Even though sales of big trucks and SUV’s are down heavily this year, they are starting to show a comeback as people show they still need the capability offered by a large body-on-frame SUV. General Motors realized this and decided to keep the next generation of the Chervolet Tahoe/Suburban/Avalanche, GMC Yukon/Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade/ESV/EXT on a truck platform. GM says its customers still needed the towing, hauling and passenger capabilities all found on a large SUV. In the next two years GM will most likely be working on ways to make their trucks more reliable, more fuel efficient and even more refined than the current GMT900 trucks are. For more news, head on over to Autoblog.
(Image source: GM)
Sales of the Cadillacs and Corvettes to resume in Europe!
General Motors has had a rough go at it these past few years. What with the need for government bailouts and then filing for bankruptcy, things haven’t been harder really. On top of that, GM’s distributor for Cadillacs and Corvettes in Europe went bust, meaning those cars haven’t been available in Europe for almost a year. Well it now appears that GM has corrected that issue, reportedly in talks with about 30 dealerships around Europe to bring over the entire Corvette lineup, as well as the Cadillac CTS (coupe, sedan and wagon,) Escalade, CTS-V and SRX. No word on pricing or availability yet, so stay tuned for more. Until then, head on over to Autoblog.
(Image source: Caradvice.com)
GM owned Tiger Woods’ Escalade to be repaired and sold
Tiger Woods is not doing so hot lately. He has had many issues with his wife and his not-so-proper relationships with other women. Well sadly, his actions cost a perfectly good Cadillac Escalade some damage, putting the car out of commission for awhile. Word has come out now that the car was actually owned by GM and is part of its press fleet. The car will be fixed and then possibly auctioned off to the highest bidder. For more news, head on over to USA Today.
(Image source: Florida Highway Patrol)
General Motors to keep its SUV’s in a body-on-frame design
In what comes as little surprise to anyone, GM has decided to keep its SUV’s in their current form, that is body-on-frame, rather than switch them over to be a unibody (crossover.) Why would anyone even think for a second that GM would be interested in switching? I mean, the GMT900 platform is the basis for the Chevrolet Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban and Avalanche as well as the GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL plus the Cadillac Escalade, Escalade EXT and Escalade ESV making it GM’s highest volume chassis. Not to mention the body-on-frame design offers tons of benefits for towing and hauling capacity. For more details, head on over to PickupTrucks.com.
(Image source: GM)
General Motors has decided to add the option of a hybrid drive-train to the GMC Yukon Denali. The Denali is basically an upgraded interior package for the base model Yukon, putting it between the Yukon and the Cadillac Escalade. I have met several people with the GM two-mode hybrid full size SUVs and their numbers are pretty impressive. Some average as high as 22 mpg!
The 2wd model gets an EPA estimated 21 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, while the 4wd model will net you around 20/20. For the full report, head on over to Autobloggreen.
