What’s Up Next? Chevy Cruze and More

It’s no secret that all the GM lines have been struggling. All US automakers are being forced to deal with a cataclysmic shift in consumer buying trends. All across the US, soccer moms are abandoning their SUVs in favor of smaller, lighter cars that get better fuel economy.

In answer to this dominant trend, numerous new cars are coming about. The recent exposure of the Chevy Cruze (once thought to be the replacement for to Cobalt) has sparked new interest and new life in the ailing automaker. The Chevy Cruze is just one of the new cars set to take the stage in the near future. However, Europe will get a taste of the Cruze before the US. The Cruze will debut in 2009 in Europe, while the US release comes in 2010.

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2011 Chevy Volt Pictures Leaked – Unofficially Official

By now you may have caught a glimpse at yesterdays “leaked” images of the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt with Bob Lutz standing at its side. It was a big hoopla about “how the hell did it happen” and the simple explanation that it was “human error” behind the supposedly accidental release of the new Chevy Volt images. Either way, bloggers and auto enthusiasts have taken these photos and spread them throughout the internet so it is basically, TOO LATE to pull the images now. The images were originally set to be released next week during the “official release” of the “official” Chevy Volt. Whether it was intentional or not, we still get to see what the Chevy Volt looks like! WOOT WOOT!

Look for the Chevy Volt to make an appearance in the upcoming Transformers 2 movie – wonder who is one of the sponsors of the Transformers movie… hmmm Chevy maybe?

Hybrid Round Up – A Closer Look At Available Hybrid Vehicles – Video

Want 20% better gas mileage? Want to drive one of the best gas saving cars available at your local dealership? Look no further because the video below showcases all currently available hybrid vehicles that can be purchased today. Whether you love SUV’s, cars or even sports cars, you have a choice in utilizing today’s hybrid technology to ultimately save you money at the gas pump.

Enjoy! – MotorWeek’s Hybrid Round Up:

Mild Hybrids: Chevy Malibu Hybrid & Saturn Aura Hybrid

Within the industry, they’re referred to as “mild” hybrids. They’re cars like the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu that have conventional engines with oversized starter-motors, which allow the engine to be shut down whenever the car is braking, coasting, or stopped (such as at a red light) without requiring a full re-start. Gauges, systems (like air conditioning) and electronic accessories (mp3 players, GPS systems) run on existing electrical power, and the motor spins the engine back to operating RPMs before any fuel is injected.

While mild hybrids don’t have electric motors, they do still offer some hybrid features. For example, they use less battery power, over all, and some mild hybrids even use regenerative braking to recharge that battery, just like the Toyota Prius hybrid, and their other true-hybrid cousins.

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Chevy Volt: The Car That Could Save GM – And Gas Money

The new Chevy Volt, will it live up to our expectations or even GM’s expectations and meet its year 2010 deadline/release date? Here is a video that explains it all. The finished product will look more like our current 4-door vehicle that we see on the road today. The video goes onto show an Apple iPod-ish dashboard layout. So what’s the hold-up? … the battery!

Enjoy the video!

More GM Cuts: Jobs, Bonuses and Dividends

Just when you think they have cut enough at GM and it wont be any more changes for a while, they throw yet another wrench in the assembly line. This is really going to hit them hard with another waive of lay-offs and cuts across the company. Below is an article excerpt from Automotive News on the new “trimmings” that will be coming down the line for GM.

DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors said today it would cut salaried employment costs by 20 percent, sell up to $4 billion of assets and borrow at least $2 billion in a bid to bolster its liquidity by $15 billion through 2009.

GM CEO Rick Wagoner, speaking to employees before a 9 a.m. press conference, also said GM would suspend its common stock dividend in a restructuring driven by high fuel prices, a shift away from trucks and SUVs, and the lowest U.S. industry wide auto sales in a decade.

The full story can be found on Automotive News Here!

Pontiac G8: The Hero in Spy Hunter, The Game!

As car companies attempt to market their cars in a new way, GM is pushing out the Pontiac G8 in front of the young-aged people who knew about the popular Spy Hunter video game. They figure if you played the original Spy Hunter game back in 1986 then you would be just the right age to purchase a new Pontiac G8. If you do that math then you will know they are pretty dead on for the targeted age group for the Pontiac G8. A sports sedan with a serious attitude is something a new/young family man would purchase right? Well maybe… in the meantime while you think about THIS, view the new commercial/video of the Pontiac G8 – Spy Hunter Game re-make.

Trans AM for sale

Enjoy!

This Pontiac commercial is largely inspired by the popular action/driving game from the early 80s. In the Pontiac spot, the mission is the same, with the G8 starring as the hero car.

GM Cuts Production – Plant Closings, No More Hummer, No more SUV’s?

Today GM released the announcement to its employees and to the public that they have plans to majorly cut production including 4 truck plants. The slow in the economy and high gas prices is obviously a major factor in the decision that GM is making in the upcoming months. Surprisingly Rick Wagoner, GM’s CEO, announced possible closing of plants that make many GM SUV’s and trucks with a mention of a possible removal or sale of Hummer which may remove this brand from the market all-together.

This may come as a surprise when you listen to Rick Wagoner mention the closing of plants that produce the Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon. We all know that is a big monster in the SUV market but we also know the SUV market is diminishing very fast mainly due to the fact that SUV’s consume A LOT of gas and the economy just cannot support the high price of such vehicles.

CNN.com posted the news this morning and reads:

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