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2020 Chevy Trax and Buick Encore spied testing

We just recently saw a little crossover SUV from General Motors being tested, and we weren't positive what brand it belonged to. We narrowed it down to Chevy or GMC, but we're feeling more confident that it's a GMC now, since both the next generation Chevy Trax and Buick Encore subcompact crossover SUVs have been spied testing together. Of the two, the Chevy has the more radically different sheet metal. It ditches the somewhat frumpy, lumpy shape of the current Trax for a body inspired by the bigger Chevy Blazer. The roofline has sharp corners, and the hood is wide and flat. The front fascia, though obscured, shows the most connection to the bigger crossover. It has the same split headlight configuration, and it looks as though the grille takes up a sizable section of the fascia. View 7 Photos The Buick Encore on the other hand looks evolutionary in design. The body still has plenty of curves, and the distinctive, sharply rising window sill are all hallmarks of the current Encore design. The headlights and grille are similar, too, though the grille appears to be slightly updated to fit in with the Enclave and Regal. It's understandable that Buick might want to play it safe with the new Encore, since the model is Buick's best seller, selling about 23,000 units in the last quarter, nearly twice that of the next best performer, the Enclave. Since this is the first time we've seen these little crossovers, we expect it will still be a year or two before we get to see them fully revealed. They will probably continue to use small-displacement turbocharged four-cylinder engines with either front- or all-wheel drive. Related Video:

GM recalls 3.6 million vehicles for airbag-software problems

The Basics: General Motors is recalling 3.64 million vehicles across its lineup for an airbag-related issue. The recall covers the 2014-2015 Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet SS, and Spark EV; 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Trax, Caprice PPV, Silverado 1500, Buick Encore, and GMC Sierra 1500; and 2015-2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, Silverado HD, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra HD, Cadillac Escalade, and Escalade ESV. The Problem: Affected vehicles have a sensing and diagnostic module that controls the airbags and seat-belt pretensioners. The software it uses has a defect that can prompt the module to run a diagnostic test under specific driving conditions, which will also deactivate the front airbags and pretensioners. This means that it would be possible for those safety systems to not activate in a crash, potentially leading to injury or death. Injuries/Deaths: General Motors began an investigation that led to the recall after a 2014 Silverado was involved in a crash in which the airbags did not deploy. No information was given as to injuries or deaths. The Fix: Owners can bring their vehicles to a local General Motors dealer where a software update will be installed to fix the issue. The fix will be free of charge. If you own one: General Motors will contact owners of affected cars, and owners can check whether their vehicles are affected by visiting entering their vehicle identification numbers at either the GM Owner Center website or the NHTSA website. Owners can then schedule a time to have the update installed. Related Video:

Corvette Z06. Nissan GT-R Nismo. Motor Trend Head 2 Head. 'Nuff said.

Here is a video we've been waiting for, one that will get broadband fiber optic cables glowing like Hooker headers on a dyno. For Episode 62 of Head 2 Head, Motor Trend throws the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 into the bear pit with the latest Nissan GT-R Nismo. What comes out of that is seventeen minutes of don't-look-away video. We're only going to give you the specs. The 3,527-pound Z06 gets on with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, applied to the wheels via a seven-speed manual transmission. With the Z07 performance package appended it has a front splitter and winglets, and a three-section rear spoiler among its aero aids. The tested model also wore carbon ceramic brakes, which helped push its $89,985 MSRP out to $105,210. The 3,881-pound GT-R Nismo plays the underdog – again – with a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 spitting out 600 hp and 481 lb-ft, yoked to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The GT-R left its 'performance bargain' days behind years ago, and this top-shelf version starts at $151,585 but has almost everything it can get, so the as-tested price was only a skosh more at $151,880. We're not going to tell you any more than that. Click on the video and let Carlos Lago and his two mean minions tell you a story you won't soon forget. Related Video: News Source: Motor Trend Channel via YouTube Chevrolet Nissan Coupe Luxury Performance Videos motor trend nissan gt-r nismo head 2 head