2011 Gmc Yukon Xl 1500 Denali on 2040-cars

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GM to idle car production at five factories as Americans continue CUV love affair

In case you needed another reminder that Americans have fallen out of love with sedans, General Motors today announced plans to idle five factories in January in a bid to cut its inventory to 70 days. Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly ( Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Volt and Impala) and Fairfax Assembly in Kansas ( Chevy Malibu) will stop production for three weeks. Lansing Grand River ( Cadillac ATS and CTS, and Chevy Camaro) is going down for two weeks, while Lordstown, OH ( Chevy Cruze) and Bowling Green, KY ( Chevy Corvette) will go idle for a week each, Automotive News reports. GM's shutdown reflects a broader problem with the company's supply – at 847,000 vehicles, the company's supply increased unsteadily from a low of 629,000 units in January of 2016. That's more than a 25 percent increase in the past year. Citing information from Autodata, The Detroit News reports that at the end of November, GM had a 168-day supply of LaCrosses, 177 days' worth of Camaro, 170 days of Corvette, 121 days for Cruze, 119 days for ATS, 132 days for CTS, and 110 days of CT6. Meanwhile, inventory of the company's more popular vehicles is actually below the professionally accepted 60- to 70-day supply, The News reports. The Trax, Colorado pickup, and GM's full-size SUVs are sitting below 50 days and experiencing year-over-year sales increases. GM needs a rethink of its inventory levels, which is something that's apparently coming. "We're going to be responsible in managing our inventory levels," GM spokesman Jim Cain told The News. Another unnamed spokesman told Automotive News the company's day-to-day supplies would "fluctuate before moderating at year-end." But at least one analyst thinks this won't be the last time Detroit needs to stop production to level things out. "Incentives are elevated, residuals are declining, and rates are rising," Brian Johnson, an analyst with Barclays, told The News. "And while GM in particular may benefit in the months ahead from new product launches, it's important to recognize that GM's inventory is elevated at the moment, and it wouldn't surprise us if they need to announce another production cut – which could pressure the stock." Related Video: News Source: The Detroit News, Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Plants/Manufacturing Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Crossover SUV Sedan bowling green cadillac xt6 fairfax

GMC Canyon Denali Interior Review: THE luxury midsize truck

Over the past couple of years, GMC has been getting serious about being more than just a rebrand of Chevy trucks and SUVs. The same goes for the luxury Denali line. Among the beneficiaries of this push for differentiation is the latest Canyon. On top of only being available with the wide-track layout and the most powerful engines, it gets a Denali trim that is unequivocally the most luxurious midsize truck in the segment. The GMC Canyon Denali could even be described as a luxury midsize truck, of which there are no others. And it all comes down to what GMC has done with the interior. Open the door, and the upgrades are immediately obvious. There's leather everywhere. It's on the dash, the door panels, center console and doors. And it has nice details with the perforation and quilted stitching. The seatbacks get embroidered Denali logos and contrasting leather panels, too. The feel is more rugged than supple, but it is a truck after all, and the materials feel like they'll wear nicely.  Then you notice the wood trim. The real wood trim. It's subtle, just adorning a strip along the top of the dash and the front door panels, but the light brown color stands out against the black leather and plastic elsewhere. It's got a natural, open-pore finish that highlights the material, and the strip in the dash gets extra laser-cut details. The branding consisting of DENALI, some stylish strakes and the coordinates of Denali, the mountain, are crisp and clear. Throw in plenty of shiny chrome, and the same quality-feeling buttons and knobs (the knurling details on the knobs are particularly nice), and just on trimmings alone, it's obvious the Denali is the most plush little truck. The seats themselves are solid, though not particularly exceptional. The front seats are a bit flat, but they're also very roomy. On the Denali, the driver's seat has eight-way power adjustability with memory, and the passenger has six-way power adjustability. Heating and ventilation are included, too. Leg, head and shoulder room are also all excellent up front. The rear seat, like the rest of the segment, has enough room for adults, though legroom is a tad tight, with knees likely brushing the front seat backs. The seat bases in the rear are split with storage underneath, although it's not particularly useful. Besides its meager volume and awkward shape, much of it is taken up with the jack.

GM laying off more than 4,000 workers Monday morning

According to reports from Automotive News, The Detroit News, and CNN, General Motors plans to begin laying off more than 4,000 salaried workers starting Monday morning. In a statement to AN, a spokesperson for the automaker said, "We are not confirming timing. Our employees are our priority. We will communicate with them first." We've been expecting layoffs at General Motors since November, 2018. At the time, the Detroit-based automaker announced it would seek to shed 8,100 salaried employees, shut down five assembly plants in North America, and kill off several slow-selling models. One month earlier, GM offered buyout packages to 18,000 workers and said it would seek to cut its global workforce by 25 percent. A spokesperson said at the time the moves were "proactive steps to get ahead of the curve by accelerating our efforts to address overall business performance." The cost-cutting moves are expected to save GM up to $2.5 billion in 2019 and as much as $6 billion by 2020. David Kudla, CEO and chief investment strategist of Mainstay Capital Management, referred to the impending culling as "Black Monday" and told The Detroit News that the layoffs would begin around 7:30 a.m. and continue in waves throughout the coming days and weeks. GM plans to deliver on its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 earnings report on Wednesday. President Donald Trump plans to deliver the annual State of the Union address a day earlier on Tuesday. We expect to hear plenty more from both sides over the next several days.