2007 Chevrolet Tahoe Ltz Sport Utility 4-door 5.3l on 2040-cars

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2020 Chevy Tahoe High Country spied along with next-gen Escalade

Have no fear, the big grilles are here. Or, at least we think they're coming. One of our spy shooters caught the next-gen Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade out testing with more of their fronts ends exposed than before. Starting with the Tahoe, we can see what amounts to a blinding amount of chrome under the wrappings. We're guessing this would be a new Tahoe High Country trim level, mirroring the range-topping trim level currently offered on the Silverado and Traverse. The Tahoe's current range topper is the Premier. Although the rather ornate details in the grille are not found on the current High Country trims, they also seem like something that would be available on the priciest Tahoe available. The same could be said of the LED lighting details visible under the camo as the Silverado High Country, shown below, does indeed have unique LED elements. The next-generation Cadillac Escalade only shows up in two of the photos. As we can't see shiny chrome reflecting through the camo, we're guessing the Escalade will adopt a blacked out grille similar those found on the XT6 and other Cadillacs. We can also see horizontal lighting elements similar to those on other recent Cadillacs. As this is an Escalade, however, we'd imagine everything will be supersized. GM will be ushering these trucks out soon, with the independent rear suspension being the big story. Besides the improved ride and handling, it should result in substantially improved cargo space and third-row legroom. Doing so would at least close the gap with the biggest Lincoln and Ford SUVs.

GM cutting Chevy Sonic, Buick Verano production by more than 20%

General Motors' Orion Assembly plant in Michigan is seeing even more production cuts this year to further reduce inventories of the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano. These latest adjustments mean layoffs for about 100 workers in phases starting in July. "GM Orion Assembly will adjust plant production capacity to better align with market demand," the company said in a statement announcing the change. Through May, sales of the Sonic are down 28.5 percent to 29,082 vehicles, and the Verano is off 15.6 percent, with 15,279 sold this year. According to unnamed plant insiders speaking to Automotive News, the assembly rate is slowing at Orion Assembly from the current 33 cars an hour down to 26 an hour, a 21-percent reduction. GM is also reportedly going to keep the plant idle for three weeks during the normal summer shutdown, rather than the usual two. Earlier in the year, the factory was idled for two weeks due to excess supply of the Sonic and Verano. In March, it was closed again for several days for the same reason. The Orion Assembly plant is the future home to the line for the Chevy Bolt EV. GM Statement: GM Orion Assembly will adjust plant production capacity to better align with market demand. A phased layoff of approximately 100 employees will begin in July 2015 and conclude by year-end. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Buick Chevrolet GM Hatchback Sedan buick verano orion assembly

Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.