It’s the end of an era. After this post, I’ll have covered all the new and notable vehicles from the 2019 New York auto show. Next year’s show will take place in the next decade. It’s possible I’m overstating the significance of this moment, but consider this: since my April visit to the Javits Center, FCA almost merged with Renault, Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru laid out their future EV plans, and the Ford/VW alliance solidified into near certainty. Life is moving pretty fast for automakers these days, and the products and strategies they enact now will greatly impact the industry in the years to come.
Mid size trucks are pretty hot right now. Toyota’s Tacoma is still relevant and the GM siblings are also solid performers. Jeep is looking to make inroads in this segment with the Jeep Gladiator, a truck that is very exciting but also extremely predictable. It’s basically a Wrangler with a bed attached to it.
And that’s exactly what a number of people want, isn’t it? The Wrangler is a go-anywhere vehicle with limited cargo space; the Gladiator is a go-anywhere truck with a whole bunch of utility. You’ll pay for that of course: the base, manual Gladiator starts at about $35,000. That’s a full $2,000 more than the base four door Wrangler. Compared to its fellow mid size rivals, it’s way more expensive, to the tune of about $10,000 to $15,000 if you consider something like a base Nissan Frontier as one of its competitors. And that’s not even taking into account the substantial markups that greedy dealers are tacking onto the MSRP.
Buyers that can set aside their lust will probably be able to get a Gladiator for a more reasonable price, at least in the context of a Wrangler-based product. And it’s not like they’re getting a dud of a truck. The Gladiator retains the Wrangler’s 3.6 liter Pentastar V6, which in this application makes 285 horsepower and 260 Ib-ft of torque, mated to a six speed manual or ZF’s ubiquitous eight speed automatic transmission. All Gladiator models come standard with four wheel drive and a 7,000 Ib towing capacity. Payload is 1,600 Ib. Those figures put it at the top of the segment, but not by a substantial amount, as the diesel powertrain in the GM siblings is within spitting distance of the Jeep, and the Ranger’s 2.3 EcoBoost performs similarly for a lot less coin.
All that on and off road capability comes with one important caveat: the Jeep is significantly longer than most of its rivals. With the exception of the 6.2 ft extended cab GM siblings, the Gladiator is about six to eight inches longer than everyone else. That’s a potential sore point for a lot of buyers looking for a “small” truck.
The peculiarities of the Jeep’s roof also limits head room. Tall people probably won’t find the cabin too accessible for them.
Is that a small price to pay for owning what is essentially a four door convertible truck? I’d say so.
A cloth top is standard on the Gladiator, and buyers have the option of upgrading to a premium soft top, black hard top, or body colored “Freedom Top” configuration.
And just like the Wrangler, the Gladiator’s doors can be fully removed.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Wrangler and Gladiator duo are their interiors, which are rugged to the point of being weatherproof. They hardly give up much interior quality to earn that distinction.
Overall, I’d say the Gladiator is a successful extension of the Wrangler. Authentic and frequent off-roaders will no doubt make good use of the truck. For everyone else, the value equation is far less clear. That’s why FCA is likely going to introduce a new Dakota under the Ram brand some time in the near future. According to Car And Driver, the Dakota will utilize the Gladiator’s platform. They’ll probably size the new model closer to trucks like the Tacoma and Ranger in order to lure buyers who are otherwise put off with the size of the Gladiator.
You gotta give credit to Subaru: they know their audience. This year they went above and beyond to deliver a truly standout auto show experience. Their entire display on the main floor mimicked several national parks: Yosemite, Denali, Arches, and Yellowstone. It felt completely disconnected from the rest of the show and I mean that in the best way possible. Others automakers worked to differentiate their sections but no one came close to matching what Subaru accomplished. I suspect the company unintentionally initiated an auto show display arms race that will see every automaker attempt to outdo each other with increasingly elaborate props and set pieces. I look forward to it.
Yes, they even had some type of geyser eruption. I took this shot around 12 or so and didn’t feel like sticking around, so I have no idea what the eruption looked like, but I bet it was neat.
But where are the cars?
Not here.
Found one! It’s the 2020 Subaru Outback.
Approximately 99 percent of future Outback models will experience nothing like what this Outback is doing. But that’s not really the point is it? The Outback vanquished all other mainstream mid size wagons, and it currently has no real competitor, with the possible exception of the Buick Regal TourX. Ford is apparently reviving the Fusion as an Outback rival, but for now the Subaru is the alpha wagon and the one to beat.
The 2020 model doesn’t look very different from the current model, but dive a little deeper and you’ll discover that the wagon made the transition to Subaru’s new modular platform that now underpins all their vehicles with the exception of the BRZ, WRX, and outgoing Legacy and Outback models. Overall dimensions are about the same and the 2020 retains the 8.7 inch ground clearance of its predecessor. It also makes do with the same base powertrain as the 2019, which is a 2.5 liter naturally aspirated four cylinder making 182 horsepower and 176 Ib-ft of torque. The Outback will also receive the Ascent’s 2.4 liter turbo four, which boasts an output of 260 horsepower and 277 Ib-ft of torque. Both engines will be mated to Subaru’s CVT. The base four cylinder is estimated to get 33 miles per gallon on the highway.
Until recently, buying a Subaru meant sacrificing some interior quality. That is no longer the case. The new Legacy and Outback are receiving substantial upgrades to their interiors. They’re extremely nice. Every Subaru Outback will be capable of supporting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This particular Outback has the optional 11.3 inch multimedia system.
With a base price of roughly $27,000, the Outback isn’t as value oriented as it used to be. But it’s still a compelling vehicle that looks and feels like something I’d drive when it becomes more affordable as a used car.
Apply everything I said about the Outback to the Legacy. The 2020 model was revealed several months before the New York show, so there are absolutely no surprises here. Like the Outback, the Legacy sits on Subaru’s new global platform and boasts a more refined and less generic exterior than the current model.
I’m 99 percent positive that their interiors are identical, which is a good thing.
Yes, I could see myself in one of these too, which is absolutely not the case for the 2019 Legacy. It’s amazing what a little nip/tuck can do.
“Where’s the 2020 Passat?” This is the question my friend and I were asking each other as we walked through the Volkswagen section. Anyone who’s gone to a big time car show will know that these displays aren’t terribly expansive, which means that we passed this red one several times. We thought it was a Jetta.
Yup, the Passat looks more like a Jetta than ever before. But unlike the European model, the American Passat is still using the same platform as the previous generation, which debuted about eight years ago. There’s no mystery as to why Volkswagen lightly refreshed the Passat instead of giving it a full redesign: sales are down by about fifty percent for the first half of 2019. It’s possible that less than 40,000 buyers will choose the Passat this year. Those are not encouraging numbers.
This is probably the last American Passat. Fortunately it will go out with its dignity intact. Although the new model uses a substantial amount of interior components from the previous generation, it’s still a nice interior.
I certainly couldn’t fault anyone for buying a new Passat. It looks good. It’s got a nice interior. And the powertrain is a good fit for the car. But a CPO or used Passat is basically the same car and you’ll probably be able to get an excellent deal on one like my dad did in late 2017.
Perhaps the Tarok makes a better case for itself than the Passat? This theoretical car based compact pickup is about 193 inches long and 72 inches wide, which are dimensions that nearly match a whole bunch of mid size sedans. There is probably a market for something the Tarok. Will this actually see the light of day?
I think it’s more likely now that Ford and VW have all but officially cemented their partnership. That agreement will have Ford building the next generation Amarok pickup for VW using the next gen Ranger platform, while VW will build a next gen Transit Connect for Ford, presumably using the MQB platform. Ford will also use the full size Transit to build a commercial truck for VW. In return, VW is investing heavily into Argo, Ford’s autonomous vehicle company, and they’re even willing to share their MEB electric vehicle platform with the Blue Oval.
What does this have to do with the Tarok? In January Ford confirmed their intention to introduce a compact pickup into the American market by 2022. It will arrive in Brazil some time before that. You know what VW promised for the Brazilian market? A production version of the Tarok pickup. I don’t think VW’s moves are entirely coincidental. And they’re definitely going to want a piece of the American truck market for themselves. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. But you probably heard it here first.
Our final product is another concept, although with the economies of scale that VW will achieve by sharing the MEB platform with Ford, it is also likely to become a production model. Motor Trend interviewed several Volkswagen executives, all of whom were pretty bullish on the likelihood of the ID Buggy being built.
If that’s the case, we may see it in a couple of years. But what is the ID Buggy exactly? It’s a 160 inch two door off road vehicle with a 104.3 inch wheelbase and 9.4 inches of ground clearance. It packs a 201 horsepower electric motor with a 62 kWh battery. VW says the range is 155 miles as measured by the WTLP test cycle.
The concept is currently rear wheel drive but VW says it can be fitted with an electric motor up front in order to enable four wheel traction. The platform can also accommodate two more seats if necessary.
The ID Buggy is very cool and I’m rooting for its official reveal. Think about this: in five years it’s entirely possible that one of these will be tackling an off road trail in Moab alongside a Jeep Gladiator.
And that does it for all the new and notable vehicles of the 2019 New York International Auto Show. Stay tuned for part 7!
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic Visits The 2019 New York International Auto Show, Part 5: Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis
Part 4: Honda, Acura, Toyota, Mazda
Part 3: General Motors and Nissan
As the midsize sedan segment shrinks, it’s pushing out players that didn’t sell all that well to begin with (like the Passat), or that had to be sold with steep discounts (like the Detroit 3). So I agree that it’s no surprise VW just put a heavy refresh on the NMS Passat, instead of giving us the new one. If you really want style, there’s the new Arteon. But, of course, the Arteon is rather expensive.
I predict that in the future, we’ll just have the Jetta, which has grown considerably.
Also, rumor is that we’re not getting the Mk.8 Golf, outside of GTI and R versions, either. But I could see VW offering one of its sub-Tiguan-sized crossovers here. I saw the T-Roc in the flesh at the Munich airport (in that aqua color, no less), and it looks pretty good.
On the whole, though, it’ll be interesting to see how Volkswagen markets itself over the next ten years. I can’t say I care for the curvy styling on the ID electric vehicles I’ve seen.
I’m 6-1, sometimes 6-2 when I wait on the haircut too long and didn’t note any issues with headroom in the Gladiator. The speaker bar is not in line with a person’s head.
In fact the Gladiator is probably the most modern (!) of any of the mid size trucks currently. It’s longer but that also translates into more rear legroom. I believe the rear seats are a bit further back from where they are in the 4-door Wrangler. It is pricey but it’s also probably the most capable off road (and will likely be used off road by more owners than any other midsize) and can easily be turned into a convertible which nobody else can do.
Simply it’s one of a kind, you either love it or hate it but it certainly doesn’t blend into the crowd.
VW needs to do a lot of things before they concentrate on bringing that beach buggy to market. They are acting like they are hugely successful in the US by teasing that. My guess is they may sell around 10.000 in year one and then volume will drop by 80% in year two assuming it isn’t overpriced to start with. Let’s get the electrics on the road first, stop teasing a new bus every two years (as over the last two decades), and decide exactly what direction to go in for the long term.
The VW Alltrak is likely a competitor to the Outback as well, and probably sells better than the Buick. The Buick may be a fine car (I like it and have owned Buick’s before) but the vast majority of Subaru Outback intenders are more likely to buy a VW than a Buick, even with the TDI fiasco.
Some interesting stuff here. If FCA can bring a Dakota in a little smaller and a fair amount cheaper than the Jeep pickup, they could be a heavy hitter in the segment for less-than-full-size trucks.
The VW-Ford tie-up is really interesting. The secret of these things seems to be finding a way for each company to bring its strengths to the joint venture while hopefully having its weaknesses compensated for by its partner. We will see if these companies can pull this off. The Daimler-Chrysler fiasco proved that German and American corporate cultures do not always mix well.
Most of the Jeep’s excessive length and wheelbase are due to its classic long Wrangler schnoz with the front axle set forward. From the firewall back, it’s roughly equivalent to any other mid-size.
I like the dune buggy, Subaru lost me at CVT, if I’m not going to be able to get a manual or a proper automatic I’ll go electric, Jeep? No not really it might be able to pull 3.5 Tonne but is it capable of controlling 3.5 tonne when it starts to shove the towing vehicle around, unlikely, VW Amaroks are a capable ute as are Rangers and come with grunty turbo diesel engines @ $10.00 per gallon a petrol engine isnt a viable option.
Over here you cannot get a “grunty turbo diesel” engine in any VW or Ford Ranger. If regular gas was $10 a gallon instead of the $2.65 I paid yesterday different options might be more plentiful. Many people will prefer a naturally aspirated V6 (Jeep, Toyota, Nissan, Colorado) over a turbo-4 (Ranger), at least if the teeth-gnashing over the 2.7liter turbo-4 in the new Silverado is any indication over what’s a proper engine in a truck. (not that I necessarily agree with any of it).
You can currently get a turbo-4cylinder diesel in a Chevy Colorado. For an upcharge, and then diesel is generally more expensive than gasoline (varies depending on state/area but if diesel IS cheaper it is not usually significantly so). I do not believe there is a large take rate.
Interestingly to some, the Gladiator will however supposedly be available with a diesel in the not too distant future as well (FCA’s Eco-Diesel). Towing capacity will be lower than with the gasser as the engine is heavier.
Here in Austria we have only two option on the Wrangler and I cannot imagine the Gladiator (when it arrives) will have anything else: a 2L turbocharged gasoline engine with 272 hp and a 2L turbocharged diesel with… 200 hp which has slightly more torque (450 Nm vs 400) but is hardly a ball of fire. Fuel consumption is better on the diesel but, diesel prices being almost the same as gasoline to me it would only make sense if you cover huge mileage.
That’ll be interesting, there is no plan to introduce the T-4 on the Gladiator over here although it is now available in the Wrangler. And quite effective too, the things very scoots nicely with it.
I have a Subaru with a CVT and my sister has a Honda with a CVT which I have driven a lot. Recently I rode in a previous generation Fit with a shifty automatic. All that shifting seemed to be from a previous and less sophisticated era.
Larger and posher cars with automatic transmissions have eight or nine gears so they can always be in about the right ratio like a CVT and generally shift imperceptibly. Electric cars don’t shift at all.
Anti-CVT statements are merely transmissionist.
I am waiting on the CVT that will not turn into an expensively non-functional lump at or before 100k miles, especially in a larger vehicle. It is possible that we are there and that the proof is not yet in, but sometimes past performance really does predict future performance.
Ford’s short-lived CVT from the 500 of a decade ago and Nissan’s CVTs from multiple larger vehicles have soured me on the concept. Perhaps those of Subaru and Honda will be better. Time will tell. Until then, I shall remain a transmissionist.
Call me a reformed transmissionist. While I don’t like the CVT in my wife’s 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer, I became a convert after getting my 2016 Honda Civic EX-T Coupe. Where her car seems to take forever to spool up (part of that could be the under-powered 2.0L), my turbo Civic is awesome.
I’m hopeful all the gloom and doom regarding these transmissions’ lack of longevity doesn’t befall me, but so far so good (as he knocks his desk ;o). The Lancer has 88,369 miles, and the Civic is about 500 miles away from the 50K mark.
I find this solution to CAFE better than the multi-speed transmissions, personally. I much prefer the shifting of my 4.0L 2007 Mustang, with its 5 speed automatic, to my Dad’s former Mustang, a 2014 with the 3.7L and a 6 speed auto.
And don’t get me started on Chrysler’s 8 or 9 speed (I forget now) that they put into a V-6 Charger. We rented one of these in 2015 in Florida (where it is as flat as a pancake). I loved the car, save for one thing: that transmission. Yeah, the paddle shifters were kinda cool, but the thing couldn’t figure out what gear it wanted to be in based on accelerator input. It upshifted way to quick, and when you gave it the spurs, it seemed confused… let’s see, do I want 5, or 6, or wait, how about 4 or 3? Thankfully it had a handy display to let you know what it was thinking… or not… I can’t even imagine this thing on hilly terrain. My boss had one of these in a Chrysler 200 and hated it for the same reason. He’s much happier with the new 2018 Accord he got with the very same power train as my Civic.
I will be honest, I really hate the iPad in the dash look that some of these vehicles sport. I have an iPad and I use it all the time but I would not want it attached to my dash.
Look at the Jeep Gladiator, it has a great looking dash. The touch screen looks good. The size is good and it looks like it can be seen at a quick glance. It has knobs for the HVAC unit. In short a well thought out and good looking dash.
Though, I wonder how many of these will be coming back because folks accidentally damage the door wiring trying to get out of the vehicle. That wire set up is a poor design waiting for a lot of warranty claims
I never understand VW, the interior(especially the dash) look dated(hello 2008) and yet the vehicles are always priced at the high end of their competition class. I mean why would somebody buy a Jetta when it cost more then a Civic and Corolla and you have to spend more money on that Jetta to get features that are standard on the Civic and Corolla. Not to mention the Civic and Corolla are way way way more reliable and hold their value.
I am also shocked. I did not think the Legacy was still being made
The Gladiator reminds me too much of a Hummer H2 SUT pickup. I personally don’t get it, don’t like it, and would never own one. That said, it will be doing incredibly well, and I have already seen at least one on the road. I just wonder if the Dakota will be a rebadge like the Nitro clone of the Liberty, or if it will be more like the Renegade is to the 500X. Those share a platform, and are built in the same factory, yet both are so different as to be from different parents.