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GM to invest $150 million in Flint to boost heavy-duty pickup production

FLINT, Mich. — General Motors President Mark Reuss said on Wednesday that the automaker is investing about $150 million at its Flint Assembly plant in Michigan to boost production of heavy duty trucks by another 40,000 vehicles a year. Reuss announced the investment at the Flint truck assembly plant wearing a United Auto Workers pin. The Detroit automaker had announced back in February it was adding 1,000 jobs in Flint to build a new generation of heavy-duty pickup trucks. GM did not say that the latest investment would add more jobs at the plant, but Reuss said there could be opportunities to add workers as the launch of the automaker's new trucks progresses. GM has been under pressure from President Donald Trump and lawmakers of both parties to add jobs in the United States after it said last November it would idle the Chevy Cruze assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio, and likewise had no new products for three other U.S. manufacturing plants. The Flint investment will include upgrades to the plant's conveyors and other new tooling, and will be completed in the first half of 2020. GM has invested more than $1.6 billion in the plant since 2013. Last month, GM said it would invest $24 million to increase truck production at its assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which makes Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models. Sales of heavy-duty pickups in the United States have grown to more than 600,000 vehicles a year, up more than 20 percent since 2013, according to industry data. Prices for luxury models can easily top $70,000. GM's Chevrolet and GMC brands have long trailed Ford's F-series heavy duty trucks in the lucrative segment. The new Chevrolet and GMC heavy duty trucks have been re-engineered to tow heavier trailers, and keep pace in what has become an arms race among the Detroit Three automakers to claim superior torque and towing capability. Related: Silverado HD vs. 2019 Ram, Ford heavy duty trucks: How they compare on paper

Two More Recalls Push GM Total To 4.8 Million In A Month

General Motors announced two more recalls late Friday, bringing to 4.8 million the number of cars, trucks and SUVs the automaker has called back for repairs in the past month. The string of recalls, topped by an ignition switch problem in compact cars now linked to 13 crash deaths, has embarrassed the company and sidetracked its new CEO, who started work just over two months ago. GM has admitted knowing about the switch problem a decade ago, yet it didn't recall any cars until February. The recall delay has brought two congressional investigations and probes by the Justice Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Late Friday night, GM announced it would recall 490,000 late-model pickup trucks and SUVs because transmission oil cooling lines weren't secured properly in their fittings. Transmission oil can leak from a fitting and hit hot surfaces, causing fires, the company said in a statement. GM said it knows of three fires and no injuries. The recall affects Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks from the 2014 model year, as well as 2015 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe SUVs and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs. All have six-speed automatic transmissions. The Silverado is GM's top-selling vehicle and an important profit center for the company. The GMC Sierra also is among GM's top sellers. Dealers will inspect the transmission oil cooling line fittings and make sure they're securely seated, at no cost to owners. Also Friday night, GM announced the recall of 172,000 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars because the right front axle shaft can fracture and separate while being driven. The recall affects cars from the 2013 and 2014 model years equipped with 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines. If a shaft fractures, the wheels would lose power without warning and the cars would coast to a stop. GM says it has warranty reports of several dozen shaft fractures. It is not aware of any crashes or injuries. Dealers will replace the shafts free of charge. The recall allows dealers to resume selling affected Cruzes. GM issued a stop sale order on the cars Thursday night. The recall also covers about 2,500 replacement shafts used to fix manual transmission Cruzes that were recalled last September. In all, GM has recalled 4.8 million vehicles since last month, two million more than the company sold last year in the U.S.

GMC and AEV reveal Sierra Grande upfit SEMA concept

If there was any question as to whether GMC was dedicating resources to its off-road models, it was dismissed the instant American Expedition Vehicles entered the conversation. The two have already partnered to produce a GMC-branded alternative to the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison. The 2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition is midsize pickup perfection, but the collaboration is far from over. With GMC now pushing the AT4X package on its heavy-duty pickups, AEV is looking for ways to explore the space.  "The Sierra Grande Concept represents AEV’s creative vision of how the company would further elevate the adventure-ready foundation of the GMC Sierra HD AT4X into a legendary overlanding rig," AEV said in its announcement The Sierra Grande is all Sierra HD AT4X underneath. The steering knuckles, control arms, rear suspension and butter-smooth DSSV dampers are all lifted directly from the production truck. This SEMA-bound concept is the quintessential upfit smorgasbord, boasting everything from add-on lighting to upgraded underbody protection. There are even two winches — one for the front and one for the back. If you ask us, they should have gone ahead and put one on each side too.  The snorkel pairs nicely with the 40-inch BF Goodrich tires, and the onboard air system guarantees you're never in a pickle when you hit pavement to head home. The bed is aluminum, but the skid plates are stamped steel (as is the brush guard). The front winch is rated for 12,500 pounds; the rear for "just" 9,500.  Unlike the Canyon AT4X AEV Edition, the Sierra Grande is merely an exercise — for now, anyway. We suspect that GMC has plenty more in store for its off-road trucks.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.