Earning the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick distinction becomes increasingly challenging each year. To qualify, vehicles must earn the top score in five different crash tests which go far beyond federal tests. This year, Toyota overcame with ease and was the only vehicle in the large-car class to achieve the this years accolade.

IIHS has reported that 2019 Toyota Avalon has the highest safety rating, earning the Top Safety Pick award. Securing the top score in almost every category, the Avalon held strong in extensive crash testing. The Avalon’s crash-prevention technology, which boasts active and passive safety systems along with superior automatic breaking, earned an exceptional rating with impressive stats. The auto breaking system prevented crashes at 12 and 25 mph. Notably, this is safety feature is standard across all Avalon model trims.

Despite standard safety features, there is considerable discrepancy between trims for their headlight quality. When it came to evaluations, the more expensive trims proved superior, earning higher ratings than standard models. Thanks to LED projector headlights, the Limited and Touring models provided remarkable visibility while standard models struggled. Lacking low beam visibility generated poor ratings for XLE and XSE models.

The 2019 Avalon is new and greatly improved; in addition to top of the line safety, it cruises on a 3.5 L V 6 engine with 301 horsepower. The 2019 Avalon will remain Toyota’s flagship sedan,only with more upscale options and offerings. The large-car offers a comfortable interior with standard cabin tech that can be further upgraded. Safety tech features also come standard and include a lane keeping assist system, adaptive cruise control, and the award winning auto breaking system. For those looking to save on gas and, there is also an Avalon hybrid model.

With automakers selling a 2:1 ratio of trucks to cars, trucks are driving the rapid decline of sedans. We use the term “trucks” to classify SUVs, crossovers, and pickups which all fall under the broad class of “light trucks”. Though this includes a  range of vehicles, the market trend speaks volumes to the decline of the traditional car.

In the United States, crossovers are the perferred vehicle of choice. According to Automotive News, truck sales have more than doubled car sales this year. The increase in sales has some carmakers increasing their large vehicle offerings and halting their production of sedans.

Many people view the car to truck switch as an upgrade and alternative to smaller cars. Why would drivers revert back to a standard size car? With the wide range of trucks avaliable, they don’t need to; SUV, crossovers, and pickups are now easily accesible and avaliable for varying budgets, styles, and needs.

For example, a 2018 Kia Soul, a compact crossover, starts at $16,200 while the Ford F-150 pickup ranges into a high of $60,520.

According to Edmunds, forty-six percent of car shoppers are exchanging their car for an SUV, crossover, or pickup. The trend is expected to continue, becoming the overwhelming market standard by 2025, if not sooner. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch forecast predicts that between 2019 and 2022, 71 percent of vehicles released will be categorized as light trucks. More options in the truck market are likely to generate higher profits for carmakers.

Lincoln’s top-selling U.S. vehicle, the MKX is getting an upgrade price point, as well as a new name. Lincoln announced the name change to “Nautilus,” and a 3.2% price increase.  The base model will start at $41,335 and top out at $65,260.  Along with the new names comes a wealth of new design elements and technology features.

Robert Parker, Lincoln’s director of marketing, sales and service, said that everything from the A-pillar forward has been redesigned. The Nautilus is the latest Lincoln vehicle to adopt the brand’s mesh grille, which debuted on the MKZ and Continental in 2016.

The vehicle boasts a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder, twin-turbocharged engine that gets 245 hp as well as all-wheel drive.  Buyers can upgrade to a 2.7 liter V-6 that gets 335hp.  Both will have an eight-speed automatic transmission and auto-stop.

The interior includes improvements that make for extra legroom and headroom as well as 22-position front seats with lumbar massage.  The Nautilus will be the first vehicle with Lincoln Co-Pilot360, a suite of standard driver-assist features that consists of automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot information with cross traffic alert, lane keeping system, backup camera and auto high beams.

Several top US automakers reported an increase in their June sales.  Consumers continued to purchase sport utility vehicles in larger numbers amid rising tensions between the United States and its trade partners.

The tensions led to a reduction in US consumer confidence entering June, and weighed on purchase plans for big-ticket items such as automobiles.  General Motors stopped reporting monthly numbers beginning in April, said that it’s sales rose 4.6% to 758,376 for the quarter. The increase was due to strong truck sales and a wave of all-new crossovers.

“Customers are buying with confidence because the economy is strong and they expect it to remain strong,” said Kurt McNeil, GM US vice president, sales operations.

Ford said that it sold 230,635 vehicles in the month of June, compared with 227,979, a year earlier. Sales of Ford brand SUVs grew 8.1% to 77,453 vehicles, which was a record for the month, the company said.

Toyota Motor’s June US sales rose 3.6% to 209,602 vehicles, with high sales in the RAV4 and Highlander sport utility vehicle models. Toyota noted that the had the “best-ever” light truck sales for June in the United States.

Next,  Fiat Chrysler said its monthly US sales rose by 8 percent to 202,264 vehicles, most comping from the Jeep brand, which hit its best month of June with a 19% increase.