Forbes by Jacqueline Mitchell - From the 1990s up until last year, Detroit automakers bet heavily on gas-guzzling SUVs.  The love affair ended as gas prices increased sharply over the past year, peaking in July.

Now, in the race to build cars that appeal to fuel-conscious buyers, only one of the three Detroit automakers stands out, already offering a wide range of fuel-efficient vehicles.

Nine of the top 10 American-made vehicles are made by General Motors, and are spread across the company’s Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn brands.  The only non-GM vehicle on the list is the Ford Focus, which ties for the No. 1 spot with the Chevrolet Aveo and Pontiac Vibe.  All three fuel-sipping cars get an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated combined fuel economy of 28 miles per gallon (8.4L/100km), which, though impressive, still lags behind Asian-made counterparts, such as the Toyota Yaris (7.6L/100km) and Honda Fit (7.8L/10km).

Chrysler, the other American auto giant, has no cars on the list. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Safety, GMC

For the second year in a row, the Chicago Auto Show has been invaded by our furry, four-legged friends as the Bark Buckle UP campaign announces its Pet Safe Choice Awards. We moseyed on down to the show floor to spend some quality time with the dozen or so K9s in attendance after they'd graduated from the American Kennel Club S.T.A.R. program. More to the point, here are the winners of the Pet Safe Awards:

• Pet Safe Vehicle of Choice: GMC Acadia
• Pet Safe Hotel of Choice: Hilton Hotels and Resorts
• Pet Safe Airline of Choice: American Airlines
• Pet Safe Retailer of Choice: PetSmart

We were a bit shocked when the group informed us that 98% of all dogs that travel in vehicles do so unrestrained. This could be a major safety hazard, especially since pet travel has reportedly increased by 300% since 2005 and a 60-pound dog can turn into a 2,700 pound projectile in a 30 mph accident. Needless to say, that's unsafe for both pets and their owners. In other words... better buckle up.


Live photos copyright (C)2009 Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs, Inc.

Chicago 2009: This show is for the dogs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Durham Wheels, Carguide Magazine - The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) has declared General Motors 2-mode Hybrid Powertrain the inaugural winner of the 2009 Best New Green Technology award.

The award was announced recently during a press conference at the Montreal International Auto Show.

A panel of AJAC members with specific technical qualifications who regularly report on industry engineering and technical trends judged all entries for this inaugural award. Read the rest of this entry »

The 2010 Mustang delivers considerable improvement in fit, finish and interior build quality.

Eurotuner Magazine Article at Automotive.com - As Americans celebrate the inauguration of a new president of the United States, another new Cadillac will grace Pennsylvania Avenue to lead the proceedings.  President Barack Obama will ride in an all-new Cadillac Presidential Limousine, continuing a long tradition of Cadillac limousines that have served many US presidents. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, GMC, Pontiac

Anyone that's ever driven a Ford Crown Victoria in four inches of snow will tell you that the generations-old police interceptor doesn't exactly grip when sitting atop the white stuff. That can leave police just as stranded as the motorists they're out to need help. Coast Pontiac GMC in Portsmouth, New Hampshire provides the solution to the local fuzz's problem by loaning out SUVs during big storms. The generous dealer has been providing this public service for over 18 years, and we're not talking used junkers with 4WD. Everything from an AWD Buick Enclave to a Cadillac Escalade have been loaned during snow storms. The officer driving the loaded 'Sclade reportedly didn't want to give the plush ride back. We get that feeling all the time.

What does Coast Pontiac GMC get for its generosity? A public relations victory for sure, but every storm also works as a rolling advertisement for Coast Pontiac GMC's SUVs and crossovers. Who knows, dealership management may get out of a ticket or two as well.

[Source: Sea Coast Online]

When foul weather falls, dealership loans SUVs to police originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian Driver ~ January 8, 2009

Detroit Michigan - General Motors will debut the all-new 2010 Buick Allure at the North American Intenational Auto Show in Detroit this month. The model will be sold in the U.S. as the LaCrosse.

Redesigned from the ground up, the 2010 Allure will offer all-whell drive, numerous advanced personal technologies and safety features, and a choice of two fuel-effecient V6 engines with six-speed automatic transmissions.

“The new LaCrosse was created with great attention to detail, craftsmanship and advanced technology,”  said Docherty, vice president of Buick-Pontiac-GMC. “It builds on the success of Enclave as the next step in Buick’s revitalization. And, as with Enclave, our goal is to attract a whole new buyer to our dealerships for LaCrosse.” Read the rest of this entry »

Canadian Driver Jan 12, 2009 ~

Saturn: The Road to Change

Detroit, Michigan - A caravan of Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrids has left the North American International Auto show in Detroit, bound for the upcoming presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. on January 20.

The caravan, with the theme “The Road to Change Starts in Your Driveway”, will make stops along the way to encourage people to pledge to make positive changes to reduce energy consumption. Once in Washington, the vehicles will be used to provide courtesy transportation for inaugural events.

The caravan will stop at several universities and schools, where students and the general public will have an opportunity to sign a card wishing President-elect Obama well as he assumes office.

Whitby  this week:

Detroit — It’s electric, it can run 64 kilometers without gas and no, it’s not the Chevrolet Volt.

It’s the Cadillac Converj, a new luxury electric car unveiled by General Motors at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 11.

The new upscale car is a prime example of what GM is capable of when it commits itself to product excellence, said Bob Lutx, GM vice-chairman of global product development. Read the rest of this entry »