Friday, June 25, 2010

Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid

Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
It might be a few years old now, but the styling of the Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab still holds up very well. Other than a couple of extra logos, the hybrid version looks just like the others.

Of course, the business end of a pickup is the box. The GM trucks have a nicely integrated step rear bumper with a thick aerodynamic tailgate topper that also protects the tailgate from dents. The electrical trailer hook-up is well designed as is the covered lock for for the spare tire. A back-up camera is a $450 option.

Up front, any Silverado crew cab - including the hybrid - is roomy, comfortable and functional. The center compartment can swallow a laptop computer and there are two glove boxes on the passenger side
In non-hybrid Silverado's, the row two seat could easily be folded up for a lot of cargo space, but the seats do not fold in the hybrid version. A big battery pack takes up all the space.

The V8 shuts down cylinders to compliment the full-electric side of the power train. Around town, we got 22 miles per gallon; impressive for a full-size pickup.

Under the right conditions, the Silverado hybrid runs on electric power only; up to about 25 miles an hour. Otherwise, the hybrid version drives like any other Silverado: well-mannered and quiet for a truck.

As equipped, the sticker price on our test truck is $49,265. Ouch!

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Review

2011 Chevrolet Cruze
2011 Chevrolet Cruze
At a presentation to the Midwest Automotive Media Association (M.A.M.A.), Margaret Brooks, the Chevrolet marketing director for small cars, gave members a first look and detailed the features of the Cruze that are designed to give customers what they want regardless of the car’s size.

The Chevrolet Cruze is an important car for General Motors, more important in my opinion than the oft publicized Chevrolet Volt. This car not only has the tasks of keeping repeat compact car buyers…especially GM owners, and attracting those ready to move up in size, but also meet the needs of folks who are downsizing but not willing to give up comfort, convenience and features while at the same time reducing fuel consumption. Ms. Brooks confirmed the need to attract those folks who are “resetting” their vehicle needs. The empty-nesters who are perhaps getting out of a larger midsize or a crossover vehicle or finally retire the minivan.

Good news for the Chevrolet marketing folks this time around is that they are not sharing this platform with any other GM brand. GM’s restructuring has left Chevrolet alone with car models in the compact and sub-compact segments. However, formidable offerings from competitors such as the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Sentra will certainly challenge the Cruze.

Monday, June 21, 2010

2011 Chevrolet Volt goes under hot-weather testing in Arizona

2011 Chevrolet Volt

2011 Chevrolet Volt undergoing hot-weather testing

The Chevrolet Volt engineering team is hanging out in the hot deserts of Arizona putting their fuel-sipping baby under hot weather testing.

“While the Volt is designed to operate in all weather and temperature conditions, one of the tests it is undergoing in the desert is the Hot Soak Evaluation, where temperatures inside the cabin can exceed 175 degrees F,” GM said in a statement. The test is done by ‘baking’ the Volt in the sun for several hours, then opening everything in the car, cycle all of the electric accessories, and then taking the car down the ride handling track to check for rattles, squeaks and other noises.

“The car performed well,” said senior durability test engineer Steve Pratt. “The air conditioner cooled things off from our interior temperature of 138 degrees down to a nice comfortable temperature for driving.”

Oh, and if by the trailer hitch seen in the video (posted after the jump) you’re wondering if the Volt will be equipped with handle towing – it won’t. That’s just the engineering team putting the Volt through some weight training via Grade Load testing. The test allows engineers to put stress on the engine and chassis to see how well they will perform while climbing a mountain at temperatures above 100 degrees F.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 4x4 LT

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Some might call it the perfect storm -- a confluence of seemingly random events that work together to make something larger than the sum of its parts. Heavy duty truck-lovers have been waiting for this type of storm for quite a few years, and they'll likely have to wait a long while before something like this happens again. Last year the Ram HD made a dramatic debut and won our 2010 Motor Trend Truck of the Year. This year, both Ford and GM are bringing their best and brightest (and strongest ever) to the party. And now the table is set for battle royal...but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Rear Three Quarter View
We recently had the opportunity to drive the new Chevy Silverado Heavy Duty and Sierra Heavy Duty in just about every configuration they offer and the changes they've made seem right on target. In fact, to their credit, they've laser-targeted some key areas where GM trucks traditionally didn't match up too well with the competition. Recently, Ford's been doing a lot of bragging about their recently released Super Duty, and for good reason; in fact, it even won our head-to-head comparison when we pitted it against our 2010 Truck of the Year winner, the Ram HD. Now the ring is set for a full-scale smack down as all three big-truck makers have an all-new or recently-new heavy-duty player. But that comparison test will have to wait because we've just spent several days driving just about every configuration of new GM HD truck they have to offer and we've got a few things to say. Here we go.

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD First Drive

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD

There's a particularly trite and overused phrase we've heard so often we no longer respond when someone utters it: "You can't judge a book by its cover." And it's baloney, too. War and Peace is a tough read because it has so many damn pages, is old and weighs a lot. Cats for Dummies is something less than high art and will not soon become a major motion picture.

But a lesser-known corollary to this adage actually works: "You can't judge the profound changes in the capability of a heavy-duty pickup truck by the freshness (or lack thereof) of its sheet metal and interior."

Haven't heard that one? Jim Mikulec, GM's lead development engineer on the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD project, puts it another way: "Everything that's changed is under the skin. Everything that's important is under the skin."

Falling Down
Just four years ago, the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD dually defeated Ford Super Duty and Dodge Ram HD trucks in our straight-up fight of strength and towing capability. Despite an aging interior, it won largely on the strength of its 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8 engine and class-exclusive six-speed Allison automatic transmission. In 2007 GM gave its HD pickups a long-overdue body and interior redesign to go with these then-impressive mechanicals, and for the next couple of years the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD twins stood atop the pile.

4,400 Chevrolet Volt Owners to be Eligible for Free Home Charging Stations

The first buyers of the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended-range capability will be eligible for one of 4,400 free home charging stations. The program will provide Volt owners with a 240-volt charge station from either ECOtality, Inc. or Coulomb Technologies. In many cases, it will include the cost of home installation. The projects are made possible with a grant of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

"Many owners will plug their Volt into a normal 120-volt electrical outlet, charge overnight and drive to work in the morning using only battery power," said Tony DiSalle, Product and Marketing Director for the Chevrolet Volt. "For Volt owners who want to install a faster 240-volt charge station, we expect the Department of Energy project to save $1,000 and $2,000."

The U.S. Department of Energy projects were established with two objectives: installing charging stations in residential, workplace and public areas to encourage consumers to purchase electric vehicles; and studying electric vehicle usage to optimize future electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

To encourage consumer purchases of electric vehicles, federal grants and other funds have been awarded to install more than 15,000 home charge stations. That total includes 4,400 home charge stations for Volt owners; 2,600 as part of The EV Project from ECOtality, and 1,800 as part of the ChargePoint America project from Coulomb Technologies.

To study electric vehicle usage, the programs will collect data such as average charge time, energy usage and the starting and ending time of the charging process. This data will be analyzed by the U.S. Department of Energy to understand how electric vehicles are driven, how and when they are charged, and ultimately what is required for widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

2011 Chevrolet Cruze price

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

The 2011 Chevy Cruze has gotten a ton of attention as GM has worked to steal some of the Ford Fiesta’s thunder as both cars prepare to hit the US market. Yesterday, General Motors announced the pricing schedule for their replacement for the Cobalt (and the Cavalier before that) and much like Ford’s Fiesta, the Cruze looks to offer a spread of luxury oriented items in a fuel efficient compact car.

The basic pricing of the 2011 Chevy Cruze is as follows:

Cruze LS starting at $16,995, including:
• Standard 1.8L Ecotec engine and six-speed manual transmission
• The most standard safety features in the segment, with 10 air bags, StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control, anti-lock brakes, collapsible pedal system, power rear-door child safety locks
• Standard OnStar, with a six-month subscription including Turn-by-Turn navigation
• Standard convenience features including air conditioning, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, driver information center, and XM Radio with three month trial subscription

Cruze LT starting at $18,895, including:
• Standard 1.4L Ecotec turbo and six-speed automatic transmission
• 16-inch wheels

Cruze Eco starting at $18,895, including:
• Standard 1.4L Ecotec turbo and six-speed manual transmission
• Segment-leading expected 40 miles per gallon highway
• Standard 17-inch alloy wheels with ultra low-rolling resistance tires, and enhanced aerodynamic performance package

Cruze LTZ starting at $22,695, including:
• Standard 1.4L Ecotec turbo and six-speed automatic transmission
• Standard six-way power driver seat, leather seating surfaces, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
• Standard cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB port with audio interface, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, and remote vehicle start
• Standard automatic climate control, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, and ultrasonic rear-parking assist
• 18-inch alloy wheels