1993 Cadillac Eldorado Custom on 2040-cars

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Cadillac, Buick and Chevy decisions impacted by worries abroad

European Concerns Drive GM, But Beware Of The French Connection
GM's bid to rationalize Europe will impact the products that will be offered domestically.
It seems that Europe is defining the future of General Motors more so than its home North American market. Having axed Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer, GM has done a fairly good job of repositioning its remaining four divisions, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC. Cadillac carries the luxury banner. Chevrolet is aimed at the masses with cars and trucks along with a nod to performance thanks to Camaro and Corvette. Buick bridges the premium gap between Chevy and Cadillac, while GMC offers a hardcore work/upscale proposition.

GM announces 3 new recalls affecting 1.7M vehicles in North America [w/video]

Still embroiled in the ongoing ignition switch recall, General Motors announced today three more discrete recalls, affecting a grand total of 1,546,900 vehicles in the US. The Detroit News reports that some 1.7 million vehicles are affected overall in North America. The first and largest of the trio of new recalls concerns some 1.18-million Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia crossovers from the 2008-2013 model years, Chevrolet Traverse from 2009-2013 (pictured above) and Saturn Outlook vehicles from 2008-2010. All of the crossover utilities may have an issue with the wiring harness for their seat-mounted side airbags. Apparently, the vehicles are equipped with a Service Air Bag warning light that, if ignored, "will eventually result in the non-deployment of the side impact restraints." Those restraints include the side airbags, a front-center airbag if the vehicle is so equipped and seatbelt pretensioners. Dealers of affected vehicles will be instructed to remove driver and passenger side airbag wiring harness connectors, and then "splice and solder the wires together." The second recall affects 303,000 Chevrolet Express (pictured right) and GMC Savana vans from model years 2009-2014, and with gross vehicle weights under 10,000 pounds. Said vehicles do not comply with a head impact requirement for unrestrained occupants, and will need a reworking of the instrument panel material to be sent back on the road. It doesn't sound as though there's a quick fix for this one, as the GM press release states: "Unsold vehicles have been placed on a stop delivery until development of the solution has been completed and parts are available." Finally, the third recall affects 63,900 Cadillac XTS luxury sedans from model years 2013 and 2014. A brake booster pump may be susceptible to corrosion by way of the relay, potentially causing and electrical short, overheating, melting of plastic components and even engine fires. GM says it is aware of two engine fires in unsold XTS models and two cases of melted parts. Repairs for the issues affecting the XTS have not not mentioned by GM in the release. The Detroit News is also reporting that along with news of the triple-recall, GM is taking a $300-million credit to help pay for the repair costs, and to deal with the ongoing costs associated with the ignition switch recall. In an attempt to explain just what GM has been doing in the face of these very serious issues, newly minted CEO Mary Barra has addressed the issues in a new video.

Super Cruise will feature in 22 GM nameplates by 2023

Super Cruise, the semi-autonomous hands-free driving technology that first appeared on the 2018 Cadillac CT6, was always intended to broaden out to more GM models, especially now that CT6 production has ended, but now we have specific numbers. Automotive News reports that GM will have it on 22 nameplates by 2023. GM President Mark Reuss spilled the beans to investors at the company’s Capital Markets Day presentation, saying that Super Cruise will start appearing in brands beyond Cadillac in 2021. GM just last week announced the first big update for its driver-assist technology late last month, saying it would be coming to the 2021 CT5, CT4 and Escalade full-size SUV, all of which should debut later this year. Next year weÂ’ll see it offered as an option on seven more nameplates, then a dozen more in 2022 and 2023, Reuss said. The next generation of the technology will come with a new feature called “Lane Change on Demand,” which will allow the driver to activate or tap the turn signal and the car to do a hands-free lane change if itÂ’s safe to do so, and so long as the driver monitor system can tell the driver is paying attention. ItÂ’s also said to feature improved performance and hands-free dynamics, a better user interface and software tweaks, among other upgrades. Super Cruise uses a camera and infrared light to detect whether the driver is paying attention, plus radar, cameras and lidar mapping to center the vehicle in a highway lane and drive in hands-free mode in optimal scenarios. ThereÂ’s no immediate word on whether the upcoming next-generation version will also come with an expanded network of compatible highways beyond the 200,000 miles where the technology is currently capable of being deployed. Autoblog named Super Cruise the 2019 Technology of the Year winner. Related Video:     Cadillac GM Emerging Technologies