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New J.D. Power Initial Quality Study puts Porsche, GM in spotlight

J.D. Power and Associates has released its annual Initial Quality Study, and this year, Porsche and General Motors took the spotlight. The study, which asks new car owners to report problems experienced during the first 90 days of ownership, found that overall, the industry averages 113 problems per 100 vehicles.
Porsche managed a score of just 80 problems per 100 vehicles, while GMC took the second spot on the podium with 90. Lexus filled out the top three with 94 problems per 100 vehicles, followed by Infiniti at 95 and Chevrolet at 97. The study also looks at specific models, and found the Lexus LS to enjoy the best initial quality at 59 problems per 100 vehicles.
Interestingly enough, the report found that around two-thirds of most owner problems experienced in the first 90 days are attributable to vehicle design instead of mechanical failure. Specifically - echoing a refrain we've been hearing for the last few years - owners are having a hard time figuring out how to use the technology present in their new vehicles. Head over to the J.D. Power site for more information, or scroll down below for the company's related press release.

GMC introduces off-road performance package for Sierra AT4

GMC is giving its off-road-focused Sierra AT4 pickup even more performance with some factory-installed upgrades. The package is called the AT4 Off-Road Performance Package. With it you'll get the 6.2-liter V8 engine upgrade, cat-back performance exhaust system, performance air intake and 18-inch aluminum wheels shod in Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires. The upgraded performance comes in the form of extra power. Thanks to the bolt-ons, you gain 15 horsepower and 9 pound-feet of torque over the 6.2-liter in stock form. This increases output to 435 horsepower and 469 pound-feet of torque — not too shabby. This package is priced at $4,940, and available for order now. That's a hefty price for what amounts to some minimal bolt-on modifications you could easily do yourself. However, buying it through GM means you get to keep your warranty in place. The Sierra AT4 already has more off-road features than a normal Sierra 1500. You're getting a two-inch lift, four-wheel drive with two-speed transfer case, locking rear differentials, skid plates, Rancho off-road shocks and hill descent control. Both the wheels and tires are available as options already, but this package just bunches related stuff together. It'll be up to you to decide if an exhaust and intake are worth the extra dough. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

GM pauses 3.0-liter turbodiesel production due to a supplier shortage

General Motors confirmed it has temporarily stopped taking orders for trucks and SUVs equipped with the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel six-cylinder engine. It blamed the last-minute pause on a supplier-related shortage. Website TFL Truck first reported the news, and a representative from General Motors quickly confirmed it. The spokesperson explained the issue is due to a "temporary part shortage" and added that production will resume "as soon as possible," meaning the Duramax engine (which is called LM2 internally) is not going away permanently. Additional details are not available, so we don't know if the issue is related to the ongoing chip shortage. Rather than delay deliveries and create a backlog, General Motors is reportedly asking its dealers to encourage buyers who want a turbodiesel engine to instead select either the 5.3-liter V8 or the 6.2-liter V8, depending on the model selected. Both are gasoline-powered units. There's no word yet on when Duramax production will resume. The shortage affects several models, including Chevrolet's Tahoe, Suburban, and Silverado 1500 and GMC's variants of these trucks. Cadillac's Escalade is temporarily diesel-less as well. Heavy Duty variants of the Silverado and the Sierra are not affected because they're powered by a different Duramax engine with eight cylinders. Motorists seeking a full-size SUV powered by an efficient turbodiesel engine are temporarily out of options because the Tahoe/Yukon and the Suburban/Yukon XL had the segment to themselves. The Duramax was surprisingly popular, too: in May 2021, GM Authority reported that the turbodiesel straight-six represented 8% of Suburban sales and 6% of Tahoe sales. Installed in a rear-wheel-drive Tahoe, the engine returns 21 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg in a combined cycle, figures that make the body-on-frame behemoth more efficient than the unibody, front-wheel-drive Chevrolet Blazer that's 20 inches shorter and approximately 1,700 pounds lighter. Related video: 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe 3.0L Duramax engine