Volt is an electric car that uses gas to create its own electricity. Plug it in, let it charge overnight, and it’s ready to run on a pure electric charge for up to 40 miles(3) — gas and emissions free. After that, Volt keeps going, even if you can’t plug it in. Volt uses a range-extending gas generator that produces enough energy to power it for hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas.

Features:
7″ LCD touch screen and 7″ digital reconfigurable LCD instrument cluster.
Remote vehicle starter system preconditions the cabin.
Bose® Energy Efficient sound system with six speakers and a subwoofer.
30 GB Hard Disk Drive for digital music storage.
High feature Navigation includes voice recognition.
XM Radio(11) with XM NavTraffic®(16)/Weather with three trial months.
OnStar®(12) with Directions and Connections Plan®(13) standard for five years.
Industry-first “mobile apps” capabilities via a smartphone device or web.
8 standard air bags(14):
Dual-stage front air bags for driver and front passenger, knee air bags, side-impact air bags and roof-rail air bags.
Three-point seatbelts in front seating positions.
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Top tethers for Children) system - rear seats.
8-year/100,000 mile(15) battery warranty.
Available leather-appointed seats.

Technology:
Volt is an electric vehicle with a range extender. Well, what does that mean? It means Volt runs on electricity from its battery, and then it runs on electricity it creates from gas.  Let’s assume you have a fully charged battery. Now, depending on the weather, the electrical features that are turned on and how you drive, you can drive up to 40 miles on the electricity stored in the battery — totally gas and emissions free. After that, its gas-powered, range-extending generator automatically kicks in to provide electrical power. So Volt can go for several hundred additional miles, until you can plug it in or fill it up again.

Mobile:
With the new OnStar mobile app, Volt owners can use a smartphone to access their vehicle’s current electric range and fuel efficiency. Plus, managing the Volt charging functions is easy with this application. You can look up the battery’s charge level, check on what time your Volt will be fully charged and ready to go, or even change charging priorities remotely with just a couple of taps. You can perform other commands remotely too — like unlocking doors or activating the remote start. The OnStar mobile app will be available when the Volt launches later this year.

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By Mike Magrath | August 20, 2010

Spy photographers have once again run into the forthcoming 2012 Chevy Malibu. This new Malibu, which should begin production late 2011 in GM’s recently updated Fairfax, Kansas assembly plant, looks to be a thorough revisioning of the Malibu platform with new sheetmetal– the cutline has been lowered and follows through the door handles, the trunk has a new bustle to it and wheel arches are more subtle– and underpinned by a version of the Epsilon II platform currently used by the Buick Regal and Opel Insignia. That would make this Malibu more likely to be a global offering from GM as opposed to strictly a US market proposition.

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One of the best-selling SUV’s on the market is the Chevy Traverse, and it’s not because of its styling, some innovative technology, or its slightly higher price. Simply put, the Chevy Traverse is practical for families.

Actually, the Traverse is less than an SUV or even a mini-van, as many buyers want to get away from hunky vehicles in their driveways. CUV is the newest term for vehicles that are somewhere in between a car and an SUV. A CUV is the newest mainstream vehicle for up-and-coming families. The Chevy Traverse is more mainstream. For families, it offers three rows of seating. The Traverse has only been out for a couple of years and the 2010 model has very few changes over the 2009 model.

My daughter Charity had a Traverse for a test drive and almost fell in love with it. She raved about the convenience and the utility. The second row of seating can be purchased with a bench seat, but the captain’s chairs are probably more useful. Captain’s chairs in the second row give older children, teenagers, and adults much more room and also provide an open pass-through to the back row area. There is a fair amount of cargo room in the back, but for a long road trip, the luggage and family items will spill over into the other areas. The third row seats split and fold flat. This is useful for those long trips and carrying more suitcases and bags.

The 2010 Chevy Traverse is only offered with one engine size – a 3.6 liter V-6 that provides 281 horsepower. It is matched with a six speed automatic. The Traverse can be purchased in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. I personally have become a fan of having all-wheel drive because of safety concerns on wet roads, snow, ice, or even sandy conditions.

The exterior of the Traverse is very mainstream. It is not distinctive, but it is acceptable and appealing. The interior is functional but not futuristic or trend setting. Again, the interior offers all the conveniences for a family or even an around-town vehicle, but it is not designed like a sports car. It is easy to drive and it fits into tight spaces fairly well. My daughter Charity says it doesn’t feel “bulky” when she is driving or parking.

The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is offered in three trim levels – the base LS, the LT, and the top-of-the-line LTZ. The primary difference in the different trim level models is the wheels, which come as 17 inch, 18 inch, or 20 inch. The back-up camera works really well and was certainly a strong point with my daughter, who has two younger children. She commented, “I can see all the bicycles, toys, and other paraphernalia left in the drive before I run over it. The screen for the camera is conveniently located on the rear view mirror.” I have advocated back-up cameras for many years and think they should be standard in most vehicles.

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The 2011 Chevy Impala has got the power of 3.8-liter ohv 12-valve V6 engine phenomenal in delivering 200 horsepower at 5200 RPM and 225 pound-feet of torque at 4000 RPM. 4-speed automatic transmission system has been integrated with the powertrain. With the help of 4-speed automatic transmission system, 2011 Chevrolet Impala offers exquisite fuel economy - 20 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on highways.

The standard features associated with the 2011 Chevy Impala are leather-wrapped steering wheel, fog lights, rear-window defroster, 6-way power driver’s seat, rear spoiler, traction control, remote keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, power windows, variable intermittent wipers, ABS, aluminum wheels, tire inflation monitor, cruise control, AM/FM/cassette stereo with RDS, power locks, power mirrors etc. The optional Comfort Seating Package contains leather upholstery, heat for both front seats, 6-way power adjuster for front passenger seat etc. You can opt for heated exterior mirrors, carpeted floor mats, steering wheel audio controls, AM/FM RDS cassette, electrochromic inside mirror with reading lights, CD stereo, Driver Information Center etc.

The Chevy Impala has been developed in Oshawa, Ontario. The 2011 Chevy Impala offers you the unbeatable basic warranty of 3 years or 36,000 miles. The 2011 Chevy Impala ensures safety of its occupants with three LATCH rear child-seat tethers, dual airbags and structural headliner etc. You can opt for ABS, traction control and driver’s side-impact airbag. Please click here to get a Get a Free Price Quote from us for the new Chevy Impala.

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, UK, Luxury

Chevrolet is air-dropping the Corvette and Camaro back into the UK retail market next year. Corvette supplies dried up in 2009 when the importer closed its doors, and it's been 34 years since the mothership last sold the Camaro in Britain. Autocar reports that Chevy UK is seeking approval for the entire Corvette lineup, while Camaro buyers will be limited to the SS model in coupe or convertible body styles.

Pricing hasn't been finalized, but in 2008 (when Corvettes were last offered in the UK) a standard C6 cost £39,999 ($62,117 U.S.) and the Z06 was £54,995 ($85,405 U.S.). The new pricing is expected to be in the same ballpark, with additional cars like the Grand Sport and ZR1 factored into the mix. Shoppers should see the American sports cars in UK showrooms next May, but in the meantime, Chevy UK would like to interest you in an Orlando MPV, which goes on sale in early 2011.

[Source: Autocar]

Chevrolet Corvette headed back to UK? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Etc., Videos, Chevrolet

Development engineers rarely get to have the same kind of fun as, say the guys out flogging the crap out of prototype mules on the test track, but that doesn't mean they can't have a good time. A few of the lab coats behind making sure the audible quality of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is up to par have gotten together to work up a sound collage featuring all of the moving bits on the new compact.

If you're looking for an up close and personal look at just how tomb-like the sedan's doors actually are or you have a thing for watching an engineer stomp and clap his hands at the same time, you'll want to check out the video after the jump. If you like what you hear, the Cruze starts at a meager $16,995. Thanks for the tip, Mike!



Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: Chevrolet via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Chevy engineers get into the sound collage thing with 2011 Cruze

Video: Chevy engineers get into the sound collage thing with 2011 Cruze originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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August 19, 2010
First Look video: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
Chevrolet replaces the mediocre Cobalt this September with an all-new sedan, the Cruze. Already on sale in many markets around the globe, the Cruze will give the division a much more competitive small car in the States than in the past. We borrowed one recently to give our auto engineers a chance to preview this significant new model and share their impressions in this First Look video.

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Filed under: Chevrolet, GM

General Motors' Service and Parts Operations website has published a pair of new documents for decoding 2011 model year Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) which reveal several new engines. The passenger car list includes a pair of small inline-fours of 1.0 and 1.2-liters displacement. Both engines are listed as port-injected, dual-overhead-cam units from the automaker's South Korean operations, GM Daewoo Automotive Technologies (GMDAT). We're assuming that these are the engines for the Spark mini-car that is due to arrive on our shores sometime during the coming year.

Also on the car list are a pair of 1.6-liter fours listed at 80 and 82 kilowatts. The 80 kW unit matches the 108 horsepower output of the current Aveo engine, so presumably it's a carryover until the new model arrives early in next year. That car is expected to use 110 hp (82 kW) version.

Finally, in the light-duty truck list, there is a 177 horsepower 2.2-liter diesel inline-four. GM has made clear that it has no plans to offer any light-duty diesel engines in the States, so we assume that this is for an export market vehicle, likely the Chevrolet Colorado pickup. The decoder guides are after the jump. A tip of the hat to xeong5!



[Source: General Motors Service and Parts Operations]

Continue reading General Motors 2011 VIN decoder reveals new 1.0L, 1.2L, 1.6L four cylinder engines

General Motors 2011 VIN decoder reveals new 1.0L, 1.2L, 1.6L four cylinder engines originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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