Compared to the first half of 2023, sales for the Wrangler and Bronco are down in their home market. Even so, the Wrangler soldiers on as the nation's favorite body-on-frame SUV.
Deliveries contracted from 84,642 units in H1 2024 to 77,204 in the first half of 2024, whereas the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer improved rather dramatically. The numbers are 29,865 versus 13,635 and 7,555 versus 5,268 units, representing gains of 119 and 43 percent.
Over at Ford, the Ranger-twinned Bronco nosedived -14.4 percent, moving 50,152 examples of the breed as opposed to 58,580 in the first six months of 2023. Similar to the Ram 1500-based Wagoneer twins, the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator are based on half-ton pickups. The lesser model sold 43,307 units in H1 2024, with the Lincoln moving 6,550 units.
General Motors? Cadillac reports 19,204 deliveries for the Escalade compared to 39,462 for the GMC Yukon, 21,463 for the Chevrolet Suburban, and 48,443 for the smaller Tahoe. As for the GMC-branded Hummer EV, the Detroit-based automaker lists 4,597 deliveries for both the zero-emission truck and utility vehicle.
Toyota flaunts a revitalized body-on-frame sport utility vehicle lineup, with all these SUVs featuring TNGA-F underpinnings from the 300-series Land Cruiser, Tundra, and Tacoma. The list opens with the 4Runner at 66,550 deliveries. The 250-series Land Cruiser and Lexus GX moved 3,461 and 9,141 units. The Sequoia and LX sold 12,868 and 3,315 units, respectively.
Photo: Jeep
Next up, Nissan also produces two body-on-frame SUVs in the form of the Armada (8,833 deliveries) and Infiniti-branded QX80 (4,716 deliveries). It should be highlighted that QX80 will soon change over to the 2025 model year with new styling, a much nicer interior, and twin-turbo V6 muscle instead of a gas-guzzling, free-breathing V8.
The Armada should follow suit later this year, with the next-gen Armada to be advertised as a 2025 model as well. QX80 starts at $74,150 for model year 2024, but it's not the most expensive body-on-frame SUV out there. Unfortunately, Mercedes-Benz USA couldn't be bothered to publish the Q2 2024 results. Even if we had them, Merc doesn’t break down Gelandewagen sales into the G 550, the newly introduced G 580 with EQ Technology, and the AMG-ified G 63.
INEOS Automotive is another company worthy of your attention, for the INEOS Grenadier is a closer successor to the body-on-frame Defender than Land Rover's unibody Defender. Alas, we don't have any figures on the Grenadier either.
Regarding the most expensive body-on-frame sport utility vehicles in production today for the US market, Escalade-V starts at $152,295 (sans destination) for the regular-wheelbase version, while G 63 will set you back at least $183,000. The Bronco Raptor deserves a mention as well, for it carries a starting price of $90,035 versus the original starting price of $68,500 for MY2022. Its only direct rival is the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, whose $99,995 Final Edition will continue production for MY2025.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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