The most shocking car reveals of 2019
From a mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette to an electric Mustang and Tesla's retrofuturistic pickup, no American icon was safe from a radical reboot this year.
What's old is going to be very new in 2020, as America's legacy automakers reboot classic models to keep up with the times and the new kids on the block. Here are a few of the top cars and trucks to look for throughout the year.
CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY
If you can't beat them ... Chevrolet turned the Corvette into a mid-engine sports car to take its performance and style to the next level in order to compete with the world's top sports cars and it's already a success. The entire first-year run of Stingrays, starting at $59,995, is essentially sold out, and it doesn't even enter production until February. Despite the radical redesign, the Corvette is powered by a good old American 6.2-liter pushrod V8 and has enough room in the trunk behind it for two golf bags.
CHEVROLET TAHOE/SILVERADO
...and GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. GM's big SUVs are all-new and for the first time feature independent rear suspensions for improved ride comfort and handling. It's not as big of a change as the Corvette's engine swap, but it's an important one as GM looks to defend its dominant position in the full-size utility vehicle segment against the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, both of which have had an independent suspension for years. And just in case it's not enough, GM is adding adjustable air springs and a diesel engine to the options mix.
FORD MUSTANG MACH-E
Ford risked committing double blasphemy by putting the Mustang name on a utility vehicle powered by batteries in the hopes that the equine brand equity will help get its electric vehicle push off on the right hoof. The Mach-E is the first of dozens of electric models on the way in the coming years and was designed to blend practicality and performance in a package that can go up to 300 miles per charge.
FORD BRONCO
The 2021 Ford Bronco has already been partially unveiled as a racing truck that competed in but didn't finish the Baja 1000, and the production truck is set to debut in the spring with styling inspired by the 1966 original. The Michigan-made SUV will be built on the same frame as the Ford Ranger pickup and is expected to feature a removable roof and an extreme 4x4 drivetrain that should make it a match for the Jeep Wrangler in the rough stuff.
MYSTERY THREE-ROW JEEP SUV
The Grand Commander is a three-row Jeep sold in China that may offer an idea of what the upcoming U.S.model will look like. (Jeep)
Jeep is working on a full-size three-row Wagoneer for 2021, but has a smaller seven-passenger model on the way before then. Its name and technical details have not been revealed, but it is expected to be similar to the Grand Cherokee.and will be the brand's first three-row vehicle for sale in the U.S. since the Commander was discontinued a decade ago.
TESLA MODEL Y
(Tesla)
Tesla's Cybertruck may have gotten the headlines this year, but the Model Y trucklet will be the next new model it puts on sale. The compact utility vehicle is based on the Model 3 sedan and equipped with a battery pack that's good for 300 miles per charge in the $48,000 Long Range rear-wheel-drive version that will be the most affordable Model Y when it enters production mid-year.
RIVIAN R1T
(Rivian)
Startup electric truck company Rivian raised nearly $3 billion from the likes of Amazon, Ford, Cox Automotive and T. Rowe Price in 2019 and is set to launch its first battery-powered pickup by the end of 2020. The luxurious midsize R1T has a starting price of $69,000 and comes with an adjustable air suspension system, four-motor all-wheel-drive and the ability to spin in place like a tank. Top models will offer 400 miles of range, 750 hp, 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.0 seconds and a max tow rating of 11,000 pounds.
