GMC Updates Sierra Lineup, Adds More Denali Variants

GMC's Denali-badged vehicles - Denali meaning "the high one", referencing Mt. McKinley - have always been the Cadillacs of trucks (except for Escalades, which are actually Cadillac trucks).

Sitting somewhere just south of Premium Luxury, Denalis have always provided buyers with well-equipped, more luxurious versions of GMC's regular lineup. For 2011 the General will be releasing the Sierra Denali HD based on the GMC 2500 (3/4 ton) and 3500 (1-ton) Heavy Duty models.

Available engines include GM's 6.0 liter gasoline-propelled Vortec (standard) and the revised Duramax 6.6L turbo diesel with 397 horsepower / 765 lb-ft of twist moving through an Allison 1000 six-speed transmission (optional). That Duramax is also B20 biodiesel compatible, which is a step in the right direction.

Possible layouts for the Denali HD 2500 and 3500 include crew cab, 4WD, and 2WD versions. With the 3500, the Denali package can be had with either standard or dually rear-wheel configurations, and with standard (6' 6") and "dually long box" (8') beds.

GMC product marketing director Lisa Hutchinson says, "We received such an overwhelming response to the new Sierra Denali 2500HD, that we worked quickly and decided to extend the model into the 3500HD series so those GMC buyers can also benefit from blending capability with premium features and styling."

Said premium styling includes the chrome detailing, the Denali hole-filled grille, and color-matched bumpers. As for what's available inside, there's heated/cooled seating, a heated steering wheel, Bose sound system, and aluminum trim. Exterior colors are limited to black, gray, and white.

Cadillac's Escalade may be all fun and good for the moms (and rap stars) out there, but does the Standard of the World offer something that can tow a moon?

I thought not.

By Phil Alex

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GM's Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC Record 19.7% Increase in April Sales

GM's big four survivors (Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC) are on a roll: April sales have increased 19.7% over last year and calendar year sales are up 31%.

The Detroit automaker gives a lot of credit to its launch vehicles: Chevrolet's Camaro/Equinox, Buick's LaCrosse, GMC's Terrain, and Cadillac's SRX. According to the General, the "new" GM's launch vehicles account for a quarter of all GM retail sales.

However, GM's overall performance is not so great when you include Saab, Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac (brands either discontinued or sold) as year-to-date sales were up only by 12.9% (661,319 units in Jan.-April 2010 vs 585,910 units in Jan.-April 2009).

Steve Carlisle, U.S. Sales Operations VP, had this to say: "Clearly, our launch vehicles are hitting the mark with consumers who are looking for bold styling, quality, safety and fuel efficiency. But our results aren't limited to just our newest vehicles. Sales of our full-size pickups and our mid-sized crossovers continue to strengthen."

For a full breakdown of the important stuff, scroll on down:

• Chevrolet: total sales up 17 percent compared to a year ago; retail sales up 32 percent; Chevrolet Equinox retail sales increased 276 percent; Camaro retail sales continued to set the pace for the sport segment with 7,830 deliveries; Chevrolet Traverse retail sales were up 30 percent for the month, and are up 10 percent for the year; Silverado retail sales were up 23 percent, the second consecutive month with a retail sales increase of 20 percent or more.
  
• Buick: total sales up 36 percent; retail sales up 42 percent; Buick LaCrosse retail sales rose 237 percent and are up 154 percent for the year; Buick Enclave retail sales rose 29 percent in April and are up 11 percent for the year.
  
• GMC: total sales up 18 percent; retail sales up 37 percent; GMC Terrain retail sales were up 537 percent for the month and 313 percent for the year; GMC Acadia retail sales increased 20 percent for the month and are up 26 percent year-to-date
  
• Cadillac: total sales up 36 percent; retail sales up 31 percent; Cadillac SRX retail sales were up 504 percent for the month and 405 percent for the year; Cadillac CTS had its best month of the year, with retail sales up 9 percent vs. March.
  
• Fleet sales for GM's four brands were 58,000 for the month, down 2 percent vs. the prior year.
  
• Crossovers for GM's four brands doubled sales in April compared to last year.
  
• Combined Total and Retail sales for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac have increased year-over-year for seven straight months.
  

By Phil Alex

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GM Reportedly Unveiled Several New Models at Pre-Show Event Including 2011 Buick Regal GS and 2011 Chevy Malibu Facelift and Orlando Crossover

A news report from the CanadianDriver claims General Motors gave the members of the press a sneak peak of all the new models that the company is planning to reveal at next month's 2010 Detroit motorshow. Needless to say, no pictures or videos were allowed at the pre-show event that is said to have taken place in downtown Detroit last Wednesday, but here are the cars that were allegedly revealed to the media.

Starting with Buick, the reports says that GM showed a high performance version of the recently revealed 2011 Regal sedan based on the Opel Insignia OPC. If true, we're assuming that the Audi S4-rivalling sports sedan will be called the Buick Regal GS and that it will carry over the OPC's 325HP turbocharged V6 and all-wheel drive system.

Moving on to Chevrolet, GM's bestselling brand is said to have unveiled an array of new models for 2010 including the production version of the Camaro Convertible that gets a retractable softop, the redesigned Aveo subcompact, the new Spark mini, the Orlando crossover which was shown in concept form at last year's Paris motor show and surprise, surprise, a heavily facelifted Malibu.

The news report says that the Orlando seven-seater compact crossover, which uses a modified version of the Cruze's platform, has remained close to the concept while the 2011 Malibu sedan is claimed to feature a more sculptured body work, crisper edges and pronounced wheel arches.

Finally, GM is said to have taken the wraps off GMC's version of the Chevrolet Orlando called the Granite - though it is not clear if this is a production or a concept model.

Since General Motors has not made any official announcements, there's no way we can corroborate the report, but with the Detroit show just around the corner, we gather that it won't be long before we get the official word.

Via: Canadiandriver

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GM: Only 0.1% or 193 Buyers Have Returned a Vehicle Under the 60-Day Guarantee

So far, from the 222,000 customers that opted for GM's aggressive 60-day Money Back Guarantee on new vehicle purchases, only 193 of them (about 0.09 per cent) have returned or are in the process of returning their new Chevy, Buick, Cadillac or GMC, the firm's Vice President of Global Product Engineering, Mark Reuss, announced on Thursday.

More specifically, Reuss said that up until now, 53 cars and trucks have been returned and about 140 others are in the process. GM plans to interview those customers that initiate a return to ask them about their experience.

"People are not satisfied and we're going to find out why," Reuss said. "This is about the best unfiltered consumer feedback we've had, and it was suggested by Mr. Whitacre. We've got all the (customer) data. We've gone to see some of them and we're calling some of them at night as well."

Among those buyers that returned their vehicle and are on Reuss contact list is one customer that is said to have been dissatisfied with the paint quality and interior roominess of a Chevy Silverado pickup.

According to the GM exec, there is no need for a new quality initiative in the company as all the processes needed are in place. "The so-called perception gap is a result of what we do," said Reuss. "We need to hit the ball with the center of the bat in everything we do."

Reuss also revealed that 653 customers used the company's 60-day return guarantee to get a $500 discount on another vehicle purchase, meaning they exchanged it another GM model. As an example, he told of a Cadillac SRX buyer who traded up to a more expensive version of the SRX.

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GM Recalling Nearly 1 Million Vehicles Worldwide on Electrical Issue

General Motors will be sending letters to more than 944,000 owners worldwide, 857,735 of which are located in the U.S., due to voluntary recall that affects 16 cars and SUVs from 2006 to 2008. The huge recall involves vehicles fitted with a heated washer fluid system that could short circuit causing other electrical features to malfunction and lead to smoke or even fire. According to GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson, up until now, there have been three reported fires related to the problem. GM said that its dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. See the affected models after the jump. -Continued

MAKE / MODEL - YEAR

• BUICK / ENCLAVE -2008
• BUICK / LUCERNE - 2006-2008
• CADILLAC / DTS - 2006-2008
• CADILLAC / ESCALADE - 2007-2008
• CADILLAC / ESCALADE ESV - 2007-2008
• CADILLAC / ESCALADE EXT - 2007-2008
• CHEVROLET / AVALANCHE - 2007-2008
• CHEVROLET / SILVERADO - 2007-2008
• CHEVROLET / SUBURBAN - 2007-2008
• CHEVROLET / TAHOE - 2007-2008
• GMC / ACADIA - 2007-2008
• GMC / SIERRA - 2007-2008
• GMC / YUKON - 2007-2008
• GMC / YUKON XL -2007-2008
• HUMMER / H2 - 2006-2008
• SATURN / OUTLOOK - 2007-2008

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