The GMC Acadia was introduced as one of America’s pioneering three-row crossovers in 2007, and it’s still going strong today; in fact, the Acadia set an all-time sales record just last year. But while GMC doesn’t want to mess with success too much, GM’s Professional Grade division has introduced a significantly—yet subtly—enhanced 2013 Acadia at this year’s Chicago Auto Show.

The new Acadia gets a new appearance, for starters, with chiseled good looks that are highlighted up front by a bold three-bar grille and diffused LED running lamps. Wraparound rear glass accented by a new rear spoiler complement the vehicle’s refined exterior, while a highly detailed tail lamp design provides the finishing touches. Softer soft-touch materials, set off by French stitching and ambient lighting, are among the sophisticated improvements to the Acadia’s cabin, as are its standard GMC Color Touch Radio, which can be combined with IntelliLink to enable hands-free calling and Internet music streaming.

Significantly, the Acadia’s infotainment system also now relies on advanced capacitive-touch controls for ease of use.

The 2013 Acadia will boast some impressive new hardware, too, including a standard rearview camera system, a next-gen six-speed automatic transmission and GMC’s first application of its new front-center airbag system. Designed to protect front-seat occupants during impacts to the opposite side of the Acadia, this airbag, mounted on the inboard side of the driver’s seat, deploys between the driver and the front-seat passenger for an added measure of crash protection.

The range-topping Acadia Denali has been fine-tuned as well, adding a new three-dimensional polished grille and redesigned front and rear fascias to a long list of standard luxury accoutrements, including:

• Body-color lower cladding and rocker moldings, rear fascia and fender flares
• Unique body-side moldings with chrome accents and Denali badges
• Dual flow-through chrome exhaust outlets integrated into the rear fascia
• 20-inch machined wheels
• Perforated leather seating and Denali-specific Cocoa Dune upholstery color
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with wood inserts and power tilt/telescope
• Aluminum trim accents
• Heated and cooled front seats
• Accent lighting in foot wells and lighted sill plates with Denali logo
• Color Touch navigation
• Side Blind Zone and Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Dual SkyScape sunroof system, with sliding front sunroof and fixed rear section
• All-wheel drive

“With an award-winning combination of space, capability and fuel-efficiency, Acadia epitomizes GMC’s ‘never say never’ attitude,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of GMC Marketing. “For 2013, our engineers and designers applied that same attitude to developing the new Acadia.”

General Motors will invest approximately $380 million to prepare the Wentzville Assembly plant for production of an all-new Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup. The move is expected to create or retain approximately 1,260 jobs hourly and salaried jobs.

“The all-new Colorado builds on Chevrolet’s strong truck heritage,” said Cathy Clegg, GM vice president of Labor Relations. “As we celebrate the first 100 years of Chevrolet today, it is exciting to bring this new global product to the Wentzville team. They also have a strong heritage – a long-standing commitment to building quality products.”

The new Colorado is based on an all-new midsize truck architecture developed by GM do Brasil. Engineers will tailor the truck for local needs in major markets where the Colorado will be sold, including the United States.

The Wentzville Assembly plant, which has about 1,400 employees, currently produces the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates that the members of UAW Local 2250 have all the qualities of a world-class work force,” said Joe Ashton, UAW vice president representing the GM Department. “We recognize and appreciate their focus on quality, flexibility and hard work.  These new products will provide an opportunity for the plant to be more fully utilized and provide good-paying, middle-class jobs for Wentzville.”

Product details, timing and pricing will be announced later. The current-generation Colorado will be produced in Shreveport, LA through the 2012 model year. For more information on the Colorado, visit Chevy Amarillo TX or your local dealer.

General Motors Co. today reported total sales of 186,895 vehicles in October, up 2 percent from October 2010. Retail deliveries were up 3 percent compared with the same month a year ago, which made up 77 percent of GM sales. Deliveries to fleet customers were essentially flat.

“Chevrolet led the way for GM in October driven by the continued success of the Cruze and Equinox,” said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. “Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC have all performed well this year, which has set the stage for our transition to a higher mix of 2012 model-year vehicles. Combined with the launches of several new fuel-efficient cars, including the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick LaCrosse eAssist, we are very well positioned going forward.”

In October, GM’s year-over-year passenger car sales increased 4 percent, crossover sales decreased 1 percent and sales of trucks, including full-size pickups, vans and SUVs, increased 2 percent. For the month, 2012 models accounted for 80 percent of passenger car sales and about half of truck and crossover sales.

Notable in October were double-digit sales increases for the Chevrolet Equinox, Camaro and Express, the Cadillac SRX, the Buick Regal and the GMC Terrain, as well as the continued success of the Chevrolet Cruze. Chevrolet dealers delivered more than 1,100 Volts for the vehicle’s best month to date, and GM remains on track to expand Volt availability to 2,600 dealers in all 50 states by the end of the year.

The automaker’s new crash avoidance system is available on the 2012 Terrain and uses a single, high-resolution digital camera to help drivers avoid front-end and unsignalled lane departure crashes.

The camera is mounted on the windshield ahead of the rearview mirror and sends images to a processor that looks for shapes of vehicles and lane markings. Audible warnings and a high-mounted display alert the driver when following another vehicle too closely, when a crash is imminent, or when departing the lane without signaling first.

Green “vehicle ahead” and “lanes detected” icons, along with flashing read “forward collision alert” and amber “lane departure warning” icons that combine with warning chimes to alert the driver. The forward collision alert operates above 25 mph and warns the drive about following distance or imminent danger of a crash. When the system determines a collision is imminent, vehicle brakes are pre-charged to help drivers quickly reach maximum braking.

Lane departure warning operates at speeds above 35 mph, and its green icon illuminates when lane markings are detected. If the vehicle drifts out of the lane without the driver signaling, the lamp turns amber and is supplemented by audible warning beeps.

As just one sign of the steadily improving economy, a recent study completed by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that this summer, annual spending on home improvement projects is expected to reach its highest levels in more than three years. That has more and more local contractors discovering the need to upgrade their fleets, and they’re also discovering that the GMC Savana still offers the kind of capabilities only available on a Professional Grade work van—whether it’s used for moving passengers or cargo.

Take Lee Travis, a contractor in Seattle who sells and installs wireless home-entertainment systems, eco-efficient lighting, automated window treatments and other high-tech home-improvement items. Travis relies on an all-GMC fleet to take care of his customers, and with business up more than 260 percent since 2008, he recently needed to add three more Savanas to his team.

“We can see the economy coming back,” said Travis. “People are seeking a better quality of life and want to enjoy their homes more.”

And the 2011 Savana is ideally designed to help Travis meet his customers’ needs, offering:

• The widest range of differently sized engines, with different power outputs, available to run on gasoline, diesel, E85 ethanol, compressed natural gas or B20 biodiesel.
• Standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control on cargo and passenger models.
• A “G80” locking rear axle available for both cargo and passenger models.
• A standard six-month subscription to OnStar’s Directions & Connections plan, leveraging the service’s latest-generation technology, for passenger vans; optional on cargo vans and some cutaway models.
• XM Satellite Radio and Bluetooth compatibility is available with the Savana’s optional digital radio, which includes a USB port.

Significantly, GMC also offers the dealer-installed Autonet Mobile WiFi Internet system on the Savana. This innovative system—which showcases the first wireless router specifically designed for automotive use—can securely accommodate up to 10 wireless devices at a time, with a range of 150 feet. It’s the perfect way to boost job productivity by transforming the Savana into a mobile office.

“I know I’m buying quality when I buy GMC vehicles,” said Travis, whose personal vehicle is a GMC Yukon XL Denali. “They are highly capable, have strong residual values and the dealer’s upfit options and commitment to service are outstanding. The Savana more than meets our needs.”

Shopping for a Professional Grade crossover, SUV or pickup is now easier and more convenient than ever, thanks to a new smart-phone app from GMC. The free GMC Showroom Mobile App provides smart-phone users with access to a wide range of information, allowing them to:

• Explore photos and videos
• Use GMC’s online vehicle configurator
• Compare GMC vehicles to their competitors
• Take advantage of local shopping tools to locate vehicles at nearby dealerships, request vehicle quotes, schedule test drives and check on current offers

And notably, the entire GMC roster is covered, from the Terrain crossover (with a best-in-class EPA rating of 32 mpg highway) to the Yukon SUV (available with a hybrid powertrain that gets 20 mpg city) to the Sierra pickup (showcasing better V8 fuel efficiency than a Ford F-150).

The new app can be an important benefit for today’s on-the-go shoppers, especially considering how many people now have smart phones and use them for online shopping. According to the recent Gartner Mobile Marketing Watch, more than 100 million smart phones were sold globally in the first quarter of 2011, representing an 85 percent jump over the same period in 2010, and overall, sales are expect to grow 55 percent this year. Furthermore, fully half of all these smart-phone users rely on their devices as shopping tools.

“We recognize that smart phones play an important role in our customers’ lives, including purchase decisions,” said John Schwegman, U.S. vice president of GMC marketing. “The new GMC Showroom App provides our customers with the advanced technology they have come to expect of the GMC brand and the convenience to easily engage with their GMC dealer.”

The GMC Showroom App is compatible with iPhone versions 3.1 or better, as well as Android phones running 1.6 OS or better (excluding Honeycomb).

While high-quality Buick vehicles like the LaCrosse and Regal are achieving substantial sales success in the U.S. marketplace, the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program is helping students find educational success in the U.S. college system. The $4.5-million-a-year program, funded by the GM Foundation, is once again recognizing the hard work of student leaders from across the country by offering renewable scholarships worth up to $25,000 a year to 100 outstanding high school seniors, as well as providing $2,000 stipends to an additional 1,000 students.

It’s vital assistance for today’s students, as research shows the annual tuition increases at U.S. colleges in the 2010-2011 school year continued to outpace both the general inflation rate and personal income growth.

The first five scholarship recipients were recently announced by Buick and include:

• Stavros Stratis, of Metairie, La., who plans to major in mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology
• Jennifer Gammond, of Aventura, Fla., who is considering attending Cornell University to major in business, accounting or economics
• Daniel Graupensperger of Auburn, Calif., who hopes to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, to study chemical engineering
• Donovan Colquitt, of Southfield, Mich., who will major in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan
• Won Ryan Lee, of Montvale, N.J., who has been accepted to Harvard University, where he will major in chemical engineering

To be eligible for the Buick program, students must be high school seniors or graduates who are entering college for the first time; planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college/university for the entire academic year; be U.S. citizens with a permanent residence in the United States; and demonstrate an interest in the automotive industry.

“The availability of Buick Achievers Scholarship funds is expected to make a significant difference in these students’ lives,” said John T. Montford, chairman, GM Foundation. “The high-dollar value and renewability of the awards will provide recipients with a tremendous benefit throughout their college careers and help ensure that they reach their potential.”

For more information, please visit www.buickachievers.com.

Evaluated according to new, more rigorous guidelines introduced for the 2011 model year, the Buick LaCrosse recently earned a five-star overall safety rating in the New Car Assessment Program administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“Car buyers today want the peace of mind that comes with buying a vehicle they know will help protect their family,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick marketing. “This five-star overall vehicle score for safety shows Buick can equip an affordable luxury midsize sedan with top safety features.”

Among them:

• A full suite of intelligent technologies that provide a “360-degree” field of vision for the driver, delivering added control, safety and peace of mind.
• A side blind-zone alert system that can alert the driver when it senses vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes in the vehicle’s blind spots.
• A rearview camera with a display integrated into the LaCrosse’s navigation screen.
• Air-bag protection that includes front- and side-impact units as well as roof-mounted head-curtain air bags that can provide extra coverage in rollover crashes.
• An advanced front-seat safety-belt setup that includes dual pretensioners and load limiters.
• GM’s StabiliTrak stability- and traction-control system.
• The automaker’s OnStar safety, security and communications system, which is included standard in the first year of LaCrosse ownership.

Also notable is the LaCrosse’s dynamic locking latchplate, which represents a new innovation in front safety-belt systems. The latchplate works to help securely restrain a front-seat occupant’s pelvis under dynamic crash loading, while leveraging safety-belt load limiters to help control strain on the person’s upper torso area. The feature was an important reason the LaCrosse was awarded a five-star frontal crash-test rating for occupants in both front-seat positions.

And in turn, the car’s five-star overall performance is an important reason why the LaCrosse remains a top choice for more and more of today’s discerning drivers.

With the warm weather now upon us, thousands of people are taking to the road each day to participate in equestrian competitions across the country—and naturally, they’re bringing their horses with them. But trailering those four-legged friends requires special care. You need a truck that has the ability to tow thousands of pounds with superior safety, and it doesn’t hurt if sophisticated good looks are part of the package, too. Which is why so many horse lovers also profess their love for the GMC Sierra HD.

Take Jennifer Thompson, an equine veterinarian who travels from her home state of Wisconsin to compete in horse-and-buggy driving competitions throughout the eastern half of the United States. Her workhorse of choice: A Sierra 2500HD. Packing a robust 6.6-liter Duramax V8 turbo diesel, the truck boasts a segment-leading fifth-wheel trailer-weight rating of 21,700 lbs. (single rear-wheel models only) and a best-in-class weight-carrying hitch capability.

Leveraging that kind of performance, Thompson said, “On one trip we were driving over the mountains of Pennsylvania, trailering three horses and 10-days’ worth of feed, hay and luggage weighing a total 15,500 pounds, and the Sierra never even burped. My fellow driver, who owns a Ford F-250, was really jealous.

“I really appreciate my truck’s power when merging onto the interstate and towing over mountains,” Thompson added. “I also appreciate the engine’s ability to hold the trailer back when going downhill so that I don’t need to ride the brakes.”

That’s courtesy of the Sierra’s “smart” exhaust brake, an innovative standard feature on 2011 models equipped with the Duramax diesel. This system can be engaged to use backpressure generated by the engine’s turbocharger to slow the vehicle without having to use the brakes. And it lives up to its “smart” reputation by being able to sense the grade and vehicle load to vary engine braking for optimum performance.

It’s just one more benefit of GMC’s extensive use of real-world testing in the vehicle-development process.

“For towing capability we test our vehicles under maximum load conditions and under extreme conditions, like Death Valley when it’s 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and up and down long, steep grades like Interstate 70 in Colorado up the Eisenhower Pass,” said Jim Mikulec, lead development engineer for heavy duty trucks. “We go to extremes so that our customers can tow with confidence, even on snow and ice.”

And even when there’s almost as much horsepower in the trailer as there is under the hood.

While plenty of automakers around the world have started using recycled/renewable materials to make their products “greener,” leave it to GMC to take things to the next level. Not only do the eco-friendly materials in offerings like the 2011 Terrain help improve the environment, but they also help improve the vehicles themselves.

For example, the Terrain has one of the quietest cabins in its segment, with GMC able to boast that “At 70 miles per hour, Terrain’s interior is quiet enough to allow conversation in normal tones of voice.” And a key enabler to achieving this kind of quietness is GMC’s extensive use of renewable materials for sound insulation in the Terrain.

Take the rigid substrate between the Terrain’s steel roof and soft-fabric headliner, made using fiber from the kenaf plant for reinforcement: This material is grown using sustainable cultivation methods and can be rapidly renewed. It’s also hollow, like bamboo, which makes it ideal for sound damping, and it’s light in weight, which helps reduce the Terrain’s overall mass and contributes to its segment-best fuel-efficiency ratings of 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway/26 mpg combined. The kenaf-reinforced substrate even requires less energy to manufacture than traditional materials.

Further highlights of the Terrain’s commitment to an eco-friendly future include:

• Acoustic insulation used in the vehicle’s dashboard, carpet, cargo area and other body sections is made out of cotton and polyester recycled from materials like jeans and carpeting.
• The Terrain’s grille frame is made from recycled plastic from soft-drink and water bottles.
• Scrap from producing the sound absorbers in the vehicle’s doors are used to help make air baffles in the GMC Sierra and GMC Yukon.
• All GMC vehicles, including the Terrain, are at least 85 percent recyclable by weight.

“We’re not just using renewable and recycled materials for the sake of being ‘green,’” said Lora Herron, GM bio and recycled materials engineer. “They often are more energy efficient to manufacture than parts made from virgin materials, and they can be lighter weight as well, which helps improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions.”