2005 Gmc Savana on 2040-cars

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Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops

During the economic downturn, many car dealerships counteracted their slowing income by focusing on things that would set them apart from competition - things like the quality of customer service they provide. When the economy picked up and more sales and service followed, many also first invested those funds back into the business, improving their dealership facilities and service centers.
It looks like those investments are paying off, as J.D. Power and Associates' latest Customer Service Index Study shows that overall consumer satisfaction with dealer service has increased to 797 (on a 1,000-point scale), up from 787 in 2012 and 29 points higher than the score in 2011. The study also finds that people are more satisfied with the service they get at dealerships compared to independent service providers, despite the much higher average out-of-pocket cost per visit ($118 vs. $44).
Note, however, that this study only looks at how people are treated by a dealer's service department during the first three years of ownership (the survey is based on responses from 91,000 owners and lessees of 2008 to 2012 model year vehicles), so we're talking about the experience had when bringing a car in for repair or maintenance work, most likely under warranty. In fact, maintenance work is increasing in share and accounted for 77 percent of service visits (up from 72 percent in 2012 and 63 percent in 2011). This helps explain why customer satisfaction has also risen, since a properly maintained car is one that's less likely to require a dealer visit for an unexpected repair.

GMC Hummer EV will be unveiled during the World Series and 'The Voice'

A big-time vehicle reveal deserves a prime-time multi-platform debut. At least, that seems to be the opinion of the folks tasked with reintroducing the American public on October 20 to the Hummer nameplate, this time affixed to pickups and SUVs that also wear General Motors' "Professional Grade" GMC badge. And instead of a standalone brand with dealerships full of gas-guzzling off-road beasts, this new, kinder, gentler and fully electric Hummer won't sip any gas at all. The debut will take place across several channels. As has been the de facto process during the pandemic, the event will be streamed online. But — taking a page from the reveal of the Ford Bronco this past July — it will also be witnessed by watchers of the World Series on Fox and "The Voice" on NBC (at least those who are watching live and aren't skipping commercials). Interestingly, according to The Detroit News the television segments will be spread across multiple commercial breaks as sort of a mini film. Naturally, we'll be covering the unveiling live right here on Autoblog, and we'd argue that's the best place to see it all unfold (we admit we may be biased). In any case, no matter where you watch you'll be treated to a host of details about what GMC is calling "the worldÂ’s first super truck." We know it'll boast 1,000 horsepower, go from 0-60 in around 3 seconds, have the next generation of GM's Super Cruise autonomy technology, have removable roof panels and be able to crab walk. Sounds pretty super to us, and we're looking forward to the full reveal in just a couple of weeks. See you then. Related Video:

GMC explains why the Hummer EV SUV has only 830 horsepower

GMC's 2022 Hummer EV pickup made its debut in late 2020 with a headline-grabbing 1,000-horsepower rating. Its SUV sibling broke cover yesterday with 170 fewer horses, so GMC executives had some explaining to do. Al Oppenheiser, the EV's chief engineer, pointed out that the SUV's wheelbase is about nine inches shorter than the truck's, which is called an "SUT" in GMC-speak. It's also about 20 inches shorter overall. Size matters in the electric car world; GMC can't stuff the SUT's big battery pack in the more compact SUV, and this directly influences power. He added that it would have been possible to build a 1,000-horsepower SUV by making changes to the battery pack's layout. His team would have needed to reduce cargo capacity and get rid of the flat loading floor, which were compromises that engineers were not prepared to make. Ultimately, 830 horses should be plenty for most drivers. "Frankly, we are not sorry that it's only 830 horsepower. There aren't many internal combustion engines that can say that. Will we be able to grow horsepower in the future? We are going to push that capability, and as the technology gets to the point where our batteries are smaller and more efficient, we will improve performance with any chance we get," Oppenheiser said. It helps that the Ultium battery technology GMC uses is extremely modular. Less powerful versions of the Hummer SUV are in the cards, too. At launch in early 2023, the model will exclusively be offered with the aforementioned 830-horsepower drivetrain, which offers around 300 miles of driving range. Pricing will start at $105,595 before options are factored in. Several months later, GMC will release an EV2X variant with up to 625 horsepower, about the same amount of driving range, and an $89,995 price tag before incentives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. GMC Hummer EV reveal