Edmunds reveals most wanted vehicle awardees; editors, readers

Edmunds.com announced recently the winners of the sixth annual Edmunds.com Consumers' Most Wanted vehicle awards. Apparently, however, Edmunds editors and readers differ greatly in what they think is important and desirable in terms of a new car or truck. Edmunds readers agreed on only 8 out of 32 of Most Wanted Vehicles with the Editors.

By a considerable margin, the 2007 GMC Acadia won the flagship award, which is Edmunds.com Consumers?Most Significant Vehicle of 2007. The next highest finisher was the 2007 Saturn Aura, and the 2007 Honda Fit took the third place. However, Toyota Tundra was the readers?choice for the flagship award.

On the other hand, among manufacturers, Chevrolet led the pack, winning five awards, while Cadillac and Honda tied for second place, each winning four awards in this year's survey.

The 2007 cars which bagged the awards were the GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Cobalt, Honda Civic and Mazda 3 (tie), Saturn Aura, Acura TSX, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac STS, BMW 5 Series, Lexus LS 460, Honda Civic, Ford Mustang, Infiniti G35, Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911, Kia Rio5, Mazda 3, Audi A3, Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series (tie), BMW 5 Series, Toyota RAV4, GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook, Chevrolet Suburban/ GMC Yukon XL/Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade/Cadillac Escalade ESV, Saturn Sky, Honda S2000, BMW Z4, Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac XLR, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Silverado/2007 GMC Sierra, 2007 Honda Odyssey, and the 2007 Bugatti Veyron 16.4.

The GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV, and Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra were considered twin vehicles?that were listed jointly in the ballot. As described in detail in the Edmunds.com article entitled Twinned Vehicles? these vehicles are built on the same chassis and share most of their under-hood and interior components.

Aside from the Toyota Tundra that won in two different categories, the other vehicles which were agreed by the Edmunds readers were the Honda Civic (in two different categories), BMW 5 Series, Porsche 911, Kia Rio5, Mazda 3, Audi A4, and the Toyota Tacoma.

Edmunds.com Editor-in-Chief Karl Brauer said these awards provide a good idea of what consumers are looking for in their next vehicle, and this year, consumers voiced the opinion that the domestic markets are developing some very compelling cars and trucks.

Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information was launched in 1995 as the first automotive information web site. Edmunds Inc. publishes four web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders.

Volkswagen, maker of quality VW strut insert, was not chosen either by the editors or the readers. Automobile analysts say this is because the German car maker has still need to boost its image in the US market so that Americans will eventually like their concepts and buy its cars.

Source: http://rssmznkdaqtjuf.blogspot.com/2007/08/edmunds-reveals-most-wanted-vehicle.html

GM Utilizes Internet To Introduce New Vehicles

The Internet has been known to be one of the cheapest and most inexpensive means of sending out information. After all, it offers a huge range and a very wide scope. And a wide scope, indeed, it is for the information that you place up high on the Internet could be accessed and viewed by people anywhere in the globe.

And now, General Motors Corporation is making use of this capacity of the Internet. The company has utilized the Internet to introduce two of their newest vehicles to date. The whole General Motors team was very much excited by the whole event; after all, it was going to be one grand happening at that. And what they were going to introduce were the new models of the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra.

The launch was, of course, was just like any other vehicle launch. The only difference was that, aside from the bunch of reporters, photographers, and other media people, the event was also presented and sent out live on the Internet. The launch was held at the General Motor's Milford Proving Grounds. That way, any person who knew about the event could simply go online and view what was happening. It was just like they were personally attending the launch of two of GM's most celebrated vehicles.

The Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra come both equipped with the best type of features and GM performance parts to ensure quality and performance. These two are also counted as the best selling vehicles in the auto manufacturer's line up. And with that, GM surely had to make the whole event much grander than usual. According to the company, they had planned on making these vehicles be successful in the auto market. The Silverado and the Sierra had full sized sport utility vehicles launched just this year and they showed great success. GM hopes that these two new automobiles would be having the same kind of success.

For 2007, the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra were already built on a new platform. And during its development and planning, the company has made sure that these vehicles are geared up just right for the wants and the whims of the market. The exteriors received some restyling and the vehicles also offer more power, more capabilities, and a better fuel economy.

Source: http://movie-tvfpfnxacbet.blogspot.com/2007/08/gm-utilizes-internet-to-introduce-new.html

GM To Build Diesel For Light-Duty Pickups

The General Motors Corp. said last Friday that it will spend $100 million at its Tonawanda, N.Y., plant to build a new diesel engine for its light-duty pickup trucks. The move is anchored on the burgeoning need for diesel-powered pickup trucks in the auto industry.

Generally, diesel engines are more fuel efficient than its gasoline counterparts. They also generate more torque. This is why diesel engines are widely used in the heavy-duty pickups. While diesel engines usually cost more than gasoline engines and need treatment for emissions and particulates, they perform better with heavy tasks like towing and hauling. Adding diesel as an option in more pickup models could augment automakers lineup to meet more stringent fuel-efficiency mandates at the same time satisfying the increasing demands of true truckers. With the rise of global warming concerns, EBC Active Brakes Direct could prevent the implementation of more stringent fuel mandates along with environment-friendly vehicles.

GM said that it will offer a new 4.5-liter V8 diesel engine in its North American light-duty pickup trucks, such as the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra, and in Hummer H2 SUVs built after 2009. The diesel engine will fit in the same space as its small-block, gasoline V8 engine.

Last year, the Silverado was the second-best selling vehicle in the United States. When combined with platform-mate GMC Sierra, they outsell Fords bread-and-butter vehicles ?the F-Series. The Hummer H2 SUVs, on the other hand, is the second product line sold under the Hummer division of GM. Other automakers are also following the trails of the largest American auto manufacturer. The Ford Motor Co. and the Nissan Motor Co. are also working on diesel engines for light-duty pickups.

GM said that it will retain about 150 hourly jobs at its Tonawanda, N.Y., plant to build the new diesel engine. The investment will include a 200,000-square-foot facility renovation, as well as new machinery, equipment and tooling. GM also has allotted $41 million at other locations to support the Tonawanda operations.

The automaker said that its success with the larger Duramax diesel engine in the heavy-duty versions of its pickup trucks led it to add the option for light-duty pickups. "They're forced right now to buy a full heavy-duty truck to be able to have a diesel available to them," said Charlie Freese, the executive director of diesel engineering for GM. "This will satisfy a major market demand."

According to the Detroit-based 4.5-liter V8 Duramax diesel will deliver a 25 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over a similarly powered gasoline engine with "regular" use. It also reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 13 percent.

But the fuel-efficiency comparison goes even higher when used in towing, hauling and driving uphill, Freese said. Additionally, the new diesel engine will be compliant with emission regulations in all 50 states and will meet 2010 emission standards. It will use some new technologies, such as new emission filters.

The automaker would not say how much the engine would cost, but as expected, it will be more costly than a gasoline engine. But the consumer should get a payback due to its fuel efficiency, Freese said. He added that diesel engines can increase the resale value of a pickup truck.

Besides GM, Ford also is developing a 4.4-liter diesel engine to be manufactured in Mexico starting late this decade. The engine will be fitted in the next generation of the Ford F-150 pickup truck. The information was divulged by people familiar with the companys engine program.

Like GM, Ford now offers diesel engines only in the Super Duty versions of its F-series pickup truck. Ford and Navistar are embroiled in lawsuits over the diesel engines.

Source: http://invisionfreeyqcmsyka.blogspot.com/2007/08/gm-to-build-diesel-for-light-duty.html

GM To Invest $100M In New Diesel Plant

The General Motors Corp. will invest $100 million in its Tonawanda, New York State engine plant to produce an all-new, 4.5-litre V-8 Duramax diesel engine for the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra light-duty pickup trucks as well as for the HUMMER H2.

By comparison with the existing Duramax unit, the engine will enhance engine fuel efficiency by 25 percent, reduce CO2 emissions by 13 percent and slash particulates and NOx emissions by at least 90 percent for GMs North American market light duty trucks and the HUMMER H2 built after 2009. This will be GMs first engine to use a selective catalytic reduction NOx aftertreatment system with a diesel particulate filter to help achieve the Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standards.

At present, the largest American automaker currently offers 17 diesel engine variants in 45 vehicle lines around the world. Additionally, GM sells more than one million diesel engines annually, ranging from the 1.3L four-cylinder diesel engines sold in the Vauxhall/Opel Agila and the Corsa to the 6.6L V-8 Duramax diesel supplied in its full-size vans, heavy duty and medium duty pickup trucks in the United States. GM first introduced the Duramax diesel 6.6L V-8 in the U.S. in the 2001 model year, since when GMs heavy duty pickup truck market share has amplified nearly tenfold.

Aside from expanding investments, the Detroit-based automaker is also focusing on the introduction of its Chevrolet Volt Concept. The revolutionary concept vehicle made its Canadian debut today at the Energy and Environment Conference (EECO) in Toronto. The technologically-advanced and elegant Volt has the capability to virtually eliminate the need for commuters to refuel.

"If you are like most Canadians who live and work within a 64 kilometer round trip the Volt is a gas free, emission free car," said David Paterson, the vice president for corporate and environmental affairs, General Motors of Canada. "Drivers will simply unplug and go each morning - much as we do with our cell phones today."

The Volt can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for approximately six hours a day. When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the Volt can generate 64 kilometers of pure electric vehicle range. If drivers need to travel more than 64 kilometers, a range extending power source (which produces electricity from gasoline, hydrogen, ethanol, or biodiesel fuels) effortlessly kicks in to recharge the lithium ion battery pack when required, for a striking driving range of over 1,000 kilometers.

"At GM we believe that tomorrow's automobile must be flexible to accommodate many different energy sources and choices for consumers, and a key part of that flexibility will be enabled by electrically driven cars," added Paterson. "With battery contracts in place and a dedicated team of engineers, General Motors is moving to bring the Volt closer to reality."

He added, The signing of advanced development battery contracts and our announcement to move fuel cell engineers from research and development work to our powertrain and engineering organizations for the E-Flex system are the latest proof points in GM's commitment to providing more green choices for consumers.?

Canada's most affordable hybrid SUV and mid-sedan - the Saturn Vue and Aura Green Line hybrids, and the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid, to be introduced later this year. Chevrolet pickup transfer case lowering kits were warmly appreciated by the Canadians. The automaker has also announced two-mode hybrid versions of the new Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon set to arrive this fall and a two-mode hybrid version of the Oshawa-made Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups in 2008. GM's new two-mode hybrid pickups will be the first hybrids ever built in Canada.

Source: http://fleancecbkxajisgeo.blogspot.com/2007/08/gm-to-invest-100m-in-new-diesel-plant.html