Autoblog

Buick dealers reportedly clamoring for more Regal models amidst strong early sales

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Buick, GM

2011 Buick Regal - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 Regal is Buick's latest attempt at reinventing its own brand image. Apparently, the plan is working even better than Buick thought it might - dealers are asking for more. In fact, in their monthly re-orders, dealers are asking for twice as many cars as General Motors can actually provide.

Currently, the Regal is built in GM's Russelsheim, Germany plant and production has just begun on the 2.0-liter turbocharged model (read: not the higher-output GS that will arrive sometime next year). Production of North American Regals will soon be shifted to The General's Oshawa, Ontario facility.

Buick has already sold nearly 4,000 Regals through August of 2010. The Chinese bought about 80,000 examples in 2009 and 150,000 Vauxhall/Opel versions have found homes in European driveways year-to-date in 2010. It's clear that people around the world like this car, ourselves included, and the addition of the 2.0T should only further the car's success. As for us, we're eagerly anticipating the final addition to the Regal line, the GS.

Gallery: Third Drive: 2011 Buick Regal

Photos copyright (C)2010 Michael Harley / AOL

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Buick dealers reportedly clamoring for more Regal models amidst strong early sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors adding Chevrolet Equinox production at Oshawa, move boosts GMC Terrain too

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:39:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Canada

2010 Chevrolet Equinox - Click above for high-res image gallery

Continued strong demand for General Motors' new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain has triggered the automaker to add extra production capacity for the crossovers at the its Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant. As you may recall, last year, GM added an extra shift of production at the Ingersoll plant that has always built the Equinox, but apparently that still isn't enough bandwidth. Thus, the body shop at Ingersoll will be expanded over the next several months to provide the extra stamping capacity needed to supply Oshawa. The bodyshells will then be shipped 120 miles east to Oshawa where a third shift will build the Equinox alongside the Impala.

With the new production capacity, all laid off employees at Ingersoll will be back at work and 70 workers will be hired. The Oshawa ramp-up will lead to the recall of 600 employees there, many of whom lost their jobs when full-size pickup truck production ended there last year. Production of the Equinox in Oshawa will start this fall.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox

Continue reading General Motors adding Chevrolet Equinox production at Oshawa, move boosts GMC Terrain too

General Motors adding Chevrolet Equinox production at Oshawa, move boosts GMC Terrain too originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buick Regal, Camaro convertible production to launch in Oshawa plant Q1 2011

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Canada

2011 Buick Regal - Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors of Canada has confirmed that production of the 2011 Buick Regal will kick off at its Oshawa assembly plant in the first quarter of 2011. That move has been assumed long before the Regal was even confirmed as an addition to the North American product lineup when a GM-CAW document listed production of a mid-size sedan to be added to the plant.

General Motors will bring back up to 700 laid off workers to staff a second shift on the flexible manufacturing line at the plant east of Toronto. The front-wheel drive Regal will be built on the same assembly line as the hot-selling Camaro. About the same time as Camaro production begins, GM will also add production of the new Camaro convertible. Initial supplies of the Regal will be coming from the Opel plant in Russelsheim, Germany when it goes on sale this summer.

Gallery: 2011 Buick Regal

[Source: General Motors ]

Continue reading Buick Regal, Camaro convertible production to launch in Oshawa plant Q1 2011

Buick Regal, Camaro convertible production to launch in Oshawa plant Q1 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Cadillac XTS production to start at Oshawa in early 2012

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Cadillac, Canada, Luxury

Detroit-bound Cadillac Concept Teaser - Click above to enlarge

Early next Tuesday morning, Cadillac will unveil a concept version of its new XTS flagship at the Detroit Auto Show. A report from Canada's CTV now says that production of the XTS will begin at General Motors' Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant in early 2012. Rumors of a Cadillac to be produced at the plant east of Toronto first began circulating last July. The XTS will join the Chevrolet Impala and Camaro as well as the new Buick Regal at the facility. The XTS is expected to be based on the Epsilon II platform but with all-wheel-drive.

The addition of the Cadillac and the Buick could necessitate an extra shift at the factory which would likely result in 750-1,000 of GM's previously laid-off workers being recalled. Last year, GM closed an adjacent Oshawa factory that had been building full-size pickup trucks.

[Source: CTV]

Report: Cadillac XTS production to start at Oshawa in early 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM confims Chevy Camaro Convertible for Oshawa production alongside 2011 Buick Regal

Noah Joseph — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:55:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Buick, Chevrolet

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ever look for something high and low only to find it hiding in plain sight? That's how we'd sum up the latest announcement from General Motors. The company has announced that the new Buick Regal - based on 2009's European Car of the Year, the Opel Insignia - will enter production at the beginning of 2011 at its assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario. There it will join the existing assembly line for the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers and the Chevy Camaro.

The kicker? General Motors subtly slipped in the announcement that the Camaro Convertible will begin production there as well around the same time. The drop-top pony car was first mooted with the concept unveiled at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, and GM has been hemming and hawing about its production prospects ever since. Well, apparently they've made up their minds, and told all of us about it in the most understated way they could think of. Follow the jump to read the official press release.

Gallery: Chevy Camaro Convertible Concept

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM confims Chevy Camaro Convertible for Oshawa production alongside 2011 Buick Regal

GM confims Chevy Camaro Convertible for Oshawa production alongside 2011 Buick Regal originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Proud Oshawa mayor and his Camaro SS ruffle some feathers

Chris Shunk — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, GM

2010 Chevrolet Camaro - Click above for high-res image gallery

The hot-selling 2010 Chevy Camaro is made in Oshawa, Canada. The mayor of Oshawa, John Gray, drives a spanking new red Camaro SS with a white racing stripe, just like the one that introduced the bowtie muscle car to the Middle East back in June. Supporting locally made products sounds like a shrewd move for any politician, especially when the city is footing the bill for your ride. A free Camaro is a great job perk, but one Oshawa resident - Bill Steele - doesn't agree.

Steele says the mayor is "flaunting this gas-guzzling vehicle all around town... and I don't like that I'm paying for part of a sports car that gets 17 miles to the gallon." Steele serves up the city's high tax rates as a reason why the mayor shouldn't be driving a Camaro. Of course, without over 400 Camaros being built in Oshawa per day, there would likely be thousands fewer tax payers to help pay those already high taxes. Mayor Gray knows there are a few citizens who don't like his pricey, thirsty pony car, but that thankfully isn't stopping him from driving it. Thanks for the tip, Alan!

Gallery: 2010 Chevy Camaro launches in the Middle East

[Source: MSN Autos]

Proud Oshawa mayor and his Camaro SS ruffle some feathers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Cadillac DTS to be replaced by XTS, which will be built in Canada alongside new Buick Regal

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Cadillac

The days of Cadillac's big DTS sedan are numbered as the plant that builds it will soon be shut down and re-tooled. The Detroit Hamtramck assembly plant that builds the DTS and Buick Lucerne will switch over to building the Chevy Volt in 2010 and the current products are both long in the tooth.

The National Post is reporting that the new Cadillac flagship will be dubbed XTS and will be produced at the Oshawa assembly plant. It will be built alongside an updated Chevrolet Impala, the new Camaro and the Buick Regal. The DTS is a front-wheel drive car, but the XTS is expected to the share the Epsilon II platform with the Regal and the new Impala. As such, it will likely get all-wheel-drive at least as an option. For its part, the Regal will likely be a re-badged version of the Opel Insignia. The report goes on to say that Oshawa will produce a hybrid version of one of those offerings - a gas-electric Regal model is a reasonable bet.

Earlier reports had pegged the next Cadillac sedan as a model that would supplant both the DTS and the slow-selling STS, and although the NatPost article does not speak to this, it is reasonable to assume that the new XTS will result in the phase-out of both model lines. The new model line was reportedly put on hold back in August of last year, but it apparently has once again been given the go-ahead.

The XTS is scheduled to be launched in December 2011, with the new Impala coming in early 2013. Thanks to Ben for the tip!

[Source: The National Post]

REPORT: Cadillac DTS to be replaced by XTS, which will be built in Canada alongside new Buick Regal originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM adds shift at Oshawa to keep up with Camaro demand

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, Canada

Chevy Camaro assembly line - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Might the newly-revived Camaro be the bright shining sales star that General Motors so desperately needs? That remains to be seen, but at least initial reports are favorable. According to The Peterborough Examiner (via The Detroit News), demand for the new-gen. muscle car is high enough that GM has asked workers at the assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, to work through the week of June 29, which had previously been scheduled as mandatory time off. Furthermore, Camaro orders are expected to be strong enough to keep the Oshawa plant's flex line humming along on Saturdays in June, July and August, and that means overtime for the beleaguered auto workers.

Gallery: Pre-production Chevy Camaro assembly

[Source: The Peterborough Examiner via The Detroit News]

GM adds shift at Oshawa to keep up with Camaro demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 May 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM and CAW reach deal over truck plant closure

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, UAW/Unions, Canada

In a deal designed to assuage the tensions between General Motors and the Canadian Auto Workers union, GM's new car plant in Oshawa, Ontario will gain two additional models to build. The old truck plant in the same city, though, will still close sometime in 2009. Until then, the truck plant will continue to assemble hybrid versions of GM's full-size pickup trucks. The new Oshawa plant will begin building GM's long-anticipated Camaro revival and will also get some Chevrolet Impala production and an unnamed Buick model at some point in the future.

In addition to the extra work at the brand new Oshawa plant, displaced workers with at least 26 years of GM employment will get a percentage of their yearly salary, even after the plant has closed, until they have reached the necessary 30-year mark for retirement. Other qualifying ex-employees will get buyout packages of some sort. Thanks for the tip, Ryan!

[Source: CBC News]

GM and CAW reach deal over truck plant closure originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Embattled Oshawa plant to get GM hybrid truck production, will still close in 2009

Chris Shunk — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet

GM's Oshawa Truck plant has been slated for closure in 2009, but GM has announced that the embattled plant will still build the Silverado Two-Mode hybrid beginning later this year. The move was well received by the CAW, which hasn't exactly been playing nice with the General since it got word of the plant's closure. The CAW threw up a blockade of GM's Canadian headquarters from June 4-15 in response to the General's announcement that it would close the facility. There has been some talk about perhaps switching the plant to car production, but GM has made no announcements and CEO Rick Wagoner didn't sound too optimistic about the plant's future when he announced the closing. At least the hybrid Silverado will help ensure that the plant has steady production for the near-term, but it'll likely have to be a lot more popular than the Tahoe hybrid if it's going to help Oshawa Truck stay open. Thanks for the tip, LIP!

[Source: CBC]

Embattled Oshawa plant to get GM hybrid truck production, will still close in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM may add car line to closing Canadian truck plant

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, GM, UAW/Unions, Canada

Despite rising tensions (and a lawsuit) between General Motors and the Canadian Auto Workers union, the automaker may be interested in adding a new car line at its soon-to-closed truck plant in Oshawa, Ontario. Though that plant was originally scheduled to stay open a few more years, slumping sales of full-size trucks built there have forced GM to announce its early closure along with three other pickup and SUV plants. Since that announcement, union workers have barricaded GM Canada's headquarters for the last eight days in protest, which we'd imagine might make it difficult for GM management to negotiate with union officials... but what do we know?

According to The Detroit News, however, GM has been talking with Ontario's Economic Development and Trade Minister, Sandra Pupatello, who says that the government is very interested in securing the new vehicle line as quickly as possible. Even if a decision is made in short order, it is likely the plant's 2,600 workers would be out of work for up to two years after the closes and before its ready again with new tooling for a passenger car line.

[Source: The Detroit News]

GM may add car line to closing Canadian truck plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM Canada suing CAW for C$1.5 million

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, UAW/Unions, Canada

Hold on to your britches folks. General Motors dealings with the Canadian Auto Workers union just took another turn for the worse. GM, like every other full-line automaker selling vehicles in the United States, has been unable to move as many pickup trucks as it had hoped since the price of gas has spiked. In response to the shifting tide of vehicle sales and to slow the huge financial hemorrhaging, GM announced about eight days ago that it would be closing four plants that build trucks and SUVs, including one in Oshawa, Ontario. Unfortunately, the General had recently promised to keep that particular plant open for a few more years, so the announcement more than irked the Union officials from up north.

Here's where things get real ugly. In retaliation, the CAW has blockaded the entrance to the GM headquarters in Canada for the last eight days. As you might imagine, GM has a slight problem with this and has taken the matter to court, where documents reveal that the automaker wants C$250,000 from the local union and five of its members for a total of $1.5 million in damages. We're not sure if this impending lawsuit will impact the Union's plans for a rally this Thursday in the parking lot of the Oshawa headquarters, but it's probably safe to say that this situation won't have a happy ending.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

GM Canada suing CAW for C$1.5 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Camaro, eh? Oshawa plant tapped to build Chevy's ponycar

Alex Nunez — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 13:53:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet

Several readers alerted us to a report out of Canada on Friday stating that GM has selected its Oshawa, Ontario plant to build the new Camaro. A formal announcement is expected on Monday.

The news caps a good week for the Canadian Auto Workers union, who also learned that GM's plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs in the city were scuttled because Impala sales are so strong. That, plus the Camaro announcement, clear up the picture for the 2 years remaining on the CAW's contract with GM, during which no permanent layoffs are expected at the Oshawa facilities, according to sources who spoke to The Globe and Mail.

General Motors is expected to detail plans to create a flexible manufacturing facility in Oshawa with an annual production capacity of up to 500,000 vehicles, including the Camaro. Reports put GM's annual sales projections for the new musclecar at 100,000 units. The Zeta rear-drive platform that it will be built on is expected to be used for a host of other GM vehicles in the pipeline.

Thanks to tipsters bojac, CTG and Matt D!

[Source: The Globe and Mail]

Camaro, eh? Oshawa plant tapped to build Chevy's ponycar originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Aug 2006 13:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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