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Weekly Recap: Chevy and Alfa plot comeback strategies

Chevrolet and Alfa Romeo were two of the 20th Century's most iconic automotive brands. Chevy embodied America's post-war power and confidence. Alfa was the definition of the stylish Italian sports car. They reached halcyon heights in the 1950s and '60s, before declining precipitously amid new competition, changing consumer tastes, and uneven corporate management. Both say 2015 is the start of something better, and this week Chevy and Alfa laid out ambitious plans and showcased new cars that they hope will make them more relevant this year, and in the coming years. Each brand sits at its own crossroads, and their paths forward are as different as the Chevy Cruze and the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Chevy is still a sales beast, as evidenced by its volume of 4.8 million vehicles sold around the world last year. Chevy executives are fond of saying one of their cars is sold every seven seconds, which illustrates the strength and reach of a car brand that is the fourth largest in the world. "Make no mistake about it, we are a brand for the people," said General Motors North America president Alan Batey. But he wants consumers to want to buy a Chevy for its design and technology, not simply because it's affordable. That starts with all Chevys now featuring a distinctive a family look, with sporty cues from the Corvette or strong lines that riff on the Silverado pickup. "We want people to fall in lust with our cars," said Mike Pevovar, executive design director for Chevy passenger cars. "That initial emotional attraction has to be right on the exterior, and that's where form comes into play." Chevy is also loading up its cars, like the freshly unveiled 2016 Chevy Cruze, with technology to appeal to a younger crowd that prizes connectivity. The Cruze will offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with its MyLink infotainment system, and OnStar with 4G LTE and wifi. Seeking out younger buyers is also sound business practice: Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers as the largest single age group in the United States. Younger buyers also can improve a brand's image, which is another area where Chevy would like to improve. Chevy ranks 82nd on Interbrand's Best Global Brand's list, behind 11 other automakers. Apple is No. 1. "We need our own variation of the Genius Bar," Batey said. 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia View 3 Photos Meanwhile, Alfa is in different shape.

Corvette Stingray gets optional Z06 components

If you've got a Corvette Stingray in the garage and have been tempted by some of the upgrades incorporated into the Z06, but can't quite bring yourself to trade up, Chevy has got some good news for you. The Bowtie brand has announced a series of performance parts derived from those in the Z06, but applicable to the base Stingray. The list of parts includes new cooling elements, prop shafts, brakes, suspension components, and underbody braces. They can all be fitted to Stingray models with or without the Z51 performance kit, and promise to raise the Corvette's game if not quite to Z06 levels, then closer to them. And for Z06 owners interested in gaining a bit more advantage, Chevy is offering a new Level 3 aero kit as well. The parts were demonstrated on upgraded 'Vettes at the Ron Fellows driving school at Spring Mountain. The school is also serving as technical partner and the track as the location for a new spec racing series built around the C7 Corvette. Dubbed the Michelin Corvette Challenge, the calendar is composed of fifteen half-hour races held in pairs over eight weekends, all on the six-mile circuit near Las Vegas. The cars to be used in the series will be close to showroom stock and feature many of the new Z06-derived upgrades, with Michelin racing slicks for dry weather and Pilot Super Sport tires in the wet. Perhaps most compelling of all will be the payment plan that will allow participating amateur racers to pay in installments across the season and take home their Corvette after the season's conclusion in December. New Z06 Parts Enhance Corvette Stingray Performance Broad range of chassis, suspension and aero components enhance capability 2015-11-02 PAHRUMP, Nev. – Chevrolet today and drivers from the Ron Fellows Corvette high-performance driving school at the Spring Mountain track demonstrated Stingray models enhanced with components from a new lineup of Z06-based performance parts. They're designed for 2014+ Stingray models, including Z51-equipped cars. "We've selected specific components from the Corvette Z06 and engineered them to fit the award-winning Stingray," said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "These Z06 parts enhance the handling, braking, cooling and downforce performance of the Stingray." Ron Fellows, champion Corvette Racing driver, collaborated with Chevrolet Performance engineers on the all-new portfolio.

Should heavy-duty pickup trucks have window stickers with fuel mileage estimates?

If you were to stroll into your nearest Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, or Ram dealership, you'd find a bunch of pickup trucks. Most of those would have proper window stickers labeled with things like base prices, options prices, location of manufacture, and, crucially, fuel economy estimates. But you'd also run across a number of heavy-duty trucks with no such fuel mileage data from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA doesn't require automakers to publish the valuable miles-per-gallon measurement for vehicles with gross weight ratings that exceed 8,500 pounds. That makes it difficult for consumers to compare behemoths powered by turbocharged diesel engines – between one another, and between smaller, gasoline-fueled trucks. Consumer Reports doesn't think it should be this way, and it's spearheading an effort (PDF link) to get the government to require manufacturers to publish fuel economy estimates. In its own testing, CR found that heavy-duty pickups powered by Ford's Power Stroke, GM's Duramax, and FCA's Cummins diesel engines (which doesn't include the Ram's EcoDiesel) get worse fuel mileage than their lighter-duty gas-powered siblings. We're not so sure HD-truck buyers are unaware of this fact – big diesels don't really come into their own until big loads are placed in their beds or attached to their trailer hitches. Under heavy workloads, the diesel trucks will almost certainly return greater efficiency than a similar gas-powered truck. What's more, HD trucks with lumbering diesels in general make the driver feel more confident while towing due to greater torque at low engine RPM than gas trucks. They also offer greater max-weight limits. Still, we agree EPA fuel mileage estimates should be offered for heavy-duty pickups. And we think the comparisons provided by Consumer Reports might be interesting to potential buyers. Click here to see the results of CR's tests, and let us know what you think using the poll below. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty: First Drive View 22 Photos News Source: Consumer Reports Government/Legal Green Read This Chevrolet Ford GMC Nissan RAM Fuel Efficiency Truck Commercial Vehicles Diesel Vehicles poll gmc sierra hd chevy silverado hd