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Canadian Auto News Watch - Monday March 23, 2015
General Motors Corporate News
GM CEO Mary Barra to face first questioning in ignition switch cases | Driving
Permalink: driving.ca...
driving.ca - Mon Mar 23 2015
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Page: A6, Edition: Final
The Cornwall Standard-Freeholder - Mon Mar 23 2015
A PRIZE THAT WOULD DWARF THE SMARTPHONE INDUSTRY
Byline: GREG KEENAN, BRIAN MILNER, OMAR EL AKKAD, Page: B8, Edition: Ontario
The Globe and Mail - Sat Mar 21 2015
AutoCanada reports double-digit sales, profit gains in quarter; But key Alberta market
began taking a hit in the second half of December
Byline: GREG KEENAN
globeandmail.com - Fri Mar 20 2015, 1:24pm ET
Auto Canada shares plunge; Stock down 21%
Byline: Kristine Owram, Source: Financial Post, Page: FP3, Edition: All_but_Toronto
National Post - Sat Mar 21 2015
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General Motors Product News
HIGH ON BRAND NEW COLORADO ; A QUIET AND COMPOSED UTILITY RIDE WITH AN
IMPRESSIVE LEVEL OF REFINEMENT THAT'S FULL OF TECH
Byline: BRIAN MAKSE, Page: 65, Edition: Final
The Toronto Sun - Sun Mar 22 2015
Cadillac teases new V-6 engines designed to reduce fuel, beat German rivals; The
engines are part of a $12-billion U.S. investment that General Motors has committed to
'expanding and elevating the Cadillac portfolio globally'
Byline: Staff
globeandmail.com - Fri Mar 20 2015, 1:49pm ET
A 400-horsepower engine for the Cadillac CT6
Permalink: www.autogo.ca...
autogo.ca - Mon Mar 23 2015
Cadillac CT6's Engine - The Car Guide
Permalink: www.guideautoweb.com...
guideautoweb.com - Mon Mar 23 2015
Cadillac's engine a technological marvel - Autos.ca
Permalink: www.autos.ca...
autos.ca - Mon Mar 23 2015
Cadillac's Twin Turbo V6 is a marvel
Permalink: www.msn.com...
msn.com - Mon Mar 23 2015
2016 Camaro will be “ all-new”
Permalink: www.autogo.ca...
autogo.ca - Mon Mar 23 2015
Teen Mode - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu - The Car Guide
Permalink: www.guideautoweb.com...
guideautoweb.com - Mon Mar 23 2015
Corvette Zora a Chevrolet or a Cadillac?
Permalink: www.msn.com...
msn.com - Mon Mar 23 2015
Column: Seven generations of Corvettes on display at show
Byline: Alyn Edwards, Source: Vancouver Sun, Page: C11, Edition: Final
Vancouver Sun - Mon Mar 23 2015
GM working on 2016 Chevrolet Suburban HD?
Permalink: www.msn.com...
msn.com - Mon Mar 23 2015
Les VUS les plus abordables sur le marché ; Voici les VUS les plus abordables que les
constructeurs sélectionnés ont à nous offrir. Ces modèles sont tous offerts à partir de
moins de 30 000 $.
Byline: VINCENT NOËL, Page: A4, Edition: final
Le Journal de Québec - Sun Mar 22 2015
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General Motors Corporate News
GM CEO Mary Barra to face first questioning in ignition switch
cases | Driving
driving.ca
Mon Mar 23 2015
View original item at driving.ca...»
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Cornwall Standard-Freeholder
Mon Mar 23 2015
Page: A6
Section: Editorial/Opinion
Column: Letters to the Editor
THANKS FOR THE TRANSFER
In appreciation of the federal and provincial bailouts for helping General Motors stave off bankruptcy six years
ago with hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, it has been decided to transfer production of the Camaro from
Oshawa to labour-friendly Michigan.
This transfer won't happen until 2016, giving two years to build the new bridge from Windsor to Detroit.
Because the state of Michigan is in such a devastating fiscally financial position, the Harper federal government
and the Liberal government of Ontario agreed to finance this bridge.
Tolls will be levied to recoup these funds.
Heinz, Kelloggs and Caterpillar will also make use of this new bridge.
Tarrifs are not required. We have a free trade deal.
GLEN RUNIONS
CORNWALL
NEED A BALANCED APPROACH
The Federal government's new Anti-terrorism Bill C-51 is sweeping, dangerously vague, and likely to face legal
and constitutional challenges on many fronts. Terrorism is a real threat and requires effective measures to keep
Canadians safe but we should not have to choose between our security and our rights and freedoms. We need
a responsible, principled, balanced approach.
As Canadians rally across the country in opposition to the anti-terror bill, I hope that the Harper government will
be open to NDP amendments to Bill C-51 that will make the bill better. Bill C-51 with its broad, vague definitions
threatens the civil rights and freedoms of all Canadians, including freedom of speech, right to privacy,
especially online, and security. Anyone who criticizes the government's social, economic, and environmental
policies could be targeted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), for example, social activists,
First Nations, environmentalists, critics of the government's foreign policy, labour activists, political foes etc.
The anti-terror bill gives sweeping new powers to CSIS without equally enhancing oversight. Nor is there any
plan in the bill to work with communities on concrete, effective measures to counter radicalization of youth.
I am disappointed that Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party have chosen to side with the Harper Conservatives
to support the passage of this deeply flawed bill that threatens our rights and freedoms and erodes our
Canadian way of life.
Bill C-51 must be amended to strengthen oversight, protect Canadians' civil liberties, and counter the
radicalization of youth in Canada. Canadians deserve better.
BRIAN LYNCH, PRESIDENT, SDSG FEDERAL NDP RIDING ASSOCIATION CORNWALL
GREAT JOB BY COACH
Without diminishing in the slightest the amazing job Andrew Hammond has done both in the net and in the
hearts of every Ottawa Sens fan, there was another change in the team shortly before he arrived that deserves
some credit.
Since Dave Cameron took over as coach, all of a sudden the Sens are forechecking, and doing a pretty darn
good job at it too. Getting the puck out of their end seems to have become more of a priority as well. This is not
the same game they started the season with and Coach Cameron has to be given much of the credit. BRIAN
DUNN
VIA E. MAIL
© 2015 Osprey Media Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Edition: Final
Length: 500 words
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A PRIZE THAT WOULD DWARF THE SMARTPHONE INDUSTRY
The Globe and Mail
Sat Mar 21 2015
Page: B8
Section: Report on Business
Byline: GREG KEENAN, BRIAN MILNER, OMAR EL AKKAD
The Leander Kahney family in San Francisco is exclusively an Apple household. At last count, they have six
iPhones, eight iPads, three iMacs, two MacBooks, more iPods than Mr. Kahney can count and assorted
accessories, such as Apple TVs and the WiFi-based Time Capsules.
Now that its much-ballyhooed watch is just weeks away from hitting the market, the question is what's the next
big thing for the world's leading technology marketer. And the answer could well be its boldest venture yet: an
Apple car.
Loyalists like Mr. Kahney, 49, can hardly wait to get his hands on one, if his wife lets him. "I also might have to
mortgage my house to do it."
The once-fleeting notion that Apple Inc. might disrupt the automotive sector the way it successfully assaulted
the markets for music, cellphones and tablets has become more concrete in recent weeks. It has electrified the
Apple community and Mr. Kahney, publisher of Cult of Mac, one of the biggest websites in the world devoted to
everything Apple.
"I'm really excited about it, it's really intriguing," he says. "What kind of car are they going to build? Will it be an
electric car, a self-driving car or a regular car with a really nice interface? Even just from a sheer design
standpoint, it's fascinating."
Similar questions - and the ultimate issue of whether an Apple iCar, iRoadster or iRagtop will hit the road early
in the 2020s - are also very much on the minds of senior executives of the world's auto makers.
Reports about Apple preparing to enter the auto market surfaced last month, leading to frenzied speculation
about whether it plans to sell its own car, partner with auto makers or try to grab more of the electronic and
software content in vehicles amid growing consumer demand for better connectivity and the approach of
autonomous cars.
Apple is keeping mum, but enough information has leaked out about its extensive research - including the code
name Project Titan - to indicate that the tech giant is determined to win a bigger piece of a global market that
generates $1.6-trillion (U.S.) in revenue a year from new car sales alone.
Nothing has the potential to transform the auto industry quite like the entry of the world's most valuable
company into the market.
Apple's cash pile of $179-billion is 20 times the annual capital spending of Ford Motor Co. Its profit is nearly
four times higher than that of Toyota Motor Corp., even with the depreciated yen.
And its global clout and market value in excess of $740-billion would qualify it for membership in the Group of
20 if it were to become a nation.
Whatever form its vehicle plan eventually takes, it represents an existential threat to the auto club - some of
whose members barely survived a brush with death a few short years ago.
The industry is already dealing with tectonic shifts.
The internal combustion engine, a technology that put the world on wheels more than a century ago, is being
challenged as never before. Auto makers are spending tens of billions of dollars on battery propulsion and fuel
cell systems to meet regulations that will come into force over the next decade and require lower emissions.
Drivers are demanding in-vehicle entertainment, electronic and communication systems that connect
seamlessly with those in their homes and offices, as well as such navigational devices as active cruise control,
lane departure warning systems and apps that find restaurants and gas stations.
As an example of how swiftly the industry is moving, electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc. said this week
that a software upgrade will permit owners of its model S car to drive without touching their steering wheels as
early as this summer.
Looming on the road ahead is the autonomous vehicle, which will require game-changing leaps in technology.
But all of that pales in comparison to the disruption that would be caused by Apple, with its massive resources
and a huge and loyal customer base exemplified by people like Mr. Kahney and his family. "The issue here is
these guys are monsters," says veteran auto industry executive Tom LaSorda, former chief executive officer of
Chrysler LLC.
"They're big, they're effective, they have cash. I bet you this is being discussed in every boardroom. And if it's
not, they need to give the board a shakedown."
To understand how an invasion by Apple upends an existing market and forces companies to swallow tough
medicine in a hurry, there's no need to look any further afield than Research in Motion Ltd., now called
BlackBerry Inc., after the smartphone that once dominated the market but is now struggling to stay relevant.
Jim Balsillie was co-chief executive officer of RIM when Apple and Google targeted the company's lucrative
hold on the smartphone market.
He recalls how RIM went from being the disruptor in the cellphone arena, effectively blowing up such
competitors as Nokia and Motorola and building a $20-billion business, to a disruptee.
"There was not an appetite for strategic chemotherapy at RIM, because organizations hate it," Mr. Balsillie
says. "In tech, you have a window in time [to adapt to the new marketplace reality].
If you wait too long, then it becomes palliative."
The auto industry now faces a similar assault and the Fords, Toyotas, Volkswagens and General Motors of the
world have to ask themselves if they're prepared to undergo their own strategic chemotherapy, he says.
For the moment, in public, they are adopting the sober stance that they are paying attention to the Apple threat,
while many former auto executives and industry pundits drone on about how Apple can't possibly succeed in
this business because car manufacturing is a hugely capital-intensive, lowmargin enterprise that is dramatically
different from the industries it has already disrupted.
"We take anybody with that kind of capability and cash and technological prowess [entering] our industry
seriously," says Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of the Americas. "But of course, our focus has been on how do
we make sure that we are part of the disruption, that we are part of the solutions of the future."
The cloud Apple's big advantage over traditional car makers is simple, yet hard to overcome, and it lies in the
cloud.
The cloud consists of remote servers that store vast amounts of data and run applications, giving everyone on
the planet with a connected device access to unlimited computing power essentially for free. It is also
revolutionizing the way companies do business by instantly providing them with vast amounts of customer data.
And it means Apple would not need to acquire car manufacturing capacity or build assembly and distribution
networks in order to create chaos in the club.
It's an advantage few traditional manufacturers, including auto makers, fully grasp, let alone have the ability to
exploit.
Cloud computing has such transformative power "it makes the Gutenberg press look like a non-event [in terms
of technological change]," says Francis McInerney, managing director of North River Ventures in New York and
an adviser to Japanese electronics makers and other companies faced with a rapidly changing competitive
landscape.
In Apple's case, its huge server capacity enables all of its products, processes, applications and
communication tools to link together, producing a single flow of information that the company can tap into
quickly.
Everything it produces, from iPhones and iPads to Macs and the new Apple Watch, is just another means of
connecting seamlessly to its cloud. Vehicles would be treated the same way, essentially turning them into
tablets or Macs on wheels.
"Apple thinks from the cloud out," says Mr. McInerney, who would definitely line up for an Apple vehicle. At
least then, he says, he would be assured of a better communications interface than the clunky one in his new
upscale German model.
"If you're an Apple or a Google, it allows you to use the same power to manage your supply chain that you use
to manage your customers," he says.
"That's a revolution in thinking that allows you to identify all the cash-wait states [where money sits idle] and to
collect a stunning amount of customer information in real time. Put the two together and you're turning that
information into cash at an accelerated rate. Car companies don't think like that."
What Apple's astute boss Tim Cook, a logistics expert, realizes is that it takes a certain kind of business model
to enable the company "to roll up all the industries that it's rolling up, as it hooverizes one after the other," Mr.
McInerney says.
Simply put, Apple's formula for continued rapid and profitable growth amounts to "cloud plus logistics," he says.
Suppliers
Many of Apple's electronics suppliers also work with auto makers and they are salivating at the thought of
doing more business with the computer giant, which is renowned for determining all of its parts needs and
paying for them in full a year or more in advance.
This much is certain: Apple will not make or sell vehicles the traditional way and it has no interest in pursuing a
low-margin business of any sort.
"Apple typically starts with the supply chain and works backwards," Mr. McInerney says. "The product itself is
less important."
But it would be logical to start with electric cars, because they involve fewer moving parts, which will make
them cheaper to produce reliably once Apple can get the high cost of batteries down. Part of its engineers'
secret research is believed to be focused on car batteries.
Mr. LaSorda notes that the prevailing method of developing vehicles in the auto industry is to start with a great
exterior design and work inward. The centre stack that holds the electronic interface is then drawn up to fit into
that space.
Apple, he says, is likely to start from the centre stack and work out, because that's really where the driver
interacts with the car.
The key electronic and entertainment systems that need driver input will be voice-activated.
"They can just create a voice over to the car that says 'put No. 3 speed on my air conditioner, get me to 70
degrees. I want to go to this store, where is it?' The navigation system takes over; I don't plug anything in."
Apple is already active in the auto information and entertainment space with its CarPlay system, which uses
Siri for voice-activated commands, but requires an iPhone to be plugged in.
The prize for developing its own car, or a complete electronic system that controls an autonomous car, would
be a bigger slice of an industry that in new car sales alone is four times the size of the annual smartphone
market of $400-billion and dwarfs the $266-billion personal computer market, according to figures compiled by
analysts from Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC.
Dominance
In its remarkable growth trajectory, Apple gobbled its way through markets valued in the tens of billions of
dollars, like music players and laptops, then moved into hundred-billion-dollar-plus businesses like
smartphones.
Ventures like the high-tech watches and streaming TV may prove to be nice niches, but are too small to have
much impact on the top or bottom lines.
At its current size, Apple can only expand to any significant degree by going after far bigger game. Mobile
payment services hold promise, although competition will be fierce.
"They've got to be in the trillion-dollar markets. And there are only two that are worth looking at: health care and
autos," Mr. McInerney says. Apple is hard at work on both.
On the automotive front, the changes in electronics and technology now sweeping the industry represent an
immense opportunity for Apple and Google Inc., in part because autonomous vehicles will provide more time
for people sitting in vehicles and thus an even stronger demand to be connected. Google has a self-driving car
in development.
"We estimate that the value of the automobile will evolve from being a 90-per-cent hardware device today to
being a 60-per-cent software device once cars are fully autonomous," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a
recent report.
"This is critical to Apple's involvement in the car. Apple has both hardware and software design expertise and
the rebalance of the hardware versus software equation in the car can create a void that only Silicon Valley
(and a select few existing auto makers and suppliers) can fill."
To ward off the attack of the tech monsters, Mr. Balsillie suggests a defence neither the auto industry nor
competition watchdogs seem likely to embrace: Team up and deploy their combined market clout to head them
off by coming up with their own value-added model.
"If I were the automotive guys, I would get together ... without violating collusion [rules] and grab my
competitor's smartest strategic guy and tell him we have to co-operate before they divide and conquer us."
Like the record companies and cellphone makers before them, auto makers are focused on besting their main
rivals. "They don't realize there's a bigger competitor around the corner that can wreck everybody's business
model by introducing their own," Mr. Balsillie says.
The music industry only needed three majors to team up to offer an effective downloading service like Apple's.
But two of them couldn't even reach a deal.
So Apple, which produces no music and employs no musicians, swooped in.
"They were stuck in their existing competitive world, and tech preys on that," Mr. Balsillie says.
"They count on the entrenched guys being so stuck in their models that they don't rethink [them], and they
know they're not really capable of topping them on the innovation front."
THE BATTERY PLAN
The closest thing to a confirmation that Apple is working on a car comes not from the company itself, but from a
lawsuit.
In February, Apple was sued by a company called A123, which specializes in lithiumion batteries for passenger
vehicles and similar uses.
The lawsuit, which claims Apple poached several of A123's employees, claims the iPhone maker "is currently
developing a large-scale battery division to compete in the very same field as A123."
One of the most significant impacts of an Apple foray into the world of cars will likely be be a jolt to the battery
industry.
For years, a host of researchers, startups and established companies have been working on developing
batteries that are both cheap enough and efficient enough to make electric cars the norm, rather than an
anomaly.
But none have the size nor the financial means of a corporate behemoth like Apple.
"Tesla validated the commerciality of the electric car and goaded major car makers the world over to get
serious about them," says Steve LeVine, a journalist and adjunct professor at Georgetown University whose
latest book, Powerhouse, charts the latest efforts to build a better battery. "Apple's entry is Tesla on steroids."
As such, car companies that previously ignored or underestimated the electric car market - and the broader
notion that cars will one day become moving smartphones, rather than basic transportation products - have a
very limited amount of time to reassess.
In his meetings with dozens of car company executives, Thilo Koslowski, vice-president and analyst at the
research firm Gartner's automotive unit, says he has seen that the industry's old guard is well aware of the
transformation.
"The car industry has three to five years left to determine where they want to be in this new age of mobility," he
says.
"This is a huge disruption."
© 2015 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Edition: Ontario
Length: 2567 words
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AutoCanada reports double-digit sales, profit gains in quarter; But
key Alberta market began taking a hit in the second half of
December
globeandmail.com
Fri Mar 20 2015, 1:24pm ET
Section: Business
Byline: GREG KEENAN
AutoCanada Inc. reported double-digit gains in revenue and profit in the fourth quarter, but its key Alberta
market began taking a hit in the second half of December.
Canada's largest publicly traded dealership group said sales at some of its Calgary outlets fell by as much as
33 per cent in January amid the collapse in the price of oil and the impact it is having on consumer confidence
in Alberta.
Worse winter weather than usual also hurt sales at some dealerships outside Alberta and others had operating
issues that hurt sales volume and profit margin.
"Consequently, the company has experienced significantly lower-than-forecast vehicle sales and margins with
a corresponding decline in dealership profitability in early fiscal 2015, resulting in weak performance relative to
the comparative results of 2014," AutoCanada said in a statement accompanying its 2014 full-year and fourthquarter financial results.
Vehicle sales at its Chrysler stores in Calgary fell 17.5 per cent in January, while those at its Japanese and
South Korean-branded outlets in the city fell 10.2 per cent and 33.3 per cent, respectively. Industry data firm
R.L. Polk said retail vehicle deliveries fell 9.4 per cent in Calgary as a whole in January.
"What we're seeing out there is primarily a deterioration of consumer confidence," AutoCanada chief executive
officer Tom Orysiuk told analysts and investors on a conference call Friday.
The drop in Alberta sales, however, which also affected the company's stores in Edmonton and Grande Prairie,
is "not even close" to the collapse in vehicle sales during the 2008-2009 recession, AutoCanada executive
chairman Pat Priestner said during the call.
"This isn't a long-term problem at all," Mr. Priestner said. "I'm not that worried about it."
But the company is taking actions to reduce costs.
AutoCanada shares fell 21 per cent or $9.04 to $33.70 in early afternoon trading on the TSX.
The warning about "very challenging" market conditions came as the company reported fourth-quarter profit of
$14.9-million or 54 cents a share, compared with $9.6-million or 42 cents a year earlier. Revenue rose 96 per
cent to $653.5-million from $333.8-million.
Full-year revenue rose to $2.21-billion from $1.41-billion in 2013, partly on the strength of the acquisition of 17
dealerships last year.
Profit for all of 2014 rose to $53.1-million from $38.2-million or $2.31 cents a share versus $1.83.
© 2015 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Length: 365 words
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Auto Canada shares plunge; Stock down 21%
National Post
Sat Mar 21 2015
Page: FP3
Section: Financial Post
Byline: Kristine Owram
Source: Financial Post
Declining consumer confidence in the oil-dependent economy of Alberta dented sales at AutoCanada Inc.'s car
dealerships in the first two months of the year, but the company isn't giving up on its aggressive acquisition
strategy.
The Edmonton-based dealership group's shares tumbled 21% Friday to close at $33.75 after it described the
latter half of December and the first two months of 2015 as "very challenging."
Nearly half of AutoCanada's 48 dealerships are in Alberta, where 40% of people are deferring major purchases
like homes and automobiles as a result of the collapse in oil prices, according to a study by ATB Financial that
was cited Friday by Auto-Canada CEO Tom Orysiuk.
"With a large percentage of the company's revenue and profit coming from Western dealerships, and Alberta
dealerships in particular, this will pose significant challenges," Mr. Orysiuk said on a conference call following
the release of the company's fourth-quarter results.
"Barring any unforeseen significant improvement, although the company shall be profitable, Q1 2015 will not
equal Q1 2014 results."
According to data from automotive research firm R.L. Polk Co., the Calgary area saw a 9.4% drop in car-sales
volumes in January compared to the previous year. Auto-Canada said Edmonton and Grande Prairie, Alta.,
where it also has a significant presence, "likewise proved challenging." In addition, record snowfall in the
Maritimes and some integration challenges with newly acquired stores hurt volumes and margins outside of
Alberta.
Mr. Orysiuk said AutoCanada is "aggressively reviewing its operations" to find ways to reduce costs, and is
hoping manufacturers with volumebased incentives will adjust their sales targets.
AutoCanada has been on an acquisition spree, buying 17 dealerships last year alone. The company's dramatic
pace of growth led to record fourth-quarter revenue of $653.5 million, nearly double the year before, and a 55%
jump in net profit to $14.9 million.
Although the pace of acquisitions will slow this year, Executive chairman Pat Priestner said he expects to
announce another three to five purchases by the end of May and will not be deterred by the economic
weakness in Alberta.
"Should Alberta opportunities present themselves as we go through the year at multiples that make really good
sense, the company would not hesitate to take advantage of what we believe would be clearly in the longterm
interests of the company and our shareholders," Mr. Priestner said.
AutoCanada is also interested in expanding its presence in Quebec and Ontario, where it currently has a total
of eight dealerships, through the acquisition of a large dealership group, Mr. Priestner added.
[email protected] Twitter.com/kristineowram
© 2015 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved.
Edition: All_but_Toronto
Story Type: News
Length: 417 words
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General Motors Product News
HIGH ON BRAND NEW COLORADO ; A QUIET AND COMPOSED
UTILITY RIDE WITH AN IMPRESSIVE LEVEL OF REFINEMENT
THAT'S FULL OF TECH
The Toronto Sun
Sun Mar 22 2015
Page: 65
Section: Autonet
Byline: BRIAN MAKSE
While many manufacturers are busy with the full-size truck market, General Motors has surprised truck buyers
with an all new mid-size pickup. For the Chevy brand, the new Colorado replaces a decade-old model and
places it head and shoulders above the aging competition from Toyota and Nissan.
For starters, this Colorado tester is equipped with GM's venerable 3.6-litre, direct-injection V6, which makes
305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. With a curb weight near 1,900 kg, it's easy think that the Colorado
needs more torque than that, but in practice it proves more than adequate. In addition, the V6 runs near silent
for a truck engine, which contributes to its remarkably low levels of on-road noise. It's nearly as quiet as
something like Chevy's Impala sedan.
What's more, this two-wheel drive, Z71-spec Colorado is rated to tow 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) and has a maximum
payload rating of 1,590 lb (721 kg), besting both Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier.
Chevy has equipped the inside of the Colorado with modern updates, notably a current infotainment system
and GM's latest cool tech, OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi. Yes, there's Wi-Fi on board, and since experiencing it last
year, I always seem to be taking advantage of it, no matter where I am. Given that my work will have me
pecking away on my laptop no matter the location, the convenience of the Colorado's Wi-Fi is brilliant and
makes travel time more efficient.
Modern tech goes even deeper with this new pickup and I thoroughly appreciate the standard equipment
automatic climate control. As well, smartphone users can download the OnStar RemoteLink app, which
controls some functions of the truck, such as remote start and locks. Plus, if you've forgotten where you've
parked your Colorado, you can even locate it using the app.
Truck buyers who regularly make effective use out of their pickups will appreciate the steps integrated into the
bumper, which should be standard equipment on every truck.
For its mid-size stature, the Colorado is relatively spacious inside, though you'll never confuse this interior with
the voluminous one found in the Silverado. The Z71's interior is finished just the way I like it -cloth seats and a
leather steering wheel. It's perfection. Surprisingly, rear seat passengers aren't treated like cattle class
passengers and have abundant leg and head room, as well as second row power outlets. There's also a little
bit of storage under the rear seat.
It's worth noting some early indications show interior materials wearing. Our test truck had seen a little testing
duty as well as some time as a show truck before it arrived for its test with us, and some of the interior
materials are already seeing scratches. Otherwise, interior materials are above average quality for the
segment.
Behind the wheel, visibility is top notch and the rear camera is a helpful addition when parking in tight quarters.
Dynamically, the Colorado has a high fun-to-drive factor, benefitting from the precise and direct electric power
steering, though I wouldn't mind a little more feedback from the wheel.
Brake feel is excellent, but what's really surprising is how much traction this rear-drive Z71 has in the real
world. Even with the traction control switch off, I have to work hard to break the rear tires free, despite testing
the Colorado in cold and snowy conditions.
What's really impressive about the Colorado is its overall level of refinement. Undoubtedly, some of the payoffs
include the quiet and composed ride, never mind all of its usable tech and utility. If GM keeps producing
vehicles like this, the competition should be scared.
--FACT FILE
As tested (before tax): $35,770
Fuel economy ratings (l/100 km): 13.0 city, 9.2 hwy
power/torque: 305 hp/ 269 lb-ft
Warranties: 4 years/80,000 km (basic)
Report Card
Fuel Economy 3
Equipment Level 9
Price 9
Styling 8
Comfort 8
Performance 7
Storage 8
Overall 9
PROS
Quiet
towing
Modern tech
CONS
Interior material durability
© 2015 Sun Media Corporation. All rights reserved.
Illustration:
• supplied The Chevy Colorado is a superb mid-sized pickup truck.
Edition: Final
Length: 639 words
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Cadillac teases new V-6 engines designed to reduce fuel, beat
German rivals; The engines are part of a $12-billion U.S. investment
that General Motors has committed to 'expanding and elevating the
Cadillac portfolio globally'
globeandmail.com
Fri Mar 20 2015, 1:49pm ET
Section: Other
Byline: Staff
Cadillac will introduce a twin turbo V-6 with the new CT6 luxury performance sedan, a model intended by
General Motors to compete aggressively in the luxury sedan space. The car is to be unveiled at the New York
auto show, on March 31.
The 3.0-litre twin turbo plus a new version of Cadillac's 3.6-litre naturally aspirated engine highlight a new
generation of V-6s designed to reduce fuel consumption, improve driving performance and dampen noise.
The engines, and a new eight-speed automatic transmission, are part of a $12-billion U.S. investment that
General Motors has committed to "expanding and elevating the Cadillac portfolio globally", said Dave Leone,
executive chief engineer for the brand. Eight new models are to be delivered by 2020, and of those five will be
new to segments in which Cadillac does not compete presently.
"To win the hearts and minds of our customers, it is going to require a variety of powertrains," he said, pledging
four-cylinders, electrification and the traditional V-8s in addition to the V-6s presented on Friday during a
technical briefing at a renovated downtown theatre in Detroit.
Cadillac engineers claimed the twin turbo will out-gun German rivals, citing peak output of 400 horsepower. It
features cylinder deactivation and stop/start technologies to conserve fuel by up to six per cent over the 2014
Cadillac engine, engineers said.
The second cylinder on the left side of the block, and the fifth on the right side can automatically deactivate.
Leone said the car ran on four cylinders at approximately 110 km/h during tests on the Ohio Turnpike.
Both engines feature a stiffer aluminum block ... a refined rotating assembly with a forged-steel crankshaft,
friction-reducing polymer-coated pistons ... a four-cam phasing system that enables late inlet valve closing ... a
patented new cooling system that cools the engine more efficiently during the drive and warms up the car faster
... innovative installation of a two-stage oil pump inside the engine block for quieter operation ... new cylinder
heads for enhanced combustion ...
And finally, a timing chain system with cushioned sprockets, part of a combined effort to temper engine noise.
The cushions are made of rubber, leading to questions about potential deterioration and costly repairs.
"It's very durable," Leone said.
The No. 2 (left side) and No. 5 (right side) cylinders deactivate automatically in light-load driving conditions, and
reactivate when the driver needs full power.
The twin turbo will stop-and-go in city driving to reduce gas consumption, restarting as the driver releases the
brake pedal.
The engine will be able to sustain peak torque, or pulling power, from 2,500 rpm to 5,000 rpm. GM says its
estimated 133 horsepower/litre will be 27 per cent greater than the BMW 740Li's 3.0-litre twin-turbo V-6 (315
hp and 105 hp/litre) and 29 percent more than the Audi A7's 3.0-litre supercharged V-6 (310 hp and 103 hp/L).
Rich Bartlett, assistant chief engineer, said the torque across the rpm band "is matched only by the satisfaction
of the horsepower created as those revs climb quickly to 6,500 rpm."
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Length: 534 words
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A 400-horsepower engine for the Cadillac CT6
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Seven generations of Corvettes on display at show
Vancouver Sun
Mon Mar 23 2015
Page: C11
Section: News
Byline: Alyn Edwards
Source: Vancouver Sun
Dueck Auto Group president Moray Keith bubbles over when he talks about Corvettes.
He must love them, because he and his wife Pamela have a matching pair of Daytona Blue 1964 Corvettes:
one is an alloriginal coupe; the other a wellequipped roadster with optional hardtop and 365 horsepower
engine.
His son Greg, vice-president of the company, is also a classic Corvette enthusiast and proudly owns a red
1957 model with beige cove accents.
At this year's auto show, Dueck Auto Group is displaying models to represent all seven generations of
Corvettes built since America's first production sports car was introduced at the 1953 General Motors
Motorama.
C1 designates the first series of Corvettes built through the 1962 model year. That will be represented by
Moray's beautifully restored red-and-white 1961 Corvette.
The Daytona Blue 1964 Corvette roadster owned by Pamela will represent the C2 series built from 1963
through 1967.
Representing the C3 series from 1968 through 1982 is a yellow 1973 Corvette roadster with the optional highhorsepower 454-cubic-inch engine owned by David Kent, Dueck's vice-president. This fully restored Corvette
was previously owned by Vancouver Canuck goalie Kirk McLean.
A burgundy special 50th anniversary 2003 Corvette will represent the C4 Corvettes manufactured between
1997 and 2004. It is owned by Ken and Dianne Gates of the Riverside Corvette Club.
A black 1993 roadster from the C5 series (1984-1996) is being displayed by Graham Dodsworth, president of
the Riverside Corvette Club.
C6 Corvettes issued from 2005 through 2013 will be represented by a blue roadster with a stunning all-white
interior.
The current series of C7 Corvettes will be covered off by a black 2014 coupe.
"The only series of Corvettes that I don't own an example of is the C5 and that's only because I haven't found
the right one," Moray says.
He and his son are avid car collectors with a small showroom tucked deep within the sprawling Dueck on
Marine dealership. Alongside the Corvettes are a red 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible, a 1950s Chevy
pickup, a 1965 Pontiac GTO, a rare 1970 Oldsmobile 442 convertible, a 1930 Cadillac convertible coupe and a
stunning coral-and-grey 1956 Oldsmobile sold originally at Dueck's.
Moray also has a highly modified 1957 Chevy BelAir two-door sedan with a 502-cubic-inch engine.
"I like modified cars and my son likes them original, just the way they came from the factory," says the car
dealer, who worked his way through university with a part-time job building and tuning race cars for an
Edmonton speed shop.
Moray's father, now 102, was a banker who moved from small prairie towns to Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, St.
John's, N.L., Vancouver and Edmonton. He loved General Motors cars, including Chevrolets and Buicks.
Young Moray was particularly smitten by his father's new 1963 Chevrolet Impala hardtop purchased at Trudeau
Motors in Belleville, Ont.
Moray graduated from university in the mid-1970s, when auto manufacturers were reducing five-year
warranties to one year. He got into the extended warranty business and wanted to sign up Dueck Chevrolet
Oldsmobile Cadillac in Vancouver. "It was really hard to see the president, so I bought roses for his assistant
for a full week before I got in," he recalls. He won the business from then-Dueck president Alan Eyre.
Howard Carter, of Carter GM, convinced Moray to go into the car business and his first GM dealership was in
Okotoks, south of Calgary. "I was expected to sell 120 new vehicles a year. We sold a thousand," Moray says.
General Motors suggested he talk to Alan Eyre about acquiring Dueck's and he took over the dealership in
1987. The Dueck Auto Group now has three car dealerships and a truck dealership.
"General Motors has gone through a renaissance," Moray enthuses. "I love all the new products, including the
fabulous Cadillac Escalade and the Chevrolet Tahoe."
Turning back to his collection of classics, he says: "Old cars are back. They are selling for much higher prices
now and Canadians who own classic cars got a 30 per cent lift with the increasing value of the U.S. dollar."
Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and partner in Peak Communicators, a Vancouver-based public
relations company.
© 2015 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved.
Illustration:
• Wayne Leidenfrost, PNG / Dueck Auto Group's Moray Keith and son Greg with Moray's 1964 Corvette. The Vancouver show will
feature seven generations of Corvettes.
Edition: Final
Story Type: Column
Length: 664 words
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GM working on 2016 Chevrolet Suburban HD?
msn.com
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Les VUS les plus abordables sur le marché ; Voici les VUS les plus
abordables que les constructeurs sélectionnés ont à nous offrir.
Ces modèles sont tous offerts à partir de moins de 30 000 $.
Le Journal de Québec
Sun Mar 22 2015
Page: A4
Section: Autonet
Byline: VINCENT NOËL
Column: Palmarès
CHEVROLET TRAX 2015
Prix à partir de 19 130 $. La clientèle urbaine est friande des VUS de petite taille. Maniable, abordable et
économe en carburant, le Trax correspond en plusieurs points aux besoins des gens de la ville. Chevrolet
JEEP PATRIOT 2015
Prix à partir de 14 745 $. Pour ceux qui souhaitent satisfaire leur soif d'aventure à bord d'un Jeep, sans se
ruiner. Le Patriot est agrémenté de caractéristiques propres aux VUS modernes. Son design est simple, mais
honnête. Jeep
SUBARU FORESTER 2015
Prix à partir de 25 995 $. Fiable, pratique et agréable à conduire, le Forester est particulièrement prisé en sol
canadien. Sa traction intégrale à prise constante, dont l'aptitude a fait ses preuves dans les climats les plus
rigoureux, demeure un argument de taille qui joue en sa faveur. Subaru
KIA SPORTAGE 2015
Prix à partir de 24 775 $. Ce VUS portant la griffe Kia est idéal pour la ville, mais il se débrouille tout aussi bien
sur les petites routes de campagne, quelles que soient les conditions routières. Moderne, fiable et aussi
élégant que sportif, le Sportage est, comme tous les produits de la marque, généreux en ce qui concerne les
équipements de série. Kia
TOYOTA RAV4 2015
Prix à partir de 26 320 $. Bénéficiant d'une notoriété enviable, le RAV4 est une référence dans le segment des
VUS légers. Bien construit, fiable et raisonnablement gourmand, il possède un intérieur spacieux et une
ergonomie remarquable. Toyota
NISSAN JUKE 2015
Prix à partir de 20 498 $. Avec ses lignes et ses formes singulières, le Juke ne passe pas inaperçu. Son
intérieur convivial et sa conduite aux prétentions sportives le rendent encore plus attrayant, sans oublier que sa
motorisation n'est pas piquée des vers. Nissan
MITSUBISHI RVR 2015
Prix à partir de 19 998 $. Compact et joli, le petit RVR se fond aussi bien dans un paysage urbain qu'en pleine
nature. Parmi ses caractéristiques intéressantes, notons le toit vitré panoramique, la puissante chaîne audio de
marque Rockford Fosgate (en option) et la traction intégrale éprouvée. Mitsubishi
MAZDA CX-5 2015
Prix à partir de 22 995 $. Comme la majorité des produits Mazda, le CX-5 possède une âme sportive qui fait le
bonheur des inconditionnels de la marque. Sa silhouette aux formes fluides et stylisées le rend captivant sous
tous ses angles. Grâce à la technologie Skyactiv, sa consommation d'essence est avantageuse pour ce type
de véhicule. Mazda
FORD ESCAPE 2015
Prix à partir de 23 799 $. L'Escape est le type de véhicule recherché par les amateurs de VUS, avec son
design aérodynamique, ses motorisations EcoBoost efficaces offertes en option et ses éléments de commodité
à la fine pointe de la technologie. Le hayon à commande électrique mains libres et le système multimédia
SYNC ont séduit plusieurs nouveaux adeptes. Ford
HONDA CR-V 2015
Prix à partir de 25 990 $. Pour 2015, le CR-V revêt une robe plus élégante et au goût du jour. Avec l'ajout de
plusieurs caractéristiques technologiques offertes dans certaines versions, comme un système de freinage
atténuant les collisions et un régulateur de vitesse adaptatif, le constructeur n'a pas lésiné sur les innovations
de qualité. Honda
HYUNDAI TUSCON 2015
Prix à partir de 21 999 $. Le Tuscon vous a-t-il fait de l'oeil avec ses jolies formes? Possédant un espace de
chargement fort appréciable, il est pourvu de l'un des ensembles d'équipement de série les plus complets de
sa catégorie. Ce VUS compact polyvalent offre aussi un choix de deux motorisations compétentes et efficaces.
Hyundai
AUTRE SUGGESTION
Pour savoir quel est le modèle le plus vendu de chaque marque :
http:www.autonet.ca/fr/2015/02/27/le-meilleur-vendeur-de-chaquema que--- 1re- partie
Edition: final
Length: 603 words
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