Danica goes green for St Pattie’s Day

March 17, 2012 by 1 Comment

In case you live under a rock, today is St. Patrick’s day. Today is also Saturday, which means there is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race this afternoon. Combine the two and there will be a lot of green beer being consumed at Bristol. The marketing team at JR Motorsports decided to have a bit of fun with Danica Patrick‘s Go Daddy Chevy in honour of the day too.

The #7 Impala has been sprayed with the same metallic green as the 2010 Camaro, and adorned with shamrocks and a Happy St. Patrick’s Day message. Obviously, the team is hoping the luck of the Irish will rub off on their St Patrick.

We’ve got video and images of the car after the break.

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Review: 2012 Chevy Tahoe

February 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a teenager, working at a high-end audio store in tony Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and all of a sudden this quiet downtown formally filled with Volvo’s, BMW’s and the like were suddenly replaced with wealthy stay at home mom’s wielding 2-1/2 ton V-8 full-size Chevy Tahoes. Walking across the street on my lunch break for my favorite hamburger had become a risky proposition. But that was twenty years ago. Fast forward to the present, where I tell my friend at GM I am headed to Pennsylvania with my wife and son in tow for an early Christmas, and I’m going to need something that can haul cargo. GM promptly answered that a 2012 Chevy Tahoe LTZ would be at my disposal.

The Tahoe in its current state has been around since 2007, and has remained true to what it is-a full-size SUV. Yet Chevy has managed to keep the Tahoe looking fresh with clean, crisp lines, and a no-fuss exterior. Finished in Silver Ice Metallic complimented with 20″ polished alloys, the Tahoe looked smart and well-proportioned.

Inside, the Tahoe proved to be a quiet retreat from the maddening traffic we faced just skirting New York City. The quality of trim, fit and finish were both excellent. While not well-bolstered, the seats were very comfortable over the long haul. Chevy’s Nav/infotainment touchscreen was a cinch to use, and we appreciated the quality of the Bose audio for Christmas songs. With the three of us, the Tahoe was a joy to be in, but there was a problem. It being Christmas, we had our own gifts to haul down, and we would need to have seating as well. Not a problem for such a huge SUV you say?

Allow me to explain. Our top-spec Tahoe LTZ seats two up front, with two captain’s chairs in the second row, and a third row that Chevy claims will fit three people. The third row is removable, but because the two front rows had seating for four, I knew I had to keep all three rows. That said, the Tahoe’s cargo bed was loaded to the hilt with the third row folded up, just for a weekend trip. Once in Pennsylvania, with five passengers in this massive SUV could barely contain our grocery shopping. My wife who stands at a towering 5′ tall sat in the third row and was not at all comfortable. For all it’s size, the Tahoe just seemed impossibly impractical for what I needed.

Our Tahoe was powered by a 5.3L V-8 rated at 320hp, paired to a six-speed automatic. With an estimated average EPA fuel economy of 17 MPG the Tahoe is one thirsty girl, but in spite of its truck-heritage, the Tahoe is actually an exceptionally refined ride. The towing limit on the Tahoe was 7,200lbs. Our LTZ had standard Autoride suspension, which I am sure helped, but the truth is the Tahoe was a cinch to eat up mile after mile of interstate. Passing power was never a problem, the V-8 ready and waiting. Yes, the steering feel was dead on arrival in terms of feel, but that’s what you expect on a large SUV. With my wife and son nodding off, I was simply astonished at how the Tahoe remained completely composed as I sliced through traffic.

Our Tahoe LTZ was well equipped, with leather seats that were heated and cooled up front, heated steering wheel, XM Radio, Navigation, three-zone climate control, and power liftgate. Our Tahoe was optioned with the Sun & Entertainment Package, which added rear seat DVD entertainment and sunroof, heavy duty cooling package and trailer brake controller for a total of $59,135USD including delivery.

On our return trip to Connecticut, the Tahoe was positively exceptional, but for nearly $60k there are better options out there for the average family. But if you need to tow, go off-road, and haul folks the Chevy Tahoe more than fits the bill.

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Chevy shows Korean Miray concept in The D

January 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

For any gearhead worth his or her salt, concept cars are pretty much the most exciting part of going to any auto show. It doesn’t even matter if they have been shown before, all that matters is that we get to dream about what could be.

The good folks at Chevrolet know this, which is why they brought the Miray concept to Detroit. While it shared little or anything in common with anything else in the Chevy booth, the concept, which was originally shown in Seoul last year, drew onlookers even during the media preview. The drop dead sexy machine has design cues very loosely based on Chevy heritage while motivation is of the gas/electric hybrid variety.

Behold to glitter of the Miray after the break, along with a video from the folks at Sick Rides.
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Chevy shows the Wonder Twins at Detroit

January 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

As some of the traditional imports work their tails off to capture the youth market, General Motors has their work cut out for them as they try to capture some of the younger demographic. Rather than attempt to decide for the public what format the masses want, The General launched 2 distinctly different concept cars wearing the Chevy Bowtie at Detroit.

One, the Code 130R is a rear wheel drive, four seat coupe that looks like a mashup between Chevy’s big boy Camaro and the ever so popular BMW 1 Series. The other is a 3 door hatch that looks more like a Chevy-fied Mitsu Eclipse than anything else on the road. Like the Eclipse, the Tru 140S would be a front wheel drive layout.

Both cars look great, but my nod goes to the Code 130R as the most likely candidate to steal some thunder from the upcoming Toyota / Subaru twins.

Check out the full press release and a gallery of both cars after the break.
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Review: 2012 Chevrolet Volt

January 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Being a car journalist, anyone who knows me well is used to the fact that I’m driving a different car every week. So when I pick up my five year old son, he always asks what kind of car we have when I show up in something new. I tell him it’s a Chevy Volt-it’s a car I can drive on electric power and plug in to charge, or drive on gas. The concept sort of blew his mind. My friends and family are pretty jaded about the constant comings and goings of press cars, but I can honestly say that no other car I have driven in the past three years has received the level of interest the Chevy Volt has.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, the Volt is a revolutionary car for Chevy. The Volt promises the best of both worlds-decent range electric use, and the assurance that a gas engine is there when the juice runs out. The concept of a hybrid vehicle is fully accepted, but with the Volt, Chevy has raised the concept to a new level. And what everyone wanted to know was how is it to live with the Volt? When I test a car for The Garage, that car is my only means of transportation for an entire week. It has to do it all. So how was it? Read on….

To start, the Volt manages to look futuristic and slick. The only other Chevy as slippery as the Volt is the Corvette. Some detractors have called the Volt a dressed up Cruze, a claim I feel is baseless. Instead, the Volt looks the part of a contemporary, cutting edge car but does not suffer the geek factor that plagues the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. The Volt presents itself as a more masculine car, yet with greater attention to detail. There is a tasteful use of chrome, and the piano black trim on the roof and window surrounds is a refreshingly different touch. The Volt has essentially schooled the Prius and Insight that you can set yourself apart as being modern and different without looking like a tool.

As for being modern, step inside the Volt and toss out your idea of a conventional gauge cluster. Facing you are two crystal clear, easy to read LCD screens. While it is certainly different from what you see in most cars, the Volt’s display is very easy to read and understand. All information regarding speed, range on electric and gas is simple to comprehend. Chevy deserves a round of applause for going unconventional yet so user friendly. The rest of the interior? Well, it’s not bad. But it is no where near the level of quality one should expect at this price point. Once the novelty of the LCD screens wears off, you are left with what is essentially just an average interior. While our test Volt had was loaded to the hilt, I was incredulous that the seats were manually adjustable-power seats aren’t even an option. The center-stack console is awash in touch-sensitive, but featureless ‘buttons’. Cutting edge, maybe, but easy and intuitive? Not so much. Because of the battery pack, the rear seat has only two bucket seats, and it’s a bit on the small side. While the Volt is a hatchback, again, the battery takes a huge bite out of the cargo area. Worse is that there is no separation from the cargo area to the rear seats. Chevy doesn’t even offer a proper means of covering the hatch area. Our Volt had a black cloth/tarp thing to conceal belongings in the hatch area. Inexcusable, Chevy, even the cheapest hatches on the market do better than this.

What separates the Volt from virtually anything on the road is its drivetrain. So, how does the Volt work? Let’s start with the battery, which is a 5′ 6″ 435lb T-shaped lithium ion battery pack, supplying power to a 111 kW electric drive, or the equivalent to 149hp. When electric power is depleted, a 1.4L gas engine kicks in that operates the car’s electric drive system. As exotic and otherwordly as all this tech sounds, the Volt is like driving any other car, with the absence of engine noise. The Volt feels torquey off the line, but this is no sport sedan. Rather, the Volt will have no trouble keeping up in traffic. Again, for what it is, the Volt feels very much like an ordinary car. I found it surprising how quickly I got accustomed to just the sound of rolling tires and wind noise, and the utter absence of internal combustion as I rolled along.

But the big question is, what is it like to live with a Chevy Volt? It’s actually pretty simple. The Volt comes with a plug that can fit any 120v outlet. So, if I wanted to charge the Volt, I simply parked her in my driveway, opened the Volt’s charger door with a push of a button, plugged it in to an outlet in my house, and could see the car was being charged. Chevy equips the Volt with a charger kit to connect car to outlet via a 20′ cord.  On a 120 volt outlet, Chevy says it will take about 10 hours to charge the battery. Upgrade to 240 volts and charging time is cut to four hours. During my week with the Volt, I charged it overnight three times. Each time, the Volt promised, and provided around 30 miles of electric drive. And during that week, I never left town. At best I’ll say I drove about one mile with the gas engine on. Talking about gas mileage on a Volt is virtually impossible, because it depends entirely on how you use it.

It’s no news that the Volt has not met Chevy’s expectations. The all-electric Nissan Leaf outsells it 2:1, which simply amazes me. Chevy has come up with excuses, but the most damning thing to the Volt was the report of batteries catching fire after a side-impact crash. This only happened under testing, and no actual Volt buyer has been affected. Chevy has contended that the Volt is safe, and the problem would have been avoided if the batteries had been depleted. GM offered loaner cars to Volt owners who were concerned. Today, GM also offered Volt owners the option to bring their car to their local dealership for reinforcements to the steel containing the batteries. Of the 8,000 Volts sold to date, only 250 owners returned their cars.

The Chevrolet Volt is at once a revolution and an enigma at once. The bad press is not helping matters. The price of the Volt is doing it no favors either. A base Volt has an MSRP of $39,145USD. Our test car was fully loaded with GPS Navigation, Premium Package which added leather, heated seats, rear camera and parking sensors, chromed wheels and Bose audio for a whopping $46,165USD.  With the US Federal Government offering a $7,500 tax break, that lessens the price to $38,665. Has the Volt met GM’s expectations? No. Are they losing money on each one they sell? Likely. But the Volt is a good car. If you were willing to stand in line at an Apple store before you even knew what an iPod, iPhone, or iPad was, then the Chevy Volt is the automotive equivalent.

 

Filed Under: Featured Stories, New car reviews, New cars, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Chevy Discontinues HHR

November 2, 2011 by 4 Comments

Conspicuous by its absence from Chevy’s 2012 line of crossovers, the HHR has been dropped. The HHR (Heritage High Roof) first arrived as a 2006 model, and was left largely unchanged through its lifespan. Enthusiasts may recall the HHR SS introduced as a 2008, a neat little hot rod boasting a 2.0L turbo four rated at 260hp, a five-speed manual and racy bodywork. The HHR SS was dropped after 2010. Apart from that model, the HHR was a fairly unremarkable, but capable vehicle.

Personally, it is a car I am not sad to see go the way of the dodo. Chevy, as a brand, is moving forward with interesting new product, and the HHR was a reminder of Chevy’s recent misguided past. Spurred by the raging initial success of the Chrysler PT Cruiser, and with no original idea of their own, Chevy poached the guy who designed the PT Cruiser and charged him with designing basically the same car, but this time drawing inspiration from the 1949 Chevy Suburban. And he did just that, but by the time the HHR arrived, the PT Cruiser was in its sixth year of production, and the hype had long since faded. While the HHR did outlast the PT, such a retro design left little or no room for the HHR to evolve. The Chevy of today was smart to let the HHR quietly die.

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Sexy new Chevy Colorado pickup coming to North American showrooms

October 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

As part of their restructuring effort, General Motors vowed to build a fleet of “World Cars”. It would appear that the Chevrolet Cruze and recently introduced Sonic are just the tip of the iceberg. Chevy has just announced that an all new Colorado, mid sized pickup will be in showrooms in Thailand soon and that it will be coming to our shores not long after.

That’s right, Chevy’s newest pickup will launch in Thailand, not North America!

While North American’s may have a love affair with stupidly huge, Texas sized half tons, the rest of the World is happy to drive more sensibly sized mid size trucks. In fact, Thailand is the market for smaller trucks world wide.

Based on a new truck platform developed by GM in Brazil, the Colorado will receive the features that are demanded in each individual market:

“For example, Chevrolet Colorado Chief Engineer Roberto Rempel and his team lived in Thailand during the Colorado’s development,” said Brad Merkel, global vehicle line executive. “They immersed themselves in the highly competitive truck market and observed how the Thai people use their vehicles and the driving conditions they experience.”
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Chevy Sonic storms the beach in rural Quebec

October 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Since catching a glimpse of the upcoming Chevrolet Sonic earlier this year, I’ve been dying to drive Chevy’s new hatch. The General hasn’t had a serious contender in this segment in a very long time. Sure, they had the Aveo, but it was far from being a rival to some of the traditional imports. In other words, The General has a lot riding on the new Aveo Sonic.

First off, there are a couple of things about the new car that nosy gearheads will want to know, although most consumers likely won’t car to ask. Even though buyers in Canada and the rest of the World love hatchbacks, US drivers still seem to lean towards sedans in the showroom which means Chevrolet has to offer both. While the design team is truly made up of a global team, the car was developed by GM Korea which prompted one journo on the press launch to get into a debate with a GM employee over this being a Daewoo. It may be splitting hairs, but the Daewoo brand no longer exists so who cares? Canadian cars will be built at the Orion Assembly plant in Michigan. Adding to potential confusion, this true “World Car” will be sold as Sonic in some markets and Aveo in others. It would seem that the Aveo moniker is a positive one in some markets. In other cases, the Sonic name was not available for use.
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Chevy Ready to go Sonic

September 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

When talking about subcompact cars, Chevy isn’t a name that gets mentioned often, but the truth is the bowtie brand has, in one form or another, had a subcompact sitting on their lots for the past 25 years (remember the Spectrum?). With its all new Sonic, Chevy appears dead serious about changing their status from also-ran to a contender in this increasingly popular class of car. While the Nissan Versa rules the market here in the US, Chevy faces stiff competition from the well-received Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, and a redesigned Toyota Yaris. The Sonic replaces the forgettable Aveo for 2012 (in North America only, it’s still called the Aveo elsewhere).

The Sonic goes on sale this Fall, and has the distinction of being the only subcompact car sold here that is actually built on American soil. The Sonic will be available as a four door sedan or five door hatchback in three trim levels, LS, LT and LTZ (see below for pricing and features). Two engines will be offered-standard on all Sonics is a 1.8L four cylinder rated at 138hp, paired with a five-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic. On Sonic LT and LTZ’s, buyers have the option of a 1.4L turbocharged four, which is available with a six-speed manual only. While horsepower is the same at 138hp, the smaller turbocharged engine has more torque and is expected to get better gas mileage as well.

Models and Pricing

Prices shown are four door sedan/five door hatchback, respectively.

Sonic LS: $14,495USD/$15,395

The base Sonic comes standard with 15″ alloys, 10 airbags, stability control, OnStar, AC, power locks, keyless entry and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel.

Sonic LT: $15,695/$16,495

The mid-level Sonic adds a six speaker stereo with XM satellite radio, power windows, and power heated mirrors.

Sonic LTZ: $17,295/$17,995

The top-spec Sonic adds a USB port, Blutetooth, steering wheel audio controls, heated leatherette seats, cruise control, fog lights and 17″ alloys.

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Chevy Confirms Cruze Diesel coming to North America

July 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Chevy has announced that a diesel-powered Cruze will be available in North America-but not until sometime in 2013. No details were given on how much power, torque, or fuel economy we can expect from an oil-burning Cruze. A diesel powered Cruze is currently available in Europe. Seeing as the gas powered Cruze Eco, available here now, gets a stellar 42mpg on the EPA Highway cycle, Chevy must have very high hopes on what a diesel Cruze can attain. Otherwise, why bother?

What, you mean no hybrid, you ask? I see three reasons why we’re not going to see a Cruze hybrid in the near future:

1. From the start, Chevy has marketed the Cruze Eco as a conventionally powered car that delivers near-hybrid like fuel economy without the added cost, weight, and concern over battery life. Rolling out a hybrid would be a rolling contradiction.

2. Cost. A diesel engine that bolts right into a Cruze already exists. Which do you think costs less, legalizing that engine to meet US emissions, or developing a hybrid drivetrain?

3. Toyota. Or, Honda. Both, actually. Face it-Toyota OWNS the hybrid market. Sure, there’s a Civic Hybrid out there, but it is a slow seller, and one of the reasons is that it looks just like any other Civic. As of June 30, 2011, Honda sold 2,433 Civic Hybrids so far this year in the US, which is less than .02% of total Civic sales. Compare that to the 66,520 Toyota Prius’ sold  in the same span of time (and nearly six times the number of Honda Insights sold!), and the choice for going diesel for better mileage is an obvious choice.

So, a Cruze diesel makes pretty good sense. For years, diesel-powered VW Jettas have been the only game in town for a compact, four door diesel, so I am anxious to see how a new player to a market owned by the Jetta will do. I personally find the Cruze more interesting to look at, inside and out than the current Jetta. The Jetta’s TDI engine is a gem, though, so whatever Chevy offers had better be good. If they can match the Jetta TDI for power, refinement, and economy, at a good price, the Cruze diesel has the potential to do well here. And Chevy, if you’re listening-if you’re going to woo the VW diesel faithful, you MUST offer a manual transmission! Just sayin’.

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