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Updated Chevy Silverado spied, possibly with aluminum components

Chevrolet is readying a refresh for its trusty Silverado pickup, and these spy shots give us our first glimpse at what might be in store. The front and rear fascias of this prototype are covered, obscuring some styling tweaks (with LED accents up front). More interestingly, our spies suggest that many of the Silverado's body components could move to aluminum with this mid-cycle update. The hood will go from steel to the lighter alloy, and it's possible the front fenders could benefit from the weight-saving material, too. Ford's latest F-150 is extremely aluminum-intensive, and by switching the construction, 700 pounds was trimmed off the truck's weight. We've already heard that General Motors is working with a similar plan for its next-generation fullsize trucks. Beyond that, expect the smaller 5.3-liter V8 to ditch its six-speed automatic transmission in favor of the eight-speed unit that's already mated to the larger, 6.2-liter V8. Neither transmission will stick around very long, as the trucks will likely adopt a 10-speed automatic around 2017. Look for the updated Silverado to debut later this year, likely as a 2016.5 model.

Buick takes top spot in 2022 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

People, economies, and supply chains weren't the only things continuing to get sick over the past year. The 2022 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) is out, showing the average rate of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership increased overall. The average figure for the 32 ranked manufacturers in 2020 was about 166 problems per 100 vehicles. In the 2021 IQS, that dropped to an average of 162. This year, the average jumps to 180 problems. J.D. Power says that figure is a record high over the 36-year history of the study. Buick leapt to the top of the rankings this year with the fewest issues, at 139 problems per 100 vehicles in the first 100 days of ownership. After Dodge became the first American automaker to lead the IQS in 2020, followed by Ram in 2021, this year marks a three-peat for U.S. carmakers. Dodge took second this year at 143 PP100, Chevrolet third with 147 PP100, Genesis the first luxury maker on the chart in fourth with 156 PP100. Between February and May, this year's study gathered responses to 223 questions from more than 84,000 new 2022-model-year car owners and lessees. The questions are designed to zero in on real-world problems new owners encounter with nine categories of vehicle features: Infotainment; features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; and climate. As has been the case in the past few year, infotainment has proved to be the most problematic bugbear making scores worse. Considering features individually, six of 10 of the worst problem areas dealt with infotainment, causing infotainment's score of 45 PP100 to be 19.5 PP100 worse than the second-placed feature. Consumers ranked getting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to connect reliably as the most troublesome.  GM didn't just score with Buick, which was one of only nine of the 33 ranked brands to show improvement this year. The conglomerate earned first place with the fewest PP100 among all the automaker groups, and scored the most model-level awards with nine, ahead of BMW with eight and Hyundai Group with three.  This year's study again showed a gap between luxury and mass-market makers, thought to be down to the amount of tech in luxury vehicles that consumers aren't properly informed about or that doesn't act as expected — that latter issue exacerbated by the chip shortage.

The Chevy Cruze Hatchback arrives in the US this fall

We knew this was coming, but now it's official. Chevrolet will sell a five-door Cruze in the US beginning in late 2016, and here it is, ahead of its debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Previously, the Cruze Hatchback was available in other markets, and the decision to not offer it Stateside was apparently "a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake," according to GM's Mark Reuss in earlier reports. The 2017 Cruze Hatchback builds on the second-generation Cruze we saw last summer, adding a wealth of functionality – there's 42 cubic feet of cargo space available with the rear seats folded. Plus, the Cruze sedan is lighter and stiffer than its predecessor – more than 200 pounds have been shaved off the compact car's curb weight. While the Cruze sedan is available in four trims – L, LS, LT, and Premier – the five-door will only be available in LT and Premier guise, but can be had with the optional RS appearance package. All Cruze models are powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, with 153 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Standard amenities include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via Chevy's MyLink infotainment system, as well as a raft of high-tech safety features. Pricing information isn't available as of this writing, though we expect the Cruze Hatchback to command a slightly higher premium than the sedan. For comparison, a new Cruze LT sedan starts at $21,995, with the Premier coming in at $23,995. We'll have official numbers closer to the Hatchback's on-sale date this fall. Chevrolet Introduces 2017 Cruze Hatch HERE'S THE STORY Ahead of its debut at the North American International Auto Show, Chevrolet today introduced the 2017 Cruze Hatchback. Developed with all the technologies and dynamic driving attributes of the all-new 2016 Cruze sedan, the new hatch adds a functional and sporty choice for customers. It joins Colorado and Trax as the latest Chevrolets to push into new segments. PRODUCT DETAILS The Cruze Hatch has the same, class-leading 106.3-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase as sedan models, but features a unique roof and rear-end structure – including wraparound taillamps and an integrated spoiler at the top of the liftgate. It opens to offer 18.5 cubic feet (524 liters) of cargo space behind the rear seat. With the rear seat folded, cargo space expands to 42 cubic feet (1,189 liters).