2003 Buick Century Custom Sedan 4-door 3.1l on 2040-cars

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GM offering factory-backed extended warranty for Chevys, GMCs, Buicks and Cadillacs

Cars are generally more reliable than ever before. When things do go wrong, every automaker offers some form of factory warranty (in most cases at least three years and 36,000 miles, though many extend even longer), providing peace of mind to new-car buyers that many faults will be fixed at no charge to the customer. Starting today, GM is offering a new optional plan that will extend the factory warranty on all new Chevy, GMC, Buick and Cadillac products. In the past, extended warranties have been offered as dealer add-ons, with all profits from these sales going to the dealership. GM's new program can be viewed as another nail in the the looming dealership-model coffin. According to Automotive News, some dealers aren't happy to see GM cut into their business like this, saying that it helps GM far more than it does dealers. GM says the new program will help keep customers in the GM family. Customers are also more likely to visit a GM service center rather than going to an independent repair shop. Currently, new Chevy and GMC vehicles come with three-year/36,000-mile warranties. Buicks and Cadillacs are covered for 4 years or 50,000 miles. The new program extends Chevy and GMC warranties to five years or 60,000 miles. Buick and Cadillac warranties extend to six years or 70,000 miles. GM, citing IHS Markit, says most owners keep new cars for about 6.8 years, so these warranties will cover most of the length of their ownership. The extended warranty will add between $1,000 and $2,000 to the price of a vehicle, and the additional cost can be rolled into the vehicle's purchase or lease price. Unlike many dealer extensions, the factory program covers the vehicle no matter who owns it. That should help increase the car's resale value if it's sold within the covered timeframe. GM says there's no deductible and no need to file a claim form when getting warranty repairs. Additionally, dealerships can continue to sell their own extended warranties or service contracts. Related Video:

2024 Buick Envision previewed with new design, Super Cruise technology

The second-generation Buick Envision will enter the 2024 model year with an array of updates inside and out and Super Cruise hands-free technology. While the model won't make its full debut until later in 2023, an official preview image gives us a good idea of what to expect. Buick designers gave the Envision's front end a complete overhaul; this is not a subtle nip-and-tuck. The crossover gets a bigger grille positioned lower on the front fascia, bright trim, and the new Buick emblem on its hood. The headlights are now integrated into the bumper, Jeep Cherokee-style (or Citroen-style, depending on where your automotive references lie), and LED daytime running lights replace the outgoing Envision's headlights. The revamped look brings the Envision in line with other recent additions to the Buick range, like the Encore. We'll need to be patient to find out what the rear end looks like, though the overall proportions haven't significantly changed. Similarly, Buick hasn't released photos of the interior yet. We're guessing that infotainment- and trim-related changes will be part of the 2024 updates. The updated Envision will bring the Super Cruise technology already available in several General Motors products, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, to the Buick brand for the first time. Likely offered as an option with a four-digit price tag, the system will allow drivers to take both hands off the wheel when the right conditions are met; the car notably needs to be on a highway that General Motors has mapped. Super Cruise won't make the Envision autonomous, the driver will need to remain focused on the road ahead and ready to take over if needed, but it should make long trips less tiring. As of writing, General Motors has mapped over 400,000 miles of roads in the United States and Canada. Built in China, the 2024 Buick Envision will go on sale across the nation before the end of 2023. More details about it will emerge in the coming months. It's too early to tell what's next, but the company promised it will unveil two additional new vehicles before the end of 2024.

Opel readying Adam model with SUV cues

The Opel Adam, the microcar of General Motors' European subsidiary, has seen its sales cool significantly since it first hit the market in the United Kingdom and Europe, but a push is reportedly under way that just might be enough to get the stylish, little car moving again.
Using the Opel Adam Rocks Concept as a template, Opel will ruggedize the Adam, so that it might compete with the growing herd of city cars that sport SUV styling, like the Volkswagen Cross Up and Fiat Panda 4x4, according to a report from Automotive News Europe. Sporting a bumped-up ride height and tougher body work, it's a dedicated soft-roader, but will freshen the Adam's lineup and, hopefully, broaden its customer appeal.
The Adam Rocks, according to IHS Automotive analyst Ian Fletcher, should also make some more coin for GM's struggling European arm. "Automakers are happy to meet demand for SUV and crossovers as the customer pays a premium," Fletcher told ANE. And although the Rocks might have been planned from the start as a production vehicle, the timing, with the Adam's sales slowdown, doesn't seem like a coincidence.