As we wind down the current year and prepare for a new one, a lot of folks often wonder what the future holds for them in the New Year. Of course, we can’t say for sure as no one really knows. Well, General Motors, like other carmakers, tries to take a stab at it and let’s us in on what it feels would be the trends in the auto industry in 2019.
More specifically, GM focuses its attention this time on the ever-growing Asian markets. While the United States is still its biggest market, there is no denying that Asia is where it is all set to happen, for GM and the rest of the industry. The American auto giant predicts that crossovers and cutting-edge safety systems will continue to dominate the landscape, due in no small part to the aging populace. As buyers age, they look for easy to drive vehicles that have crash avoidance systems which will aid them as them move about.
While crossovers would rule the roost, GM also sees more small and lightweight vehicles coming out in 2019. This is due to stricter emissions regulations and the rise of technologies such as 3D printing that allows carmakers to come up with compnents that are much easier to produce, ligher, and more cost-effective. No, the large SUv won’t go away just yet. But there will somehow be a distinction between these two extremes.
Speaking of technology, connected vehicles, autonomous and electric cars, nd interconnected infrastructure will come into its own in the year and beyond. These technologes are nothing new, such as GM’s own Bolt electric crossover and various levels of autonomous driving. But they will definitely become more mainstream as we all look for ways to relieve stress on the road, as well as try and prevent road mishaps.
As for the younger population, studies seem to suggest that ride-sharing services will continue to rise and take the market by storm. With traffic becoming a perennial problem in most major cities around the region, motorists seem to prefer hailing a ride sharing service rather than take the wheel. This also leads to the decline in the number of license applications.
And speaking of gridlock, this may just lead to the demise of the manual transmission. While most people couldn’t really care less, a lot of car enthusiasts will be morning the demise of what is essentially a way for them to connect with their beloved motor car.
Yes, both good and not-so-good things are set to take place in the coming year. Whether all this will come to fruition, and how they will affect the automotive landscape, remains to be seen. One thing we do know for sure: it promises to be an exciting year ahead for the automotive sector, no matter where in the world you may be.
