The Sleuth was not the only one caught completely off-guard with the news that the 2019 Nissan Altima sedan will offer all-wheel-drive. He casually mentioned the news to a senior executive of a competing brand, whose jaw literally dropped. None of the Altima鈥檚 immediate competitors have all-wheel-drive. Said exec immediately reached for his phone and began furiously texting the details, presumably to his associates. Given the recent falloff in sedan sales, any real or perceived advantage by a rival is always cause for concern. Kudos to Nissan for one-upping the competition and being able to keep it a complete secret.
Is VW going trucking?
It sure looks that way after the automaker rolled out a fully finished pickup concept at the New York International Auto Show in March. The four-door Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak (based on the Atlas utility-vehicle platform) was shown alongside the stylish five-passenger Atlas Cross Sport concept, which is a virtual lock for the 2019 model year. With the apparent resurgence of midsize pickup trucks in North America, the Tanoak makes sense, even if it鈥檚 just a concept at this point. Along with the current seven-passenger Atlas, adding the Cross Sport and Tanoak to the lineup would indicate that VW is forming a sub-brand of Atlas nameplates.
Genesis, what a concept
It鈥檚 rare that an automaker will go to the trouble of building stylistically whimsical vehicles that will never see the light of day. However, at the New York International Auto Show, Hyundai鈥檚 Genesis division demonstrated the brand鈥檚 artistic proclivities. The all-electric Essentia concept features what鈥檚 called 鈥淎thletic Elegance鈥�. One of the coupe鈥檚 primary visual cues is scissor-style doors that rarely make it to the production stage (ultra exotic models excepted). The interior could best be described as otherworldly, but not far from what you might expect in a car that鈥檚 loaded with self-driving technology. Powering the Essentia is series of electric motors backed up by a centrally located battery pack extending the length of the vehicle.
GMC takes the off-road exit
The Sleuth got a good look at a special 2019 GMC Sierra pickup that launches this fall. It鈥檚 intended to sway truckers that might otherwise head off-trail in a Ford F-150 Raptor. The Sierra AT4 Crew Cab鈥檚 sheetmetal is done up in black paint and with black chrome bumpers. Four-wheel-drive is, of course, standard, as is a lifted-by-five-centimetres ride height, protective skid plates, locking rear differential and 18- or optional 20-inch wheels wrapped in off-road rubber. A 5.3-litre V-8 is standard, but a beefier 6.0-litre V-8 or the torquey 3.0-litre, six-cylinder turbo-diesel can also be selected at extra cost. GMC will eventually introduce other AT4 trim packages for other its product lines, such as the midsize Canyon pickup Yukon utility vehicle.
2019 RAV4 longer, wider
Toyota鈥檚 recently unveiled 2019 compact utility vehicle is more aggressive looking and is also longer and wider. The distance between the front and rear wheels has also been extended. The changes will likely appeal to most RAV-ers who will no doubt revel in the vehicle鈥檚 tougher appearance. The off-road-style blacked out lower body trim also adds to the effect. Beneath the hood sits a 2.5-litre four-cylinder that connects to an eight-speed automatic transmission, although hybrid models get a continuously variable unit. A new all-wheel-drive system can shift torque to the outside rear in a turn to help the vehicle yaw.
Market indicators
Trending up: Toyota drops all Scion references for 2019: The automaker鈥檚 youth-market brand was retired for the 2017 model year and now the last models to wear an 鈥榠鈥� badge have been renamed. For 2019, the iM becomes the Corolla Hatchback, while the Yaris iA will henceforth be called the Yaris sedan. The Scion FR-S was renamed the Toyota 86, while the Scion iM hatch and iA sedan carried over as the Toyota Corolla iM and Yaris iA.
Trending up: The reported resignation of one senior Monster Energy executive and the multiple lawsuits pending over claims of inappropriate behaviour by other staff members will likely be of some concern for NASCAR, the stock-car racing association. The beverage company that鈥檚 16.7 per cent owned by Coca-Cola became NASCAR鈥檚 top-tier series sponsor for 2017, taking over from Nextel Communications.
