2014 Chevrolet Impala 2lt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The UAW's 'record contract' hinges on pensions, battery plants

DETROIT - After nearly four weeks of disruptive strikes and hard bargaining, the United Auto Workers and the Detroit Three automakers have edged closer to a deal that could offer record-setting wage gains for nearly 150,000 U.S. workers. General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellantis have all agreed to raise base wages by between 20% and 23% over a four-year deal, according to union and company statements. Ford and Stellantis have agreed to reinstate cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA. The companies have offered to boost pay for temporary workers and give them a faster path to full-time, full-wage status. All three have proposed slashing the time it takes a new hire to get to the top UAW pay rate. The progress in contract talks follows the first-ever simultaneous strike by the UAW against Detroit's Big Three automakers. The union began the strike on Sept. 15 in hopes of forcing a better deal from each major automaker. But coming close to a deal is not the same thing as reaching a deal. Big obstacles remain on at least two major UAW demands: restoring the retirement security provided by pre-2007 defined benefit pension plans, and covering present and future joint- venture electric vehicle battery plants under the union's master contracts with the automakers. On retirement, none of the automakers has agreed to restore pre-2007 defined-benefit pension plans for workers hired after 2007. Doing so could force the automakers to again burden their balance sheets with multibillion-dollar liabilities. GM and the former Chrysler unloaded most of those liabilities in their 2009 bankruptcies. The union and automakers have explored an approach to providing more income security by offering annuities as an investment option in their company-sponsored 401(k) savings plans, people familiar with the discussions said. Stellantis referred to an annuity option as part of a more generous 401(k) proposal on Sept. 22. Annuities or similar instruments could give UAW retirees assurance of fixed, predictable payouts less dependent on stock market ups and downs, experts said. Recent changes in federal law have removed obstacles to including annuities as a feature of corporate 401(k) plans, said Olivia Mitchell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and an expert on pensions and retirement. "Retirees want a way to be assured they won't run out of money," Mitchell said.

2023 Chevy Equinox price goes up a few hundred bucks

Chevrolet and GMC have uploaded the configurators for sibling crossovers the 2023 Chevy Equinox and 2023 GMC Terrain. Both get a few changes to improve performance, and new paints. GM jettisoned the turbocharged 1.5-liter gas engine making 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque in both vehicles. Replacing it is a different turbocharged 1.5-liter gas engine making 175 hp and 203 lb-ft. The Equinox sends its power through a six-speed transmission, the Terrain fits a nine-speed transmission. On the Equinox, fuel economy in standard front-wheel drive trims holds steady, but the AWD trims lose one mile per gallon in their city and combined EPA ratings. On the Terrain, FWD trims lose one mile per gallon across the board, the AWD trims lose one mile per gallon in the city only. Both models also upgrade to an electro-hydraulic brake system, leaving vacuum-assisted braking behind. The Equinox color palette drops Cherry Red Tintcoat, Seaglass Blue Metallic and Silver Ice Metallic for replaces with Harvest Bronze Metallic, Radiant Red Tintcoat, and Sterling Gray Metallic. Buyers who want the razzle dazzle of the Equinox's optional Blackout and Redline Edition Packages are out of luck at the moment, both appearance flourishes unavailable to order. The Terrain's paint menu drops Cayenne Red Tintcoat, Hunter Metallic, and Quicksilver Metallic for Deep Bronze Metallic, Sterling Metallic, and Volcanic Red Tintcoat. All-wheel drive can be added to any Equinox and Terrain trim for $1,600, save for the Terrain AT4 and Denali that come standard with AWD. Prices for the 2023 Chevy Equinox after the $1,395 destination charge, and their differences from 2022, are: Equinox LS: $27,995 ($300) Equinox LT: $29,095 ($300) Equinox RS: $32,095 ($100) Equinox Premier: $33,195 ($300) New pricing for the 2023 GMC Terrain can only be seen when you visit the configurator's Summary page. The initial Build & Price page shows MSRP before the $1,500 premium on every trim to that pays for the mandatory OnStar with Connected Services plan. After the $1,395 destination charge, the new prices are: Terrain SLE: $31,295 Terrain SLT: $35,295 Terrain AT4: $37,395 Terrain Denali: $39,995  

Chevrolet considering midsize crossover to slot between Traverse and Equinox

Crossovers are the new hotness, and automakers are looking to cash in by offering a size and shape for every customer. With Chevrolet's debut of the new 2018 Traverse in Detroit, which grew ever so slightly compared to the first-generation model, there is now a midsize-crossover-sized hole between the three-row Traverse and the compact Equinox. When asked about that obvious space, a Chevrolet spokesperson told us the company is looking into the possibility of expanding its crossover lineup. It should be a relatively simple thing to do, since all it would take is reskinning and rechristening the GMC Acadia with a bow tie, and we all know how much GM loves platform sharing. Although they're now different sizes, the new Acadia and Traverse still use the same platform; the Acadia is now on a short-wheelbase version of the C1XX while the Traverse uses long-wheelbase C1XX parts. A short-wheelbase Chevy built on the C1XX likely would be differentiated visually from both the Acadia and the larger Traverse. It may seem like flooding the lineup with more and more models would cannibalize sales of existing ones, but Chevrolet said it would rather have customers stay within the brand rather than going to another automaker. There have been whispers that some form of the Blazer name (possibly TrailBlazer) may make a return on a midsizer, but if it does don't expect an old-school body-on-frame SUV like the old one. In the end, if Chevy builds it, customers will come. Related Video: