The automotive industry is rapidly changing – evolving government regulations, burgeoning car segments and emerging markets are seeing some former wallflower car brands move more towards centre stage.
In this process, some manufacturers are enjoying a paradigm shift, as it were, in how they are being perceived and received by new car buyers. Pushing their way up sales charts closer to more established rivals, here are our top 10 automakers who are experiencing a new take on ‘business as usual.’
Aston Martin
2015 Aston Martin Rapide S
John LeBlanc, Driving
For the first time in decades, once-stodgy Aston Martin is confidently looking towards its future instead of reflecting on its past. Whether it’s gaining global awareness via the James Bond movie franchise (see the DB10 in Spectre, the first Aston Martin to be built exclusively for the secret agent), announcing its first-ever SUV (the electric DBX Concept) or making a return to the Formula One grid (via a partnership with the Force India team), the British supercar brand’s prospects for survival are looking brighter than ever.
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GMC
2015 GMC Yukon Denali
Jim Leggett, Driving
Since its profits helped parent General Motors stay afloat during the U.S. automaker’s bankruptcy in 2009, the GMC brand has been a remarkable sales success story, riding the wave of consumer demand for crossovers, SUVs and trucks. Just last month, GMC sales were up 13 per cent, marking the brand’s 16th consecutive month of sales growth, pushing GM to the top spot in Canada. Better still, almost one in five GMC models are of the highly profitable Denali high-end models.
Honda
2016 Acura NSX
Graeme Fletcher, Driving
After a downturn that saw little-to-no technical innovation and questionable product development (see the Insight and CR-Z hybrids and Crosstour), it looks like Japan’s Honda is back to its innovative ways. With no plans on giving up its “best-selling car in Canada” crown, Honda leads with its all-new generation 2016 Civic featuring thoroughly modern, direct-injected and turbocharged powertrains, with the return of the Civic hatchback and sporty Type R – plus, its Acura NSX supercar is a technological tour de force.
Hyundai
Hyundai plans to launch six new Genesis models by 2020
Handout, Hyundai
Today’s lineup of well-designed, technically innovative and value-laden mainstream Hyundai vehicles is burying the memories of its awful 1970s Pony economy car firmly in the past. South Korea’s marque (along with its Kia brand) is poised to move its loyal customers upmarket, taking on the more established luxury names, with the recently announced stand-alone Genesis brand. Starting this December, Hyundai will launch six new Genesis models by 2020, while also introducing a new alphanumeric naming system marrying the letter G with a number – 90, 80, 70, etc. – for each class.
Jeep
Precision-cut cliffs, chasms and slickrock along the Colorado River near Moab, Utah, proved the perfect playground for the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
Handout, Jeep
Once the exclusive wheels of U.S. army grunts, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Jeep brand has become a global phenomenon. In 2014, more than 1 million Jeeps were sold worldwide – a record number and further proof of the brand’s successful strategy to introduce more appealing smaller models, like the recent compact Cherokee and Renegade, to attract buyers in international markets. As well, Jeep plans to nearly double its sales in five years, with new plants opening in China and Brazil.
McLaren
Front to back: the McLaren 570S, 650S and 675LT
David Booth, Driving
Not long ago, supercar buyers had only a few legitimate options to choose from, and most were primarily Italian, as in Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani. But since the introduction of its MP4-12C in 2011, in very short order Britain’s McLaren Automotive has elbowed its way into the rarified supercar crowd. Today, there’s a full lineup of highly desirable McLaren supercars, from its range-topping, limited production P1 plug-in hybrid (of which only 375 copies will be sold) to its just-released, entry-level 570S model.
Jaguar Land Rover
2016 Range Rover Sport Td6 HSE
David Booth, Driving
Like former Ford luxury brands Aston Martin and Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover looked like a pair of basket cases when the U.S. automaker sold off the brands to India’s Tata conglomerate in 2008. But in that time, Jaguar Land Rover has seen billions of dollars of Tata money turn into new and fashionable vehicles: Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar F-Pace SUV and XE compact sedan. Very quickly, financial losses in 2009 were reversed by 2013, with JLR recording billion dollar-plus annual profits for the last three years.
Subaru
We took a shiny Subaru BRZ to meet up with Team Offtrax in B.C.
With year-to-year record growth, Subaru has become one of the biggest sales success stories in the auto industry, outflanking more established Japanese rivals. Thanks to a lineup of practical, all-wheel-drive vehicles that seem perfect for North American lifestyles, and with an extremely loyal customer base, Subaru continues to break monthly sales records. To keep up the momentum, Subaru also unveiled two new concepts at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, giving clues to the next generation Impreza and a potential three-row crossover.
Tesla
2015 Tesla Model S P85D
Brendan McAleer, Driving
The U.S. electric carmaker may lose thousands of dollars on each vehicle it sells, but no other automaker today is influencing the car industry as much as Tesla Motors. Starting with its Roadster in 2008 (the first production car to use lithium-ion batteries and to have an electrical range greater than 320 kilometres) to today’s Model S sedan and Model X crossover, Tesla has forced industry stalwarts to come up with their own luxury electric cars (such as the Porsche Mission E and Audi e-tron at this year’s Frankfurt show). Next up is the Tesla 3, a US$35,000 electric rival to BMW’s 3 Series sedan.
Volvo
2016 Volvo XC90
Graeme Fletcher, Driving
In the transition from being owned by Ford to its current Chinese parents at Geely Automotive, Volvo has been working on an all-new family of four-cylinder engines, dubbed Drive-E (a turbocharger and a supercharger allow the T6 engine to make 316 horsepower, while the T8 Twin engine plug-in hybrid makes 400 horsepower), and an equally new Scalable Product Architecture vehicle platform supporting nine models over three model lines: the 40-, 60-, and 90-series, each with a sedan (S), wagon (V) and crossover XC variant. If the first of these “new” Volvos, the new XC90, is any indication, the Swedish brand looks ready for a resurgence.