2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport – Click above for high-res image
Do you miss the ? If so, is ready to wipe your tears away. Meet the new Captiva Sport, a shockingly familiar crossover being offered for fleet sales here in the United States. GM is quick to point out that the Sport is a variant of the popular Captiva CUV sold in other markets, though its -badged kin can still be found all over the nation.
The 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport will be available in three trim levels – LS, LT and LTZ – with two different powertrain choices. The base engine is GM’s Ecotec 2.4-liter direct-injected four-cylinder, while the uplevel powerplant is The General’s 3.0-liter direct-injected V6. Having experienced both of these units in the and crossovers, we found the four to be far smoother and more refined than the anemic V6. In any case, both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive is optional on LTZ models.
LT and LTZ models use the 3.0-liter V6 and come standard with OnStar and Bluetooth connectivity. LTZ standard equipment also includes leather-trimmed seats (heated for front passengers), a rear-view camera and premium audio system.
Fleet companies can take delivery of the Vue Captiva Sport as early as the fourth quarter of 2011. For the full details, for GM’s press release.
Remember ? A member of forum Swedespeed.com sure does, and that person’s using it as the inspiration for their own custom P1800.
It’s not quite finished yet, but the results so far are quite impressive. The forum member is detailing the build and the car currently sports the hood scoop, recessed taillights and slanted headlamps found on the Vox P1800. An LS V8 from sits in the engine bay and the fenders are going to be opened up to accommodate larger wheels and tires. The builder is also incorporating the wide-open greenhouse on the Vox design, and working on a way to mimic the interior of the concept vehicle.
There are plenty of builds going on in forums across the Internet, but this is one that we’re going to keep our eye on. Check out the progress . Thanks for the tip, Jack!
has announced that Chris Liddell (above left), the company’s vice chairman and chief financial officer, is leaving the automaker. Liddell joined GM in January 2010 and was instrumental in guiding the manufacturer through its recent initial public offering. At this point, the reasons for Liddell’s departure remain unclear.
According to Automotive News, Liddell was initially viewed as one possible successor to Ed Whitacre as CEO of GM, though that changed when Whitacre unexpectedly announced his plans to retire.
Since then, Dan Akerson has been picked to lead GM.
Dan Ammann (above right), who currently serves as the automaker’s treasurer, will succeed Liddell. Ammann has been with GM for less than a year, having joined the company in March of 2010. Before joining the automotive industry, he served as the managing director and head of industrials investment banking at Morgan Stanley for four years. for the full press release.
Chevrolet Orlando Play-Doh Sculpture – Click above for high-res image gallery
is building buzz for the Chevrolet Orlando in Europe with a rather unique guerrilla marketing campaign. The company crafted a full-scale Play-Doh model of the MPV and parked it in downtown London. The instillation weighs in at a staggering 1.5 tons and measures 15 feet long by almost six feet wide. If you’re trying to work out the connection between Play-Doh and the Orlando, don’t stretch your gray matter too hard. As it turns out, the connection has less to do with any correlation between the vehicle and the malleable goo than it does with some research conducted by the minds at Chevrolet.
The automaker pinged 1,000 UK adults in an attempt to discern the most popular toy of yesteryear. Play-Doh handily took that title with 19 percent of the vote. We’re a little disappointed to see that the modeling compound beat out Lego blocks at 17 percent. A full-scale Play-Doh Orlando is impressive, no doubt, but we’ve got a special place in our hearts for huge Lego builds. for the full press blast.
2010 ChevroletCorvette Convertible Grand Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to Automotive News, has seen sales increase slightly after months of decline. The General’s sports car saw sales jump by 13 percent in both January and February compared to the same months one year ago. All told, saw 955 Corvette models slip off of dealer lots in the first two months of 2011. That’s good news for General Motors. Well, maybe good is too strong of a word.
See, Corvette sales haven’t exactly been breaking any records as of late. Automotive News reports that, since 2006, the vehicle’s sales have been in a steady state of freefall. In fact, back then Corvette models were selling at a rate of roughly 3,000 units per month for a total of 36,518 vehicles. Last year, that figure was just 12,624.
So, why the slump? It’s no secret that C6 Corvette is growing long in the tooth. The latest generation of the baddest Bow Tie was introduced in 2006, and muscle cars like the , and are now flexing similar power figures for significantly less cash. While it’s true that neither of those offerings can deliver the kind of handling that the still-wicked Corvette serves up, the majority of the population simply doesn’t care.
Behind the scenes with Motus – Click above to watch video
It would be planetary-sized understatement to say we’re a little excited about the work that the guys and girls at Motus are up to these days. With engineering work from names like Pratt & Miller and Katech, the MTS-01 and MTS-R should prove to be something to write home about. Both bikes get their power from a direct-injection V4 that’s essentially a scale version of the General Motors LS-family V8. At just 18 inches across, the engine hits the scales at 130 pounds and cranks out 160 horsepower.
Motus is planning to ride the two new bikes from the Pratt & Miller offices in Michigan to Daytona, Florida for Bike Week, with plans on hitting around 250 locations around the country during and after the bikes’ unveil in the Sunshine State. In order to get the word out, the company has unveiled a quick video to demonstrate just some of the work that went into bringing the motorcycles from CAD files to life. to see the clip for yourself as well as a press release on the MTS-01.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and have announced the recall of 10,000 vehicles. According to The Detroit News, certain and models may have been built with a defect that can prevent the vehicle’s defroster from effectively clearing the windshield. NHTSA is concerned that the reduced visibility could lead to an accident.
The problem was discovered to during a production trial, in which one in 50 vehicles exhibited the defect.
At the moment, no crashes or incidents have been reported as a result of the programming error, though it’s worth noting that only a third of the 10,179 vehicles covered by the recall actually belong to customers. The rest are either unsold or are awaiting delivery.
Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Jr. and Chief Executive Alan Mulally have reportedly been given big-time bonuses by the Blue Oval for keeping things moving when and filed for bankruptcy. Mulally received $56.5 million worth of Ford stock before taxes and Ford got stock worth $42.4 million.
Ford, Jr. hired Mulally from Boeing in 2006, before they went around to different banks to secure restructuring loans to stay solvent through the lending crisis and economic recession. In 2010, Ford saw its best year since 1999, clearing $6.6 billion in profits.
To add to their enormous bonuses, the Los Angeles Times says that Ford, Jr. and Mulally opted to purchase Ford stock at $14.76 a share. Market value of Ford stock rose three percent today to $14.46 a share.
halted production at six of its plants last week after a fire at Magna International interrupted the companies’ supply of interior parts. The conflagration also halted production at the AutoAlliance International - joint-venture plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, and Automotive News says that production there won’t resume until Friday, March 11. AN does not give a timeframe for when the , also produced at AutoAlliance, will head back into production.
According to reports, the fire started on Wednesday and took nearly a day to put out, damaging around 40 percent of the 187,000-square-foot Magna Atrium plant in Michigan. The Atrium plant builds door panels, instrument clusters and interior trim pieces for GM, , Ford, Mazda and .
Thankfully, the fire didn’t injure any workers, but Magna officials are still trying to determine the extent of the physical damage. No word yet on what the monetary damages will be from the fire, but according to The Detroit News, about half the plant is already back up and running, and the indicates that GM will resume full production at its plants today.
Next-generation Chevrolet Colorado teaser – Click above for high-res image
let a sneak peek at its new global-platform ChevroletColorado slip ahead of the truck’s official debut at the Bangkok Motor Show in Thailand. The show starts March 25, so GM is giving us just enough to get the gist of what our next-generation Chevrolet Colorado/ may look like.
The General says it picked Thailand for the truck’s debut because the Southeast Asian market is becoming a huge player for the automaker, and people in Thailand are buying pickups at an alarming rate. In 2010, pickups accounted for 43 percent of vehicles sold in Thailand.
The truck will be built in Thailand for global consumption, but will most likely carry over Stateside as the new Colorado/Canyon, and is being prepped by GM of Brazil for the American market. for The General’s official press blast.
2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
Chevrolet says the will cost €41,950, including Europe’s hefty value added tax, when it goes on sale in Germany later this year, and will carry a similar price tag when it launches on the rest of the continent. European Volts will come with standard leather seats, and Chevrolet’s eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty. The Volt’s -badged twin will also hit the streets of Europe in the coming months, as well.
The warranty covers the car’s powertrain as well as its lithium-ion battery. Chevrolet says that it offers the most comprehensive battery warranty of any EV manufacturer. Between its electric motors and gasoline-fed generator, the Volt is good for a combined range of 375 miles, and recharges on a normal household outlet. for GM’s press release.
Our crack team of spy photographers have managed to set their lenses on an automotive quandary. Reports from the field say that this particular machine was spotted last year wearing even more camouflage, and that at the time, it was suspected that the vehicle could be the sedan successor to the . Now, though, we’ve seen the four-door Sonic that’s heading to our market later this year, so our guess is that this particular vehicle isn’t aiming to take the States.
That still doesn’t answer exactly what the pint-sized four door is, nor does it give us any idea of where the production version will touch down.
There’s some indication that is readying a new compact fighter to tango in markets in South America, India and China, and that the checkerboard prototype you see above is that very vehicle. Still, with the Sonic being manufactured in Korea, we have to wonder why GM would be interested in pursuing an additional model for the rest of Asia. We’ll keep our ears down and our eyes open and let you know what we find.
has been given the go-ahead to begin selling off the remaining old GM assets as part of the automaker’s restructuring plan. According to The Detroit News, a federal bankruptcy judge approved the plan after a day-long hearing. Judge Robert E. Gerber is expected to issue a written opinion on the matter within the next few days, and the sale’s confirmation date is set to be announced on March 31.
As part of the move, 610 million shares of old GM stock will be cancelled. Creditors have submitted verified claims of around $29.5 billion, and as part of the plan, those entities will receive $5 billion in new GM stock and warrants. That figure equates to around 15 percent of all new-GM stock.
In addition, Gerber moved to approve a $773 million environmental trust designed to help fund and oversee the cleanup of 89 former General Motors plants in 14 states. An additional plan is in the works to address additional environmental issues.
Those include an extra $536 million to cover cleanup costs and $300 million for demolition costs and property taxes.
Gerber’s decision means that the last remaining embers of the old GM are officially dying out. The Detroit News reports that the company should cease doing business by no later than December 15.
Jamie Hresko, head of Powertrain since June 2010, is stepping away in pursuit of other opportunities. While that’s often code for “I was forced out, but we’re keeping it quiet,” the Detroit Free Press reports that a source close to the situation asserts that Hresko is leaving of his own accord. Hresko has been at GM for 28 years, spending time in roles ranging from managing the Orion Township assembly plant to overseeing global quality.
The suspicion that there’s more going on beneath the surface stems from GM CEO Dan Akerson’s that shuffled Tom Stephens to the side and placed in the product operations role. There’s also widespread belief that Akerson is pushing for unreasonable demands and, not being a “car guy,” critics fear he doesn’t have the ear for the car business. So far, nothing but the face value of the story has been confirmed, but tongues are wagging that there might be more to Hresko’s departure than anyone’s confirming.
2012 Opel Ampera – Click above for high-res image gallery
Just as the first round of are hitting the streets of the United States, Europe’s own version of the electrified sedan makes its debut at the . took the wraps off the , a sedan that wears more aggressively styled body panels than its cousin. It’s pretty slick, and when you consider the technology that exists underneath that shapely sheetmetal, Europe should be pleasantly surprised.
Pricing, however, is a bit steep. GM has set the Ampera’s base price at €42,900, which includes Europe’s steep Value Added Tax, and that translates to roughly $60,000 based on current exchange rates. Still, Opel says that it already has about 1,000 orders placed for the sedan across the continent, and with Voltec engineering on tap, hopefully the Ampera will make as big of a splash in Europe as the Volt has here in America.
2012 Saab 9-5 SportCombi – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’re glad to see that the is looking good once again. During the -influenced mid-2000s, the 9-5 took on a bit of a weird shape (those chrome-ringed Dame Edna headlamps were just awful), and thus, the subsequent wagon variant wasn’t nearly as special as the generation that debuted in the late-1990s. That all changes now, as has officially pulled the wraps off of the SportCombi of the new , and might we say, hubba hubba.
Aside from the addition of some rear windows and some sheetmetal, nothing significant has changed in the 9-5’s transition from a sedan to a proper station wagon. Both the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and 2.8-liter turbo-six will still be on hand, with the larger engine paired to the automaker’s XWD all-wheel-drive system. Look for production to start later this year.
2012 Lancia Ypsilon – Click above for high-res image gallery
Take a good long look at the . If not because it’s a vital new product for one of the oldest marques in autodom, then because it’s also slated to wear a badge one day soon.
That Lancia and Chrysler are getting closer than a couple of drunk teens after the prom is no longer a secret. They share a common CEO – both at the group and brand levels – and will act as each-other’s agents in their respective markets (not unlike their counterparts at Vauxhall, Opel and Holden units). Vehicles we know as Chrysler models will soon be sold in Europe under Lancia’s umbrella. This car will be marketed as a Lancia in contental Europe, as a Chrysler in the UK, and possibly as a Chrysler in the States as well.
We ran through the full details of the new Ypsilon a couple of weeks ago when Lancia dropped the details, but if you want to see this upscale five-door platform-mate looks outside the studio and on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show, click through our live gallery below.
Fusion Outsells Accord, Toyota Looks Good, GM Jumps
First, a couple items of house keeping. For starters, we’ve decided to stop including , and . The brands haven’t sold a thing for months now, so it’s safe to mark their times of death and move on only reporting sales for the remaining four brands at . We would also advise to stop reporting sales, as there are none and the weight of what the dead brand sold last year is dragging down the automaker’s overall performance.
With that out of the way, feast your eyes on the sales figures for February 2011, an impressive 24 days of selling if ever there were some. In fact, it was the best month of sales for the U.S. auto industry since the Cash for Clunkers program in August 2009. What sticks out most is posting a 463% increase in sales versus the same month last year, which isn’t that hard to do considering it only sold 97 units last year.
What’s also evident is that appeared to have a great month, which isn’t surprising considering that February of 2010 was the company’s first full month of U.S. sales after recalls surrounding instances of sudden acceleration really gained national attention. So expect Toyota’s sales performance over the next few months or more to appear a little inflated.
Finally, we’ll point out one more thing that’s not evident at all in the table below. Ford reported 23,111 sales of the last month, a number that stuck out to as particularly high for that model. We checked, and it is. Thanks to particularly attractive incentive deals (and maybe extra fleet sales we can’t see, it’s impossible to tell), the Fusion outsold the and in February to become the month’s second best-selling car behind the .
Check out the rest of the moth’s numbers in the table below.
*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in February 2011 versus 24 selling days in February 2010, so the change in monthly sales volume will be the same as the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback – Click above for high-res image gallery
Last Fall, we spent some quality time debunking the . The Europeans, however, need no such convincing, as five-doors and wagons rule the roost in many a segment overseas. understands this, which is why it has rolled out the hatchback in Geneva. With estimating that 65 percent of all compact sales in Europe are of the hatchback variety, this model is arguably more important than the sedan in much of the world.
Slated to go on sale in the middle of this year, the Cruze’s 60/40 split rear seat and around 14 cubic feet of cargo space should add some utility to Chevy’s very mature compact offering. Check it out in the gallery below and then hit the jump for GM’s official presser.
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Live photos copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL
Saab PhoeniX Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s been about one year since and parted ways, and the automaker is hellbent on showing the world what it’s capable of creating on its own means. In addition to an , Saab is showing off a major concept for the brand at this year’s – a design that will preview the future face of the automaker, penned by famed designer Jason Castriota. In case you haven’t been paying attention, Castriota has created such pretty creations as the and .
Castriota’s latest creation, the Saab PhoeniX, is a sleek hatchback concept that uses the automaker’s new ‘aeromotional’ design language. Saab describes this as “a visual evocation of the aerodynamic design principles and passion for innovation that inspired the creators of Saab’s first car, the iconic Ursaab.” Long story short – absolute gorgeousness. The concept uses butterfly doors that reveal a two-plus-two seating arrangement, and the modern interpretation of the Saab teardrop shape is seriously attractive.
Under the shapely metal is Saab’s 200-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four mated to the automaker’s XWD all-wheel-drive system. Inside, the PhoeniX uses the new Saab IQon infotainment platform that uses the Google Android operating system. The car itself may be totally conceptual, but we’ll see IQon make its way into Saab products in the coming years (stay tuned for more details).
for Saab’s full press release, and see the sleek new PhoeniX concept in high-res glory in the image galleries below.
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Live photos copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL
Jamie Hresko, head of Powertrain since June 2010, is stepping away in pursuit of 
First, a couple items of house keeping. For starters, we’ve decided to stop including , and . The brands haven’t sold a thing for months now, so it’s safe to mark their times of death and move on only reporting sales for the remaining four brands at . We would also advise to stop reporting sales, as there are none and the weight of what the dead brand sold last year is dragging down the automaker’s overall performance.
