Detroit — Consumers may be returning to dealer showrooms over the next couple of years to look at new vehicles that have few changes, as an electric vehicle "head fake" contributed to product delays, a former Bank of America Securities analyst said this week.

Profitability should pick up in the latter part of the decade, though, as new products once again hit lots, midsize SUV shares shift toward more profitable rugged models and small pickups and hybrids become a long-term solution to fuel efficiency — not just a bridge to EVs, according to the report from John Murphy, who's traditionally behind the annual "Car Wars" study but has ventured on his own as a consultant under Murphy Automotive Partners.