Straightline

Although the 2010 GMC Terrain is not the "Professional Grade" Division's first unit-body-type crossover model (that would be the Acadia), it's fair to say there's skepticism surrounding its launch. It comes with a four-cylinder engine after all.

Chiseled fender flares give it a more truck-like, less grocery-getter appearance than the Chevrolet Equinox or Saturn Vue, though. Apart from that, it's just a useful compact SUV. Its five-passenger cabin is spacious, and even with electric-assist power steering, the Terrain's handling is crisp.

And, we might even take the base four-cylinder engine over the optional V6.

First Drive: 2010 GMC Terrain

Categories: Crossovers,GMC,SUVs

Today GM announced it would add third shifts at its Fairfax, Kansas; Ft. Wayne, Indiana; and Lansing Delta Township, Michigan, assembly plants. The extra shift will necessitate the addition of 2,400 workers.

However, it's not an out-and-out staffing increase, given that the extra shift at Ft. Wayne and and Lansing offset the loss of production from the Pontiac, Michigan, and Spring Hill, Tennessee, plants -- which are closing (though there's reason to think Saturn's new owner, Penske, might find a use for Spring Hill). Those plants build heavy-duty-series pickups and the Chevrolet Traverse respectively. GM's Orion, Michigan, plant will end production of the Malibu in November (Fairfax will pick up the slack) and be retooled for production of a global, B-segment small car.

Fairfax starts its 3rd shift in January, while Ft. Wayne and Lansing will pick it up in April 2010.

Categories: Auto Industry,Chevrolet,GMC,General Motors

GM first floated the idea of building a unibody pickup at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show when it showed the GMC Denali XT Hybrid. Shared platform architecture with Pontiac G8 game it a realistic shot at production, and the design was much better executed than the homely Honda Ridgeline's. The "Hybrid" bit of it came from the concept's "Two Mode"-type transmission (with the electric motor built in) packaged with a 4.9-liter V8.

Well, Automotive News reports that GM has scrapped plans to build a truck like this, evidently because the company couldn't achieve a significant fuel economy advantage over its conventional body-on-frame trucks...and thus couldn't justify the added cost. Plus, company research apparently indicated that consumers would expect to pay less, not more, for a unibody truck.

Automotive News (sub.req)

Categories: GMC,General Motors,Trucks

Yesterday on GM's FastLane blog, GM vice chairman announced a new ad campaign called "May the Best Car Win," noting that it would include a 60-day money-back guarantee. "In short, we're going to take away every last excuse not to consider a vehicle from Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC," he wrote.

Today GM has issued a press release with a few more details. Apparently, if you buy a Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet or GMC vehicle between now and Nov. 30 and decide it's not for you, you can bring it back, and a receive a refund for the purchase price, including sales tax. Any dealer accessories or negative trade-in equity rolled into the deal are not included. You have to try the car for at least 31 days but no longer than 60 days, and log fewer than 4,000 miles. All models are eligible, save for medium-duty trucks.

In addition, every vehicle will be backed by a transferrable 5-year/100,000-mile powetrain and roadside assistance coverage. (Of course, the basic warranty will still span only 3 years/36,000 miles or 4 years/50,000 miles, depending on the model.)

Look for more details on GM's consumer websites on Sunday. The program starts Monday.

Categories: Buick,Cadillac,Chevrolet,GMC,General Motors,Manufacturers

There's an interesting column by Tom Walsh in today's Detroit Free Press that talks about Ed Whitacre, the man President Obama appointed to lead GM's new board of directors.

Apparently, Whitacre is earning a reputation for being direct, even blunt, in meeting with General Motors' salaried staff and has told GM executives in no uncertain terms that he expects to see all kinds of change over the next 12 weeks. He has evidently even gone so far to say that jobs will be on the line if there isn't significant, rapid progress in vehicle sales, market share and profitability.

This makes sense, Walsh observes, given the U.S. government's desire to dispense with its ownership stake by mid-2010 -- "but no investors will put a dime into GM stock if they think it's 'business as usual' for the embattled automaker."

Detroit Free Press: Chairman's blunt talk rocks GM execs

Categories: Auto Industry,Buick,Cadillac,Chevrolet,GMC,General Motors

Changing GM's corporate culture was/is high on Fritz Henderson's priority list, and the number of staffing moves today was on par with your average fantasy baseball league.

Who's In
Bryan Nesbitt's appointment to head Cadillac and Brent Dewar's move to Chevrolet were the early headlines.

Then, we learned who will be on the new, single executive committee, which will advise Fritz Henderson -- and, it's hoped, speed up decision-making at GM so it can move with the cheetah-like reflexes of a company like Honda. There are 8 men on the committee; we could call them the Great 8 or the G8... except that would remind us of the other G8.

Bob Lutz, vice chairman, marketing and communications;
Tom Stephens, vice chairman, global product development;
Nick Reilly, executive vice president, GM International Operations;
Ray Young, executive vice president, chief financial officer;
Tim Lee, group vice president, global manufacturing and labor relations;
John Smith, group vice president, corporate planning and alliances; secretary of the executive committee;
Mark LaNeve, vice president, U.S. sales;
Bob Socia, vice president, global purchasing and supply chain.

Who's Out
And of course there were a bunch of retirements. Topping the list are two GM lifers, Gary Cowger, formerly the group VP of global manufacturing and labor relations, and Troy Clarke, group VP of GM's North American operations. Interestingly, Cowger will stay on until the end of the year to manage the Delphi situation (now that GM owns Delphi again) and the launch of a battery production facility.

Continue reading GM Staffing Shake-Up: Who's In, Who's Out.

Categories: Auto Industry,Buick,Cadillac,Chevrolet,GMC,General Motors,Manufacturers

The General Motors bankruptcy proceedings are wrapping up today and the judge is expected to let this one sail through much like Chyrsler's reorganization. GM will be split into an "old" company saddled with all the problems, and a "new" GM that will emerge with few brands and none of the legacy issues that have plagued the company for decades.

Sounds great right? Well, maybe not. Bill Visnic of AutoObserver breaks down what's left of the "good" GM and doesn't find much to get excited about. Although Chevrolet looks like it can become a strong brand, Buick and GMC are big question marks. Even Cadillac has a tough road ahead gives its limited lineup and dependence on large cars and SUVs. Kind of makes you wonder if this whole government sponsored bankruptcy thing is really doing us any favors.

AutoObserver: "Good" GM: Maybe Not All That Good

Categories: Auto Industry,Buick,Cadillac,Chevrolet,GMC,General Motors

While JD Power is busy counting problems with vehicles, a company called Strategic Vision says it surveys owners on the totality of their experience in the first year or two of ownership -- both the good and the bad. Hence, the 2009 "Total Quality" Awards.

"The Total Quality Index was calculated from 20,101 buyers who bought 2008 & 2009 models in September to December of 2008," says the company in a press release.

Strategic Vision says that Mini, ranked last by JD Power for Initial Quality in 2009, was the top-rated brand in its survey. Alas, there's no mention of the brand whose owners are least enthusiastic.

The company has also announced winners in 17 vehicle categories listed after the jump.

Continue reading Forget Initial Quality -- Are You Enthusiastic About Your Vehicle?.

Categories: Automaker Feedback,GMC,MINI,Pontiac

General Motors has announced that it will close its Shreveport, Louisiana plant by 2012. The plant currently builds the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups along with the Hummer H3 SUV which utilizes the same platform.

When a deal was announced to sell Hummer to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., Ltd., it appeared as though GM would continue to supply the H3 to the new owners. Now reports out of China are questioning whether the deal will go through as the Chinese government is not thrilled with the idea of a small private company dipping its hand into the production of Hummer-badged vehicles.

AutoObserver: GM To Close Louisiana Truck Plant

Categories: Auto Industry,Chevrolet,GMC,General Motors,HUMMER,SUVs,Trucks

Say what you will about the late Michael Jackson's career, personal life and general oddness, but the guy actually bought a few cool cars in his day. From his 500-hp tour bus to a blacked-out full-size GMC Jimmy, he occasionally showed flashes of taste.

Most of the collection was scheduled to be auctioned off a couple months ago, but the king of pop had second thoughts and canceled it at the last minute. Looks like that auction might be back on again.

AutoTraderUK: Michael Jackson's Car Collection Slide Show

Categories: Celebrities,GMC

GMC has just announced that the 2010 Terrain crossover, the mechanical twin of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, will start at $24,995, $1,810 more than Chevy.

That $25K will get you a four-cylinder, front-drive version of  the mid-size crossover that posts the same 32 mpg highway fuel economy figure as the Equinox. Predictably, the price bump compared to the Chevy is in part justified by the Terrain's longer list of standard equipment, including a rear-view camera and a six-speaker audio system with USB connectivity. GMC throws in the Professional Grade for no extra cost.

Add another $1,750 to the pot and GMC will fit your four-cylinder Terrain with an all-wheel-drive system. The full-boat SLT2 version with  power liftgate, sunroof and a whole mess o' chrome starts at $29,995, but that's still with the four cylinder.

The 3.0-liter direct-injection V6 will run you an extra $1,500. And, because this is GM we're talking about here, chrome wheels are available. The 19-inchers will cost an additional $900. The Terrain goes on sale in September.

Read Inside Line's First Drive of the functionally identical 2010 Chevrolet Equinox.

Categories: Crossovers,GMC

In a webchat yesterday with journalists, GM's CEO Fritz Henderson said he's not a fan of badge engineering, the practice of creating new models by simply changing the name and styling of a current vehicle.

Odd then that he sees a bright future for GMC, a division that is made up entirely of badge-engineered Chevrolets. According to Henderson, the upcoming GMC Terrain is an example of badge engineering done right as it's sufficiently differentiated from the Chevrolet Equionox.

Well, Fritz may be right that the Terrain doesn't necessarily look like the Equinox, but that doesn't change the fact that it will still compete against its Chevrolet counterpart. They're both the same size and feature the exact same drivetrains. Sure, not every town has both a Chevrolet and a GMC dealer, but isn't GM supposed to be doing things differently now?

AutoObserver: GM CEO Henderson on Dealers, Clunkers, Exec Compensation and More

Categories: Auto Industry,Chevrolet,Crossovers,Future Vehicles,GMC,General Motors,SUVs

Several new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen photos are floating around on the web. Only this one involves the cars in any significant way. And would you look at that? Only one model name stands out in this photo.

Even if you never get to get to drive this series hybrid, you will remember its name.

The Cinema Post

Categories: Celebrities,Chevrolet,GMC

GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens used the company's Fastlane blog to reassure hybrid fans that a plug-in hybrid is still in the works. Originally planned for the Saturn Vue, GM's plug-in system is currently being adapted to another similarly-sized vehicle. Looking at GM's new "core" brands, that means either the Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Terrain.

Inside Line News: GM Confirms It Is Prepping a Second Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle

Categories: Chevrolet,Crossovers,Future Vehicles,GMC,General Motors,Green Tech,Hybrids,SUVs,Saturn

After Bloomberg broke a story this morning suggesting that GM would rid itself of both GMC and Pontiac to avoid bankruptcy, the General's PR team went into full react mode. The result is a follow up piece by Automotive News that refutes Bloomberg's anonymously-sourced report.

Sales chief Mark LeNeve told the industry trade paper that reports that,"GMC is going away are just unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue."

He went on to say that GMC is profitable and General Motors is working on plans to make it even more profitable in the future. He also refuted the rumor that dealer franchise agreements would be terminated to accelerate dealership consolidation. 

Automotive News: GM to Keep GMC, Pontiac; no plans to quicken dealer consolidation

Categories: GMC,General Motors,Pontiac