This past year, 2020, was a tough year for everyone, even for the largest auto manufacturers.  The pandemic was a low time for new car sales so these auto manufactures delayed the release dates of these cars in hopes to increase sales when they do officially come out.  I will go over the most significant delays in the auto industry caused by the 2020 pandemic.  

One of the newest Ford models revealed is the reintroduction of the Bronco after being discontinued since 1996.  This reintroduction is one of the more questionable decisions in recent years, as Ford recently discontinued all of their sedan and hatchback models due to lack of sales on the Fusion, Focus, and Fiesta.  SUVs are what sell the best in today’s market, but this is a questionable decision because the Bronco is entering a market that has been dominated by the Jeep Wrangler for decades.  Ford introduced the New Bronco in July 2020, but this was not the intended plan all along.  Many speculate that Ford intended to reveal the new Bronco earlier in the year to begin delivering the first examples in April 2020.  

Hyundai’s luxury brand, Genesis, was said to release their newest large SUV, the GV80, in the summer of 2020.  The Genesis is a reasonably priced luxury SUV, when compared to its competitors Mercedes and BMW.  To further compare, the GV80 starts at $48,900, while the Mercedes-Benz GLS starts at $76,000 and the BMW X7 starts at $74,900.  The Genesis is a more affordable way to get Mercedes and BMW quality in an SUV.  The GV80 was delayed until November 2020, when it was finally released.  

Aston Martin revealed their first SUV in November 2019 and the Aston Martin DBX was set to be released May 2020.  The DBX enters the Luxury sports SUV market along with the Rolls Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, and the Lamborghini Urus.  Owning a DBX, for most people, is not an option as the price tag starts around $180,000.  The release date for the DBX has since been pushed back and the first few examples have been released as of the past few days.  

Lastly, possibly the weirdest project from Ford was supposed to be released in 2020, the Ford Mustang Mach-E.  The Mach-E is an all electric Mustang SUV.  Ford will continue to offer the gas powered Mustang at the same time as the Mach-E.  Revealed at the same time as the new Bronco, the Mach-E was scheduled to be released late 2020.  This did not happen and the new date is late summer 2021.