Room for improvement

Space, not pace, increasingly motivates purchase decisions. And so the focus at the L.A. Auto Show shifts from drivers' seats to back seats and beyond.

Crossovers and SUVs dominate new model introductions at the show, which ends this weekend. They are running the gamut from Nissan Kicks – likely starting near $20,000 – to Range Rover's SVAutobiography, topping $200,000.

With manufacturers' crossover portfolios growing with every auto show, analysts question how many are too many. Yet the the shift away from passenger cars continues unabated.

Canadian light-truck sales (including SUVs and crossovers) have more than doubled those of cars for 2017, through November. DesRosiers Automobile Consultants reports 607,136 automobile sales, down 2.8 per cent from 2016; light trucks are at 1,307,415, up 9.1 per cent. A Canadian Black Book analysis covering 1946 through 2017 indicates light trucks surpassed cars in 2010 – and they've trended in sharply opposite directions ever since.

"We continue to see customers moving from sedans into SUVs, and it goes on and on and on," Jose Munoz, the chairman of Nissan North America, told Bloomberg News in an interview. "The rate of growth is going to come down, but there's still going to be growth."

By 2020, it is expected that 150 models of light trucks will be available to consumers in North America.

In L.A., the new-generation Jeep Wrangler stands apart from the cushier newcomers by maintaining a steely focus on off-road capability. But most are selling more room, more comfort.

Start with the Lexus RX, already the bestselling luxury vehicle ahead of Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans in both the United States and Canada. "Our customers tell us we can only make it better by making more of it," Lexus general manager Mark Templin says.

And there it is, the RX L, the first seven-seater RX. By extending the body 104 millimetres behind the rear wheels and making the rear window more vertical than in the regular RX, engineers created sufficient space for third-row seating for two.

Subaru Ascent also introduced third-row seating in a new model, the largest in Subaru's lineup.

Volkswagen has strategically positioned its three-row Atlas, a runaway sales success following its introduction here a year ago, adjacent to Subaru. They're near identical in size; trying out their rear-most seats tests creaky knees in entry or exit, but yields satisfactory roominess for your 5-foot-8 reporter.

Whereas the running boards on the recently introduced Lincoln Navigator eases access to its third row. Kumar Galhotra, introduced president of the Lincoln Motor Company, said owning a luxury car should make life easier. Calling Uber brings you a car; calling "Lincoln Personal Driver" in Miami, San Diego or, beginning soon, Dallas, brings a person to drive you in your own car.

The mid-sized MKX, the bestselling Lincoln in both China and North America, has been transformed into the Nautilus as a 2019 model. A new grille, said to be an emerging signature among Lincoln vehicles, distinguishes Nautilus from its MKX predecessor. Otherwise, it's mostly a facelift boasting such advances of a wireless charging pad, lane-centering along with adaptive cruise and a Gala luxury model, without any claim of improved in interior space.

Range Rover introduced its SVAutobiography starting at $233,000 on arrival in Canada in early 2018. With huge capacity a given, Land Rover lays on the luxury. The rear seats are described as "executive class" with 1.2 metres of legroom, a hot-stone massage function, heated calf and foot rests and 22-way adjustment.

Volvo, Hyundai and Mitsubishi expand their crossover ranges, Volvo with the luxury compact XC40, Hyundai the new Kona that's smaller than Tucson and Sante Fe, Mitsubishi with Eclipse Cross that's more expensive than its RVR and sportier than the Outlander. Interesting to note, all anticipate attracting younger, urban drivers, with marketing emphasis on navigating city streets.

The Nissan Kicks, the company's latest spelling challenge, replaces the outgoing Juke with more conventional styling and the bounty of its boxy shape, more room. Buyers can only get their Kicks in front-drive; the all-wheel-drive Eclipse Cross, T5 versions of the XC 40 and upper range Konas deliver greater security for more dollars.

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