Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[GM considering selling medium truck operations to Isuzu]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/19/gm-considering-selling-medium-truck-operations-to-isuzu/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/19/gm-considering-selling-medium-truck-operations-to-isuzu/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/19/gm-considering-selling-medium-truck-operations-to-isuzu/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Reports are coming in that the General is considering selling its medium truck operations to Isuzu. This news is totally unconfirmed by both parties, though Isuzu says it would be more than willing to listen if GM felt the desire to talk.

All of this comes shortly after Navistar chose not to follow through on its non-binding agreement to purchase the commercial truck unit from General Motors after seeing what's been happening with the U.S. economy and gas prices. After that deal went sour, GM said that it would continue looking for options, so this particular piece of the rumormill pie is anything but surprising. We contacted GM to see if the automaker had anything to say regarding the hubbub, and, as expected, it's staying tight-lipped for the time being. An Isuzu tie-up makes some sense, as the two truck makers have had dealings together in the past, most notably in the design of GM's current mid-sized trucks, the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon.

[Source: Forbes]

GM considering selling medium truck operations to Isuzu originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevrolet coloradoChevroletColoradochevy coloradochevy kodiakChevyColoradoChevyKodiakgm medium duty trucksgmc canyongmc topkickGmcCanyonGmcTopkickGmMediumDutyTrucksisuzuisuzu trucksIsuzuTrucksmid size trucksmid-size trucksMid-sizeTrucksmidsize trucksMidsizeTrucksFri, 19 Sep 2008 17:57:00 EST<![CDATA[IIHS crash tests small pickups, majority flunk]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/24/iihs-crash-tests-small-pickups-majority-flunk/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/24/iihs-crash-tests-small-pickups-majority-flunk/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/24/iihs-crash-tests-small-pickups-majority-flunk/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for more of the IIHS side impact crash tests for small pickups

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently performed side crash tests for the first time on small pickups. Their sampling included the Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier and Chevy Colorado. The results were published today and they indicate that small pickup owners might want to start wearing helmets while driving.

The IIHS has only three grades for its crash tests: Good, Marginal and Poor. The Dakota, Ranger and Frontier all earned Marginal ratings, while the Colorado could only muster a Poor rating due in part to the moving barrier actually coming in contact with the dummy's head during the simulated crash. The Tacoma, however, was the only vehicle to earn a Good rating. It was also the only small truck tested with side air bags, which are an option for 2008 but will be standard equipment on 2009 Tacomas.

If side airbags are an option, the IIHS will, as a rule, test a vehicle without them unless an automaker wants to rerun the crash test with a model that has side airbags and is willing to pay for the cost of the vehicle that's crashed. Not unsurprisingly, the archaic Ranger was the only small pickup that doesn't offer side airbags at all, though it was surprising that none of the other automakers requested their models be tested with side airbags. The IIHS also tells us that small pickups have the highest driver death rates of any vehicles on the road, which makes these tests all the more significant.

Check out the official press release after the jump, and peruse the gallery of crash test photos below to witness the utter crappiness that is small pickup crash worthiness.

Gallery: IIHS side crash test - small pickups


[Source: IIHS]

Continue reading IIHS crash tests small pickups, majority flunk

IIHS crash tests small pickups, majority flunk originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevy coloradoChevyColoradoinsurance institute ...InsuranceInstitute...insuranceinstitutefo...side impactside impact crash testside impactsSideImpactSideImpactCrashTestSideImpactssmall pickupsmall pickupsSmallPickupSmallPickupstoyota tacomaToyotaTacomaThu, 24 Jul 2008 10:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Chevy looking to sell a pickup smaller than Colorado?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/09/chevy-looking-to-sell-a-pickup-smaller-than-colorado/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/09/chevy-looking-to-sell-a-pickup-smaller-than-colorado/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/09/chevy-looking-to-sell-a-pickup-smaller-than-colorado/#commentsFiled under: ,



The Chevrolet Colorado hasn't been much of a sales success recently. Despite competing in what many feel is an untapped market, the Colorado's sales numbers in 2007 slipped by almost 20% compared to 2006. The solution? Possibly offering a truck below the Colorado in size that combines a small footprint with a fuel-efficient engine.

Mike Levine over at Pickuptruck.com sat down with Chevy's General Manager, Ed Peper, and asked if there's a market for a vehicle similar to the Toyota A-BAT concept bound for Detroit. Peper thinks its might be feasible in the future. What form it could take is open to debate, but Levine maintains that if it slots in below the Colorado, it might as well carry a New Mexico badge.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]

Chevy looking to sell a pickup smaller than Colorado? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevroletchevrolet coloradoChevroletColoradochevychevy coloradoChevyColoradocoloradoWed, 09 Jan 2008 16:29:00 EST<![CDATA[You can get a "Tough Box" for your Chevy Colorado, too!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/09/you-can-get-a-tough-box-for-your-chevy-colorado-too/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/09/you-can-get-a-tough-box-for-your-chevy-colorado-too/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/09/you-can-get-a-tough-box-for-your-chevy-colorado-too/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



It has been confirmed that Ford will be offering the "Tough Box" as an option on the F-150 as soon as this Spring, but what if you're not in the market for a Blue Oval with a bed? Don't worry, since it seems that there are companies perfectly willing to apply the same treatment to your General Motors pickup, specifically the Chevy Colorado / GMC Canyon. SVE Fleet is a company that will add what it calls a Mid-Box to your pickup. Essentially the same thing as Ford's "Tough Box", the Mid-Box features two hinged doors at the leading edge of the bed that open up to reveal a deep storage space or slide out drawers that can store tools. In fact, SVE Fleet can even add a Mid-Box to an F-150 if you really can't wait for the "Tough Box" to become available when the snow thaws.

Speaking of the "Tough Box", thanks to Mike Levine at Pickuptruck.com, we've learned a few more details on Ford's newest feature for the F-150. The Blue Oval has tapped 2nd stage manufacturer Decoma International to build the "Tough Box" option into existing F-150s that are shipped to them from the factory with a short bed on a long wheelbase. The "Tough Box" can also be outfitted in many ways for either storage of larger items or with slide-out trays for smaller tools. Rumor has it that the "Tough Box" came into being from a request by the fertilizer company that produces Scott's Miracle-Gro. Federal regulations demand they keep solid and liquid fertilizers separated during transport, so they were faced with either driving two separate trucks or finding one with separated compartments. In its quest to keep the F-150 atop the sales chart, Ford stepped up with a factory-backed solution.

[Source: SVE Fleet via GMInsideNews, Pickuptruck.com]

You can get a "Tough Box" for your Chevy Colorado, too! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CanyonChevy ColoradoChevyColoradoColoradoF-150GMC CanyonGmcCanyonMid-BoxSVE FleetSveFleetTough BoxToughBoxFri, 09 Mar 2007 13:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Bigger motors mean more power for 2007 HUMMER, Colorado/Canyon]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/20/bigger-motors-mean-more-power-for-2007-hummer-colorado-canyon/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/20/bigger-motors-mean-more-power-for-2007-hummer-colorado-canyon/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/20/bigger-motors-mean-more-power-for-2007-hummer-colorado-canyon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



The HUMMER H3, Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon will benefit from more displacement this fall when General Motors rolls out the 2007 models. GM's new Vortec 2.9L inline-four and Vortec 3.7L inline-five, which produce 10 and 22 more hp and 10 and 17 additional lb.-ft of torque, respectively, are given more displacement by bored-out intake and exhaust valves, variable valve timing, an upgraded camshaft, and other changes. In the case of the 3.7L inline-five, a larger and more refined catalytic converter helps it meet new BIN 5 emissions requirements, as well.

Full release after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Bigger motors mean more power for 2007 HUMMER, Colorado/Canyon

Bigger motors mean more power for 2007 HUMMER, Colorado/Canyon originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevy coloradoChevyColoradogmc canyonGmcCanyonhummermid-size pickupMid-sizePickupTue, 20 Jun 2006 08:05:00 EST<![CDATA[General Motors recalling 400,000 mid-size pickups over brake light malfunction]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/01/general-motors-recalling-400-000-mid-size-pickups-over-brake-lig/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/01/general-motors-recalling-400-000-mid-size-pickups-over-brake-lig/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/01/general-motors-recalling-400-000-mid-size-pickups-over-brake-lig/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that General Motors is recalling over 400,000 pickup trucks due to malfunctioning brake lights. While the automaker is unaware of any accidents resulting from the problem, trucks also outfitted with cruise control lose that functionality as well. Trucks affected are the 2004-2006 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups and 2006 Isuzu i-280 and i-350 trucks.

[Source: WOODTV.com]

General Motors recalling 400,000 mid-size pickups over brake light malfunction originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 May 2006 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brake lightBrakeLightchevy coloradoChevyColoradoNHTSArecallMon, 01 May 2006 16:26:00 EST