USA - All new 2015 GMC Canyon elevates midsize truck segment

GMC revealed the 2015 Canyon today, an all-new midsize truck that redefines the segment and raises the bar for everything from horsepower and efficiency to quietness and refinement.

When it goes on sale this year, the all-new Canyon will give GMC one of the only three-truck lineups in the industry. It is expected to deliver class-leading capabilities with the brand’s signature refinement – all in an efficiently sized, manoeuvrable package for customers who want the cargo-hauling and trailering versatility of a truck without the size of a full-size pickup.

“The all-new 2015 Canyon completes GMC’s three-truck family, which started with the redesigned 2014 Sierra 1500 and 2015 Sierra HD,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of GMC Marketing. “It rounds out a lineup that offers the broadest range of capabilities in the industry, giving truck customers more choices to find the vehicle that meets their professional, personal and lifestyle needs.”

Based on a proven global architecture and engineered for the unique demands and driving conditions of North American drivers, the new Canyon is expected to deliver:

• The segment’s best horsepower – an estimated 193 horsepower (146 kW) from a standard 2.5L I-4 and an estimated 302 horsepower (224 kW) from an available 3.6L V-6
• The segment’s best payload of at least 1,450 pounds (657 kg)
• The segment’s best maximum trailering rating (when properly equipped) of at least 6,700 pounds (3,039 kg)
• Even greater capability with a powerful and efficient Duramax 2.8L turbodiesel engine coming in 2016 model year

“Not everyone needs full-size capability, but they still deserve strength and true-truck attributes that come in larger models. The Canyon will offer all the capability with confidence – and GMC’s signature refinement that complements active lifestyles,” said DiSalle. “It also delivers the technology customers want with more standard features.”

Canyon’s customer-focused technologies include available OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and expected segment-first available driver alert features such as forward collision alert, lane departure warning and a standard rear-vision camera.

Additionally, RemoteLink Key Fob Services allow owners to lock and unlock their vehicle, flash the lights and honk the horn, and, on equipped models, even remotely start the engine using the RemoteLink smartphone app. The service is free for five years. Additional OnStar services and data plans will be available with a paid subscription.

GMC’s ProGrade protection program for two years/24,000 miles – whichever comes first – of scheduled maintenance, is standard and covers four oil changes, tire rotations and 27-point inspections. It complements the three-year/36,000-mile – whichever comes first – bumper-to-bumper limited vehicle warranty and five-year/100,000-mile – whichever comes first – powertrain limited warranty.

Designed for capability, comfort and refinement

Inside and out, the 2015 Canyon is pure GMC, with a quiet, refined interior distinguished by premium materials and a commanding exterior presence that emulates the technology-infused design aesthetic introduced on the 2014 Sierra 1500 and 2015 Sierra HD models.

Bold front-end styling incorporates the segment’s only standard projector beam headlamps and GMC’s signature C-shaped LED daytime running lamps on all models. Three body configurations are offered: An extended cab model with a six-foot bed, a crew cab with a five-foot bed and a crew cab with a six-foot bed. With the tailgate down, the six-foot bed allows eight-foot-long items to be hauled within the vehicle.

Canyon is offered in base, SLE and SLT models, in 2WD and 4WD models, and with an aggressively styled All-Terrain package offered on SLE models. It includes 17-inch painted aluminum wheels covered by all-terrain tires, a body-color grille surround with horizontal chrome bars and specific suspension tuning.

From a refinement standpoint, the Canyon features triple-sealed doors inlaid in the body sides, like the 2014 Sierra, for improved aerodynamic performance and a quieter interior. And to help keep overall mass down and improve the front-to-rear weight balance, the Canyon features an all-new aluminum hood.

It also features the segment’s only active aero grille shutters, which close at certain highway speeds to enhance efficiency through improved aerodynamics.

Additional exterior features include:

• Segment-first CornerStep rear bumper design, pioneered on the 2014 Sierra, is standard
• Available segment-first EZ Lift-and-Lower locking tailgate that uses an internal torsion bar to make raising the tailgate easier with one hand, and a damper for more-controlled lowering
• Standard two-tier loading that allows a platform to effectively split the bed into upper and lower sections, making it easier to haul, store and conceal items such as tools
• Thirteen reconfigurable and four stationary tie-down locations throughout the bed for use with available, removable cargo tie-down rings
• Standard bed rail and tailgate protectors
• Available factory-installed spray-in bed liner
• Range of 16-, 17- and 18-inch aluminum wheels

A diverse collection of work- and lifestyle-supporting accessories will be offered including everything from a bed liner and innovative cargo management system to a custom tonneau cover, removable cargo rings, tool box and more.

Comfortable and connected cabin

The interior of the 2015 Canyon is designed to be comfortable, heavily equipped and well connected. A bold, upright instrument panel with large instruments and a central driver information center is similar to Sierra. A center console-mounted shifter is similar to those found in midsize cars and crossovers.

The Canyon’s cabin boasts exceptional attention to detail and premium appointments, including a sculpted headliner that enhances headroom, halo lighting on key controls for easier viewing and an open area at the front of the center console for easier phone charging.

Additional interior details include:

• Sculpted door panels that make it easier to enter and exit the vehicle
• Upper-instrument panel storage bin – when not equipped with the uplevel audio system – and large glove box volume
• Standard center console with room to store a tablet
• Rear under-seat storage

Canyon’s seats are designed for long-haul comfort and wear, too. They use dual-firmness foam for greater comfort on long drives and high-wear, stain-resistant cloth seating trim. A power-adjustable driver’s seat is standard, and heated leather seats are standard on SLT. The All-Terrain package features exclusive color and trim details, including embossed seatbacks and unique contrast stitching.

Comfort is enhanced with technologies, connectivity and other features that support owners’ daily and recreational lives including a standard 4.2-inch-diagonal color driver information screen in the instrument cluster

Also available:

• Eight-inch-diagonal color touch screen and multiple USB ports
• OnStar 4G LTE with built-in Wi-Fi hot spot
• Next-generation OnStar and IntelliLink enhancements with gesture recognition and natural language voice recognition
• Siri Eyes Free Mode for iPhone users
• Teen Driver feature
• GMC AppShop
• Navigation

Teen Driver is a new, configurable IntelliLink feature that allows parents to set a radio volume limit, establish a speed warning set between 40 and 70 mph, and set a speed limiter. It also automatically mutes the radio when the driver or front passenger safety belt is not fastened and a “report card” that records mileage, wide-open throttle events, ABS events, maximum speed and other data. The custom features are locked by a PIN, which is set by the parent.

Canyon models with an eight-inch IntelliLink screen will also feature a new in-car app marketplace: GMC AppShop. It allows customers to download apps directly to their IntelliLink system and organize, update or delete them throughout the life of the vehicle. Available apps will connect drivers to music, news, weather, travel information, vehicle data and more.

Segment-best power and efficiency

GMC expects Canyon to be the most powerful and efficient truck in the segment, allowing owners to haul and tow more while being efficient. A 2.5L I-4 is standard, and a 3.6L V-6 is available. They are based on award-winning engine families and tuned to deliver the low-rpm torque customers depend on for hauling and towing.

The 2.5L four is estimated at 193 horsepower (146 kW) and 184 lb-ft of torque (253 Nm), with approximately 90 percent of the peak torque available from 2,000 rpm to 6,200 rpm. The 3.6L engine is estimated at 302 horsepower (224 kW) and 270 lb-ft of torque (366 Nm). SAE certification of the power ratings is pending.

Both engines feature direct injection and variable valve timing to make the most of power and efficiency. An aluminum block, forged-steel crankshaft, dual-overhead camshafts and jet-spray piston cooling are featured on both engines. The 2.5L incorporates a two-stage variable-displacement oil pump, for greater efficiency, as well as a balance shaft located in the oil pan, for greater refinement.

All models are matched with a six-speed automatic transmission that complements the truck-tuned engines with features that make hauling and trailering easier and more comfortable, including auto grade braking and a tow/haul mode. A six-speed manual transmission is also available with the 2.5L engine in base extended cab/2WD models.

Class-leading capabilities and superior ride quality

The Canyon delivers the capability expected of a GMC truck, including expected segment-leading payload and trailering. Like the full-size Sierra, Canyon is built on a fully boxed perimeter frame, which provides the strength to support its capabilities, and a ride expected to be smooth and quiet.

A coil-over-type front suspension features aluminum knuckles that are low in mass and high in strength contributing to a more responsive, immediate feel to driver inputs, as well as efficiency. The 2015 Canyon also features the segment’s first application of electric power steering, which enhances efficiency because it is not driven by the engine.

Additionally, the Canyon has a tight turning radius of only about 41 feet (12.6 meters), making it easier to manoeuver when parking or backing into tight spots, such as garages or campsites.

Four-wheel disc brakes, with four-piston front calipers, are standard and feature segment-exclusive Duralife™ brake rotors – also pioneered on the 2014 Sierra. They can offer up to double the service life, which can help lower ownership costs.

Canyon is available with an automatic locking rear differential known by its G80 option code. Introduced by General Motors more than 40 years ago, it gives drivers a traction advantage when needed and everyday comfort when it’s not. It is available on SLE and SLT, and standard with the All-Terrain package.

AutoTrac automatic four-wheel drive is also a segment-first feature, which employs an electronically controlled transfer case that allows the driver to shift from 2WD to 4WD. The driver can select four modes, 2WD, Auto, 4WD HI, or 4WD Lo. By selecting ‘Auto’ mode, the transfer case will operate in 2WD and will automatically apply traction to the front wheels (4WD) when the vehicle senses wheel slippage.

Safety features

With 360 degrees of available active and passive safety technologies, Canyon is designed to help keep occupants safe on the road, with standard features including:

• Six air bags, including head curtain side air bags that can also reduce the risk of occupant ejection
• Large rearview mirrors and rear-vision camera system for greater visibility
• StabiliTrak stability control system with rollover mitigation technology, trailer sway control, hill start assist and hill descent control (All Terrain).

Available safety features include:

• Segment-first forward collision alert
• Segment-first lane departure warning

The Canyon will be assembled at GM’s Wentzville, Mo., assembly plant. GMC will continue to work on and develop the Canyon until the start of production in fall 2014. The content of this release is based on current GM testing and is subject to change.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902, with innovation and engineering excellence built into all GMC vehicles. The brand is evolving to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover. GMC’s highest-volume vehicle, the Sierra pickup, is the most powerful light-duty pickup on the market, and the first full-size pickup to receive the highest-possible five-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its New Car Assessment Program for the 2011 model year.

USA - Chrysler issues recall notice on a number of its products.

Chrysler Group LLC will recall an estimated 5,663 cars and trucks to inspect their automatic transmissions.

Output shafts installed in some model-year 2013 vehicles were shaped using a two-stage forging method employed during early production. The resulting components may be subject to fracture in rare circumstances.

The process has been replaced by a single-stage forging method.

Chrysler Group is unaware of any associated injuries or accidents.

The recall is limited to certain Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Ram 1500 models equipped with a specific set of features and equipment: 4x4 or all-wheel drive, an 8-speed transmission and a V-6 engine. Chrysler Group will inspect and test their transmission output shafts and, if necessary, replace their transmission assemblies at no cost to customers.

Affected customers number approximately 4,194 in the U.S., 1,424 in Canada and 45 outside the NAFTA region. They will be notified when to schedule service appointments with their dealers.

Customers who have concerns may call 1-800-853-1403.

Happy Birthday SEAT, 60 years and counting

• Today marks 60 years since the first SEAT car, a 1400, was produced
• SEAT 1400 saloon became an instant hit, with 10,000 orders after its debut
• 98,000 1400 models were produced over a decade
• SEAT has gone on to produce 16,000,000 vehicles and counting

Yesterday was a very special day for SEAT: exactly 60 years ago to the day, the company’s first car rolled off the production line at its Zona Franca factory in Barcelona. That car was the SEAT 1400, an elegant and luxurious saloon designed in the spirit of the most popular American sedans of the '50s.

SEAT had been established only three years earlier, and had developed the 1400 with a focus on the transport needs of government officials. Initially available as a saloon, SEAT would also create estate, seven-seat and commercial versions of the 1400; Spanish cabbies loved the 1400, and it remained a popular taxi well into the following decade.

With a price tag of 121,875 pesetas (€41,735 or £35,200 today), SEAT initially produced five cars per day, built by a workforce of 925 employees. The rear-wheel drive 1400 was powered by a front-mounted, water cooled 44 PS engine and came equipped with a four-speed manual gearbox.

It wasn’t until June of 1954 that SEAT gave the model its official debut, at the Barcelona Trade Fair. And with petrol rationing in Spain having come to an end in 1953, the company received a staggering 10,000 orders. That allowed SEAT to both increase production and drop the price, reducing it to 117,000 pesetas.

By the end of 1954, SEAT had delivered 945 1400 models, but by the end of the following year, annual production was closer to 3,000, with almost all of the 1400’s components manufactured in Spain. One year later and production had more than doubled, to 7,000 units, and by the end of the following year SEAT was producing 10,000 1400 models annually, with 42 leaving the factory every working day. By that stage the workforce had increased to 5,000.  

Production of the 1400 ended in 1964, with 98,000 cars having been produced in Zona Franca and Spain going from strength-to-strength economically. SEAT was at the forefront of that growth, and remains a key player in the Spanish economy today, designing, developing and manufacturing its cars in the ultra-modern Martorell facility on the outskirts of Barcelona; since 2010, SEAT has invested €35m in the ‘SEAT al Sol’ project, which has reduced factory CO2 emissions by 7,000 tonnes per year using solar panel technology.

Since the launch of the 1400, SEAT has built more than 16,000,000 vehicles, including icons like the 600, the 127, the Ibiza and the Leon. Today the company exports over 80% of its production, and has over 1,800 points of sale worldwide.

2013: a year of significant anniversaries

The SEAT 1400 was replaced by the 1500, which began production 50 years ago in 1963. Ten years later in 1973, its successor, the SEAT 132, came to market. A truly luxurious car, the 132 was the first SEAT to feature an automatic transmission, and later in its lifecycle it became the first available with air conditioning.

Forward another ten years to 1983 and the SEAT Ronda came to market, and ten years after that, SEAT introduced the second-generation Ibiza - the first car ever produced in SEAT's Martorell factory and a model that, now in its fourth generation, remains SEAT’s most popular car.

USA - 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 & GMC Sierra 1500 now with light weight high strength steel capability

Like athletes who burn fat and build muscle to become more competitive, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 strategically replaced traditional steel with lightweight, high-strength steels for improved capability, safety and fuel efficiency.

High-strength and ultra-high-strength steels make the Silverado and Sierra’s fully boxed frames and cabs lighter and stronger, helping the trucks deliver the best fuel economy of any V-8 pickup, up to 23 mpg highway. They also have class-leading towing capability of up to 12,000 pounds when equipped with the available 6.2L V-8.

Similarly, making the most of mass also enables Silverados and Sierras equipped with the 4.3L V-6 to tow up to 7,600 pounds, the highest for any standard V-6 in the segment, with EPA highway fuel economy of up to 24 mpg.

“Our customers tell us they want better fuel economy, but only if it doesn’t come at the expense of capability,” said Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer of the Silverado and Sierra. “By using lightweight materials like ultra-high-strength steel and aluminum for key structural parts and components in our new trucks we were able to improve both capability and efficiency.”

It’s been said that stronger muscles and bones help prevent injury, and the same can be said of the high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels that make up two-thirds of Silverado and Sierra’s cab structures, including A-pillars, B-pillars, rocker panels, roof rails and underbody. High-strength steel is several times stronger than mild steel.

These rigid materials helped Silverado and Sierra become the first pickup trucks to receive the highest possible 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its New Car Assessment Program for the 2011 model year.

Similarly, the main rails and key cross members of Silverado and Sierra’s updated frames are high-strength steel with major elements hydro-formed for reduced mass and improved strength. Their pickup boxes are made from roll-formed steel for increased strength and reduced mass, compared with the stamped beds used by major competitors.

According to U.S. Steel Corp., the use of advanced high-strength steels is the fastest-growing trend in auto manufacturing today. Parts made from high-strength steel can be as much as 39 percent lighter than parts made from traditional steel.

Strong, lightweight aluminum alloys also play a key role in Silverado and Sierra by reducing the weight of the trucks’ engines, front suspension components, hoods and other parts. All three EcoTec3 engines use aluminum blocks and cylinder heads to reduce mass for improved fuel economy.

Direct fuel injection, Active Fuel Management, or cylinder deactivation, and continuously variable valve timing, a combination not found in competitor trucks, also contribute to Silverado and Sierra’s fitness.

(US) Chrysler recall #2 - Ram trucks require cluster upgrade

Chrysler Group LLC will recall an estimated 10,800 trucks – most of which are in dealer hands – to upgrade software that controls instrument-cluster illumination.

In-plant quality-control personnel discovered instrument-cluster backlighting may function intermittently on certain vehicles. Regulatory compliance requires that information displays be clearly legible.

Vehicle performance is unaffected and Chrysler Group is unaware of any accidents, injuries or complaints.

Chrysler Group engineers investigated and discovered the digital memory in some instrument clusters may not activate as intended.

Affected are Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups equipped with mid-line instrument clusters. Chrysler Group will update the cluster software at no charge to customers.

Chrysler Group will notify affected customers by mail next month.

Customers who are concerned may call 1-800-853-1403.