2013 Buick Encore Small CUV :GM

So you thought General Motor's second teaser of the 2013 Buick Encore would actually show us the CUV, did you? Well, it doesn't. All we get is a glimpse of the Encore's hood.

You'll have to wait a few more days to get a meaningful preview of the small crossover model when the Detroit brand reveals the second of a total of four pictures on its official Facebook page.

GM is still holding back on the details, but as we noted in our previous post, it is believed that the Encore will be based on a similar model being prepared by Opel in Europe.

PHOTO GALLERY

Revolution by Laying off White-Collar Workers & Dan Akerson Says GM is “Like Communist China in the ‘60s” With Obama

Last month, General Motors posted a third-quarter profit of $1.7 billion US. Not bad for a company that, only just two years ago, was almost bankrupt and was saved thanks to a massive government bailout.

Yet its aim is to reduce costs and increase profits even more. GM representative Jay Cooney told the Detroit News: “GM is continually seeking ways to improve our operating performance and reduce complexity to deliver a world-class cost structure and profit margins.”

This, Cooney, says, includes “streamlining the business, so there could be a headcount reduction on a global basis”. This is corporate speak for laying off white-collar workers – initially in small numbers but with more to follow before the end of the year.

Most of the personnel cuts are focused on engineering, product development and corporate operations at GM’s headquarters in Detroit’s Renaissance Center.

The layoffs are part of GM CEO Dan Akerson’s cost-cutting plan, which includes eliminating the group’s worldwide duplicate operations.

"Literally, we have 7,000 more people working on the same amount of work on our competitors”, Akerson told The News in an interview back in June. “It’s just like the Communist Party in China in the 1960s. There has to be a cultural revolution here. The sun never sets on the GM Empire. Substitute 'British Empire.' That didn't work either."

Story References: DetNews

Auto Mobile Report: New Opel Astra GTC May Make it to the States as a Buick

The sporty-looking Opel Astra GTC was only just introduced in Frankfurt last week, but there are already reports suggesting that it could be one of the compact cars General Motors said it would build at an unspecified plant in the U.S. under the details released Tuesday of its tentative pact with the United Auto Workers (UAW).

According to Auto Observer, in a meeting with journalists and analysts at Opel’s Rüsselsheim headquarters in Germany, the firm's CEO, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, said "I could easily see it as a Buick" referring to the Astra GTC.

It would make sense from a marketing standpoint since Buick would automatically gain a new contender in the small sports car segment against the likes of the Hyundai Veloster, while also widening the reach of the brand to a younger audience.

Furthermore, the fact that the soon-to-be launched in the States new Buick Verano is essentially the sedan version of the Opel Astra series, means that the production costs can be minimized as the two cars will share many common components.

In the European market, the three-door Astra GTC will launch with a choice of five engines delivering between 100HP and 180HP, including a 1.7-liter CDTI exoFLEX diesel available with 110HP and 130HP, both fitted with a fuel-saving Start/Stop system.

But the icing in the cake will be the Astra GTC OPC (VXR in the UK), which is rumored to carry a turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine pushing close to 300-horsepower, and is expected to be introduced in the second half of 2012.

If GM makes the move to sell the Astra GTC as a Buick in North America, then it is almost certain that it will offer the OPC as its flagship GS model.

Story sources: Auto Observer

PHOTO GALLERY

GM to Manufacturer New Mid-Size Pickup in Missouri, and Two New Mid-Size Models at Former Saturn Plant

[Chevrolet Colorado Concept from 2011 Bangkok Motor Show pictured above]
General Motors has revealed plans to build a new mid-size pickup truck at its Missouri plant as well as to reopen a former Saturn assembly plant in Tennessee for the production of two new mid-size models.

A GM representative declined to provide further information, saying that the company will not comment on its future products, however, the most likely candidates for the pickup truck model are the successors to the Chevrolet Colorado or the GMC Canyon.

While the Detroit automaker has released details on the Asian Pacific and South American region 2012 Chevrolet Colorado, which will be manufactured in Thailand, GM has not clarified if the pickup truck will be available in the States as well.

Whatever the new mid-size pickup truck may be, it will be built at the Wentzville plant where GM will invest around $380 million, according to details released as part of the labor pact signed between GM and the UAW, in which the company has also agreed to invest $2.5 billion in new products thus retaining or creating new jobs.

As for the two unnamed new mid-size passenger cars, they will be manufactured at GM's Spring Hill facility in Tennessee, which has been idle since 2009 after the company shut down the Saturn brand.

Story Source: Autonews [Sub. Req.]

GM Prepares All-New 2012 Chevrolet Colorado for Launch, but it won't Come to the U.S.

After traveling all around the world in concept format, the new 2012 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck has entered the final testing phase in Thailand before the introduction of the production model that will go on sale towards the end of the year.

Today, General Motors released some new photos showing the prototype models being put through their paces as the company prepares to produce the midsize pickup in its Rayong assembly plant in Thailand.

The Detroit automaker said the Rayong manufacturing facility has undergone a $300 million upgrade, including a retooling of the entire vehicle assembly line, to build the new pickup truck.

“The hard work for this program has been done, and we are incredibly pleased with the results,” said Chevrolet Colorado Chief Engineer, Roberto Rempel. “This is a world-class truck that will appeal to buyers not just in the heavily concentrated truck markets of Southeast Asia, but around the world.

GM says that the new Colorado will be sold in markets across Asia Pacific including Australia where Holden showed its own concept model, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Thailand will be the first market to receive the Colorado. No word if GM's future plans include the North American region.

While these photos don't reveal much about the appearance of the final production version of the Colorado, a completely undisguised prototype of the pickup truck was recently spotted unguarded at a parking lot in Thailand (click here to check out the photos).

At least for the Asia Pacific region, the new 2012 Chevrolet Colorado will be offered with newly developed 2.5-liter and 2.8-liter turbocharged diesel engines that will also be produced at an adjacent GM plant in Thailand.

PHOTO GALLERY

New Electric Vehicle To Be Develop in China By GM and SAIC

General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson and his counterpart at SAIC Motor Corp., Hu Maoyuan, signed an agreement for the joint development of a new electric vehicle in China.

The Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, which is jointly owned by the two companies, will undertake the development of the new architecture, with GM and SAIC teams working together.

“The co-development of this new electric vehicle architecture demonstrates the broad range of benefits made possible by the strong partnership between SAIC and GM” commented Tim Lee, president of GM International Operations.

“For almost 15 years our two companies have forged an unprecedented level of cooperation. This is another demonstration of our companies’ commitment to work collaboratively,” he added.

The products of this joint venture, further details of which will be announced at a later date, will be sold in China under both the Shanghai GM and SAIC brands. They will also used by each company separately for developing their own models in other markets.

PHOTO GALLERY

Chevrolet Orlando gets in a Harlequin Suit for the Sake of Art

We do not know if Belgian design label Quinze & Milan had the famous Volkswagen Polo Harlequin special in mind when it was reinterpreting Chevrolet's new 7-seater Orlando, but the result sure looks familiar.

However, unlike Volkswagen's special edition supermini, Quinze & Milan's one-off creation is not only characterized by the pallet of colors, but also for the fact that the modified parts inside and out are sprayed in the firm's signature foam coating called QM FOAM.

The bespoke Orlando was created to celebrate Chevrolet’s centennial anniversary and will be shown the Superbrands London festival at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane from Sept 22nd to 25th.

Photographer credits: Mathieu Damiens

PHOTO GALLERY

General Motors Claims That 2013 Malibu's New 2.5-liter Ecotec, will Cover More than 30mpg Highway

2013 Chevrolet Malibu

As time goes by, General Motors is slowly releasing more information on its upcoming 2013 Chevrolet Malibu that's destined to go on sale in nearly 100 countries on six continents, with the U.S. market launch planned for spring of 2012.

Today, the Detroit-based automaker announced some fresh details on its all-new 2.5-liter four-cylinder Ecotec engine that will take the place of the firm's current 2.4-liter unit as the standard powerplant in the 2013 Malibu's range.

GM said the 2.5-liter four-banger "is expected" to generate an estimated output of 190-horsepower (140kW) and 180 lb-ft (250Nm) of peak torque, or about 12 per cent more horsepower and 16 percent more torque than the outgoing 2.4L unit does.

The company said it expects the 2013 Malibu with the 2.5-liter powerplant to return an estimated highway fuel economy in excess of 30mpg (7.8lt/100km). The current 2012 Malibu with the 169HP 2.4L Ecotec is rated at 33mpg highway.

GM noted that its new four-banger would excel in quietness and refinement.

“The noise intensity is 40 percent less than our 2.4L direct-injected engine, which was named one of Ward’s 10 Best Engines,” said Mike Anderson, global chief engineer. “Engineers also tuned the 2.5L to deliver more of its torque at lower rpm, giving the Malibu a stronger feel at launch and during on-demand maneuvers, such as passing or accelerating on a freeway entrance ramp.”

PHOTO GALLERY

New Chevy Sonic with 1.4L Turbo gets 40MPG on the Highway, 1.8L Returns 35MPG

2012 Chevrolet Sonic

General Motor has released the official EPA fuel economy estimates for the new 2012 Chevrolet Sonic sub-compact, which officially joins the 40mpg club.

When equipped with the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 138-horsepower and 148 ft.-lbs. (200 Nm) of torque, the 2012 Sonic returns an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway and city fuel economy of 29 mpg. The 1.4 Turbo is offered exclusively with a 6-speed manual.

If you opt for the larger displacement but naturally aspirated 1.8-liter unit that generates 135HP and 123 lb.-ft. of torque (167 Nm), the Sonic gets fuel economy of 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway when matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox, and 25 mpg city and 35 mpg highway when paired to the 6-speed automatic transmission.

The Sonic went on sale earlier this month with a starting price of $14,495 including destination but excluding tax, title, license and dealer fees.

PHOTO GALLERY