2014 Chevrolet Cruze Ltz on 2040-cars

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Expect greater differentiation in GM's next-generation SUVs

General Motors says its next-generation Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade models will offer shoppers improved interior differentiation. Car and Driver recently caught up with Chris Hilts, GM's creative manager of interior design, who said that the cabins will all feature unique instrument panels, consoles, center stacks and switchgear moving forward. Apparently GM is now aware that consumers may be bothered by the fact that today's $85,000 Escalade has effectively the same cabin as a $45,000 Tahoe. Hilts says SUV buyers want more refinement than their pickup purchasing counterparts - and those same buyers also want their SUVs to have more exterior differentiation between the company's Silverado and Sierra pickup lines. Shocking.
That all sounds good to us, but we've heard this song and dance before. GM made big waves about how different the new-for-2013 Silverado and Sierra would look from each other, but judging by what we've seen so far, GM's stylists are painting in shades rather than with the full spectrum. For more on the what to expect out of GM's new SUVs, click on the C/D link below.

Chevy donates first 2016 COPO Camaro to United Way

Want to get your hands on the first new COPO Camaro? Scottsdale will be the place to be this weekend. That's where Barrett-Jackson will auction off the drag-racing muscle car with the serial number 2016COPO001. The example on the docket is the very same show car that Chevy revealed at the SEMA show just a couple of months ago. Like every new COPO Camaro, it's based on the new sixth-generation coupe and packs an array of drag-racing upgrades. Those include a three-speed automatic transmission, solid rear axle, and adjustable suspension. While Chevy will offer the new COPO Camaro with a choice of three engines, this particular example packs the 5.7-liter supercharged V8, as well as a unique red and black livery designed by Chevy drag racing driver Courtney Force. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale are destined to go to United Way, following previous examples that benefited wounded veterans. You can bet it will raise a pretty penny at auction, but if you miss this one, of course there will be more. Just don't wait around too long as the Bowtie brand will only make 69 of them this year. 2016 COPO Camaro No. 1 Sale to Benefit United Way Courtney Force designed show car to be auctioned for United Way 2016-01-26 DETROIT – Chevrolet will auction off the first, sixth generation 2016 COPO Camaro race car to raise money for United Way. The purpose-built COPO Camaro, serial number 2016COPO001, will be sold on Friday, Jan. 29, at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. All proceeds of the winning bid will benefit United Way. "This is a special opportunity to purchase the first of the sixth generation, 2016 COPO Camaro while also helping such a great cause," said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. The COPO is a powerful, purpose-built Camaro designed to race in NHRA Stock Eliminator class. The COPO Camaro legacy continues with an all-new sixth-generation version. This modern-looking machine infuses legendary COPO performance with the modern, lighter and stronger design of the 2016 Camaro. Chevrolet introduced the sixth generation COPO Camaro No. 001 last November at the SEMA Show and includes a personalized look created by Chevrolet and NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force. It features a Red Hot exterior color with Courtney Force-signature graphics and red-accented grille trim. "I was extremely honored to work with Chevrolet and help design the 2016 COPO Camaro," said Courtney Force.

Two More Recalls Push GM Total To 4.8 Million In A Month

General Motors announced two more recalls late Friday, bringing to 4.8 million the number of cars, trucks and SUVs the automaker has called back for repairs in the past month. The string of recalls, topped by an ignition switch problem in compact cars now linked to 13 crash deaths, has embarrassed the company and sidetracked its new CEO, who started work just over two months ago. GM has admitted knowing about the switch problem a decade ago, yet it didn't recall any cars until February. The recall delay has brought two congressional investigations and probes by the Justice Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Late Friday night, GM announced it would recall 490,000 late-model pickup trucks and SUVs because transmission oil cooling lines weren't secured properly in their fittings. Transmission oil can leak from a fitting and hit hot surfaces, causing fires, the company said in a statement. GM said it knows of three fires and no injuries. The recall affects Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks from the 2014 model year, as well as 2015 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe SUVs and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs. All have six-speed automatic transmissions. The Silverado is GM's top-selling vehicle and an important profit center for the company. The GMC Sierra also is among GM's top sellers. Dealers will inspect the transmission oil cooling line fittings and make sure they're securely seated, at no cost to owners. Also Friday night, GM announced the recall of 172,000 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars because the right front axle shaft can fracture and separate while being driven. The recall affects cars from the 2013 and 2014 model years equipped with 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines. If a shaft fractures, the wheels would lose power without warning and the cars would coast to a stop. GM says it has warranty reports of several dozen shaft fractures. It is not aware of any crashes or injuries. Dealers will replace the shafts free of charge. The recall allows dealers to resume selling affected Cruzes. GM issued a stop sale order on the cars Thursday night. The recall also covers about 2,500 replacement shafts used to fix manual transmission Cruzes that were recalled last September. In all, GM has recalled 4.8 million vehicles since last month, two million more than the company sold last year in the U.S.