What’s the connection between ponytail and Buick Verano?
Ladies, hair is important and we know that. Even men know that. It’s important when we have a business meeting, when we go out for a date, and even when we go to the gym. It’s something that defines our presence as women and that determines the first impression that we make, and this is why we pay so much attention to it and spend lots of money and time in hair salons. And this is why we chose not to take the cab but our car when going out. But it’s important the car to be “cooperative” with your hair too.
Apparently, the new Buick Verano meets these “hair” requirements (perfect for women), and beside its engine upgrade, Veranos’s seat head rest are “positioned to accommodate ponytails and other up-dos without compromising the occupants’ postural comfort” (according to GM press release) and, I would add, ladies hairdressing and beauty.
In addition to this, leather seats, foam and padding make this car’s comfort.
So, how often did you feel uncomfortable on driver’s seat because of your ponytail?
[Source: General Motors]
Post tags: Tags: buick verano, General Motors, poneytail
2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Announced
2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
General Motors has finally revealed the official (and final) specifications of the upcoming 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. At first, GM said that the massive supercharged V8 6.2-liter engine would generate 550 hp (557 PS / 410 kW) but the production version will unleash 580 hp (588 PS / 432 kW) and a peak torque of 556 lb.-ft (754 Nm).
2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
In order to obtain all of those ponies, the engineers from Chevrolet installed a brand new induction system, a more efficient intercooler and improved the air intake as well. In addition, the hot Camaro ZL1 has been fitted with an electric power steering system that needs less engine power in comparison to a conventional hydraulic setup.
2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
As standard, the car features a Tremec TR-6060 MG9 high-strength manual gearbox that has a twin-disc clutch, a dual-mass flywheel and triple synchros. Clients will be able to order the optional 6-speed automatic transmission that offers three modes to choose from: drive, sport and manual.
2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Other than that, the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has been equipped with a rear-differential cooler, a high-performance fuel system, a Performance Traction Management and a Magnetic Ride Control 3.0. The PTM system packs five modes and is capable of adjusting the launch control, ride control, electronic stability control and the traction control.
Source: General Motors
Post tags: Tags: Chevrolet, chevrolet camaro zl1, chevrolet-camaro, General Motors
It seems that General Motors wants a bigger piece of the Southeast Asian pie and for this reason they’ve started working on a new line of people movers. At first they will roll out a 7-seat passenger van which will be launched sometime in 2013. The car will be assembled in one of the company’s plants located outside of Jakarta which was closed in 2005.
GM stated that their intentions are to invest $150 million in the Bekasi plant and the annual production rate will be of 40,000 units. Their factory in Rayong, Thailand, is the company’s biggest in the region and it has an annual production level of 140,000 cars, where they roll out models like the Chevrolet Cruze, Aveo, Colorado and Captiva. They also have a plant in Hanoi, Vietnam that has an annual capacity of only 15,000 units and here they assemble cars like the Chevrolet Cruze and Captiva.
One reason why GM wants to increase production in that area is due to the fact that the car sales in Indonesia have gone up from 486,000 units in 2009 to last year’s 765,000 cars and experts say that for this year sales will reach the 900,000 mark.
The local market is dominated at the moment by the Japanese car manufacturers which are investing a lot of money in Indonesia, especially Daihatsu and Suzuki.
In 2010, General Motors only managed to sell 4,500 units in Indonesia but for this year they plan on selling about 6,000 cars.
Source: General Motors via Inside Line
Post tags: Tags: General Motors, southeast asia
General Motors Overtakes Toyota, Becomes Largest Automaker
General Motors filed for bankruptcy two years ago and now they are back on top, regaining the first spot as the largest car manufacturer in the world. They managed to sell 4.53 million cars in the first six months of this year, while in second place came Volkswagen AG with 4.13 million and in third Toyota with only 3.71 million units sold so far.
Compared to 2010, the Japanese automaker’s sales plummeted by a whopping 23% and according to experts in the domain, the main reasons for this decline is due to the natural calamities that struck Japan back in March this year.
General Motors proudly posted a 2nd quarter net income of $2.5 billion on revenues of $39.4 billion.
Source: General Motors & The Detroit News via WCF
Post tags: Tags: General Motors, largest automaker, largest car maker, News
OnStar connectivity will help Chevy Volt Customers reduce driving costs
• Smart grid solutions enable utilities to manage electric vehicle energy demands
• OnStar will be the lone telematics provider able to create wireless bridge between electric vehicles and the grid
• Regional utility employees will drive Volts as every day vehicles in Q3
RALEIGH, N.C. – General Motors and OnStar will launch the first real-world pilot of smart grid solutions for electric vehicles this year, paving the way for utilities to increase energy efficiency and offer lower charging costs to customers.
Starting this quarter, hundreds of employees of regional utilities will drive leased Chevrolet Volts as their everyday vehicles and participate in the pilot.
“In contrast to other OEMs who are only talking about smart grid technology, we’re moving beyond research and development projects to a program in the real world,” said Nick Pudar, OnStar vice president of planning and business development. “Through this pilot we will see real-time results on how intelligent energy management can maximize EV charging efficiency and minimize the electric bill for EV drivers.”
Many utility companies throughout the United States have implemented programs where customers opt in to allow the utility to stop and start their home air conditioning units as needed when electricity demand is high. The customer benefit from this service is a lower electricity bill. OnStar’s smart grid solution builds on this concept, but to a much more advanced and sophisticated level.
Through the OnStar Advanced Telematics Operations Management System (ATOMS), a utility will be able to accurately monitor and manage the energy used by the vehicles. The data will give the utility deep insight into where and when EVs are charged and demand response, which allows the utility to reduce peak demand by shifting EV charging to non-peak hours.
“OnStar is the only telematics provider that can create a wireless bridge between electric vehicles and the grid, building on our learning from the Chevrolet Volts on the road today,” Pudar said.
Through OnStar’s ATOMS infrastructure and partners’ solutions, utilities will be able to implement two Smart Grid services:
• Data Gathering. With customer permission, OnStar will provide the utility with overall charge level as well as charging history – by time and location – for the Volt pilot fleet, without the vehicles having to connect to a charging station. This will give the utility better insight for forecasting demand, setting rates and determining the best location for charging infrastructure.
• Demand response. OnStar will allow the utility to actively manage EV charging for those who opt in to the service. The utility can then reduce peak loads by offering discounts or other incentives to encourage drivers to charge their EVs when overall electricity demand is lowest, typically in the early morning hours.
OnStar, the automotive industry leader in telematics, first demonstrated EV data gathering and demand response in February at the DistribuTECH conference in San Diego. The Chevrolet Volt is now available in select U.S. markets and will be available nationwide by the end of the year.
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About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM), one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 202,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 30 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Italy. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.
About OnStar
OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of connected safety and security solutions, value-added mobility services and advanced information technology. Currently available on more than 40 MY 2011 GM models, OnStar soon will be available for installation on most other vehicles already on the road through local electronics retailers, including Best Buy. The OnStar Mobile App is a recipient of the 2011 Edison Award for Best New Product in the Remote Driving Aids segment and OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the Technology segment. OnStar safely connects its more than six million subscribers, in the U.S., Canada and China, in ways never thought possible. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com.
Post tags: Tags: chevrolet-volt, onstar, smart grid pilot
2011 Chevrolet Volt
Good news for those of you who are still waiting to buy a Chevrolet Volt as General Motors has announced that for the 2012 model, the Volt (along with the Opel Ampera) will be produced in 60,000 units and approximately 45,000 of them will be sold in the United States. In addition, GM will increase the production of this year’s model by 16,000 units.
The bad thing is that this production increase will not commence right away due to the reason that General Motors has shut down its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant, where they assemble the Volt, so that it could be upgraded in order to prepare the factory for building the upcoming 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.
You probably know that the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is not available everywhere in the U.S. The states in which you can purchase one are: New York, California, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., Connecticut, Michigan, Maryland and New Jersey. The company has said that by the end of this year, the Volt will be available nationwide in the U.S., as well as in Canada, Europe and of course, China.
Source: General Motors via WCF
Post tags: Tags: chevrolet-volt, General Motors, production
A few weeks ago General Motors issued a recall concerning certain 2011MY Chevrolet Cruze units due to potential problems with the steering wheel that might come loose from the steering column. This recall affects 2,100 units.
Now, GM has announced yet another recall, involving 154,112 units of its 2011MY Cruze, the ones built in North America starting with last summer. The reason behind this decision is also related to a steering issue, and General Motors said that they want to check the car’s steering shaft to see if it was properly installed. GM did not say whether these two recalls are related in any way, but they’ve did stated that in this latest action they want to check another potential problem that might concern about 120,000 units fitted with an automatic gearbox.
The good news is that no accidents have been reported due to these issues.
Source: General Motors via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: chevrolet cruze, General Motors, Recalls
We’ve talked last week about GM’s intentions to sell the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu on a global scale. To achieve this, the Detroit-based automaker has plans to build the car on several continents, and at the beginning of this week they’ve announced that the Malibu will be built and commercialized in Korea. At the beginning of this year, General Motors Korea said that they will stop using the Daewoo brand, opting for the Chevrolet name for the local market.
This might come as a surprise to most of you, including us, but the U.S. is not going to be the first country that will get the redesigned Malibu, as at first, production will start in South Korea, at the factory in Bupyeong. Later on, the car will roll out of the factory in Jingjiao, China, and in early 2012, the U.S.-made Malibu will be introduced. In the United States, the Malibu is going to be produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck, Fairfax and Kansas factories. General Motors added that there is a growing interest for the model in Korea, although none of the previous generations were official sold there.
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu received its official debut last week at the New York and Shanghai auto shows. It will be commercialized in almost 100 countries on six continents, and each of these regions will come with specific power unit selections. The North American Malibu will be available with either a 4-cylinder 2.5-liter engine that cranks out 190 hp, and a 2.4-liter ECO power unit with eAssist system, producing 180 hp. In China, the Malibu will be offered with a 2.0- and a 2.4-liter 4-cyilinder engine, along with a 1.6-liter turbocharged power plant.
In Europe, besides these gasoline engines, the Malibu will get several diesel engine options.
Source: General Motors via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: chevrolet malibu, General Motors, korea
Yesterday, General Motors has started taking orders for its Chevrolet Volt, a car that has a base price of CA$41,545. At first, the extended range electric vehicle is going to be available in Vancouver, Toronto, Victoria, Montreal, Quebec City, Oshawa and Ottawa-Gatineau. First delivers of the Volt will occur in Q3 2011. GM Canada said that within a year of the retail launch, the car will be available at all dealerships across Canada.
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevy Volt will be sold in only a single trim level, and customers will be able to add two optional packages: a Rear Camera and Park Assist Package, and a Premium Trim Package. It will be sold with a 3-year / 60,000 km bumper-to-bumper coverage and a 5-year / 160,000 km roadside assistance. General Motors also throws in an 8-year / 160,000 km limited warranty for the 16 kWh lithium-ion battery.
Chevrolet Volt
As a reminder, the Chevrolet Volt is powered by an electric motor that is fed by the aforementioned battery, and can be driven in electric mode for up to 80 km. After the battery is drained, the conventional 1.4-liter gasoline engine kicks in and acts as a generator, providing an extended driving range of up to 500 km with a full tank of gas.
Source: General Motors via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: canada, chevrolet-volt, General Motors, Green
General Motors will most likely regain the number one spot as far as production figures are concerned, taking into consideration the problems that Toyota has these days. As a quick reminder, GM held the throne for the largest car manufacturer in the world as far as sales are concerned from 1932 until 2008. The Detroit-based company had a lot of financial problems after 2008 when they had to file for bankruptcy.
These problems allowed Toyota to gain the first position, but they will probably have to give it back to General Motors this year due to their production problems in homeland Japan, caused by the earthquake / tsunami that affected the country last month. What this means is that Toyota will probably not be able to manufacture enough cars in order to maintain their number one ranking.
Aside from supply issues, the Japanese automaker is also facing a lot of recalls which have affected the sales over the last few years, having a negative impact on the company’s image of reliability and quality. Over these last few years, Toyota was forced to recall about 14 million cars.
As far as General Motors is concerned, they got back into shape very fast after solving their bankruptcy problems. In 2010, it was a very close race between Toyota and GM, the latter managing to sell only 30,000 units less than the Japanese company. Taking into consideration that the Detroit-based automaker is getting more and more involved in China, selling three times more cars than Toyota, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if at the end of this year they will regain leadership.
Source: Detroit Free Press via WCF
Post tags: Tags: General Motors, production, Toyota
After a couple of teaser images, General Motors has finally revealed the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu and I have to say that it looks great, especially on the inside. Considered as being one of the most important models in the company’s recent history, the all-new mid-size sedan will be a global model, as GM said that it plans to sell the new Malibu in almost 100 countries worldwide. In addition, the car will be manufactured at several factories, including China. The U.S.-spec version will roll out from the Fairfax Assembly factory in Kansas City and from the Hamtramck plant in Detroit.
As you can see, the Malibu has been redesigned from ground up and now features a new exterior look that borrowed a couple of styling cues from the Cruze (in the front) and the Camaro (LED dual tail lamps).
As I’ve said in the beginning, the cabin looks great, the best I’ve seen in a mid-size sedan in recent months. It features a more fluid design with an instrument panel that has circular gauges that look a little bit like the ones in the Camaro, set in squared-off housings. The new flat panel display located on the center console articulates up and down, revealing a 6-inch deep hidden, illuminated storage location. For the U.S. market, Chevy will offer the Malibu with the MyLink infotainment package that consists of wireless connectivity through Bluetooth.
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is based on GM’s Epsilon II platform that has been used on the Opel Insignia / Buick Regal and the new version of the Saab 9-5. The car’s 107.8-inch wheelbase is 4.5-inches shorter than the outgoing model, but this doesn’t mean that there is less space inside the cabin. The 62-inch front and rear tracks are now 2 inches wider than before, which means that the Malibu offers almost 4 cubic ft. of additional interior space, as well as increased front and rear shoulder and hip room, along with more than 1 cubic ft. of luggage space at 16.3 cubic ft. Measuring 191.3 inches in length, 73 inches in width and 57.6 inches in height, the car is now 0.5 inches shorter, 3 inches wider and 0.5 inches taller in comparison to the outgoing model.
In the beginning, the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu will be powered by a new 4-cylinder 2.5-liter Ecotec engine with direct injection, which will be mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. General Motors says that this engine can produce more than 190 hp and a peak torque of 180 lb.-ft (245 Nm).
The model features an updated MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear configuration. Behind the wheels are ventilated front and rear discs that are clamped by dual-piston front and single-piston rear aluminum brake calipers.
The North American version of the new Malibu will be offered in three levels of trims: LS, LT and the top-spec LTZ, and customers will be able to choose from one of the 10 exterior paint finishes available, along with four colors for the cabin.
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu will go into production in the United States in Q1 2012.
The Chinese version will be available at first with a choice of two naturally-aspirated gasoline engines, a 2.0-liter and a more powerful 2.4-liter, both of them being mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The international versions will be offered with a 1.6-liter turbocharged power plant, but GM didn’t say anything about its performances.
In China, the car will hit the dealerships before the end of this year.
Source: General Motors via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: chevrolet malibu, General Motors, shanghai auto show
GM’s Chevrolet division had a very good start this year as they’ve managed to sell 1.1 million cars worldwide, thanks mostly to the success of the Cruze sedan and the globalization of the company’s name. This is the best first quarter in the automaker’s history, managing to sell 15% more cars in comparison to the same period of 2010.
General Motors said that Chevy has managed to post double-digit sales gains in comparison to the same period of the last year in four of its five top markets. For example, in the United States they’ve managed to deliver 416,505 units in the first quarter, a 23% increase over 2010. In China, sales reached an all-time record of 159,303 units, which is 17% more than last year. They also did very good in Mexico, with 37,291 cars (a 12% increase), Argentina with 34,103 units (a 21% increase) and Europe, where they’ve increased their sales by 7% to 112,482 vehicles.
In addition, in Turkey and Denmark, Chevrolet doubled sales, while in France they’ve managed to sell 80% more cars, and in the Russian market they’ve had an increase of 51% as far as sales are concerned.
One of the most significant factors that lead to the increase of sales for Chevrolet is its Cruze model, which was sold in 150,652 units in Q1 2011, representing a whopping 117% increase over the same period of last year. The Cruze was introduced in Europe in 2009 and since then the company has managed to deliver almost 600,000 units worldwide.
The automaker expects that this trend will continue and even grow after the launch of the hatchback version of the Cruze, a model that will hit the European dealerships this summer. After the Cruze, Chevrolet will introduce the tiny Spark, along with the Aveo/Sonic, both of which are already on sale in some countries and they will continue to be introduced in other markets throughout this year and in 2012. In addition, with the introduction of its all-new Malibum model, General Motors hopes to increase the sales figures of its Chevrolet subdivision even further.
Source: General Motors via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: chevrolet cruze, General Motors, sales record
Because of a single incident that occurred on March 1st this year, when General Motors was notified that one 2011MY Chevrolet Cruze was brought to one of the dealerships due to a steering wheel that had come loose from the steering column, GM has decided to issue a voluntary recall on certain Cruze units. According to the automaker, during the manufacturing process, the car’s steering wheel might have been improperly fastened and there is a possibility that it could detach from the steering column.
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Post tags: Tags: chevrolet cruze, General Motors, Recalls
Seoul Motor Show – Chevrolet Mi-ray Concept
At this week’s Seoul Motor Show, GM unveiled the Chevrolet Mi-ray Concept. This attractive car pays tribute to Chevrolet’s sports car heritage and GM said that the concept is “small and open” just like the 1963 Monza SS, while at the same time being “light and purposeful” like the 1962 Corvair Super Spyder. Regardless of its resemblances to classic cars, the Mi-ray (Korean for “future”) looks awesome from every single angle you look at it.
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Post tags: Tags: chevrolet mi-ray, Concepts, General Motors, Green, seoul motor show
53.3% Of Pontiac Owners Bought A GM Car In 2010
In 2010, of the 57,641 Pontiac owners that purchased a car, 53.3% of them bought a vehicle from General Motors, according to a survey conducted by RL Polk & Co. It seems that 33.5% bought a Chevrolet, 11.7% a GMC, 6.7% a Buick and the last 1.5% got behind the wheel of a Cadillac. Within the rest of the Big Three, Ford grabbed 10.5% of former Pontiac buyers, Dodge caught 3.2% while Jeep and Chrysler together totaled 1.7%.
Those Pontiac owners that decided to buy a non-GM car went overseas, and 31% chose an import: Toyota 7.7%; Honda 7.5%, while Nissan and Hyundai were not far behind these figures. These numbers show us that the customers that chose a Pontiac in the past stuck with a big name / high volume car manufacturer when time came to buy a new car.
Source: RL Polk via Kicking Tires via Autoblog
Post tags: Tags: General Motors, pontiac owners
