2019 model year has something for everyone

Associated Press

DETROIT

From new top-selling pickup trucks to an essential range extension for an electric car to the most popular SUV in the country, the 2019 model year for new vehicles has something for everyone.

Fiat Chrysler’s Ram brand and General Motors’ Chevrolet will go at each other and rival Ford with tough-looking new full-size pickup trucks, while Nissan is stretching the range of the electric Leaf. A revamped Toyota RAV4, the top-selling vehicle in the U.S. that isn’t a pickup truck, is on sale. And a new super-fast and luxurious $300,000 Aston Martin sports car is coming.

The five new models to watch for the coming model year:

RAM PICKUP: Keeps the current look of a semi cab, but it grew by 4 inches and is slightly wider. The grille is larger, with a forward-leaning, aggressive slant and the hood is higher to look more like a big rig, as well for aerodynamics. It’s 225 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, but the frame is almost entirely made of lighter, high-strength steel.

CHEVROLET SILVERADO: The nation’s second-best selling vehicle loses about 450 pounds as General Motors melded metals to try to meet government fuel-economy requirements that will be in effect through at least 2020. All of the swinging parts (doors, hood and tailgate) are aluminum; stationary parts are still steel. It puts out 310-horsepower, but mileage wasn’t released.

TOYOTA RAV4: The small SUV is the new American family car, with over 400,000 sold last year. That it’s new and improved should boost sales further as the country keeps shifting out of sedans.

NISSAN LEAF: Nissan isn’t saying exactly when it will reach showrooms, nor is it giving the price or a precise battery range, but sometime before the year ends next summer, Nissan will unveil a version with a bigger battery that can go over 200 miles. The current Leaf starts at $29,990 before a $7,500 federal tax credit; the longer-range version almost certainly will cost more.

ASTON-MARTIN DBS SUPERLEGGERA: That means “super light,” in Italian. A coupe with a curvy body and panels of mostly carbon fiber attached to an aluminum frame with a V-12 engine that puts out 715 horsepower. With its eight-speed automatic transmission, it can go from zero to 62 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 211 mph, the company says.