2019 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
35,000 attendees, both automotive suppliers and innovators – including some exponents of Marketing Department of AGT NA – attended the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and IHS Market Annual Briefing.
A few highlights from the show and briefing identified the SUV and truck market continue to expand. Sport cars offer an opportunity for excitement while concept cars and EV platforms continue to evolve. FCA showcased the new Ram HD, an upgrade from the Ram 1500 with a new frame, and the Jeep Gladiator, an all-new Jeep pick-up based on the Wrangler. The auto show had many interactive events marketing new innovations using virtual reality, test drives, simulations.
The briefing provided insight from an economic standpoint. IHS is forecasting GDP to expand 2.9% in 2019 then slow in 2020 and 2021 mainly due to rising interest rates. U.S. light vehicle sales reached 17.3 million units in 2018 and the consensus forecast predicts sales to be flat in 2019. As for production, the Detroit three (FCA, Ford and GM) are forecasted to be down 5.2% for 2019.