The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recall campaign for two separate issues concerning GM trucks and SUVs.

The first recall concerns 6,768 units of the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon from the 2011MY due to a failure in a transmission clip that may not engage the “Parking” mode even though the driver has moved the lever to the appropriate position. GM’s dealers will repair the faulty automatic transmission free of charge, and the recall is expected to begin on July 19.

Read more »

Read more »

A class-action suit has been filed against General Motors in Detroit concerning a defect in the suspension rods of more than 400,000 2007-2008MY Chevrolet Impalas that causes premature wear to the rear tires.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a woman from Pennsylvania named Donna Trusky, who wants GM to replace the defective suspension rods on 423,000 Impalas from the 2007-2008MY the company sold over a two-year period.

Read more »

Read more »

Those of you readers that have been with us for a while might remember our revealing post about Ford Motor Company’s shady marketing tactics (via its media agency) to attract attention and web traffic to the brand by asking bloggers to participate in a Ford website-linking contest and win a place in the company’s 2010 Model Year Drive event.

That said, we are no strangers to the mommy-blogger-type approach from marketing companies representing major automotive brands, but we never cease to be amazed. This time we were approached by a social media agency called Knallgrau on behalf of GM’s European Opel unit. When we received the first email, we believed it was a media / press invitation but upon our request for additional information, we discovered that wasn’t the case.

In a similar fashion to the Ford incident, the agency asked if we wanted to write about the new Astra GTC and participate in a type of contest, the winners of which will be invited to the official unveiling of the three-door hatchback at Opel’s headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

Read more »

Read more »

It may not be anywhere close to being a historic model for Cadillac, but for some, the outgoing DTS has a special place in their wish list. In fact so special that Nicola Bulgari of the renowned Italian jewelry, perfume and more recently hotel chain family, decided to add the last DTS to roll off the production line to his personal car collection.

“Is it important?” Nicola Bulgari asked. “Is it the number or the quality that matters? It’s the quality. I like the DTS because it’s a great sedan,” said Bulgari. “It’s the last of an era. I thought it would be wonderful to own the last Northstar in a DTS. It’s one of the best engines ever designed – reliable and a performer.”

Read more »

Read more »

A new video from General Motors gives us an insight on how its engineers test the durability of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible’s soft-top. The company said that during the development phase, the electrically operated tops of the prototype models were opened and closed more than 22,500 times, which is claimed to be three times more than what an average driver would do in 10 years of use. GM added that some of those tests were performed in extreme weather conditions with temperatures ranging from minus-22° F to 170° F and humidity of up to 95 percent. Read more »

Read more »

*Current Holden WM Caprice pictured in the above development sketch

When Holden’s next-generation VF Commodore series launches in Australian in 2014, it will be the first locally-produced automobile to incorporate mass produced aluminium panels in its construction. In addition, the new large car, which will also spawn a long-wheelbase Caprice model, will get improved aerodynamics and electric power steering in place of the current-gen’s hydraulic unit. It’s all part of an effort by Holden to lighten up its flagship model and thereby make it more fuel efficient in an effort to remain competitive with the likes of the locally-produced Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Fuel savings are expected to be around the 7% mark, bringing the 9.1lt /100 km (26 mpg) combined rating of the 3.0 L V6 SIDI down to a more politically-correct 8.4 lt/ 100 km (28 mpg). Similar savings will be experienced with the older 3.6 L Alloytec V6: 9.1 lt / 100 km (26 mpg) down from 9.8 lt / 100 km (24 mpg). The program is part-funded by the Australian federal government, which poured AU$39.8 million in from the now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund.

Read more »

Read more »

General Motors says owners of the Volt are driving up to 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) before they need to fill up. “A sample of our early Volt customers suggest that they drive 1,000 miles before they fill up the gas tank,” Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, told Bloomberg news.

However, the official driving range of the Volt, measured by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is much smaller than the GM executive's claims. The Volt's electric-only driving range is 35 miles (56.3 km), with another 344 miles (553.6 km) possible as the gasoline generator kicks in. The combined range therefore sits at 379 miles (610 km), way below the claimed 1,000 miles.

Read more »

Read more »

The Chevrolet brand turns 100 this year, and unlike some people that like to hide their age after a certain point, the automaker is out to tell the world. Among the many celebrations planned for this occasion is the presentation a special 2012 Centennial Edition Corvette with a black color scheme and unique design elements.

“Racing and performance are the roots of Chevrolet, a tradition carried forward today by Corvette,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “The Centennial Edition not only celebrates our 100 years, it once again pushes Corvette forward for a new generation of sports car fans.”

The 2012 Centennial Edition will be available as a special package on all Corvette models, including the Grand Sport that features a 6.2-liter V8 pumping out 430HP, the Z06 that comes equipped with a 505HP 7.0-liter V8 and the flagship ZR1 with its 638-hp supercharged LS9 V8 engine.

Read more »

Read more »

Last week, GM released the first teaser photo of its upcoming Chevrolet Malibu ahead of its global debut on Monday, April 18. The next generation of the Malibu is the first Chevy mid-sized model designed for the global market and will be sold in up to 100 countries around the world including Australia where it will be launched under the Holden brand.

The Holden Malibu will arrive in Australia for the first time in 2012 with a range of four cylinder engines, effectively replacing the unpopular Epica, a badge-engineered version of the South Korean Daewoo Tosca, which itself had taken the place of the Vectra.

“The Malibu will play an important role within the Holden line-up, providing a spacious and efficient four-cylinder alternative for Australian customers,” said Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux.

Read more »

Read more »

General Motors has released an update on the 2011 Buick Regal's 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that enables it to run on any blend of gasoline or E85 Ethanol. The Detroit automaker claims the Regal's flex-fuel capability is a first for a direct-injected turbocharged production car.

Read more »

Read more »

The much anticipated Camaro Z28 will begin rolling off the production line in January 2012, according to a dealer that spilled the beans over at the Camaro5 forums after attending a National Chevrolet Dealer’s meeting.

Read more »

Read more »

Last September, we reported that Nick Reilly, Chairman of Opel, hinted at the launch of the German brand in Australia. GM's European division made it official today at, announcing that Opel is set to enter the Australian market in 2012.

Nick Reilly, said at the Detroit Auto Show: “This launch is an important part of our international expansion strategy. With its growing demand for German design and technology, the Australian car market is an excellent opportunity for Opel. Australian drivers have a strong affinity with Opel vehicles.”

Read more »

Read more »

The numbers are in for the month of September, and for the most part, they're looking good as industry wide deliveries were up 28% over a year ago according to a report from Autonews. Chrysler Group exec should be feeling extra happy as sales soared 61 percent over the same month a year ago, rising from 62,197 to 100,077 units.

Read more »

Read more »

With all the recent hubbub around General Motors reorganizing its marketing campaigns and strategies, this ad-based lawsuit stands out like a sore thumb.

Way back in September, GMC ran four-page ad in People's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. Nothing special there. However, a part of the ad used Einstein's face on a model's body, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has the rights to his image (which earned $10 million last year)

Now the university is suing GM for $75,000, claiming Einstein's likeness was fraudulently used in the ad. GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney defends GM by saying the automaker bought the right to use the image from a known firm, and that the ad itself (which only ran in that issue) was created by the Leo Burnett agency.

Read more »

Read more »

According to a report from Reuters, General Motors is preparing for try-the-competition test drives in Chicago, L.A., Philadelphia, and Miami.

The project, called "Test Drive Studio", goes something like this: when consumers walk into a participating dealership, they'll be offered test drives in the mid-size Malibu and the Equinox and Traverse crossovers.

After that, GM puts its (and the US taxpayers') money where its mouth is: they'll offer people the chance to go out in comparable Fords, Toyotas, and Hondas.

Read more »

Read more »

General Motors and its Chinese partner Shanghai Auto (SAIC) presented today a new trio of self-balancing two-wheeler concept vehicles that will be showcased in public for the first time at the SAIC-GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai that runs from May 1 through October 31.

Called the EN-V, which is short for Electric Networked-Vehicle, the two-seater concept is tailored to the crowded mega-cities of the future.

If the whole project sounds a bit familiar, that's because the EN-V is an evolution of the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility (P.U.M.A.) prototype that was co-developed by GM and Segway and debuted in April 2009.

Read more »

Read more »

Chevrolet's European sales figures are hoping to be 425,000 units in 2010; far from bad, but nowhere close to the million units GM is looking for over the next decade. For reference, Chevrolet Europe's sales dropped from an all-time high of 500,000 units in 2008.

A major problem in GM's planning is Russia, which was predicted to overtake Germany as the largest European market in the near future. Automotive sales in the Russian market plummeted by 50% last year to 1.45 million in 2009.

Read more »

Read more »

A couple of weeks ago, we told you about General Motors' plans for the new Corvette, dubbed C7, that will hit the market by 2012. Now, Autoweek is bringing news on the for the next major model change, the C8, that's expected to be released after 2016.

While the Corvette C7 will essentially be a reskinned version of the current generation C6 with the emphasis said to be on interior quality and making the exterior styling more desirable to younger buyers in the States as well as to a broader international crowd, the C8 will ground-breaking, to say the least, if we are to believe the report.

Read more »

Read more »

GM is developing a full-size, in-your-face Heads-Up Display that will hopefully revolutionize the windshield. Exciting, right?

The General has called in the best and brightest from universities across the land in order help it take the next step in driver safety. The goal: to "[turn] the entire windshield into a transparent display that would illuminate the road during conditions of low visibility". Aaaaand science fiction is one step closer to reality. Love it.

Read more »

Read more »

Another battle has begun in the Ford / GM war: who's got the better new police car, Ford with its Taurus Police Interceptor or GM with its Chevrolet Caprice PPV? One thing sure to be a hot topic is both companies' shift in platform choices.

GM is ditching the front-wheel-drive Impala option and going back to a big, rear-wheel drive vehicle with the Zeta-based Caprice.

As our Aussie friends know, the Caprice is a re-grilled Holden Caprice / Statesman which in turn is a more luxurious, long wheelbase version of the Holden Commodore / Pontiac G8.

Ford, on the other hand, is doing the exact opposite; they're tossing the big, rear-wheel-drive (and geriatric) Panther platform and offering up front- and all-wheel drive Tauruses.

Read more »

Read more »