DETROIT – It’s the year of the pickup truck at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit as General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Ford unveil new trucks in a fast-growing and highly competitive U.S. auto market.
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Fiat Chrysler will roll out a redesigned Ram truck, while GM’s Chevrolet brand is showing off the new Silverado. It’s the first time in at least 29 years that show organizers can remember two Detroit automakers unveiling new full-size trucks at the same Detroit event. Also, Ford is re-entering the small pickup market with a new version of the Ranger.
There also are concept SUVs from Nissan, Acura and Lexus that will show off the looks of utility vehicles of the future. And there are real SUVs too, from BMW, Jeep and Mercedes-Benz.
Kia, Hyundai and Volkswagen will pull covers off new small cars, hoping to revive a market that’s waning with low gasoline prices.
It’s all happening in a U.S. auto market that’s shrinking but still expected to remain at healthy levels. Last year sales fell 2 percent to 17.2 million, still near record highs. Analysts expect sales to be just under 17 million in 2018.
Here are some of the vehicles being unveiled at the show, which opens to the public on Friday:
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FORD EDGE
Ford Motor Co. is introducing a high-performance version of its midsize Edge SUV this summer. The Edge ST is the first Ford SUV to be specially tuned by Ford’s performance team. It has a 2.7-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine that puts out 335 horsepower — nearly as much as the base model of the Porsche Cayenne — and 380 pound-feet of torque. That’s paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission; drivers can also manually shift using the wheel-mounted paddle shifters. All-wheel-drive comes standard, and there’s a specially tuned sport suspension. The Edge ST also has special design cues, including a wide mesh grille, 21-inch wheels and “performance blue” paint. The regular Edge also gets an update this summer, with a more efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 250 horsepower and new safety features, including “evasive steering assist,” which uses cameras and radar to detect slower-moving vehicles and helps the driver steer around them. Pricing on the Edge and Edge ST hasn’t yet been released.
