Buick and GMC Showrooms Receive a Makover in the States

General Motors' efforts to revitalize its Buick passenger and GMC truck divisions are not only limited to updating each brands vehicle lineup but also extend to refreshing their joint dealerships across the country.

The program includes a new exterior façade with updated signage, brighter and more comfortable showrooms with a customer greeting station as well as a lounge with free WiFi, while some dealers plan to go the extra mile and add a café or salon into the mix.

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General Motors will have Four World Premieres in Detroit Including the 2013 Cadillac ATS

With the press days over at the Tokyo Motor Show, automakers are now turning their focus on the next big automotive event, which is the 2012 North International Auto Show that takes place in Detroit from January 10 to 23.

Today, we learned that General Motors is planning four world premieres but for now, the company will only tell us about one of the vehicles it will bring to Detroit, the 2013 Cadillac ATS, which is aimed squarely at the entry-level premium sedan segment rivaling the likes of the new BMW 3-Series and the Lexus IS.

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2011 GMC Terrain

2011 GMC Terrain General Motors said the crossover SUV field to its line of GMC for the model year from 2010. Placed in full size Acadia, from the land of its Theta architecture with the new Chevrolet Equinox. The model has replaced the Pontiac Torrent and GMC Envoy.

Two engines are available for customers to consider. A new 2.4-liter four-cylinder direct injection offers fuel economy of 32 miles per gallon highway, and an index of 22 cities.

Advanced fuel economy is achieved in part with an "ECO" mode that is activated via a button mounted on the console. When activated, it lowers the speed lock-up torque converter 1125 rpm to save fuel on models equipped with the engine.

There is also a 3.0-liter DOHC direct-injection V-6 engine produces approximately 264 horsepower. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic. Land, rack-mounted electric power steering system provides greater fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder-equipped models that saves nearly 11 miles per tank of gas.

"The capability attributes that make the GMC vehicle is etched terrain, making it a viable alternative to existing traditional SUV customers who are looking for a distinctive style and greater efficiency," said Susan Docherty, Buick-Pontiac-GMC former Vice President .

The land is offered with FWD and AWD trim levels in SLE and SLT. A list of standard and available features includes standard rear vision camera, programmable power liftgate, Bluetooth hands free phone, Multiflex sliding rear seat, remote start, USB audio connectivity, MP3 player, a seven-inch touchscreen navigation system, a 40 GB hard drive, a DVD based system with two screens for rear-seat entertainment independent, and OnStar and XM Satellite Radio All in GMC Terrain.

Walks on a plot 112.5 inches (2857 mm) wheelbase and has a four wheel drive with independent suspension front and rear tracks off that promise to provide comfort and handling solid. A family of 17-inch, 18 inch aluminum wheels and 19 inch chrome are available.

GMC Terrain manufactured by CAMI assembly facility in Ingersoll, Ontario, and the prices low $ 20,000 range.

Chevy Small Block V8 “Not Dead”, According TO GM Design System Engineer

Since its introduction in 1955, Chevrolet’s Small Block V-8 has carved itself a niche that could otherwise never be filled. Affordable, lightweight and offering great performance for its size, the Small Block is to the automotive world what the Apple iPad is to tech-heads.

Now, with ever-hardening CAFE regulations and overinflated fuel prices, one would think the Small Block’s time had finally come. Not so, according to Mark Damico, GM’s small-block design system engineer.

Though there’s been no official confirmation from GM itself, Mr. Damico swears that the fifth generation Chevy Small Block is currently under development. In fact, Mr. Damico claims that as much as US$890 million is being spent on its development.

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Guess Who’s Back Again? Bob Lutz Returns to GM as Advisor

No matter the age, a petrol head like Bob Lutz can't stay away too long from the car industry. In fact, even though GM's former vice president and product czar had retired in the May 2010, the 79-year-old has been providing advice to the firm's executives without pay ever since.

Now, GM decided to formally hire Lutz as an advisor to provide counsel to the senior leadership team of the company.

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GM Reduces Truck Production Due to Unusually High Inventories

General Motors is cutting back on production at its Ford Wayne, Indiana plant that builds the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks, due to reduced demand and high inventories.

According to the UAQ Local 2209 site, the Detroit automaker has cancelled Saturday shifts at its plant. A person familiar with the plan told Autonews that Saturday shifts had been cut in half since the beginning of 2011

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GM to Cut its Platforms by More than 50% in the Next Decade

At the second Annual Global Business Conference for investors and financial analysts, General Motors revealed details on a new plan that “will ensure a long-term sustainable performance” for the Detroit automaker.

Among other measures is the massive reduction of platforms used by GM brands globally in order to cut development costs and benefit from economies of scale.

“More of our components will be common and more of our vehicles will be on global architectures” said the GM CEO, Dan Akerson.

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Report: GM to Launch Key Fuel Efficient Cars and Trucks in the Next 18 Months

USA’s biggest car manufacturer, General Motors, is scheduling a series of new vehicle launches for its four brands in the next 18 months. And the dominant theme here, both in passenger cars and trucks, will be improved economy figures as GM prepares its vehicle lineup to meet the more stringent fuel-efficiency standards.

For example, the Detroit automaker plans to introduce 8-speed auto transmissions and downsized turbocharged engines in its new pickups, and also intends to fit more models with the eAssist light-hybrid technology.

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GM Recalls More Than 7,500 Trucks and SUVs Over Separate Gearbox and Steering Issues

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.

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GM Suspends Production of Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon in Louisiana Due to Lack of Parts from Japan

In yet another stark reminder of how intertwined today’s automotive business is, General Motors announced on Thursday that is suspending production at its Shreveport Assembly in Louisiana for the week of March 21 because of a parts shortage resulting from the crisis in Japan that started with last week’s tremendous earthquake and tsunami.

“We will resume production at Shreveport as soon as possible, and at this point, we have sufficient vehicles to meet customer demand,” General Motors said in a written statement.

The Shreveport Assembly in Louisiana produces the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks.

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DIY: How to Break a GMC Sierra in Two While Pulling it Out of a Frozen Lake

So, let's say your GMC Sierra pickup truck has landed upside down into a partially frozen lake, and you want to pull it out. Common sense says you should chain the truck on the end that's closest to land. Well, the guys that found themselves in this situation opted to chain the other end of the truck with disastrous results for some, hilarious for others. Watch the video after the jump but be warned, it's NSFW unless you lower the volume.

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