truth about domestics

That’s right folks, General Motors has announced that it will be adding a third shift to the Lordstown, Ohio plant that will be building the Chevrolet Cruze.  The interesting thing is that the Cruze hasn’t really gone into production yet…no matter.  The announcement from GM came today and they have stated that they will be adding 1,200 jobs which I’m sure will be welcome news to people in the area.  For more news, head on over to The Detroit News.

(Image source: GM)

The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox features a 2.4L Ecotec four-cylinder that allows it to achieve a 32 mpg highway EPA rating.  While that might be best in class now, that figure probably won’t hold up in the future.  So for that reason, General Motors has decided to invest $494 million into three separate plants; one in Tonawanda, New York, another in Defiance, Ohio and the final plant in Bay City, Michigan.  This move will also add 470 jobs to the U.S. economy and produce an as yet unnamed size of the new Ecotec.  For more details and GM’s official press release, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

Apparently in an interview with Automotive News, John Cafaro, the director of design for Buick and Chevrolet, said that what the brand needs now is more expressive vehicles.  Cafaro thinks that it is his job to really push for a more youthful image for Buick and part of that transformation could involve a new coupe!  For the logistics behind this pipe dream, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Buick)

General Motors announced that it has cut $10.7 billion in annual costs, moving the company closer to a planned 2010 profit. The cost savings can be attributed to reduced interest payments from a reduction of debt, reduction of union retiree bills, and a $6.7 billion saving in cutting jobs, closing plants, and shutting down brands.

Meanwhile, the costs savings will be used for vehicle development (good thing!) and marketing. Redesigns of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are expected, and could cost as much as $1 billion.

In addition to 2010 profitability, CEO, Ed Whitacre’s goal is to keep GM’s market share at 20 percent. This will be tough to achieve, but possible as GM improves quality, its product lineup, and changes the overall perception of its customers.

Read the full news story at Bloomberg.

General Motors has announced that production of the Camaro convertible and the 2011 Buick Regal will start in the first quarter of 2011.  The Regal goes on sale this summer, with the initial units being shipped in from Germany until production can commence here in North America.  The Camaro convertible joins the hot selling Camaro coupe when it goes on sale early next year.  The addition of these two cars brings about 700 jobs back to the Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant that builds the Camaro now.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)

The video above shows some of the testing that went into making the new Chevrolet Equinox as great as it is.  The smoke testing was done to check for air leaks, because those can be pathways for water, wind and road noise.  The second test…well you’ll see.

General Motors didn’t have much to show at the Chicago Auto Show, but what they did show was pretty nice.  The only two product introductions came from Chevrolet and both were on the truck side of the business.  The first new product that they rolled out was a Diamond Edition Suburban.  This special trim package was to celebrate 75 continuous years of production of the Suburban nameplate, making it the longest running in the business.  The package includes special 20 inch chrome wheels, chrome diamond mesh grille, cashmere colored interior and “Diamond Edition” embroidery on the headrests.  There are also special 75th anniversary badges on the outside and on the steering wheel cover.

The second product brought out is much more significant than the D.E. ‘burb.  This was the new 2011 Silverado Heavy Duty.  The new HD features a fully boxed frame for increased torsional stiffness (by a magnitude of 5) and an upgraded front suspension that is now rated for over 6,000 pounds.  Towing capacity is up to 20,000 lbs and max payload has jumped to 6,335 lbs.  For more shots of these two beasts, head on over to our gallery.

The Chevrolet Aveo RS concept from the Detroit Auto Show is a much more attractive looking car than the current Aveo it will eventually be replacing.  The evidence to that end is this prototype that was seen testing in some cold weather shows that many of the hot design traits like short front and rear overhangs will make it into production.  The more upscale interior appears to be that way as well, except for some minor parts sharing of components like the radio controls.  Stay tuned for more, but for now, head on over to Autoblog.

GM has announced that they are donating $100,000 dollars to the relief efforts in Haiti.  This following the announcement by Chrysler that they will be donating a 300C signed by 300 A-list celebrities like Tom Hanks and Merryl Streep.  The car will be auctioned off at Barret-Jackson, along with the car pictured above.  General Motors has decided to auction off a Special Edition 2008 Z06.  The car is the 427th and final model in the special edition series.  For more details and pictures, head on over to Autoblog.

What I would like to know is where the Japanese and European companies are with their support?  Why does the US have to contribute everything to the Haiti relief effort?

(Image source: GM)

General Motors’ CEO Ed Whitacre was recently interviewed by Lyle Dennis at GM-Volt.com and was asked about the pricing for the Volt, which until this point was believed to be around $40,000.  Whitacre’s response was that the Volt would be priced in the “low $30’s” and be profitable to boot!  While this answer is great news for Volt fans everywhere, it still leaves much in the air.  Is the $30k price before or after the $7,500 tax credit for purchasing a Volt?  Only time will tell, for now, head on over to GM-Volt.com or Autoblog.

(Image source: GM)