LA Auto Show: White Space Crossovers
LA Auto Show: White Space Crossovers Brands are eager to fill out their CUV lineups. By Randy Lioz, Editor, Car-ED.com | December 2018 Sport utilities, particularly crossover vehicles on car-based platforms (as opposed to rugged truck-based SUVs), have continued to take over the passenger car market. By the end of October of last year, automakers had sold 15% more utilities than cars. Over that same period this year that advantage has grown to 42%! There's no sign of this trend abating, which means that the industry continues to pour resources into developing new utilities to fill every possible niche. But good ideas are contagious, so there are definitely plenty of commonalities in the vehicles that are hitting the market. At the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show there were several brand new utilities on display that buyers should check out. The first two that we'll highlight have similar missions for their brands. The Chevrolet Blazer and Honda Passport each revive names from the past that recall the era in which SUVs first started to gain prominence. The original Blazer and Passport were 5-seater midsized truck-based SUVs, competitors to the popular Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder from the '90s. These new-for-'19 models follow a similar formula, in that they're midsized and ready for the dirt trails, though both are car-based, which allows for better space and fuel efficiency. The third vehicle that deserves attention in this [...]
