2012 Buick Verano Convenience on 2040-cars

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GM laying off 500 workers to slow Chevy Sonic production

Due to slow sales of the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano, General Motors is cutting a shift at the Orion Township plant that builds the pair. The move lays off about 500 workers, but most of them are expected to get offers to transfer to other factories, Automotive News reports. The move came just a day after GM announced adding 1,200 employees to the Detroit-Hamtramck plant. GM has been trying all year at the Orion Township factory to align production of the Sonic and Verano with their demand. The automaker first attempted idling the plant several times and eventually resorted to laying off about 100 workers. It also reduced the production rate there. With the huge rise in popularity of crossovers, demand for the plant's small cars is on the downturn. According to Automotive News, there's currently a 116-day supply of Sonics and 100 days of Veranos to sell. Delivers tell a similar tale because the Chevy is off 35.2 percent from January to September, and the Buick does little better with a 27.2 percent drop from the same period last year. While the situation at Orion Township might look rough now, big things are on the horizon. Soon, the new Chevy Bolt electric vehicle will be built there when it hits the market around 2017. Plus, the plant will also get a $245-million upgrade and 300 new jobs for another, unannounced vehicle.

GM follows Ford and Honda in skipping SEMA

The list of automakers skipping SEMA has become longer. First reported by Muscle Cars and Trucks, and confirmed to us by a company representative, General Motors will not have an official presence at the aftermarket show. It joins Ford and Honda in leaving the show. It will be a large hole in the show, with the GM brands typically filling a significant swath of available show space in one of the main halls. GM hasn't provided much explanation for the move, either. The GM representative provided Autoblog with the same statement that Muscle Cars and Trucks got: "GM has made the decision not to participate in the 2022 SEMA Show. The SEMA show has always inspired us, and accessories and performance parts remain an important part of our business." We also asked if we would see any sort of announcements around the time of the show — Ford said it has plans to share some things around that time — however, the GM representative said that the company has no immediate plans for announcements. Certainly things could change between now and the November show, though. SEMA had previously noted that other exhibitors would help fill in some of the space vacated by these major OEMs. Another OEM, Volkswagen, is returning to the show after an absence, which will also help with the display deficit. Related Video:

2021 Buick Encore sheds top two trims, offer only Base and Preferred

A few days ago, CarsDirect reported that the 2021 Buick Encore would prune its top two trims, the Sport Touring and Essence variants. Paring those two trims would leave the Base and the Preferred, creating larger price and amenities differences between the stalwart Encore and the new, larger, nicer Encore GX. It turns out the change has already gone into effect for the 2020 model year, as shown in Encore's Build & Price page at the brand's web site. Now the only trims available are the 1SV and Preferred. The prices for these trims won't change for next year, either. The Encore will start at $24,195 after a $995 destination charge, and now topping out at $26,215 for the all-wheel drive Preferred model. Previously, the Essence AWD established the top of the hill at $31,795. The move eliminates almost all of the MSRP overlap with the Encore GX, which ranges from $25,195 to $31,595. There will be less feature overlap, too. The now-dead Encore trims opened the door to proper luxury amenities like LED headlights, leather seats, dual-zone climate control, and an auto dimming rear-view mirror. The amenities available on the Preferred are limited to floor mats and accessories, save for the $495 Safety Package that adds Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Side Blind Zone Alert, and the $300 Remote Start. The Encore GX comes in three trims, Preferred, Select, and Essence, and "Leather-appointed seating" doesn't appear until the top-dollar Essence trim for $29,495 in FWD fettle.  The closest the Encore and Encore GX will get to one another is in engine output. The smaller crossover comes only with a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. The Encore GX offers two engines depending on powertrain. A 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with 137 hp and 166 lb-ft comes solely with front-wheel drive, and a 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with 155 hp and 174 lb-ft is available with either front- or all-wheel drive. Related Video: