Top 10 Car News Stories of 2016
It’s been quite the year. 2016 has been one for the record books in some aspects, while in others, it’s been a year to forget. America voted in a president-elect with awful hair and a scrappy attitude. The internet was broken by memes, cat photos and Kardashian-related stories.
And among all that, there were hits and misses in the automotive world. Let’s focus on those. From recalls and lawsuits to new models and scandals, here are the top 10 car news stories of 2016.
10. Takata Airbag Recalls
All year long, the crisis deepened for Takata, the world’s largest airbag manufacturer. Millions of vehicles have been recalled for defective inflators. Metal shards from the inflators can cause serious injury or death when the airbag deploys, or the airbag can deploy with explosive force. 19 different automakers have vehicles affected by the recalls, and there’s no end in sight.
The NHTSA has said the Takata airbag recall is now “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.” It’s so large that Takata’s financial future is in jeopardy. Mergers have been sought by its rivals, and bankruptcy is even a possibility.
9. Mitsubishi Fuel Ratings Scandal
In 2016, it was discovered that Mitsubishi micro-car fuel ratings were falsified. Actually, the rating process was found to be egregiously inept, resulting in inaccurate ratings. Mitsubishi used arbitrary numbers to calculate fuel economy ratings that proved to be over-rated. On closer inspection, the errors ran back as far as 25 years.
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Mitsubishi shares plummeted and the automaker was in dire straits. Nissan bought controlling interest in Mitsubishi, keeping the company afloat. The fuel ratings debacle extends to many models now, with a few in the North American market.
8. Jeep Wrangler Pickup
After years of murmurings and speculation, FCA finally announced a Jeep pickup would be returning to the marketplace. It will be a variation of the iconic and popular Jeep Wrangler. It’s a fresh new face for the midsize truck market where competition is starting to heat up.
While the Jeep Wrangler pickup’s release is not yet known, it’s possible that it could arrive in late 2017 or early 2018.
7. Anton Yelchin Dies in Jeep Recall Incident
The year hasn’t been all roses for Jeep. Their shifter recall on Jeep Grand Cherokee models couldn’t come fast enough. A few deaths occurred because of unintended vehicle movement, including Star Trek series actor, Anton Yelchin.
Somehow, Yelchin managed to get behind his vehicle as it began to roll down his driveway. He was pinned between a brick pillar and his own vehicle. He succumbed to his injuries, and FCA was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
6. Volkswagen Dieselgate Debacle
The headlines continue to be riddled with Dieselgate news. Volkswagen’s top executives lined up at the chopping block, and heads rolled (figuratively, of course). While the bleeding is far from over, Volkswagen AG has begun to find their way post emissions scandal.
So far, judgments in excess of $15 billion US have been awarded against VW. Hundreds of thousands of Volkswagen owners are affected in some way, either directly or through plummeting resale prices on their vehicle. The future of VW is still uncertain, however they’ve committed to developing 20 new electric vehicles by 2022. That’s a start.
5. Trump Versus Ford
Donald Trump campaigned hard on retaining jobs in America. It drew his attention when Ford announced some of their small-car production would move to Mexico, and the president-elect was quick to criticize the decision.
And then, just after the New Year, citing Trump’s intended “pro-growth” policies, Ford CEO Mark Brown said plans for the Mexico plant were scrapped and Ford would instead invest $700 million into a Michigan facility.
4. Self-Driving Car Deaths
A hot topic in the automotive industry is the self-driving car movement. Tesla, among other high-end manufacturers, has implemented Autopilot in some of their vehicles. It didn’t go as flawlessly as they hoped…
There have been a few high-profile accidents involving Tesla models that have reportedly happened while in Autopilot mode. Deaths have resulted and the innovation expert has been under intense scrutiny. It may have clouded some much larger news from Tesla this year.
3. Tesla Model 3
Elon Musk was a very popular guy for a good portion of the year, at least for future electric car owners. The unveiling of the Model 3 came with great excitement, and buyers rushed to put a deposit down on their very own Tesla. The first Tesla Model 3’s are set to roll out in 2017.
The Model 3 is an electric car that has an impressive range of 215 miles and will retail starting at just $35,000. But will the delay in production nip them in the behind?
2. Upward Trend of SUVs and Trucks
Because of the low price of gasoline, one of the hottest stories of 2016 is the massive increase in SUV ad truck sales. Buyers are leaning away from sedans and drawing close to larger, more powerful vehicles. Nearly all SUVs are up over last year’s sales figures, and in some categories it’s up as much as 33 percent.
Manufacturers are targeting these buyers with some amazing offerings. Vehicles like the 2017 Honda CR-V are hoping to make waves and carmakers like Hyundai are planning to enter the truck market with their own midsize model. Unless the price of gas skyrockets, we can expect to see this trend continue to rise.
1. Car of the Year, Chevy Bolt EV
Chevy beat Tesla to market in the affordable electric car category. The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV came out in 2016 and quickly stole the show. MOTOR TREND ranks the Chevy Bolt as its car of the year, regardless of its status as an electric car or not.
The Chevy Bolt EV has an EPA-certified range of 238 miles on a full charge. It performs like any other vehicle, not requiring the caveat at the end of the sentence, “for an electric car”. The Bolt is a driver’s car, handling like a sporty hot hatch without any tailpipe emissions at all. And at just over $30,000 after the federal rebate, the Bolt could actually sell a bunch of cars, stealing sales from those with Tesla Model 3 deposits.
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