Autoblog

Report: GM SUVs to continue with full frame, Granite still on the table

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

The Sport Utility Vehicle is dead. Long live the Sport Utility Vehicle.

We all know by now that the SUV, considered the Official Car of the 1990s and early 00s, has mostly fallen out of favor. But that doesn't mean we should expect the large, body-on-frame behemoths - with the exception of impractical niche models like those from Hummer - to completely disappear from automaker showrooms any time soon.

Instead, the market may just right-size itself back to a more natural mix, with those users who really do need the off-road and towing capabilities of a proper SUV sticking with their 'utes and the rest of the population switching to crossovers. With that in mind, Automotive News reports that the redesigned GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe, due in 2013 or 2014, will likely stick to their truck-based roots. No surprise.

Nor should we be shocked by the revelation that the GMC Granite, which was first shown at the Detroit Auto Show early in 2010, is still in the works. In today's market conditions, an entirely truck-based lineup makes very little fiscal sense, but we'd imagine that General Motors' Lambda triplets will remain the automaker's volume sellers.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Report: GM SUVs to continue with full frame, Granite still on the table originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ouch: NHTSA reportedly investigating 2007 Tahoe, Yukon over sharp door handles

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Safety, Chevrolet, GMC, Luxury

If you own a 2007 Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon, you might want to watch your fingers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun an engineering analysis (the step before a potential recall) at the SUVs' door handles after 88 complaints of people cutting their hands on peeling metal plating. There are a possible 443,000 vehicles affected, but that's only if the NHTSA decides a full recall is necessary at the end of its analysis.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Ouch: NHTSA reportedly investigating 2007 Tahoe, Yukon over sharp door handles originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: Congressmen spending thousands of dollars a month to lease ordinary vehicles

Chris Shunk — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Ford, GM, Mercury

Remember when Congress got all up in the grilles of Detroit automaker chief executives for traveling to Washington in luxury courtesy of the companies private jets? It appears our lawmakers are less than perfect when it comes to sourcing their own cost-effective transportation, as Politico is reporting that at least 10 members of the House of Representatives have monthly vehicle leases that exceed $1,000 per month in taxpayer money.

But those leases, they're for specialized, bulletproof SUVs to keep our elected officials safe, right? Well, not so much. A little digging from Politico shows that members of Congress just don't know how to shop around. Of the top five lease prices listed, the most exorbitant monthly outlay at least appears to come with the best excuse. Missouri Democrat Emanuel Cleaver pays a reported $2,900 a month for a mobile office equipped with wifi and a wheelchair lift. Representative Cleaver justifies the hefty price tag by arguing that he uses the vehicle as his mobile office, foregoing the off-site office many other representatives have. Oh, and the mobile office runs on used cooking oil.

Other congressmen have less credible excuses, but it apparently isn't stopping them from giving it the old college try. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) $1,628 to lease a GMC Yukon. Reyes blames short lease terms and fuel efficiency regulations on the high lease prices. Meanwhile, we suspect that every other American with decent credit can choose from dozens of CUVs or SUVs with 24-month leases for less than $600 per month.

Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.) rolls in a $1,230 per month Chevrolet Tahoe. A spokesperson for Cheeks Kilpatrick claims the 13th District rep. leases the vehicle because General Motors headquarters resides within her district. Ironically, Cheeks Kilpatrick's son, Kwame Kilpatrick, the former Detroit mayor who left office in disgrace after being found guilty of perjury, caught plenty of flack a few years back for spending $1,000 per month for a taxpayer-funded Lincoln Navigator.

Rep. Harry Teague (D-N.M.), reportedly worth more than $36 million dollars, pays $1,266 per month for a Chevrolet Malibu. That's right, folks, a Malibu. Not a bad vehicle by any stretch, but $1,266 per month? Really? Other high lease offenders include Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), who rides in a $1,259 per month hybrid Toyota Highlander, Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), who trolls the St. Louis streets in $1,059 a month Ford Escape hybrid and Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.) with his $1,026 per month Mercury Mariner hybrid. Not to be left out, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) apparently also spends $1,143 every month for an unspecified leased vehicle, and multimillionaire Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) leases a Lexus RX400h for $843 taxpayer-funded dollars a month, reportedly arguing that he needs the vehicle's bigger accomodations because he's over six-feet tall and has to make an hourlong commute twice a week.

Head over to Politico to read more about congress and the expensive vehicles they lease on your dime. We're thinking there are thousands of Autoblog readers who can help their congressmen procure a more cost effective lease vehicle than some of the ridiculous prices you just read about. Any volunteers?

[Source: Politico]

Report: Congressmen spending thousands of dollars a month to lease ordinary vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

REPORT: GM's next-gen SUVs to be body-on-frame (otherwise they'd be crossovers)

Chris Shunk — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

2009 Cadillac Escalade Platinum - Click above for high-res image gallery

The GMT900 platform is by far the highest volume chassis General Motors has here in the States, as it underpins the Chevrolet Silverado, Tahoe, Avalanche and Suburban, the Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV, and the GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL. We never had any doubt that GM would continue to build body-on-frame trucks in the future, but with demand for SUVs shrinking quickly, some thought the body-on-frame SUV would soon be a thing of the past. Maybe not.

Our friends over at Pickuptrucks.com are reporting that the next generation of the GMT platform will be produced by Magna International's Cosma in Canada and Mexico - and that new platform will underpin the next-generation of GM SUVs along with the GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado. Pickuptrucks quotes Magna spokesperson Scott Worden as confirming that the next generation of GM's large SUVs will come with the body-on-frame architecture. This sort of chassis tends to add weight versus a unibody platform, but it also adds capability for towing and payload at lower cost.

We're not really all the surprised that GM will continue to build BOF SUVs, especially when considering that the General sold a combined 200,000 copies of the Suburban, Yukon, Tahoe and Escalade last month alone. And last we checked, these are still relatively expensive vehicles that bring in quite a bit of desperately needed profit. And if customers are interested in a family hauler with better interior packaging and fuel economy, we're sure GM dealers will be happy to get them into a Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse or GMC Acadia.

Gallery: 2009 Cadillac Escalade Platinum

[Source: Pickuptrucks]

REPORT: GM's next-gen SUVs to be body-on-frame (otherwise they'd be crossovers) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Review: 2009 Chevy Tahoe LTZ 6.2L 4x4

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, SUV, Chevrolet, New Car Reviews

2009 Chevy Tahoe LTZ 6.2L 4x4 - Click above for high-res image gallery

For a long time, gas prices in the United States were literally cheaper than dirt. Seriousl - check out the price of a bag of top soil at your local home improvement store. With such low fuel prices, the cost of operating a motor vehicle was really not much of an issue for most Americans. As a result, the only cost that concerned Americans when buying a vehicle was the monthly payment. People bought what ever they could afford on a monthly basis, not at the pump.

The result was the rise of the personal use truck, and in particular, the sport utility vehicle. It started slowly in the 1980s with the Jeep Cherokee and really picked up steam with the launch of the Ford Explorer. As the Nineties wore on, people moved into even bigger full-size SUVs and the Chevy Tahoe was among the most successful up until the last few years. That's when sales hit a brick wall as gas prices finally started to climb.

We recently got to spend some quality time with a 2009 Chevy Tahoe LTZ and its big 6.2-lliter V8. Follow the jump to see if this behemoth still has what it takes to charm consumers now that gas prices have ebbed.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Chevy Tahoe LTZ 6.2L 4x4

Continue reading Review: 2009 Chevy Tahoe LTZ 6.2L 4x4

Review: 2009 Chevy Tahoe LTZ 6.2L 4x4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade not being replaced

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

The full-size SUV's future is on shaky legs and now, reports have surfaced that General Motors has killed the next generation Tahoe and Yukon 'utes, just weeks after announcing it would shutter its SUV plant in Janesville, Wisconsin. Of course, if that pair is buried, the Suburban and the Cadillac Escalade that use the same platform must also come to an end, at least in their current form.

Past reports indicate that the ultra-lux ride from Caddy will move to the Lambda platform for its next generation. The Tahukon pair had been slated for a redesign in 2011, and since that's reportedly not going to happen, the duo's future is definitely in question. GM will probably keep churning out the current version until it's no longer profitable to do so.

These days, any story about the General would be incomplete without some mention of Chrysler, and this one's no different. America's number three automaker just announced just last week that it would be phasing out its full-sized 'utes as well. Therefore, any possible merger of the two companies would carry on without a new large SUV platform at all. How the times have changed.

[Source: The New York Times via Inside Line]

Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade not being replaced originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cost of owning a car crests $1/mile on some models

Chris Shunk — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, SUV, Truck, Etc., Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Lexus, Toyota

We've all seen the ads in the newspaper or in commercials that say you can get a new car with zero money down and only $299 per month. Quick math tells you that even after taxes and destination, you're only paying about $4,400 the first year to own a brand new car. A recent study by consulting firm Runzheimer International shows that a new car will cost you considerably more in overall operating costs. At 15,000 miles per year, the cost of insurance, gasoline, fees, depreciation, and maintenance can drive the overall cost near $20,000 per year.

The 2008 Cadillac STS was tops in this year's test, costing buyers $19,537. The Lexus LS460 was close behind at $19,372. Big vehicles cost quite a bit also, with Ford's E-350 XL SuperDuty tallying a $16,543 bill followed by the Chevy Tahoe LS 4x4 at $15,789. There were some relatively low cost vehicles as well, with the first year costs of a Toyota Corolla CE coming in lowest in the test at $7,933 and a Ford Ranger XL pickup that hits $9,929. If these numbers seem high, it's because the highest liability in a new car balance sheet is depreciation, and new cars can lose thousands the day they're driven off the lot. Every mile on the odometer brings the resale value lower, and if your new car carried lots of incentives or it's a rental car favorite, its residual plummets even further.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Cost of owning a car crests $1/mile on some models originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

SEMA honors four vehicles as most accessory friendly

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:03:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Hybrid, Sedan, SUV, Truck, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Hummer, Nissan

Because so much of what SEMA is about concerns the aftermarket, each year the organization honors the most accessory-friendly vehicles with an award. This isn't to say that these are the best vehicles on the market, but rather that each represents a car or truck where the manufacturer has worked with the aftermarket and SEMA to help make accessories more readily available from the time the vehicle is launched. They also show how these manufacturers are thinking ahead and planning for customization during the design process to make modifying the car easier after it's launched. There are four classes thus rewarded: Car, Truck, and SUV. The categories have grown this year to include hybrids as a separate group. For 2007, the awards went to the Nissan Titan in the Truck category, the Cadillac CTS won in the Car category and the Hummer H2 won in the SUV category. The Hybrid award went to the Chevy Tahoe. Perhaps the ONLY design award some of these vehicles will ever win.

[Source: SEMA]

Continue reading SEMA honors four vehicles as most accessory friendly

SEMA honors four vehicles as most accessory friendly originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

General Motors stars on "The Apprentice" again

Erin Mays — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: SUV

On Monday's "The Apprentice," contestants were charged with developing the "most entertaining training event" for Chevy dealers. Having been to a dealer training or two, we know they're interesting enough what with numerous demonstrations of the various features and options, deep dives into the psyches of potential buyers and thorough reviews of the competition.

On Monday's episode, however, Chevrolet General Director of Advertising & Promotions Kim Kosak and Chevrolet Vehicle Line Executive Gary White met with the two teams of potential Trump lackies to prep them before they created a three-hour training session for Chevy marketing gurus and dealers focusing on the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. Golf, models, a comedian, an open bar and a general lack of knowledge about the Tahoe all drove team Gold Rush over the proverbial cliff, while Synergy's knowledge of the truck and outdoorsy activities (fly fishing, anyone?) around which the training was planned struck gold with dealers.

Armchair apprentices can play too by visiting chevyapprentice.com.

General Motors stars on "The Apprentice" again originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments