2014 Gmc Terrain Sle-2 on 2040-cars

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Weekly Recap: Lamborghini fires on all cylinders

Lamborghini added 192 technicians and specialists in 2014 as the Italian automaker expands under the ambitious growth strategy of parent company Volkswagen AG. The additional workers helped Lamborghini increase its sales 19 percent last year to 2,530 supercars, and further expansion is planned for this year. Lambo has added more than 500 people in the last four years, bringing its headcount to 1,175. "Lamborghini is undergoing a strong phase of growth in both sales and in terms of recruitment," CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. "We invest significantly in our people ... in 2015 we plan to hire further." The supercar maker's solid performance last year came during a time of transition. Lambo sold off the final 265 Gallardos, which were the brand's best-selling models ever. Its 10-cylinder successor, the Huracan, immediately filled the void. It garnered 3,300 orders, and 1,137 of them were delivered in 2014. The other Lamborghini, the 12-cylinder Aventador, saw its sales increase 13 percent to 1,128 copies. The sales leap comes as Volkswagen drives sales expansion across its portfolio of brands. The German carmaker sold 10 million vehicles around the world for the first time last year. Though Lambo will never make supercars in great numbers, it is expected to contribute to VW's bottom line through its image and profitable sales. Look for further growth this year, and a Super Veloce version (shown above) of the Aventador has already been spotted during testing. Lamborghini has been working on a sport utility vehicle for years, though the company has never publicly approved the project. It also showed a hybrid, the Asterion, at last year's Paris Motor show, suggesting the automaker is considering an electric future. Other News and Notes GMC ponders Jeep Wrangler fighter GMC is considering adding a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler and has discussed the idea with its dealers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Details of the vehicle are unclear, but the report suggested the vehicle could have cues from General Motors' old Hummer brand. The move would broaden GMC's lineup of trucks and SUVs and attract new customers. GMC sold 501,853 vehicles in 2014, making it GM's second-best selling brand. GMC had more volume than Cadillac and Buick combined, though it's still well behind Chevrolet's tally of more than two million vehicles. The notion of a "Wrangler fighter" could be a moving target.

2025 GMC Yukon AT4 teased, will likely follow 2025 Suburban template

It's time to begin teasing the 2025 GMC Yukon, the luxury truck division doing so with a glimpse of the front fascia on the AT4 trim. This being a refresh, we're not looking for major changes to hard points. In contrast to today's Yukon, it seems the new face will stress horizontal breadth instead of highlighting the central aspect of a giant grille and skid plate area. Starting with the taller C-shaped headlights on the 2025, a shorter horizontal element at the top no longer reaches all the way to the grille surround, and it's separated from the three main beams below by a body-colored piece extending from the grille cradle. Below the light, a new lower bumper treatment probably increases the aggression compared to today's truck. Instead of black centerpiece that houses the skid plate and a pair of tow hooks, it appears the entire bumper will be black and wrap around into the fenders. Finally, the grille looks the same, but its crossbars have been reprofiled.  As sibling to the 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban that Chevy revealed last November, we expect many of the same updates here. Outside, that would mean refinements to the independent rear suspension for more nimble handling, new wheel designs, and availability of the second-generation 3.0-liter Duramax inline-six with 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque instead of today's 277 hp and 460 lb-ft. Inside, we expect a new instrument panel housing a 17.7-inch touchscreen for infotainment, and a column shifter replacing the push buttons on the center console. Updated trim materials — along with the overdue infotainment upgrade — should provide a finer sense of luxury than what's currently on offer.  If tech treats carry over, buyers will have access to the Connected Cameras feature for viewing and recording inside and outside of the vehicle for crash and security purposes. An Interior Motion Detection system can detect "micro-movements" in the cabin that could signal a baby or a pet left in the vehicle.  The Yukon might go further than the Chevy SUVs, seeing that GMC has some birthdays to celebrate: 2024 is the fifth anniversary of the AT4 trim and the 25th anniversary of the Denali trim. We'll find out later this year, GMC promising the Yukon reveal sometime after the new Acadia begins shipping to dealers.

400,000 Chevy, GMC pickups recalled: Side airbags can explode

DETROIT — General Motors is recalling more than 400,000 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the side airbags can explode without warning and spew parts into the cabin. The recall covers certain 2015 and 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. Documents posted Friday by U.S. safety regulators say the airbag inflator can rupture or the end cap can fly off on both sides of the trucks. Documents say three inflators ruptured in 2015 Silverados last month, one in Florida and two in Texas. All three trucks were unoccupied at the time, and GM says it has no reports of injuries. Dealers will replace both side airbag modules. The company says it has a limited number of replacement parts available. Owners will be notified starting Aug. 16 and they'll get a second letter when parts are widely available. About 9,000 of the trucks were recalled last year for the same problem. The company says a manufacturing defect allowed moisture into the inflator while it was being manufactured, causing corrosion. The inflators were made in Mexico by Joyson Safety Systems, the company that took over Takata. Back in April, Silverado and Sierra were among nearly 750,000 GM vehicles in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into non-deploying driver-side airbags. That investigation is ongoing. Takata is responsible for the largest recalls in automotive history, covering about 100 million inflators among 19 major automakers worldwide, including about 67 million inflators in the United States. Nineteen deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to Takata inflators. Only about 50 million of the 67 million recalled inflators in the U.S. have been repaired. This latest recall is a good reminder to go to NHTSA's recalls website and enter your car's VIN. Millions of recalled vehicles still pose a danger to their owners. Yours could be one of them.   Recalls Chevrolet GM GMC airbag Takata airbag recall