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GM extends vehicle production cuts into mid-March due to global chip shortage

DETROIT — General Motors said on Tuesday it was extending production cuts at three North American plants until at least mid-March due to the global semiconductor chip shortage, while vehicles at two other factories would only be partially built. GM, whose shares dipped 1% after the announcement, did not disclose the impact volumes or say which supplier and vehicle parts were affected by the chip shortage. But it said it would focus on keeping production running at plants building its highest-profit vehicles, full-size pickup trucks and SUVs. GM said it intended to make up as much lost production as possible once the shortage chip eased. "Semiconductor supply remains an issue that is facing the entire industry. GM's plan is to leverage every available semiconductor to build and ship our most popular and in-demand products," GM spokesman David Barnas said. GM said it was extending downtime at its U.S. plant in Fairfax, Kansas, its Canadian factory in Ingersoll, Ontario, and its Mexican facility in San Luis Petosi until mid-March when it would reassess the situation, he said. In addition, GM would build but leave incomplete for final assembly vehicles at Wentzville, Missouri, and its Mexican plant at Ramos Arizpe. GM vehicles affected by the idled plants include the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, Cadillac XT4 SUV, Chevy Equinox, and GMC Terrain SUVs. Vehicles to be left incomplete for now included the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon pickups and Chevy Blazer SUV. This week, GM had said it was idling the three factories where it has now extended downtime and said it would halve production at a plant in South Korea. The chip shortage has affected many automakers, including Toyota, Volkswagen, Stellantis, Ford, Renault, Subaru, Nissan, Honda and Mazda. Asian chipmakers are rushing to boost production but say the supply gap will take many months to plug. German chipmaker Infineon said the shortage would get worse in the near term. The chip shortage is expected to cut global output in the first quarter by more than 670,000 vehicles and last into the third quarter, IHS Markit said. AutoForecast Solutions estimated total lost production this year could reach 1 million vehicles. Honda and Nissan said on Tuesday they would sell 250,000 fewer cars in total this financial year due.

Basic configurator for 2021 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon slips online

TFLnow discovered basic configurators for the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are already online at GM's site for employee discounts. These aren't the fully-featured whiz-bang configurators that will show on the retail websites soon, but they include a bunch of the relevant info a shopper would be looking for. After trim changes detailed earlier this year, the 2021 Colorado offers the most choice, even with the two-door base model gone. Cutting the entry-level Colorado also means the entry-level price has gone up by $3,900; the 2020 Colorado could be had for $22,495, but the 2021 model starts at $26,395 after the $1,195 destination charge. That gets you the extended cab with a standard bed in two-wheel drive. The 2WD crew cab with a short bed starts at $28,295, and the 2WD crew cab with a standard bed starts at $30,595. At the top end, the ZR2 model runs $44,395, which is $200 more than the 2020 version. The color palette isn't complete, but the options page shows a number of choices for packages. The Redline Special Edition Package goes up $10 to $2,690, the Tonneau and Step Package increase $100 to $1,195, a new Chrome Package puts shiny stuff in places like the door handles and steps for $300, while the Black Bowtie Emblem Package drops $80 to $140. The one-inch front leveling kit, which was thought to cost $150 based on early order information GM Authority had seen, is here listed for $450 and available on the Colorado but not the Canyon.  The Canyon makes matters a tad simpler by having many options locked in depending on which one starts with — 2WD Elevation Standard starting at $27,595, 2WD Elevation for $31,195, 4WD AT4 with a cloth interior for $39,395 or AT4 with leather for $41,195, the least expensive Denali starting at $42,095 for a crew cab short box with 2WD. The Elevation includes items like the Convenience Package that are options on the base model, and also offers a $1,400 High Elevation Package conferring heated and power black leather seats, plus a heated steering wheel, that can't be optioned on the Elevation Standard. The pinnacle is the crew cab with a standard bed in Denali 4WD trim for $45,895. Colors and many of the final options and accessories, such as the AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition Package we've heard about, are also missing here, but there's heaps to play around with to get an idea of what you'll be in for if you're considering a 2021 Canyon. Related Video:    

Where the 2023 GMC Sierra AT4X fits into the hierarchy of off-road trucks

The world of off-road pickups sure seems like it's getting crowded, but the reality is that half-ton trucks were always pretty capable, even with what seemed like fairly basic 4x4 packages. It wasn't until recently that manufacturers really started to carve out different off-road niches for their mainstream pickup offerings. With the introduction of the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X (alongside its mechanical twin, the Chevy Silverado ZR2), the crowd has grown even thicker. Even we have trouble keeping up with the increased segmentation of off-road pickup trucks, so we threw together this handy guide to help you understand just where these various packages fit into the broader pickup hierarchy. Let's dive in.  Your basics If we say "Z71" or "FX4" to you, both will probably ring a bell. That's because they've been around a few days short of forever and their respective customers have grown so used to these package codes that OEMs got into the habit of just plastering them on the side of so-equipped truck beds. Anybody who sells a pickup truck offers some sort of basic off-road prep package like this one. Z71 is found on GM vehicles; FX4 is Ford's. Ram just calls it "Off Road Group," but no matter what you call them, they're all pretty similar.  Typical upgrades for this category include some additional ground clearance, a basic all-terrain tire, heavy-duty suspension upgrades and likely either a limited-slip or locking rear differential. These are pretty handy for anything beyond a rutted dirt road. On newer trucks — especially on higher trim levels — you'll probably also get some dedicated off-road drive modes.  Mid-range This is where things start to get interesting. To qualify for this category, a locking rear differential is a must. Most of the names in this segment are well-established too, though some (Nissan Titan Pro-4X, anyone?) may not necessarily be on your radar. The Toyota Tundra TRD Pro checks in here, as does the Ram Rebel, Chevy Silverado Trail Boss and GMC Sierra AT4 (no X!).  Realistically, if there's somewhere you need to go and one of these trucks won't do it, you might want to consider a helicopter. But it's 2021, and our thirst for capability is strong, so of course, there's a way to spend more of your money on this type of thing. Onward! Entry-hardcore Here we are, the home of the new 2022 GMC Sierra AT4X and Chevrolet Silverado ZR2. This is a tiny niche, otherwise occupied only by the Ford F-150 Tremor.