed that. Other upgrades include a 13.4-inch touchscreen, and an upgraded 2.7L turbocharged base engine.
The ballyhooed electric Silverado and Sierra pickups won't go on sale until 2023.
The GMC Hummer EV super pickup lineup will expand as production at GM's Factory Zero ramps up, adding a $99,995 3x model in the fall.
The Corvette ZO6 will make everyone forget about EVs – briefly – when it debuts this summer with a unique 5.5L double-overhead, flat-crank version of Chevy's legendary small-block engine.
Cadillacs
The Lyriq SUV, the second vehicle when GM's ambitious EV launch finally gets underway, better be a hit. Packed with new technology, including a battery and GM's in-house designed Ultium motor, this midsize SUV makes its mark on the luxury market.
Add in dynamic styling inside and out as well as GM's latest connectivity and entertainment systems and it would be a disappointment if this isn't the vehicle that finally changes the conversation around Cadillac, which has gained a bit of an image advantage over the past two decades from introducing the sting of big sport sedans and bringing the Escalade to the forefront. global luxury market.
A base price of $59,990 makes the five-seat Lyriq within reach of any luxury buyer, but look for models loaded up to the top $100K. It will compete with EVs such as the Audi E-tron, Tesla X and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The public debut of the ultra-luxury Celestiq should also excite buyers' imaginations. It's not scheduled to go on sale until 2023, but it'll have to cause a stir for Cadillac's latest invention to work. That's a tall order in an SUV-crazy market.
Ford
The F-150 Lightning electric pickup is destined to be one of the biggest stories of the year. Ford has increased production plans several times, but production will be limited this year. More important than loading up on 100,000 dollar King Ranch models. Relatively few people will buy EVs in the next few years, but almost everyone will take delivery, get a lawn service, or see a utility truck at work.
Ford's upcoming Lightning pickup work truck and electric Transit delivery van will play a big role in public acceptance of EVs.
Ford's booming SUV business would benefit from an upgraded Expedition – perhaps with an outdoor Timberline model – and a 400-horsepower Bronco Raptor.
Mazda
A brand dedicated to defining itself as sporty – Zoom Zoom, y'all – has struggled to excite buyers' imaginations as the market shifts to SUVs. The near-universal disdain for the brand's first electric vehicle last year didn't help.
Mazda is trying a different tack with the CX-50 compact SUV it launched this spring. Built in Alabama alongside the Toyota Corolla Cross, the CX-50 shares a roof – but not a drivetrain platform or other components – with the smaller Toyota.
Mazda wants to position the CX-50 as more off-road capable than the popular CX-5.
The CX-50 looks great, with its long nose and flared fenders, but Mazda's initial presentation that defined off-road performance as dirt-road driving inspired modest expectations.
Toyota and Lexus
The bZ4X compact SUV is Toyota's latest attempt to dispel ambivalent perceptions about EVs. What better way to show your enthusiasm than a ridiculous name and styling that looks like the RAV4 design team walked into the Lexus studio, but the only rendering they could find was in black and white?
Despite the – shall we say – “flaws” in its corporate messaging, Toyota has committed billions to developing EVs and batteries, and b-whatever is the first fruit of that labor. Due to go on sale mid-year, it promises to make up for the lack of name and styling with the automaker's bulletproof reputation for value and reliability.
Toyota promises up to 250 miles on a charge and a “spacious, technological interior with abundant legroom.” It will be a disappointment this year if it doesn't sell out.
From the original names and big engines, expect new versions of the Toyota Sequoia and Lexus LX 600, a pair of large SUVs that share the same architecture as the new Tundra full-size pickup, which itself added a hybrid model this year.
Lexus is also getting a new take on its best-selling model, the RX SUV. The RX is Lexus' best seller, and the definitive midsize luxury SUV. A hybrid RX model is a must, but Lexus' first dedicated EV SUV is expected to have a different name when it debuts in the second half. If only bZ4X was not taken.
Jeep and Dodge
It's been a slow year for Stellantis USA, after a tumultuous last half of 2021, when Jeep launched the Grand Cherokee L, Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer.
A plug-in hybrid version of the new Grand Cherokee will arrive in early 2022. Expect a battery range of around 25 miles. If the Wrangler 4xe PHEV is anything to go by, there's a huge appetite for Jeeps that can run on electricity.
There's no evidence that applies to Dodge either, but with the affordable performance brand so desperate for a new vehicle, there's no evidence that its customers wouldn't buy a washer if they had a Hemi. That legendary V8 isn't a match for the rumored Dodge Hornet compact SUV, but a PHEV is possible.
The Hornet, if it exists, will share its architecture with the Alfa Romeo Tonale, a sporty compact SUV based on the award-winning concept vehicle.
The Tonale, which closely resembles the Alfa Romeo Stelvio midsize SUV and has a PHEV model, is also rumored to go on sale in the US this year, a late addition to Alfa's very slim lineup.
If Alfa and Dodge both get new vehicles in the same year, keep your eyes on the skies. Pigs may have wings.
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