Let’s get the most pressing bits of this story out of the way right off the bat: What we see here appears to be a new compact crossover from Buick. According to the spy photographer, this machine may be a little bit smaller on the outside than the current Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain ‘utes, which makes sense since recent rumors suggest GM’s small crossovers will migrate to a new platform that will mark a convergence between the automaker’s Delta (Chevy Cruze, Buick Verano) and Theta (Equinox, Terrain) platforms. This Buick would likely use this new D2UX platform.

We’ve been expecting Buick to unleash a crossover to slot between the very small Encore and the very large Enclave, and various rumors have indicated that the model may be known as either the Anthem or Envision. It’s worth mentioning that Buick had planned, back in 2009, to release a vehicle in the compact CUV market, but abandoned those plans after a particularly poor reception.

And now for something completely different… Take another look at the spy shots above, and pay special attention to the cylindrical device mounted to the vehicle’s roof. We can’t say for sure what it is, but our spy photographer opines that it looks quite a bit like the 360-degree Lidar camera equipment used by Google for its autonomous cars. Is General Motors working with Google on autonomous car technology? We don’t know, but you can definitely consider us intrigued.

For a list of new and pre-owned Buick’s for Harchelroad Motors please click the following links. New Buicks or Pre-owned Buicks

Repost from Autoblog

Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning are a pair of technologies that use a single forward-looking camera to read traffic and lane markers on the road ahead. Visual warnings and audible tones alert the driver to unsignaled lane changes or a slowed vehicle. Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Side Blind Zone Warning use radar to watch spots the driver may not see and provide visible and audible warnings to help prevent collisions. When the vehicle is in reverse and the Rear Vision Camera is active, Rear Cross Traffic Alert will flash a red icon and directional arrow if another vehicle is approaching from either side, which is especially useful backing out of a tight driveway or parking space in a busy lot. Side Blind Zone Alert detects other vehicles in a Buick’s blind spot and alerts the driver with a yellow icon on the glass of either side view mirror. If a turn signal is engaged while a vehicle is detected in the next lane, the system provides an audible alert to discourage merging.

“Striking design, uncompromised comfort and purposeful safety technology, those are the core attributes of every Buick,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick Marketing. “Our 2014 lineup will tell an active safety story exclusive to the Buick brand and, more importantly, one that helps protect our drivers and passengers better than ever before.”

Passive safety is equally important to Buick. Although 2014 models have not been rated, every 2013 Buick model available today has been designated as a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Current Buick models make extensive use of high strength steel and, with the Verano compact luxury sedan and Encore luxury small crossover, offer as many as 10 standard air bags. The Enclave luxury crossover comes standard with the industry’s first front center air bag, which helps protect drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes. It deploys from the inboard side of the driver’s seat and positions itself between the driver and front passenger, offering protection that no other airbag can offer.

Repost from GM Inside News

A GM spokesman said the offer will be good on “virtually all” models sold at retail, with the possible exception of a few low-volume, high-performance cars. In prepared remarks for a speech at GM’s annual shareholders meeting at the company’s headquarters here, Akerson said the move is intended to “forge even stronger relationships” between GM dealerships and customers and “to kick the ownership experience off on the right foot.” He said customers who have service done at the dealership are more likely to return there for their next purchase.

Free maintenance programs are common for luxury brands, but more non-luxury brands are offering included maintenance as a customer retention move that gets customers in the habit of regularly returning to the dealership for service. Many dealers say they like the included-maintenance programs because they can use it to close sales and it draws buyers back to their stores as service customers.

Repost from GM Inside News

This morning General Motors announced that owners of its 2014 products will receive the ability to control their vehicle from their smartphone, for free. Effective on all 2014 GM vehicles, the revised RemoteLink Key Fob application will function for five years after the vehicle purchase free of charge. The app looks just like today’s app, which uses OnStar’s data connection to the vehicle to check common commands and send remote door lock, unlock and remote start commands. Only the remote key fob functionality will remain free for five years, while data such as fuel level, oil life and tire pressure will be reserved for those that have a paid subscription.
Repost from GM Inside News

In a bit of a surprise announcement, today Chevrolet revealed the refreshed 2014 Malibu. In just 18 months General Motors revamped the car’s appearance some select hardware to increase its competitiveness in the cut-throat midsize sedan segment.

Outside, Malibu’s milquetoast front clip has been swapped out for a more dramatic look. While rumors suggested Malibu would gain a front end appearance similar to the new Impala, Chevy has instead gone with a bolder version of the brand’s shield and cross-bar design. The headlamps appear to be the same units found on the 2013 Malibu.

Inside Chevrolet has also tweaked the Malibu for 2014. According to Chevrolet the center console has been redesigned, though the photos reveal that said changes are very minimal, new cup holders and “cell phone holders.” New slim seat designs have also allowed the Malibu to gain 1.25-inches of rear knee room. Rear seat legroom was an issue on the 2013 model.

Perhaps the biggest news is that Chevrolet has restructured the Malibu’s engine lineup for 2014, included what GM is called an “all-new” 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The new 2.5-liter includes a new Intake Valve Lift Control system that increases fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. The new 2.5 is rated at 196 horsepower and 186 foot-pounds of torque, and will net the Malibu 23 mpg city and 35 mpg highway. Start/stop technology that shuts the engine off while the vehicle is stopped will also be standard on the 2.5-liter.

The 2.5-liter will now be the standard engine on the 2014 Malibu, with the car’s 2.0 turbo remaining optional. Even the 2.0 turbo has been revised for 2014 as well. The engine’s torque level has increased from 260 foot-pounds to an impressive 295 foot-pounds. The turbo’s horsepower rating remains unchanged at 259.

Chevy also states that small tweaks have been made to the Malibu’s chassis in an effort to enhance the car’s handling ability. One such change is a feature borrowed from the 2014 Impala, new rebound shocks that allow the car to have a smoother ride without compromising handling ability. The revamped 2014 Malibu will go on sale later this year.

Repost from GM Inside News

It’s not every day Chevrolet executives talk about launching at car that competes directly with … a Volkswagen. The new 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel, however, aims directly at the only affordable compact four-door sedan with a diesel engine sold in the U.S., the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Chevy has gone up against the Jetta TDI’s dominance and unveiled GM’s first diesel-engined passenger car since 1986.

While it’s pricier than various Cruze models with conventional gasoline engines, fuel economy is the Cruze Diesel’s raison d’etre: The EPA rates it at 33 mpg combined (27 mpg city, 46 mpg highway). That’s the highest highway rating for any non-hybrid vehicle sold in the U.S. Its combined 33 mpg is exactly the same as the Cruze Eco with six-speed manual gearbox (28 mpg city, 42 mpg highway). That efficiency model is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter gasoline engine, and incorporates a host of weight-reduction measures and aerodynamic tweaks (some of which have made their way into the Cruze Diesel as well).

B20 biodiesel

One benefit for diesel drivers intrigued by renewable fuels: The diesel Cruze accepts fuel up to 20 percent biodiesel, or B20. It’s the only diesel passenger car to do so, although some diesel tucks now take B20 as well. The Jetta TDI, for instance, is only warranted up to B5. With its 15.6-gallon fuel tank, the diesel Cruze offers a real-world highway range of 700 miles or more. While that’s likely far beyond the range of most occupants’ bladders, it does mean owners have to fill up less frequently.

Our test car was a base 2014 Chevrolet “Cruze Turbo Diesel”—which Chevy marketing materials also sometimes call the “Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel”. Our test route, unusually, had as much high-speed highway driving as secondary and rural roads on it, testimony to GM’s confidence in the diesel Cruze’s high efficiency at higher speeds. Over the first 43-mile leg, we averaged 39.2 miles per gallon according to the car’s digital display. On the 43-mile return route, that rose incrementally to 39.4 mpg. We conclude that in everyday usage, the Cruze Diesel should easily return 36 to 42 mpg unless there’s a lot of heavy stop-and-go driving. Anecdotal tales by Cruze Diesel testers indicate that pure highway driving can return even higher figures, as much as 50 mpg or more.

Eurodiesel engine, beefier transmission

Under the hood is a 151-horsepower 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine that puts out 264 lb-ft of torque. (The comparable figures for the VW Jetta TDI’s 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine are 140 hp and 236 lb-ft.) The diesel engine in the Cruze is mated to a six-speed automatic made by Aisin, a beefier unit than the GM-made six-speed automatic used in gasoline Cruzes.

Repost from GM Inside News

Don’t miss this year’s Chase County Corvette Classic hosted by Harchelroad Motors, Inc. The dates for the event have been announced, so mark your calendar because this is one good time that you don’t want to miss. This years 10th Annual Chase County Corvette Classic will be held on October 12th at our new Collision and Restoration Center that is opening early June 2013. This years event dates have been changed past years because we wanted to hold the Corvette Classic at our new building and new C7 Chevy Corvette on display.

If you have not been to the Corvette Classic, this is what to expect. Start the morning by cruising to Imperial Nebraska with other Corvettes and Camaros nipping at your tail. Arrive at Harchelroad Motors to receive your complimentary hand car wash and to register for the day. You will even receive a free goodie bag packed with items we know you will enjoy! Relax and enjoy complimentary doughnuts, coffee, juice, and water until it’s time to head to the staging area for Outstate Nebraska’s largest parade! After exhausting your candy stash, it’s time to display your prized possession in secure parking at the Harchelroad Motors Collision and Restoration Center! There will even be a new C7 Corvette for you to sit in and go for a test drive. Find your seat, enjoy the free beverages, music, trivia, and relax while the sun slowly fades into the horizon. At the end of it all you’re in for a trophy ceremony that leaves none unsatisfied!

Harchelroad Motors wants to invite you to be part of this event. Registration for your Corvette can be done online on by clicking on the following link. Corvette Classic Registration. Harchelroad Motors will be mailing out more information about the event shortly.

The bones of any good pickup start with the frame it rides on. For 2014, the Silverado frame is similar to the fully boxed frame on the current trucks, though even it received a host of updates necessary for both the truck’s increased capabilities and to enhance ride quality. Cross members throughout the frame have been enhanced with the use of high-strength steel to increase rigidity and prevent energy from crushing the cab during side impacts. All frame mounts have been modified as well, with the rear cab mounts changing to a hydraulic type that absorbs up/down movement to prevent the “hop” pickups sometimes exhibit at highway speeds on rough surfaces.

While most buyers will not appreciate the structural updates to the frame, they will appreciate their effects. The new Silverado feels noticeably stiffer than its predecessor and the cab projects a vault-like feel often associated with the Silverado’s cross-town rivals from Ford and Ram. There is virtually no chassis flex, even during light off-roading, with the cab always well isolated from the work effort the frame has to endure.

The passenger cab has also seen structural enhancements that add to that vault-like feel. Engineers have increased use of high-strength steel throughout the cab, including mandating a B-pillar in the new Double Cab; the replacement for the former pillar-less extended cab. GM has switched back to inlaid doors on all 2014 truck models. This reduces wind noise in the cab and removes the noises that are often associated with the outgoing GMT-900 truck doors. From a visual perspective, the inlaid doors also give the truck a more significant presence.

Rounding out the structural changes is a long list of new hardware to assist in noise isolation, both environmental and engine noise. Use of sound insulation material is up across the board, including a new material lining the wheel wells (similar to that found on luxury sedans) to isolate the “sizzle” noise rainwater makes when splashing off the tire tread. GM also switched to hydraulic engine mounts to reduce noise and vibration associated with Active Fuel Management, the use of which has increased on 2014 trucks.

All three engines are entirely new from the block up. In fact, GM engineers assure us that the amount of carryover parts between today’s engines and these new EcoTec3 engines will fit in a quart-sized storage bag and after driving them, that’s entirely believable. Instead of trying to beat the competition with a twin-turbo V-6, GM has built a 5.3-liter V-8 that is truly a worthy competitor to the F-150 EcoBoost – this coming from a reviewer who thinks very highly of the twin-turbo F-150. Take any assumptions you have about GM’s 5.3-liter V-8 and throw them out. The new engine boasts 355 horsepower and a healthy 383 pounds-feet of torque – on a flatter torque curve, no less. But figures really don’t do this engine justice.

Whereas today’s engine power delivery is smooth and robust, almost like GM cut out a lot of the torque management that today’s trucks have. At no point does the engine feel taxed and refinement both in engine sound and power delivery is, yes, superior to the F-150 EcoBoost.

The Silverado 4X4 with the 5.3-liter wears EPA fuel economy ratings of 16 mpg city and 22 highway. GM engineers also say they expect buyers will see better real world fuel economy than the outgoing trucks and our short time with the Silverado suggested that will likely be the case. While the 5.3-liter launches first, the all-new 4.3-liter V-6 will launch shortly after. Rated at 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque, the highest torque rating of a naturally aspirated V-6 in the truck segment. Like the 5.3-liter it is based on, the new 4.3-liter is impressive both in refinement and power delivery. Fuel economy ratings for the V-6 have not been announced. All three engines feature three core technologies from which their EcoTec3 name was derived – variable valve timing, GM’s Active Fuel Management and direct fuel injection.

While Active Fuel Management has been a staple of GM trucks for several years, the system has been greatly enhanced in the EcoTec3 lineup. In V-8 applications, the engines noticeably run in V-4 mode more often, thanks to the increased torque across the power band. While driving 5.3-liter testers, the trucks routinely stayed in V-4 mode even during some acceleration. GM engineers have also spent much time assuring that the transition from V-8 to V-4 (or V-6 to V-4) mode is undetectable by passengers and they were successful.

The new interior design is, as Chevy says, “tailored for truck buyers.” It does look like an evolution of today’s truck interior. Material quality on higher trim levels is a mixed bag, too. The quality of dash plastics is a huge improvement over today’s models and better than what you’ll find in most of the competition.

The front center console is also larger, to the point that buyers will never lack storage space. Younger buyers will enjoy the connectivity of the new Silverado. Most trim levels are equipped with a staggering five USB ports, ensuring rejoice amongst our connected society. Those five USB ports come in conjunction with Chevrolet MyLink, the brand’s latest infotainment system. The system includes an eight-inch touchscreen in the center stack, with natural voice control and an excellent navigation system.

Aside from MyLink, Chevrolet has tapped the GM technology bin extensively with the new Silverado. The company’s lane departure warning, forward collision alert and patented Safety Alert Seat are all optional on the new truck. Engineers have also developed a new Hill Descent control feature exclusive to Silverado Z71. By pressing a button on the center stack, the truck will hold its current speed on a hill by using the ABS and stability control sensors. The feature even works in reverse. The Z71 also adds Rancho shocks, revised suspension tuning and all-terrain tires. And of course, the iconic Z71 badging shows on the exterior sides of the bed.

Outside the 2014 Silverado looks like a Silverado and the exterior design is evolutionary. The truck’s track is 10 millimeters wider than today’s, allowing designers to align the sheet metal and wheels to give the truck a more balanced look. The door panels also feature more sculpting than photos suggest. Overall, the more time we spent with the Silverado, the more we liked the exterior design. From a mechanical perspective, which is typically the most important on a pickup, the 2014 Silverado is a fantastic truck. It feels stronger and more refined and some fantastic new engines power it.

Repost from GM Inside News