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GM laying off 510 amidst slow Cadillac, small car sales

General Motors is laying off about 510 workers from two factories beginning in January, and it could be months before the automaker needs some of that latent capacity to come back on line. A combination of poor sales and high dealer inventories are prompting the cutbacks, according to Automotive News.
The largest changes come at GM's Lansing Grand River plant, where the Cadillac ATS and CTS are made. An entire shift of about 350 workers is being laid off, but the automaker hopes to find positions for some of them at other nearby factories. The decision leaves just a single shift building vehicles there. According to Automotive News, the move is partially spurred by Johan de Nysschen's plan to make Cadillac a more exclusive brand.
The lost shift will likely return for production of the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro at the plant, according to the report, but GM isn't saying when that will be. A previous announcement from the Canadian Auto Workers union indicated that the Oshawa, Ontario, factory would lose the coupe in late 2015 or early 2016.

Next-generation Buick Enclave spotted with Wildcat looks

The rollout of GM's next-generation three-row large SUVs is well under way with the reveals of the 2024 Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia. Another vehicle on the platform is also getting a redesign soon, according to these spy photos: the Buick Enclave. It's still going to be big, and it will now receive the same sort of Wildcat concept-inspired styling as smaller Buicks such as the Envista and Encore GX. The Enclave's front is where the Wildcat connection is the most clear. It has the pointy shark nose and wide, frowning grille. It's hard to say whether it will get a mesh grille like some of the production SUVs, or a slatted grille like the concept. High up are slender daytime running lights with the actual illuminating headlights hidden lower in the outboard air intakes. We're not totally sure if this look will work on such a large, tall vehicle, but we'll reserve final judgment when we can see the car with all its paint and trim on display. The sides of the Enclave still have a fair bit of the Coke bottle curves that have appeared on every Enclave, if a bit more toned down. The greenhouse seems to take after the GMC Acadia more than the Traverse, as it seems it has a relatively thin C-pillar. The D-pillar looks quite thick, which will probably be toned down with judicious application of gloss black plastic.  Details of the rear are difficult to make out. It seems to have slim, wide and curvy rear taillights. The rectangular exhaust tips are nicely fitted to the rear bumper. But that's about all that stands out. We're expecting the Enclave to have basically the same powertrain as the GMC Acadia, with the one engine offering being a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque. It should be paired with an eight-speed automatic and either front- or all-wheel drive. Odds are it will not get an off-road variant like the Acadia AT4 or Traverse Z71. But it might get a sportier road-going version that could take advantage of the torque-vectoring dual-clutch rear differential from those aforementioned off-roaders. It should also be revealed sometime next year with deliveries likely in the same year. Related video:

5 reasons why GM is cutting jobs, closing plants in a healthy economy

DETROIT — Even though unemployment is low, the economy is growing and U.S. auto sales are near historic highs, General Motors is cutting thousands of jobs in a major restructuring aimed at generating cash to spend on innovation. It's the new reality for automakers that are faced with the present cost of designing gas-powered cars and trucks that appeal to buyers now while at the same time preparing for a future world of electric and autonomous vehicles. GM announced Monday that it will cut as many as 14,000 workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it abandons many of its car models and restructures to focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles. The reductions could amount to as much as 8 percent of GM's global workforce of 180,000 employees. The cuts mark GM's first major downsizing since shedding thousands of jobs in the Great Recession. The company also said it will stop operating two additional factories outside North America by the end of next year. The move to make GM get leaner before the next downturn likely will be followed by Ford Motor Co., which also has struggled to keep one foot in the present and another in an ambiguous future of new mobility. Ford has been slower to react, but says it will lay off an unspecified number of white-collar workers as it exits much of the car market in favor of trucks and SUVs, some of them powered by batteries. Here's a rundown of the reasons behind the cuts: Coding, not combustion CEO Mary Barra said as cars and trucks become more complex, GM will need more computer coders but fewer engineers who work on internal combustion engines. "The vehicle has become much more software-oriented" with millions of lines of code, she said. "We still need many technical resources in the company." Shedding sedans The restructuring also reflects changing North American auto markets as manufacturers continue to shift away from cars toward SUVs and trucks. In October, almost 65 percent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. were trucks or SUVs. That figure was about 50 percent cars just five years ago. GM is shedding cars largely because it doesn't make money on them, Citi analyst Itay Michaeli wrote in a note to investors. "We estimate sedans operate at a significant loss, hence the need for classic restructuring," he wrote. The reduction includes about 8,000 white-collar employees, or 15 percent of GM's North American white-collar workforce. Some will take buyouts while others will be laid off.