Derek77

The real gain will be the Malibu V6 by getting rid of the 3.6 that gets 17/26 mpg, and putting the 3.0 in. I bet they can get 20/28 out of the new V6 which is a good trade off to losing 30-40 lb-ft of torque, most Malibu buyers would rather have more mpg's than .2 seconds off the 0-60 time.

It gets 28 in the CTS wagon, so I'm hoping for a little more in something like the Malibu.

NAIAS: 2010 CADILLAC CTS SPORT WAGON

Online Ordering Guide is up for the 2010 Camaro.

Percentages make it look like a bigger increase than it is...1 mpg is not anything of significance, and in real world driving, I doubt if drivers would notice any difference from the regular ones. They are still just heavy gas-guzzling trucks.

Percentages don't lie. Walmart is spending millions of dollars to get 1 more mile per gallon out of their truck fleet. Should we tell them they are wasting their money because 1 mpg is not anything of significance and they wouldn't notice any difference? That 1 mpg for them is a 15% improvement. Does their percentage matter, and not GM's?

Apples to apples would be BMW selling a low resistance tires, manual transmission, lower gears, and revised engine calibration 328i with an XFE badge on the back. Maybe they can do a Corvette XFE, the manual Corvette gets 1 mpg better than the automatic.

Fixed your post if you were trying to mock the Cobalt XFE. XFE means Xtra Fuel Economy and that's what these changes to the trucks give the consumer.

1 mpg might not look big because, well, it's just 1 mpg. But if you do the math, like GM did, the numbers are impressive. 5% and 7% increases are big. The changes GM did to these vehicles did more than the BAS did for the Silverado a couple years ago. GM being able to say we have the best mileage is big and them being able to solidify this fact is even better. New challengers are coming out. If GM didn't do anything when their crown was threatened, we would be bitching. The changes they made to these vehicles didn't require any special engineering since they are already doing these things with the hybrid version of these vehicles. It's a good, proactive move on GM's part.

I do wish GM would have do more to the Tahoe and Yukon. They didn't use the lighter seats, get rid of the spare tire, or use the aluminum hood and liftgate from the hybrid. Maybe they have a good reason on why they didn't.

Anyways, good job GM.

These should be sluggish with a 3.08 ratio.

Don't forget that they have a 6-speed in them now compared to the 4-speed of a year ago. You can not get 3.08 gears with a 4-speed this year.

Motortrend.com - First Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Traverse

That's clearly wrong: they've just announced a HHR SS panel van for '09.

It's all listed under the 2009 HHR heading in the truck section.

uh...mistype?

Dang, that's a big error on my part for copy/paste from GM.

I didn't see a reason to start a new thread on this, so I decided to raise a dead one. I'm not sure why Chears & Gears hasn't posted all the new 2009 changes posted at GM Media that was released last week, but some of the changes are interesting, especially the Malibu.

The 2009 Malibu Hybrid delivers an estimated 34 mpg in city driving and 26 mpg in the city – an improvement over 2008 models, thanks to better control of the battery charging/discharging system and new low rolling-resistance tires. 2008 models get 32 hwy and 24 city. Better yet, even the 2009 Malibu with the 2.4/6-speed combo gets better mileage. 22city/33hwy for the 2009 compared to the 22city/32hwy for the 2008. I'm not sure what they did to get a higher hwy number. I'm not sure if GM is allowed to low ball their number even if the EPA stated it was something higher. That would be interesting to know.

Here is the link if anyone is interested:

2009 Chevrolet Malibu

2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

Well, all I know is that the 2009 Cobalt and G5 with the manual will get and estimated 37mpg on the highway. That's also with different gears again, 3.63. Final numbers are still pending. That's impressive.

A new, more efficient version of the 2.2L Ecotec engine delivers a dramatic increase in fuel economy. It uses variable valve timing to optimize fuel economy at all speeds, for an EPA-estimated highway rating of 37 mpg, along with a 7-hp (3 kW) increase in power.

I guess this answers the question of if this is a new Aveo or a new model:

GM Announces New Products, Capacity Adjustments; Continues Transformation of North American Business

• New car, powertrain programs to meet the changing needs of U.S. customers
• Chevy Volt production gets the green light from the GM board
• GM builds on car momentum with additional capacity; adjusts truck capacity
• Hummer brand set for strategic review

WILMINGTON, Del. - GM today announced a range of strategic initiatives to aggressively respond to growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles and to economic and market challenges in North America. Rick Wagoner, GM chairman and CEO, made the announcements here as part of the GM annual meeting of stockholders.

Major initiatives announced by Wagoner include:

• A new global compact car program for Chevrolet, a next generation for the popular Chevy Aveo, and a high efficiency engine module for the U.S. market.
• Funding for production of the Chevy Volt extended-range electric vehicle.
• Addition of third shifts to Lordstown and Orion, which build hot-selling Chevy and Pontiac cars.
• Cessation of production at four plants that build pickups, SUVs and medium-duty trucks.
• A strategic review of the Hummer brand.

"From the start of our North American turnaround plan in 2005, I've said that our goal is not just to return GM to profitability, but to structure GM globally for sustained profitability and growth," said Wagoner.

"Since the first of this year, however, U.S. economic and market conditions have become significantly more difficult," he said. "Higher gasoline prices are changing consumer behavior, and they are significantly affecting the U.S. auto industry sales mix."

In North America, GM has been moving rapidly and successfully to revitalize its car lineup and grow its crossover business. New GM cars and crossovers, including the Cadillac CTS, Chevy Malibu, Pontiac Vibe and Buick Enclave, have been selling strongly, and GM intends to build on this success. In fact, 18 of the next 19 new GM products for the U.S. will be cars or crossovers.

Additional operational and strategic actions will be required to position GM for sustainable profitability and growth. These initiatives fall into three broad areas: product and technology, manufacturing facilities and capacity, and the Hummer brand.

New Chevrolet models and a high-efficiency engine module approved

To further strengthen GM's lineup of fuel-efficient cars, the GM board has approved a next-generation compact Chevy for the U.S. and global markets, a next generation of the popular Chevy Aveo, and a U.S. production module of GM's 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

The new Chevy compact will be better equipped than today's compact cars, and will be designed to set quality and safety benchmarks for the compact class. Production will begin in mid-2010 at GM's Lordstown, Ohio, plant, subject to final negotiations with state and local authorities.

"This car will represent the first U.S. application of our global architecture strategy," said Wagoner. "This strategy will pay major dividends as we leverage our extensive car product development capability in Europe, Korea, and other locations to accelerate the shift in our U.S. product portfolio."

The next-generation compact will be pure Chevrolet in design, and will feature the 1.4-liter turbocharged version of GM's global four-cylinder engine. With this engine and a manual transmission, the new Chevy is expected to achieve a 9 mpg improvement over Chevy's current entry in this segment. The engine will be produced in Flint, Michigan, again subject to final negotiations with state and local authorities.

Also recently approved was a next generation of the popular Chevy Aveo. Based on a global architecture, the Aveo is also expected to have segment-leading fuel economy when it goes on sale in the U.S. market in the second half of 2010.

These new Chevy models will help build on GM's leadership in fuel efficient vehicles. For example, GM continues to offer more vehicles with a 30-mpg or better highway fuel economy rating than any competitor.

Chevy Volt is a go

The Chevy Volt took a major step toward the showroom with formal approval by the GM board of funding for production of the extended-range electric vehicle. This approval, which includes funding for production development and tooling, indicates that GM leadership believes that the technology for the Volt, including its lithium-ion batteries, will be ready for volume production on schedule.

"The Chevy Volt is a go," said Wagoner. "We believe this is the biggest step yet in our industry's move away from our historic, virtually complete reliance on petroleum to power vehicles."

"We intend to show a production version of the Chevy Volt publicly in the very near future, and we remain focused on our target of getting the Volt into Chevrolet showrooms by the end of 2010," Wagoner said.

Preliminary plans are to produce the Volt at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, subject to successful discussions with state and local governments.

Capacity adjustments address market shifts

GM will react to the shift in the U.S. market by increasing production of small and midsize cars and reducing production of pickups and truck-based SUVs.

GM will add a third shift in September to the Orion Assembly Center in Michigan, which builds the hot-selling Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6. Also in September, the company plans to add a third shift at Lordstown Car Assembly in Ohio, which builds the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5.

On the other side of the mix equation, market-related declines in truck sales mean that, over time, GM will cease production at four truck plants.

Oshawa Truck Assembly in Canada, which builds the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, will likely cease production in 2009, while Moraine, Ohio, which builds the Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7x, will end production at the end of the 2010 model run, or sooner, if demand dictates. Janesville, Wisconsin, will cease production of medium-duty trucks by the end of 2009, and of the Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon in 2010, or sooner, if market demand dictates. Chevrolet Kodiak medium-duty truck production will also end in Toluca, Mexico, by the end of this year.

GM expects that these actions, along with the recent announcement to remove shifts at two other U.S. truck plants (Pontiac and Flint, Michigan), will result in an additional GM North America structural cost savings of more than $1 billion, on a running rate basis, by 2010. This is on top of the approximately $5 billion running rate reduction by 2011 that we announced earlier this year, and also in addition to the $9 billion reduction accomplished over the 2006-07 period in North America.

GM will work closely with its union partners to mitigate the impact of these difficult actions, which are made necessary by long-term changes in consumer demand for trucks and SUVs.

Strategic assessment for Hummer brand

Finally, GM is undertaking a strategic review of the Hummer brand to determine its fit within the GM portfolio. At this point, the company is considering all options, from a complete revamp of the product lineup to a partial or complete sale of the brand.

Moving forward

"We are making a number of important announcements today, covering everything from product and technology investments to capacity adjustments to a strategic review of our Hummer brand," said Wagoner. "These moves are all in response to the rapid rise in oil prices and the resulting changes in the U.S., changes that we believe are more structural than cyclical.

"While some of the actions, especially the capacity reductions, are very difficult, they are necessary to adjust to changing market and economic conditions and to keep GM's U.S. turnaround on track and moving forward."

###

For those of you with Onstar's Directions & Connections Plan, eNav is finally up and running at Mapquest.com. I think it is nice that, 1) it took so long to get it here, was suppose to start toward the end of last summer, and 2) they launch it AFTER the Memorial Day weekend. Oh well, at least it is here finally.

For those that don't know what eNav is, OnStar eNav, an enhancement to the Turn-by-Turn Navigation service allows subscribers to plan travel destinations on the MapQuest.com® site and then send them to their OnStar-equipped vehicle. Once on the road, simply press the OnStar phone button, follow the voice-guided commands, and select a destination. Plan online with MapQuest services so you can turn your full attention to the road ahead.

http://www.gmfleet.com/

A few, somewhat, interesting things shown:

• 2008 mileage is still shown.
• The Aveo 5 mileage is up from the 26city/34hwy they said at it's debut to 27city/35hwy.
• The picture of the Malibu they show doesn't have the front side marker light.
• Bluetooth on the G8 will be a late availabillity item.
• The XLR's new face can be seen on page 52.
• The best photoshop EVER of new wheels on the Tahoe Special Services model can be seen on page 126.

No... your car weighs ~3400lbs and the Malibu weighs ~3700lbs. You car may be bigger in terms of length, but the Malibu is bigger where it matters for MPG: weight, and by ~300lbs. I'd say the MPG is pretty impressive. I'd like to know what the city/highway mix was, though.

They were a little vague with that info. But apparently they were going above posted speeds (75) and they were passing people, but they didn't say if that was on a 2-lane road or 4-lane road. Looking at a map, it looks like it was all interstate. Overall I think the mileage is great considering they weren't trying to see how high they could get it. I'm sure driving 60 mph would yeild higher results than 30 mpg. :AH-HA_wink: Did you guys read some of the crap posted on their comments?

DETROIT — We may not be at "peak oil" quite yet, but anyone that's been to a gas pump in the past few months could build a strong case to the contrary. Fuel prices have already hit $4 in sunny Southern California; here in Michigan, gas can run north of $3.50 a gallon. And those high prices are affecting every segment of the automotive landscape, from SUVs to luxury cars.

But when it comes to moving five passengers in comfort, you don't necessarily have to jump into a subcompact to get respectable fuel economy. We decided to find out if Chevrolet's four-cylinder Malibu, combined with the new six-speed automatic, has the eco chops to take on much smaller sedans. Chevy has introduced a segment-exclusive combination with this new model. None of the others (Accord, Camry, Fusion) offer the fuel-sipping potential of a four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic. What's equally unusual is that this is not some stripper with 16-in. tires, dog-dish hubcaps and cloth seats, but a top-of-the-line LTZ that comes with almost everything—standard—for $26,545. For comparison, a Malibu LTZ V6 is priced at $27,745—that's $1200 more, and the four-cylinder Hybrid version, rated at 24 mpg city and the same 32 mpg highway, sells for $24,290. The new combination, the folks at GM said, would amount to 22 mpg in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway for the Malibu's EPA mileage test.

We grabbed the keys to an LTZ four-cylinder, six-speed automatic for some real-world riding—and came away with some rather impressive stats. On a 500-mile, one-day trip across historic U.S. 12 from Woodward Avenue here to Gary, Ind., and back, we hit nearly 30 mpg. Driving conditions were everyday fashion, with lights, air conditioning and the sound system on the whole time—no coasting, no shutting off at stoplights, none of those old Mobilgas Economy Run tricks. We passed other cars every chance we got, and ran at speeds above posted limits on the open stretches—no paddle shifters or Manual mode either, so the the transmission figure could figure out the shifting for itself.

With the six-speed automatic's 4.58:1 First gear and only 169 hp to work with, acceleration was decent. The kickdowns from the transmission were very quick and passing power was good. Overall, the car was quiet and well-behaved. With an effective overall gear ratio of only 2.16:1 in overdrive Sixth gear, the engine whispered along at 2100 rpm at up to 75 mph.

The trip computer showed a potential tank range of 471 miles at continuous highway cruising speeds. Our instantaneous mileage figures rose as high as 34 mpg on flat, straight highways. When we finally had to fill up the tank after the warning light came on, we did the math and came up with 29.89 miles per gallon. And when the gas station signs read between $3.55 and $3.75 per gallon along our route to and from Gary, that was very good news.

Remember, our Malibu was a fully loaded 3700-pound, five-passenger sedan with OnStar, satellite radio, all the normal power accessories, heated seats, tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, leather seating and remote starting. And it returned nearly 30 mpg on a brand-new engine with only 473 miles. That's quite good, indeed. —Jim McCraw

LINK: 2008 Chevy Malibu Four-Cylinder LTZ Real-World Test

It looks like the 2.2VVT got pulled forward.

I'm not reading that here...... Not unless it is listed under "other technologies".

New Chevy Cobalt XFE Delivers 'Xtra' Fuel Economy - Segment Best 36 MPG On The Highway

DETROIT - Consumers looking to squeeze the most mileage from every gallon of gas will find much to appreciate with the new Chevy Cobalt XFE. It delivers a segment-best 36 mpg in highway driving, outdistancing competitors like the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla.

The Cobalt XFE - for Xtra Fuel Economy - is on sale now and includes LS and 1LT coupe and sedan models with the manual transmission. It uses revised engine calibration, low rolling-resistance tires, a new, 3.74:1 final drive ratio and other technologies to achieve an EPA-estimated mileage rating of 25 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. That's an improvement of more than 9 percent over the previous highway mileage.

"Cobalt has always been an efficient performer, but the changes with the new XFE elevate it to a leadership position that will appeal to customers who put fuel economy at the top of their new-car priority list," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "Better still, the efficiency enhancements don't come at the price of the safety and convenience features that serve as the foundation of Cobalt's value story."

The new, higher-efficiency Cobalts are identified at a glance with "XFE" badges on the trunk lid. Customers can also verify the model they're shopping is the higher-mileage model by checking for the "36 mpg" designation on the window sticker.

Like all U.S.-market Cobalt models, XFE editions come standard with:

Head curtain side-impact air bags

Air conditioning

XM Satellite Radio

AM/FM radio with CD and MP3 playback

Rear defogger

Center console with two power outlets

The Cobalt XFE engine is powered by a 2.2L Ecotec engine that delivers excellent performance in conjunction with the class-leading fuel economy. The Ecotec engine also features numerous long-life maintenance items that help reduce ownership costs.

"Any way you look at it, the Cobalt XFE is a smart choice for those looking to maximize their car-buying dollar," said Peper. "It's well equipped, efficient and plenty of fun to drive."

LINK: New Chevy Cobalt XFE Delivers 'Xtra' Fuel Economy - Segment Best 36 MPG On The Highway

From what I've seen, all the new Cobalts are now coming with the VVT 2.2L.

Okay, now I'm really confused. I thought they were all coming with the VVT 2.2 in 2009? In the story, it says "the General made some mid-year changes to the Cobalt with 2.2 liter engine and manual transmission". I took that as a 2008 model getting the changes. The XFE is listed on Chevrolet.com, but it doesn't give a year model. Did they put the VVT 2.2 in limited Cobalts for 2008?

Does the Cobalt XFE come with the VVT 2.2? I haven't seen GM state if it has VVT or not?

I guess it is still possible that the Tahoe will get the same weight saving features as the hybrid Tahoe? (thinner seats, aluminum hood and liftgate, maybe optional spare tire)

I was looking at the ordering guide just now and the (LCS)3.6L V6 VVT DI HYBRID ENGINE puts out 255hp@5800 rpm and 252lb/ft@4000 rpm.

Saturn VUE Green Line LCS 3.6L V6

think it's the new VVT engine..maybe some weight lost too?

slap DI on it and it should get 37 and right close to 2.4L HP... that would've been the best idea.... but, small steps i guess.

They don't come with spare tires anymore. They will have inflater kits.

Just for comparison:

Horsepower 148@5600 rpm-----155@6100 rpm

Torque (lb.-ft.) 152@4200 rpm-----150@4900 rpm

i'm curious to see the #'s on the 2.2L

Horsepower 155@6100 rpm

Torque (lb.-ft.) 150@4900 rpm

Is NY mostly centered around Pontiac? G8 ST, G8 GXP, Solstice Targa. I don't know what else will be there.

Here's a release from awhile back:

NEW YORK -- General Motors’ global design talents come together as GM showcases several award-winning concept vehicles at the 2008 New York International Auto Show. Headlining the event will be Pontiac with three world premiere vehicle introductions. Saab will also unveil an environmentally friendly compact sports luxury concept vehicle to North America.

Concept vehicles from China, Europe, the United States and Australia emphasize design, performance and fuel-saving technologies across GM’s eight vehicle brands – Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Hummer, Saturn, Saab and Cadillac.

Some of the notable concepts you will see at the show include:

The Buick Riviera concept, unveiled to acclaim at the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show, marks the return of a renowned Buick nameplate and communicates a new global design vocabulary for the Buick brand.

Inspired by Scandinavian design values and a respect for the environment, the crossover Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept combines the benefits of turbocharging, direct injection and variable valve timing for the first time with high octane E85 fuel (85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline).

The HUMMER HX concept, a compact, E85-capable vehicle, features a design based on the ideas of a trio of young designers who are new to the HUMMER studio.

The Cadillac Provoq Fuel Cell Concept, a petroleum-free, hydrogen-powered vision of the future of luxury transportation.

Unveiled at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, the GMC Denali XT concept offers a 50-percent increase in combined fuel economy over comparable small pickup trucks when running on gasoline, and incorporates a new, muscular form in a performance-styled, hybrid sport-utility truck (SUT).