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GM Commits Next-Gen Chevrolet Cruze to Ohio Plants

General Motors will invest $220 million for tooling and equipment to build the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze in two northeast Ohio plants retaining more than 5,000 jobs at facilities in Lordstown and Parma.

The Lordstown Complex, with support from the metal center in the Cleveland suburb of Parma, has built more than 500,000 of Chevrolet’s top-selling compact passenger sedan since production began in September 2010. More than 1.6 million Cruzes have been built globally since 2009.

"Thanks to northeast Ohio's supportive business climate, we're able to build on a great foundation and steer the Chevrolet Cruze into the next generation."  GM Manufacturing Manager Arvin Jones said. "A special thanks goes to Governor John Kasich and his team at Jobs Ohio for their strong leadership and advocacy for GM and our employees."

GM has invested more than $7.3 billion in its U.S. facilities since 2009. 

Production timing of the next-generation Cruze will be announced later. But Jones said the new model will offer new exterior and interior styling, improved fuel economy and an improved interior compartment and more storage space. Preliminary work to clear space in the body shop at Lordstown has begun.

The 2012 Cruze is among the best-selling compacts in the United States and was named “America’s Best Compact Car for the Money” by U.S. News and World Report.

In a joint statement, UAW Local 1112 Shop Chairman Ben Strickland and UAW Local 1714 Shop Chairman Will Adams credited the Lordstown Team. “The men and women of Lordstown are working hard to keep the Cruze a top-quality small car choice. The next-generation of the Cruze is well earned and we are thrilled to be assigned work that will keep good-paying next generation UAW jobs in the state of Ohio for years to come.”

The Lordstown complex has built more than 14.6 million cars in the 46 years since it opened in April 1966.

In 2011, the Parma Metal Center shipped about 60 million parts and processed more than 1,000 tons of steel a day to serve the majority of GM vehicle lines produced in North America. Parma has more than 1,400 dies and can produce up to 100 million parts a year.

Courtesy of GMMedia.com

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In the 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible, power takes a new form!

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Chevrolet GoGo Link marries cellphone navigation and dashboard LCD

Chevrolet GoGo Link represents the beginning of the end for overpriced embedded car navigation systems. This $50 option lets you replicate your smartphone’s navigation display on the center stack LCD display of sub-$20,000 Chevys starting this fall. It works initially with iPhones and Android phones. You have to have the Chevrolet MyLink touchscreen LCD and infotainment option plus the GoGo Link option. And a smartphone, which you probably have lying around. 

GoGo Link projects the GoGo smartphone navigation app onto the car’s color LCD touchscreen. Drivers can control the nav system with the touchscreen. Voice instructions play through the car speakers. It’s on the entry Chevrolet Spark and compact Chevrolet Sonic. You can’t use just any app: You have to use the GoGo navigation app on your phone.

Chevrolet says it did extensive focus group testing before bringing the GoGo Link offering to market. Actually, Chevy managers could have done a quick happy hour session at TGI Fridays and gotten the same result asking three questions over the first round of drinks: “Will anybody in their right mind spend $1,500 for navigation in a $15,000 car when they’ve got navigation on their smartphones?” (No.) “What about if we, say, dropped the price to $795 for embedded SD card navigation?” (Probably not.) “What about if we sold a $50 smartphone connection that opens up access to the touchscreen?” (Where do I sign up?)

Chevrolet says it hasn’t yet determined if it’ll expand GoGo Link to other Chevrolet and GM vehicles. Translation: They haven’t determined how soon they’ll have to offer GoGo Link on $20,000, $25,000, then $30,000 vehicles. The die has been cast. GoGo Link has the potential to drive customers to GM as Sync did for Ford starting in 2008: When you’ve got an iPod or other smartphone with music and navigation, why should you pay the automaker for a dated, unlikely-to-be-updated CD player or navigation system?

South Korea’s EnGIS Technologies supplies the GoGo Link software.

We test-drove the Chevrolet Sonic a year ago and called Chevrolet “clueless on tech” because the essentials of a modern car — Bluetooth, USB jack — weren’t offered on the entry model and came standard only on the costliest Sonic trim line. Navigation couldn’t be had at any price. GoGo Link helps fill in some of the blanks from a year ago. It’s unclear what the actual cost is because you must have MyLink — the touchscreen LCD display — and to get MyLink you have to jump to a higher trim level with a cost more than $2,000 higher the one just below. Chevrolet isn’t saying how much of that is associated with MyLink. (The two lowest Sonic trim lines are supposed to offer MyLink as a standalone option but GM hasn’t yet shown pricing or the option on its site.)

Others are trying to bring smartphone navigation connections to the car dashboard as well. Sony just announced replacement MirrorLink radios. They only work with the handful of cars and SUVs that have replaceable radios with double DIN (7×4 inches) slots in the center stack. Sony uses compatibility software promoted by the Car Connectivity Consortium.

Courtesy of ExtremeTech.com

 

Welcome back to the work week fans. Here is a Monday maintenance tip to help you detect a potential problem before it happens!

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Keep an auto log

Keep a pad and pencil in the glove compartment and use them to record your gas fill-ups and mileage. If you notice that your gas mileage worsens, mention it to your service man. It may be an early warning sign that something is wrong with your car.

Matt Fuligni, design manager, discusses the design of the safe, simple and connected Chevy MyLink infotainment system in the all-new 2013 Chevy Spark.

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2013 Chevrolet Spark Maximizes the Mini Car Segment

The 2013 Chevrolet Spark mini car, Chevrolet’s first mini car for the U.S. and Canadian markets, is a sporty four-passenger, five-door hatch. It is designed to excite first-time buyers and city dwellers with its bold styling and colors, affordability, the safety of 10 standard air bags, fuel efficiency and maneuverability.

Spark also is the only car in its segment to provide MyLink Radio – a seven-inch color touch screen radio capable of displaying smartphone-based music, videos, photos and contacts for hands-free calling. MyLink Radio comes with two embedded apps for Pandora internet radio and Stitcher Smart Radio and later, BringGo, an embedded app for full-function GPS navigation, will be available for purchase.

Though compact, Spark offers more passenger and cargo room than other mini-cars such as the Fiat 500, Smartfortwo and the Scion iQ. Equipped with the Ecotec 1.25L four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission, Spark offers competitive EPA-estimated fuel economy of 38 mpg hwy.

The Spark is already on sale globally. In the U.S. and Canada, Spark is offered in LS, 1LT and 2LT models.

“Spark is ideal for active city dwellers because it is easy to drive, easy to park and easy to own,” said Chris Perry, Global Chevrolet vice president for marketing. “For these customers, Spark is their key to the city.”

1. Design that grabs

In a segment of “cute” cars, Spark’s solid, powerful stance is designed to challenge the status quo, and its interior reflects refinement, craftsmanship and personal technologies normally associated with larger, more expensive vehicles.

While the Spark looks like a three-door hatch, designers cleverly disguised the rear doors by integrating the handles into the C-pillar area. The technique gives Spark its sporty appearance without sacrificing five-door comfort and utility. An integrated spoiler over the rear hatch door enhances Spark’s dynamic appearance while also improving the car’s aerodynamics, for fuel efficiency.

The Spark’s prominent two-tier grille and bowtie logo preserve Chevrolet’s signature global look. A wheels-out, body-in stance, stretched windshield accentuated by a single arc roofline, body-color front door handles and body sides free of cladding make the Spark appear more sleek, aggressive and upscale. Spark’s wheels-at-the-corners stance is further emphasized by standard 15-inch aluminum wheels.

Dramatically sized, elliptically shaped halogen headlamps stretch from the front fascia to the A-pillar. Their clear, polycarbonate lenses and chrome-coated headlamp bezels are sculpted into the forward corners, and accents within the housings offset the chrome bezels for a strong visual statement. Projector-type fog lamps are standard on the 2LT Spark model.

2. Vibrant colors that can’t be ignored

One look at the Spark’s color palette proves designers intended for it to stand out in a crowd.  For buyers who are all about self-expression, attention-grabbing exterior finishes include Salsa Red, Jalapeno, Denim, Lemonade (late availability) and Techno Pink, as well as traditional hues such as Black Granite, Silver Ice and Summit White.

3. A cabin that’s stylish and spacious

Spark’s interior complements its sporty exterior with comfort, spaciousness and style. Its most identifiable element is a motorcycle-inspired column-mounted instrument cluster that features one of two large, full-color LCD screens and provides digital feedback to the driver in a design that’s bold, fun and easy to view at a glance.

Decorative inserts in the front door and instrument panel add a premium touch, as does ice blue ambient lighting and faceplates across the door pockets and dash. Heated leatherette seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel are included on Spark 2LT.  Air conditioning and power windows are standard across the lineup.

When it comes to storage space, numerous bins are located throughout the cabin, while the cargo area offers 11.4 cubic feet (323 L) behind rear seat. That’s 20 percent more than Fiat 500 and 225 percent more than Scion iQ’s 3.5 cubic feet (99 liters). Spark also offers 31.2 cubic feet (884 L) with the rear seat folded – and the rear seat features a 60-40 split that allows long items, such as skis, to be transported along with a rear-seat passenger.

4. Infotainment designed for today – and tomorrow

For Spark, Chevrolet MyLink – standard on 1LT and 2LT models – consists of a seven-inch color touch screen, AM/FM/SiriusXM Satellite Radio (with three trial months of service) stereo with seek-and-scan, digital clock, Bluetooth streaming audio for music and select phones, six speakers and voice recognition for connected phones with this capability.

What it does not have is a CD player. MyLink Radio operates by integrating the owner’s compatible smartphone and stored media – via Bluetooth, plug-in outlet or USB – with the radio. This lets owners enjoy simple, safe and personalized connectivity while their smartphone is stowed.

MyLink-equipped Spark models come with two apps: Pandora internet radio and Stitcher Smart Radio. Later, BringGo, an embedded app that delivers full-function navigation and live traffic updates, will be available for MyLink and priced at about $50.

BringGo will enable easy access to emergency information such as police, fire and the nearest hospital; thousands of points of interest; local search via Google; Where am I? locator; live traffic functionality that provides crash reports, lane closures and alternative routes; three-dimensional maps and more.

5. A powertrain that saves gas and money

In the United States and Canada, the Spark is powered by an Ecotec 1.25L dual-overhead cam four-cylinder engine with continuously variable valve timing that delivers SAE-certified 84 horsepower (64 kW). It is mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission, and a four-speed automatic transmission is available.

The Spark achieves an EPA-estimated 34 mpg in combined city and highway driving with the manual transmission, and 32 mpg with the automatic transmission. The Chevrolet Spark also has the lowest estimated fuel cost of any Chevrolet small car, except the Volt. It also uses regular unleaded fuel, while the Fiat 500 requires premium fuel.

The engine was developed using best practices from GM Powertrain technical centers. For North America, its displacement was enlarged slightly over other markets’ 1.2L displacement, giving the engine more mid-range torque that translates into a greater feeling of power on the highway. It also combines competitive performance with sophisticated technologies such as dual continuous variable cam phasing and an electronically controlled thermostat to give customers a low-maintenance engine with reduced emissions.

6. A driving experience that impresses

Spark’s body-frame-integral structure is tight and stiff for sportier driving dynamics. The electric power steering and MacPherson strut front suspension are designed to deliver taut, tight handling characteristics that better connect the driver with the road and provide outstanding overall stability. Anti-lock brakes, StabiliTrak electronic stability control and Hill Start Assist are standard.

Hill Start Assist helps prevent drivers from rolling when restarting from a stopped position on a hill. It allows drivers to take their foot off the brake long enough to use the accelerator and move forward.

Spark is equipped with vented front disc and rear drum brakes for excellent stopping performance and good pedal feel. Low rolling-resistance tires use a silica compound and revised tread design for a solid road feel and improved fuel efficiency.

Spark also has a tight turning circle of only 32.5 feet (9.9 meters), which enhances its maneuverability in urban areas.

7. Quietness that is unexpected

A host of noise-abating features block, absorb or eliminate sound to give Spark an exceptionally refined feel:

• Thicker glass
• Front-of-dash mat
• Hood seals
• Nylon baffles and expanding foam in hollow sections of the body structure
• An acoustic headliner
• Melt-on damping patches on the interior body structure, as well as extensive sealing throughout the vehicle.

8. Safety that brings peace of mind

Designed with occupant safety in mind, Spark has won safety awards in both Europe and Korea, where it is already on the road. Its safe design begins with a strong, body-frame-integral structure. High-strength steel makes up more than 62 percent of the Spark’s underbody and 42 percent of its upper body.

In addition to crash-avoidance technologies such as StabiliTrak and ABS, Spark is equipped with 10 standard air bags, including both driver and passenger front knee air bags to reduce the risk of lower extremity injuries in frontal crashes. Dual-stage frontal air bags, seat-mounted side air bags and side curtain air bags that extend over the front and rear seating rows are also standard.

Other safety technologies include:

• Rollover sensing system
• Three-point safety belts in all four seating positions
• Seat belt pretensioners in the front driver and passenger seats
• LATCH child seat attachment system
• Adjustable head restraints
• Collapsible steering column
• Remote keyless entry on LT
• OnStar safety and security system.

9. Quality that is assuring

Spark is the only mini-car covered by a five-year/100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, which also includes roadside assistance and courtesy transportation. Other quality and convenience enhancements include:

• Gap and flush relationships between body panels among the best in class
• No-maintenance timing chain and transmission fluid, and 100,000-mile spark plugs
• Electronic power steering means no fluid checks or top-offs
• Technology that tells when it’s time to change the oil
• OnStar vehicle diagnostics check engine, transmission, brakes and more, and provide automatic email updates.

In addition to powertrain coverage, Spark is backed by a three-year/36,000-mile comprehensive warranty and a six-year/100,000-mile rust-through warranty. 

10. OnStar service that is unmatched in the segment

Six months of OnStar Directions and Connections service is standard on Spark. OnStar is the global leading provider of connected safety, security and mobility solutions and advanced information technology.

OnStar’s RemoteLink Mobile App allows smartphone users to control vehicle functions, access vehicle information and send directions directly to the vehicle. A new, opt-in service called FamilyLink allows subscribers to stay connected to loved ones by checking the location of their vehicle online or by signing up for vehicle location alerts.

Courtesy of GM Media

Welcome back fans! When it is rainy outside driving conditions become a little bit more difficult, here is a maintenance tip to help you through those wet days!

Foggy Windows

• Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Rain or high humidity can quickly cause windows to mist up inside the car. In a car equipped with air conditioning, turn up the heat and direct the airflow to your defrosters with the AC switch engaged. (Many cars automatically engage the AC when switched to the defrost mode.) In a car without AC the procedure is the same, but you may need to open your side windows to get the air moving. Most modern cars have a built-in rear window defroster that easily clears a misted rear windscreen by heating up electrodes embedded in the glass. If you don't have one, put your defroster on high and its hot air will eventually follow the inside of the roof down to the rear window. If the car has swiveling dashboard vents, adjust them so that the air flow strikes the upper edge of the side windows. The airflow will clear the side windows first, finally traveling to the rear of the car. If all else fails, a rag or article of clothing will work as well; you'll just need to clear the window more often. Drivers should regularly clean their windshield and windows, both on the inside and outside, to help them see in good and bad weather. Smokers need to take extra care to make sure their interior windows are clear of a buildup of smoke residue.

Do you know how we made the quietest cabin? Click the video to meet this Malibu mom who helped develop the quietest Chevrolet ever for interior cabin noise.

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2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Convertible and SS 1LE edition: Motoramic Drives

Last Sunday in the pleasant downtown of Grand Rapids, Mich., a woman accosted me across two lanes of traffic, shouting through her open minivan window "That's what I'm talking about!" What she was talking about was this, the 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1 convertible, a combination of 580-hp raging road machine, boulevard cruiser and conversation starter that only a handful of buyers will ever put their hands on.

 

Convertible pony cars have an appeal that transcends their hardtop brethren, offering a way to experience summer that no other vehicle quite matches. Yet for much of the Camaro's history, General Motors either didn't sell a convertible or avoided putting its most brutal engines in the drop-top editions, because cutting a hole in a car can turn its chassis into a Bop It game. In the previous generation Camaro, the convertible combined with the LS1 offered good straight-line speed and cowl shake -- that sense going over bumps that the steering wheel and your seat are connected to different cars.

With the new generation, Chevy's engineers have vowed to match the Ford Mustang punch-for-punch, which means building a convertible version of its most powerful factory edition. Since it was in the plans when the engineers began designing the new models, the ZL1 convertible comes with more positive reinforcement than Donald Trump in a hall of mirrors. There's extra braces between the engine mounts, around the transmissions, in the windshield pillars and several other places, all meant to make the ZL1 convertible lose little in handing to the ZL1 coupe.

The resulting car glides like a well-trained monster. Around town and on freeways, the ZL1 convertible is perfectly civilized, it's supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 burbling along at one-tenth power. Decide to throw the hammer, and within a split second the ZL1 has thrown you forward as high as the law and your right foot allow. The convertible offers the best way to hear the engine in full melodious roar, and the combination of magnetic-ride shocks, Goodyear Supercar tires and the heap o'bracing keep the ZL1 properly tight around corners and over Michigan's imperfect roads. Even the new electric power steering, typically a fun-killer, works to make the ZL1 seem less hefty than its curb weight -- unspecified, but likely well north of 4,000 lbs. -- would suggest.

It's impossible to not feel more alive when driving a ZL1 convertible, which helps combat its biggest problem: the sticker shock of a $62,000 price tag. The Camaro has always been about affordable performance, about letting its owners outperform more expensive cars, but with the ZL1 convertible, the Camaro's knocking on the country club's door with its ponytail hidden under a new ballcap. GM engineers know what they've done, and set production estimates accordingly; there will be only a couple thousand ZL1 drop-tops sold at best every year.

But those same engineers make another argument: Compared to other top-flight convertibles -- the BMW M6, the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, even the Porsche 911 -- the Camaro offers more power and comparable handling for up to $40,000 less. There will be no mistaking which cars cost less; in top-dollar form, the Camaro's interior offers at least 10 kinds of plastic and fabric that look like a nervous kid overdressing for his prom date.

Yet GM has a better answer for where those savings could go: the Camaro SS with the 1LE track package, a new combination of parts aimed at the Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca and all those who want a track car they can still drive to work. Starting with the regular SS, Chevy has grafted the ZL1's Goodyears, lighter wheels, tighter final drive ratio and tougher suspension settings into a 426-hp car that can generate more than 1g of acceleration side-to-side. (The black vinyl-wrapped hood is just for kicks.) At the GingerMan track in Michigan, my attempts at unsticking the 1LE failed time and again; you can run to more than 100 mph quickly, haul it down with fade-free brakes and then throw it around corners with a general lack of body roll or understeer.

There's not been a head-to-head test yet of the 1LE versus the Boss 302, but at $37,000 and change, the 1LE undercuts the more expensive 'Stang by a few thousand, and For the price of a traditional European convertible, you can get both the ZL1 convertible and a 1LE as a track toy. A few years ago, suggesting you could buy two Camaros with your MegaMillions winnings would have seemed off-kilter. It's a credit to Chevy engineers that the same idea in 2012 comes off as almost reasonable.

Courtesy of YahooAutos.com

Happy Monday fans! Here is a maintenance tip to help you drive home on those dark nights.

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Use your lights courteously

Turn your headlights on one hour before sunset to make it easier for other drivers to see you in early twilight. Keep your headlights on at least one hour after sunrise. Refrain from flashing your high beams at a vehicle with its high beams on, this will only increase the chance that drivers will not be able to see. In fog, use low beam headlights; high beams reduce your own ability to see and may temporarily blind other drivers. If your vehicle is equipped with fog lamps, use them with your low beams only when there is fog or inclement weather.

Another satisfied Novato Chevrolet Customer (Robert) lets us know how we did in our follow-up survey!

Many thanks to John for writing such an amazing review! Keep up the great work team!

Novato Chevrolet - (4) Star Review on Yelp

• I bought a Malibu there a year and a half ago. The sales department was great. No pressure, no bait and switch like some other places I've dealt with. It was a pleasant experience. I had some service yesterday and the receptionist was excellent, really took care of me. -John H.

Watch as a professional driver takes the all-new Chevy Malibu Turbo LTZ for a ride around the track, and prepare to be amazed!

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