It is not uncommon for vehicle models to be updated or refreshed every 5-8 years, and with these updates come changes in features, pricing, fitment strategies and technology. But how significant are these changes? In this month’s VehiclePlannerPlus newsletter, that is exactly the question we will try to answer.

Ford and Chevrolet are two brands that pit vehicles directly against one another in the automotive market – with competing models appearing to have very similar fitment strategies, performance, and features. But is this actually the case?

The below models from four key segments will be analyzed to show key differences in feature fitment, pricing, and performance. Not only will they be analyzed against each other, but also against the previous generation of the same model to show how these OEMs have changed their approach to the automotive market in recent times.

• Ford F-150 (2015 and 2022 model years) Vs. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (2015 and 2022 model years)
• Ford Explorer (2016 and 2022 model years) Vs. Chevrolet Traverse (2016 and 2022 model years)
• Ford Escape (2016 and 2022 model years) Vs. Chevrolet Equinox (2016 and 2022 model years)
• Ford Mustang (2015 and 2022 model years) Vs. Chevrolet Camaro (2015 and 2022 model years)

For the sake of this article, the terms ‘generation 1’ and ‘generation 2’ will be referring to 2015/2016 and 2022 models respectively.

Pricing

The below graphic indicates how the competing vehicles from Ford and Chevrolet compare, as well as how their pricing has changed over the last generational update (generation 1 being the 2015/2016 model, and generation 2 being the 2022 model).

From this graphic, we can see that the minimum price for all 8 vehicles has increased from generation 1 to generation 2; this could be down to a few reasons, the main ones being inflation or increased production costs. However, we can also see that the maximum price has increased, sometimes by up to 60%. This could be a by-product of implementing new technologies and powertrain configurations on certain vehicles, or the introduction of new higher trim variants for the likes of the Ford Mustang. The largest segmental gain can be seen in the Pickup Truck category, with minimum and maximum prices increasing by 16.2% and 43.9% for the Ford F-150, and 29.5% and 32.2% for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 respectively.

Performance and Specification

To analyze the changes in performance and specification between generations, the following statistics of each vehicle will be compared:

• Minimum Power (BHP)
• Minimum Torque (ft.lb)
• Maximum MPG
• Max Headunit Display Size (in)
• Max Instrument Cluster Display Size (in)
• Max Payload (lb)
• Max Tow Capacity (lb)
• Max Height (in)
• Max Length (in)
• Max Width (in)

Please select the statistic you want to view using the click boxes on the top of the chart. If the vehicle shows no data for that statistic, its either because it does not have the feature, or because the data is not available from the OEM.

Below are a few key takeaways from this chart:

• Vehicles are getting bigger – Almost all the vehicles analyzed are getting higher, longer, or wider when compared with previous generations.
• Efficiency is important – Almost all vehicles see an increase in average MPG when compared with previous generation vehicles.
• Digital instrument clusters have been introduced to all models – All generation 2 vehicles analyzed have a digital instrument cluster display, compared with only 3 back in 2015/2016.

This data points to a consumer demand and OEM focus on improving the convenience, comfort, efficiency, and technology available in modern day vehicles.

Fitment Strategy

To analyze how OEM fitment strategy has changed over vehicle generations, and how different OEMs compare, we can select key features and score each vehicle based on its fitment strategy. The scoring is calculated as shown below:

• Standard Fitment – 2 Points
• Optional / Mixed Fitment – 1 Point
• N/A – 0 Points

The features chosen to be investigated are split into three categories – Safety, Comfort & Convenience, and Infotainment, with these features being as follows:

• Safety – Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Forward Collision Warning/Avoidance, Automatic Parking Assist, Lane Departure Prevention
• Comfort & Convenience – Heated Steering Wheel, Leather Primary Upholstery, Ambient Lighting, Ventilated Drivers Seat, Moonroof/Sunroof
• Infotainment – Head-up display , Wireless charging, Premium Audio Speakers, Android Auto (Wired), Apple CarPlay (Wired)

Using this data, the below chart can be created. Use the ‘Separate’ tab to view individual vehicle scores, or the ‘Category’ tab to view segmented vehicle comparisons. The generation to be viewed can be changed using the drop-down menu.

Some key takeaway points from this chart are:

• Ford and Chevrolet take different approaches in feature fitment for their sports cars – Ford has a uniform focus on all three feature categories, whereas Chevrolet seem to focus more on driver enjoyment, with comfort & convenience and infotainment scoring much greater than safety.
• Ford has dramatically improved feature fitment in the latest generation Escape – When looking at the 2016 generation Ford Escape, safety, comfort & convenience, and infotainment are all scored poorly, and are behind or equivalent to the Chevrolet Equinox. Fast forward to 2022, and the Escape is now outperforming the Equinox on both infotainment and safety – featuring the highest safety and joint highest infotainment scores of all 8 vehicles researched.
• Chevrolet has dramatically improved feature fitment in the latest generation Traverse – In 2016, the Traverse is being outperformed or matched by the Ford Explorer in all three categories. Now, looking at 2022, the Traverse is outperforming the Explorer in both the safety and infotainment categories.