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General Motors and Toyota shop at Hyundai

admin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:58:40 +0000

Hyundai has been trying to shake the image of providing a low quality product since the first round of cars was introduced to the U.S. in 1985 (the first generation Excel looked, felt and drove like it was assembled by preschoolers.) Since then it has taken great steps to improve all quality on its cars, and now it seems the big boys might be taking notice. Hyundai can confirm that General Motors and Toyota were some of the first to line up to buy one of the 800 Genesis sedans in its first month of sales.

This is nothing new. All car companies keep a fleet of the competition to compare and dissect, but what makes this news is how quickly the two auto giants snatched up the new car. The Genesis is Hyundai’s first attempt at large luxury car for a low price, and Hyundai hopes this is the final shift into full legitimacy with all of the American public.

TopSpeed currently has the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe in our fleet, and we will be bringing you a full report on how Hyundai is doing in there quest for quality in the upcoming weeks.

GM going on lighter, fuel-efficient vehicles

admin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:26:29 +0000

GM announced the company will delay the redesign of SUVs and full-size trucks and they will focus on building lighter, fuel-efficient vehicles. GM’s spokesman Tom Wilkinson said late Wednesday that GM is "looking at the whole product portfolio." The entire U.S. auto industry is suffering as consumers, paying $4 per gallon for gasoline, shy away from heavier vehicles that burn more fuel than lighter, more-compact models. Mr. Wilkinson said the company is considering how it can most effectively supply the U.S. market with fuel-efficient cars from its vast cupboard of global vehicle designs. The auto maker will extend the life cycle of its current lineup of pickups and SUVs. Those vehicles — known as the GMT900 lineup — include the Cadillac Escalade SUV and the Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The new generation of trucks and SUVs weren’t slated to hit the market until at least 2012, but development of these products drains precious resources at a time when GM is battling to satisfy customer tastes. Read more from the source here

19,000 GM workers take buyout, retirement offers; more cuts likely

admin — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:17:01 +0000

General Motors announced on Thursday that 19,000 of its hourly workers have taken the Detroit-based automaker up on its buyout or retirement offers. In all, GM extended the buyout and retirement plans to over 74,000 UAW workers in an effort to streamline its production efforts.

While GM will not replace all 19,000 workers, it will replace some of the positions will lower-paid hourly workers — in most cases at a pay of about half of what UAW workers currently makes.

However, despite trimming 19,000 workers, GM’s North American turnaround plan has essentially stalled. Therefore GM will be taking Ford’s lead within the next few months and will likely be cutting even more positions, according to Automotive News.

The cuts also reflect how much worse off the domestic automakers are compared to their Japanese counterparts. While the Big Three continue to cut American jobs, the big three from Japan continue to create jobs for American workers.

While details of the next phases of GM’s plans have yet to be announced, we expect to hear more on the subject at the automaker’s annual meeting on June 3.

source from here

GM launches Euro-spec Corvette Competition

besthidxenon — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:26:05 +0000

The Chevrolet Corvette may be America’s sports car, but that isn’t stopping General Motors from giving Europe its own exclusive version of the ‘Vette. Dubbed the Corvette Competition, the limited edition model has been created to commemorate the start of the American Le Mans Series season. As odd as it seems for GM to create a limited edition model of the Corvette for Europe based on an American racing series, not everything about the Corvette makes sense in Europe. Across the pond, Corvette is actually its own brand — it’s not a Chevrolet Corvette, just a Corvette — and the sports car is sold through Cadillac dealerships. But back the car. GM claims the Corvette Competition "bears subtle resemblances to the successful C6.R race car," but we don’t think they put quite enough emphasis on subtle. The only thing the road-going special edition C6 really has in common with the racing C6.R is a honeycomb grille up front and the same insert between the rear exhaust. Other features unique to the Corvette Competition include a rear spoiler borrowed from the Corvette Z06, unique 5-spoke rims coated in Competition Grey paint, a black exterior and a reduction in available options intended to keep weight down. No changes were made to the Corvette’s 6.2L V8 powertrain. The Corvette Competition — which is slated to hit the European market in April — can only be had in coupe guise, but customers will be able to choose between six-speed automatic or manual gearbox.
[ GM launches Euro-spec Corvette Competition Via Hidstores Car Reviews Blogs ]

GM adds MapQuest, on-the-go destination input functionality to OnStar

besthidxenon — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:31:05 +0000

General Motors on Tuesday announced two new navigation services to complement OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn live operator service already offered. The first, dubbed Destination Download, allows drivers to input their destinations while on the go with the press of a button that will advise an OnStar operator of their destination, who will then upload directions to their screen-based navigation screen within seconds. The other addition, OnStar eNav, allows users to upload a route they plotted on MapQuest.com to their vehicle’s built-in Turn-by-Turn voice and text navigation system. Either service requires a full OnStar subscription, which costs either $299 per year or $28.90 on a monthly basis, but will not cost extra, as GM is trying to enhance the value and appeal of OnStar while competitors expand their navigation offerings, and the aftermarket offering ever more affordable portable nav systems. OnStar eNav will become available on nearly 3 million GM vehicles with Turn-by-Turn capability already on the roads, with the option to upload MapQuest.com directions (basically Destination Download, but for screen-based systems) launching on new vehicles later in 2008. Sources from http://www.leftlanenews.com
[ http://www.hidstores.com/blogs/2008/04/gm-adds-mapquest-on-the-go-destination-input-functionality-to-onstar/ Via Hidstores Car Reviews Blogs ]

GM moves parts contract from American Axle

besthidxenon — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 02:09:47 +0000

The five-week UAW strike at GM’s parts supplier American Axle prompted the North American carmaker to transfer a small contract to Axle rival Dana. Production of 30,000 prop shafts for GM’s small trucks should begin in a matter of weeks, according to sources at Dana. The strike stopped all of GM’s light-truck production in the US at seven plants, one of its passenger car plants is idling and now threatens a second car factory. The move shows GM’s growing lack of patience with American Axle CEO Richard Dauch’s inability to resolve the strike, according to unnamed sources in an Automotive News report. North America’s biggest automaker can’t afford not to build its highly-profitable truck plants any longer, but the 30,000 prop shaft order is part of Axle’s current contract, on which it has the right of last refusal. Dauch threatened to move his American Axle operation, which would affect 3,600 U.S jobs, to Mexico, so this isn’t likely to be the last we hear on complications regarding the matter. The strike started as a result of American Axle asking the UAW for pay and benefit cuts so the supplier can stay competitive with others. The latest plants affected by the strike include the Detroit-Hamtramck plant that assembles the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS was idled last week, while the Lordstown, Ohio plant, where the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 are built could be idled by the end of this week. American Axle makes brake components for the four models.
[ GM moves parts contract from American Axle Via Hidstores Car Reviews Blogs ]

GM launches Euro-spec Corvette Competition

admin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:12:25 +0000

As odd as it seems for GM to create a limited edition model of the Corvette for Europe based on an American racing series, not everything about the Corvette makes sense in Europe. Across the pond, Corvette is actually its own brand — it’s not a Chevrolet Corvette, just a Corvette — and the sports car is sold through Cadillac dealerships. But back the car.

GM claims the Corvette Competition “bears subtle resemblances to the successful C6.R race car,” but we don’t think they put quite enough emphasis on subtle. The only thing the road-going special edition C6 really has in common with the racing C6.R is a honeycomb grille up front and the same insert between the rear exhaust.

Other features unique to the Corvette Competition include a rear spoiler borrowed from the Corvette Z06, unique 5-spoke rims coated in Competition Grey paint, a black exterior and a reduction in available options intended to keep weight down. No changes were made to the Corvette’s 6.2L V8 powertrain.

The Corvette Competition — which is slated to hit the European market in April — can only be had in coupe guise, but customers will be able to choose between six-speed automatic or manual gearbox.

GM to help dealers to consolidate luxury brands

besthidxenon — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:20:59 +0000

General Motors is making a push for a four channel distribution network — with Saturn and Chevrolet dealers being stand alone stores and Buick, Pontiac and GMC and Cadillac, Hummer and Saab being lumped together under one roof — and it appears as though the Detroit-based automaker will help those dealers who wish to consolidate the latter — the company’s luxury brands. GM has yet to reveal how many stores it will financial help to consolidate into one superstore, but the automaker did confirm that it has helped some dealerships make the move. GM won’t force any stores to consolidate, but will help out where a merger makes sense. As of now, GM has 1,400 U.S. Cadillac stores and only 238 Saab and 170 Hummer stores, meaning that more Saab and Hummer stores will likely see a merger. "We have to get a standing (list) of places so that if we had some money, we’d sure like this guy to be over here, or the city has grown up around him, or his facility is worn down and he doesn’t want to invest," Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor told Automotive News. Despite all three of GM’s luxury brands having a very unique identity, Hummer General Manager Martin Walsh says the stores should blend without a problem. Walsh noted that only 34 of Hummer franchises are stand alone stores.
[ GM to help dealers to consolidate luxury brands Via Hidstores Car Reviews Blogs ]