2013 Gmc Denali 2500 Crew Cab 4wd Vortec 6.0 Navigation on 2040-cars

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Average transaction prices climb to a record $36,270 in January

The automotive sector made a hash of the numbers last month, a mess of pluses and minuses clogging the transaction-price charts according to Kelley Blue Book. The overall industry rose one percent, even though buyers bought fewer cars and light vehicles in January 2018 vs 2017 using the selling-day adjusted rate. Due to January transaction prices rising to $36,270, a record for January, the value of new vehicles sold climbed more than $1 billion compared to January 2017. KBB's transaction prices don't include customer incentives, which changes the complexion slightly; average incentive spending rose to just over ten percent. The average transaction price in December 2017 was $36,756, so January dropped a bit - nothing unexpected, with the month annually blamed for "January doldrums." More revealing is the fact that the average transaction price in January 2017 was $34,910. This year's plumped-up figure came courtesy of the continued shift to crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks, which shouldn't surprise anyone who's read an automotive blog in the past 20 years. That category comprised nearly 70 percent of new vehicle sales for the month. Some manufacturers profited more than others, though. Fiat Chrysler managed 12.8 percent fewer sales in January compared year-on-year, but the company's vehicles sold for $1,300 more. The Ford brand suffered a 6.3-percent dip in sales, but brand transaction prices increased $2,000, while a Lincoln sold for $8,700 more on average. General Motors sold more cars and sold them for more money; overall GM transaction prices rose four percent, or $1,270, while a GMC traded hands for seven-percent more than in January 2017 and a Cadillac got $2,300 more on average. Of KBB's listed automakers, the Volkswagen Group got the most of out its customers, transaction prices rising at the German automaker by 5.6 percent to $42,243 in January 2018 compared to a year earlier. American Honda followed with a 4.3-percent increase to $28,991, GM in third at 4.1 percent to $40,313. Find your next car at Autoblog using our new and used car listings or the Car Finder tool. Broken out by segment, minivans rocked the table, transaction prices leaping by 7.9 percent to $35,380 compared to January a year earlier. Luxury cars boasted the next-highest rise, at 3.6 percent to $58,533.

GM announces net 220 job increase as Trump visits Michigan

GM announced today that about 900 jobs would be added (or, importantly, retained) ahead of President Trump's arrival in Michigan, where he is expected to discuss his plan to roll back fuel economy standards. The timing of the announcement is almost certainly not coincidental, as appending it to a Trump visit gives it a higher profile and dovetails with the President's jobs agenda. It's less likely the decision itself was made for those reasons, but the free PR boost is a nice bonus. As for those 900 jobs themselves, they aren't all new jobs. The only net gain is approximately 220 jobs at the Romulus Powertrain Plant, which produces the 10-speed automatic transmission that's proliferating through the company's lineup. The 180 jobs at Flint Assembly and 500 jobs at Lansing Delta Township are retained jobs – that is to say, spots the company found for workers who would otherwise have been laid off. By the way, the Flint jobs will help with production of heavy-duty pickups, and the Lansing jobs are to produce the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. Finding jobs for manufacturing workers in the auto sector, whether new or retained, is admirable. No matter how GM couches it, the company has created or retained a total of 7,000 jobs this year, and its total reinvestment in US production is around $1 billion. But these decisions are business ones, not political ones – timing the announcements to make them seem inspired by economic policy, or the political situation, is simply smart PR. Related Video: Image Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images Celebrities Government/Legal Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GMC

2025 GMC Terrain is redesigned with bolder style and big tech

The 2025 GMC Terrain is here, and it’s following in the footsteps of its Chevrolet Equinox cousin but bringing the traditional GMC twist to the party. Its fresh design is noticeable straight away with a new front end inspired by the GMC Canyon. The front hood is substantially higher than before giving it a more muscular look, and the same bulking is evident in its emphasized fenders. An optional painted roof gives it some flash – itÂ’s painted gray for black cars (pictured above) and black in every other case. Bigger wheels up to 20 inches in diameter are available on the Denali. And speaking of trims, there are now just three: Elevation, AT4 and Denali. For 2025, the Elevation is the only model that will be on sale. GMC says both the AT4 and Denali models will follow later for model year 2026, and you can see a preview of those in the group photo below. They each have their own grille designs, wheel options and unique styling cues. As youÂ’d expect from the AT4, it also features an off-road-tuned suspension, small lift (by 12 mm) all-terrain tires, underbody skid plates, recovery hooks and a special “terrain” drive mode. The Denali has its own pluses like “Smart Frequency Dampers” for a better ride, tons more standard luxury equipment and the 20-inch wheels. What is common across all trims is the powertrain. Every next-gen Terrain will be equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. ThatÂ’s the same powertrain as the new Equinox, and while GM has indicated it will move to more hybrid options, thereÂ’s no word on if the Terrain would be a candidate for that strategy. The 2025 model will be all-wheel drive exclusively, but GMC tells us youÂ’ll be able to select a front-drive version come the 2026 model year. If you want to tow, though, youÂ’ll need the AWD version that maxes out at 1,500 pounds. The 2025 TerrainÂ’s interior gets a massive overhaul thatÂ’ll remind you of other new GMC products with its tall portrait-oriented touchscreen. ThereÂ’s the 15-inch screen in the center thatÂ’s accompanied by an 11-inch digital cluster, of which both are standard equipment. It runs Android Automotive software that nets you Google Maps as the native navigation system and the Google Assistant for voice queries. Both wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto remain onboard, though, as GM promised would be the case for its gas-powered vehicles.