GM has added numerous improvements into its 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Heavy-Duty full-size pickups, but barely a month after production began at the Flint assembly plant, the company recently decided to suspend it in order to trace and repair a defective part.

When you’ve been building trucks since 1902, it’s probably fair to say you’ve got a bit of experience when it comes to finding out what customers want and need from a heavy-duty pickup. For 2011, GMC unleashes an updated Sierra HD, which while sharing many improvements with its Chevy Silverado cousin; offers a few party tricks of its own.

In late 2008, when the U.S. economy went into freefall and GM stood on the edge of the precipice, any projects that weren’t core to the automaker’s survival were either canned or put on the back burner. One of the latter, was a light-duty version of the GM Duramax diesel, designed for the light duty 1/2 ton Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. Now that truck sales are on the rebound, the idea of a light duty diesel engine is gaining traction once again. According to Mark Cieslak, Chief Engineer for GM’s full-size truck program, making the engine an option in HD trucks as well as the 1500 personal use models would give it a stronger business case. “The 4.5-liter V8 diesel is fully developed and ready, so if we wanted to, we could launch it in a hearbeat,” he said.

General Motors has announced a massive recall of 1.5 million vehicles over concern that their heated windshield washer fluid system could catch fire. No solution for the problem is available and so GM will give owners a $100 rebate (yup, $150 million in total) for the loss of the feature on their vehicle.

These days, for the sheer number of different nameplates on the market, it appears that actual choices in the types of vehicles available is becoming increasingly limited. One segment that’s probably hardest hit are small pickups. Compared to their heyday in the 1980s, when more than 1 million compact trucks were sold;  just 87,985 compact and mid-size pickups were through April this year (according to J.D. Power and Associates), though many cite the poor choice of vehicles as a major contributing factor to the sales decline in the segment over the last few years.

Hot on the heels of announcing impressive payload and towing figures for its Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra Heavy-Duty trucks; General Motors has stated that it is seriously looking to re-enter the medium duty truck market. Last year, the General exited this segment, winding down production of its Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC Topkick class 5-7 trucks, after  deals to sell the medium-duty business to Isuzu and Navistar International fell through.

With fuel economy still one of the primary buzz words in the auto industry these days, manufacturers are looking to do what they can to boost the mileage of their vehicles. When it comes to light trucks, any savings in gas mileage helps, especially in view of impending CAFE regulations. One method General Motors is seriously looking at, concerns louvered radiator grilles.

It may cost more money to purchase and fill up, but SUVs , trucks and mini-vans are cheaper to insure. This information is coming from a recent government report that based its findings on the fact that some vehicles cost less to fix, and therefore reflects how much it will cost to insure.

New models, strong sales and cost cutting measures have put General Motors in the black for the first quarter of 2010. GM posted a $865 million Q1 net profit, after posting staggering losses for five straight years in a row.

“We’re pleased with our first quarter performance, in particular achieving profitability,” said Chris Liddell, vice chairman and chief financial officer. “In North America we are adding production to keep up with strong demand for new products in our four brands. We’re also steadily growing in emerging markets, keeping our costs under control, generating positive cash flow and maintaining a strong balance sheet.  These are all important steps as we lay the foundation for a successful GM.”

Recently GM announced it had paid back the almost $8 billion in loans from the Canadian and U.S. governments, however, the U.S. Treasury also fronted $43 billion to save the American auto giant from solvency. If GM can sustain profits then the U.S. government may look to sell-off its shares of the automaker by the end of the year.

[Source: Automotive News]

Official release after the jump:

There was once a time when pickups were essentially utilitarian vehicles. However, during the 1980s and 1990s, half-ton full-size rigs became increasingly laden with creature comforts, leather bucket seats, center consoles, power everything and serious in car entertainment. Now the concept of luxury truck is expanding upmarket, with General Motors recently launching a luxury GMC Denali as part of the Sierra Heavy-Duty line from 2011.

As automakers push to make their entire model lines more fuel efficient, anything that can assist the cause is open to possibility. Recently, spokespeople for Nexteer Automotive, a driveline company that has it’s origins in Delphi and General Motors, announced that it plans to replace conventional hydraulic assisted power steering, with new electrically assisted systems in half-ton rigs within the next three years. Electric power steering systems are already used in small cars, hybrids and SUVS, but until recently the technology simply wasn’t advanced enough to cope with higher axle weights and loadings typical of larger vehicles. However that has now changed as advances in vehicle electrical systems and stronger rack and pinion steering setups have made it possible to offer them in 1/2 ton full-size pickups. General Motors has already offered electrically assisted power steering in its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Hybrids, and now it looks set to extend the system to their conventional counterparts, it will be interesting to see how and/or when Ford and Chrysler will adopt it on their F-150 and Ram trucks.

General Motors and its GMC division are back on a roll. They had been making excellent trucks and SUVs for years, which brought big bucks into the company, but when gas prices shot up to $4.00 per gallon in 2008, sales of their big vehicles shut down like a blown fuse. All of a sudden, people were only looking for small high-mileage cars, and the SUVs were stacking up on dealer lots like cord wood.

General Motors has announced it will invest $890 million in its powertrain facilities, part of which will go towards development of a new generation of powerful and efficient small-block V8 engines. The new engines will be E85 compatible, will use aluminum blocks and will get direct-injection technology. They will also get a new type of combustion system design. All of these updates will result in “unprecedented” improvements in fuel economy.

Updates to powertrain facilities will be made at five locations: Tonawanda, NY; St. Catharines, Ontario; Defiance, Ohio; Bedford, Indiana and Bay City, Michigan. GM says more than 1,600 jobs will be added or retained due to the investment.

There’s no word on exactly what vehicles will get the new engines, but its likely they will arrive in GM’s trucks, as well as a new generation of spots cars and luxury cars, ranging from the Corvette, to the Camaro, to the Cadillac CTS-V.

Official release after the jump:

General Motors CEO Ed Whitacre is expected to announce today that the automaker has already paid off all of its $6.7 billion in loans to the U.S. and Canadian governments. Back i n November, GM announced it would begin paying back the loans and today Whitacre is scheduled to make the announcement that the remaining $5.8 billion has now been returned to the taxpayers that supported the American auto giant when it was in trouble.

GMC has just released pricing for its new line of 2011 Sierra HD models, starting from $27,965, while those wanting the Duramax diesel and Allison transmission combo will have to spend $36,360 – a jump of $8,395. That price is, however, the exact same number as last year’s model, which is impressive considering the improvements made for the all-new 2011 truck. As for the new Sierra Denali HD (a 2500HD 4WD crew cab), it’s set at $45,865.

General Motors has announced it will expand the use of a brake override system to all eligible cars, just as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reportedly opened an investigation into brake issues on GM products that could see a recall of up to 6.2 million vehicles.

The “enhanced smart pedal” technology will be installed on all GM vehicles with an automatic transmission and electronic throttle control by 2012 says GM. The software will allow the brakes to override the throttle if both pedals are pressed simultaneously.

As for the possible recall, NHTSA said it is looking into a situation of brake line corrosion on 6 million GM pickups and SUVs made from 1999-2003 and 189,000 2500 heavy-duty pickups made in 2003. The NHTSA says it has received 110 complaints and allegations of three crashes relating to the loss of braking power due to corroded brake lines.

Toyota recently announced the expansion of a brake override system to all of its vehicles after it recalled million of vehicles due to sticking brake pedals.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Official release after the jump:

In an effort to provide better customer support and head off problems before they get out of control, General Motors has created a new “task force” aimed at monitoring social media sites for complaints about GM vehicles and looking to find solutions.

The GMC Terrain may be a compact crossover, but it has all the bold and brawny styling of a Mack truck, with boxy flared fenders and a massive front grille. A sister vehicle to the Chevrolet Equinox, it certainly doesn’t look it.

A month after the debut of the all-new 2011 Chevy Silverado HD, GMC has now announced its version of the work truck, the Sierra Denali HD. Powered by the same 6.6-liter Duamax engine and 6-speed Allison transmission, the truck gets best-in-class power of 397-hp at 3000 rpm and best-in-class torque of 765 ft-lbs at 1600 rpm. This tops the new Ford F-Series, but only slightly, while coming slightly under the new Ford truck in both payload and tow ratings, with a 6,335 lb. and 20,000 lb rating, respectively. The trucks conventional (non-fifth-wheel) towing cappability is up significantly, to the tune of 23 percent, and is now rated at 16,000 lbs.

The small pickup truck segment seems to be a dying category, with the future of the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon now in doubt. According to a report by PickupTrucks.com, GM’s product boss Bob Lutz has said that both models may not live on to see another generation. “It’s uncertain at this point,” he said. “They may well [go away].”

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General Motors’ vice chairman of global product operations is so strong a believer in his company’s product he’s willing to prove it in a tug-of-war between the GMC Heavy Duty and the Ford F-Series Super Duty.

GMC introduced its new Granite concept model at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, presenting a “urban utility vehicle” with a boxiness rivaling the Scion xB.

GMC has just released a teaser image of what it is calling the Urban Utility Concept. Set to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next week, word has already slipped out that this new model will see production under the name: GMC Granite.

Along with a long list of Chevy products set to debut at the Detroit Auto Show, GM will deliver unconventional new vehicles for both Buick and GMC. First up is a high-performance Buick Regal, thought to be called the GS. Based on the European Opel Insignia OPC, the Regal GS will use a 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 to make 325-hp and put that power to the ground using an all-wheel drive setup.

GMC is expanding its luxury Denali line with the announcement of the 2011 Acadia Denali crossover.

GMC has been General Motors’ truck division for a whole century, but with the elimination of several car lines, the automaker felt that GMC needed to fill some voids in its product offerings. As a result, this year GMC gets the five-passenger compact crossover Terrain, which slots in underneath the large three-row Acadia.

Frederick “Fritz” Henderson has resigned as General Motors chief executive officer.

The letter read: “Dear AutoGuide, can you give me some advice in looking for a vehicle for my family. My wife and I have two kids, ages 5 and 8, and a Golden Retriever.  Twice a year or so, I need to tow two motorcycles to Sturgis and Daytona for motorcycle rallies. Several times each summer, I tow my jet skis to and from our summer cottage in Michigan. We also take two family camping trips each summer, so we need a place for all our gear and the dog. During the year, my wife has to car pool our kids and others to school, and handle the usual chauffeuring to soccer, swim meets, Little League, and gymnastics classes. We also help out at church recycling programs, and lots of trips to the nursery for landscaping chores.  So we need a large vehicle that can preferably seat 8, and have a large cargo area. We live in the Snow Belt, so 4-wheel drive is important, and since we spend a lot of time in the vehicle, we’d like it to be comfortable with some luxury amenities. But we also want it to be as green and economical as possible, as we are teaching our kids about conservation and being responsible for the planet. Our other car is a small Hyundai Accent which gets great mileage and is used as a commuter car and whenever possible to transport our family when we don’t need to take a lot along with us. What are your suggestions?”

Today the sun rose on a New General Motors, a move which will also see the sun set on a lot of people’s careers. GM emerged from bankruptcy protection at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time with news of a serious corporate restructuring plan that will take effect over the next few months.

Late Sunday a judge approved the sale of GM’s assets to a group comprised of the U.S. government, the UAW and the Canadian and Ontario governments under the name NGMCO, Inc. The decision will see GM exit bankruptcy court quickly with the ‘New GM’ assets going to NGMCO, while the ‘Old GM’ assets will be sold off to the highest bidder.

While President Obama and General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson are both expected to hold press conferences today, officially GM has already filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection.

General Motors will cut 1,124 dealerships loose by October of 2010. The struggling automaker on the verge of bankruptcy sent letters out to the dealerships last week as it searches for ways to reduce it’s current dealer network of 5,969 to just 3,600.

In a move that should probably be illegal (but isn’t) six General Motors executives recently sold off all their shares in the company. That’s right, those same guys who helped drive GM into bankruptcy traded in all their stocks when a trading window opened.

General Motors has once again posted a massive quarterly loss, coming up short to the tune of $6 billion for Q1 of ’09. That is roughly the equivalent of the value of 473,000 Chevy Aveos.

Several major news outlets are reporting that General Motors is planning extended shutdowns of its U.S. plants this summer. The plants would be idled for as much as nine weeks from mid-May through July.

When General Motor’s first submitted it’s viability plan to the Obama Administration, Saab, Hummer and Saturn were put on notice, while other brands like Pontiac and GMC (as well as Chevy, Buick and Cadillac) were guaranteed to stay on.

General Motors will be putting the focus on its GMC brand at the New York Auto Show, with the launch of the Yukon Denali Hybrid  – as well as the new 2010 Terrain.

On Friday we brought you news that the 2010 Chevy Equinox will be priced at $1,800 less than the previous model and today we can tell you the Equinox’s sister SUV, the GMC Terrain, is set to launch at the New York Auto Show. There is no official word on pricing but you can expect the almost $2,000 in savings to be carried over to this model as well.

Just ahead of the Obama Administration’s press conference today, some of the most important details are already out.

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner will be stepping down as the head of the deeply troubled American auto giant by the end of the month – this according to several reports including CNBC and GMInsideNews.

General Motors has announced that it is putting a hold on a plan to bring a new 4.5-liter V8 diesel engine to market. The new engine would have been used in the light-duty Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks and estimates have it rated at anywhere from the mid-20s to the high-20s in miles per gallon. This would even be a significant improvement over GM’s current Silverado and Sierra hybrids, which get 21 mpg city and 22 highway.

Cousin to the ever-popular Chevy Silverado, the Sierra often takes a back stage to its brash cousin, a shame considering that it is a highly capable pickup in its own right. Redesigned extensively for the 2007 model year, for ’09 GM’s ‘professional’ grade truck marches on, with a number of improvements – the introduction of a full Hybrid version, a new six-speed automatic transmission for the 5.3-, 6.0- and 6.2-liter V-8s, plus a rear mounted backup camera for Crew Cab models, BlueTooth capability and upgraded Satellite radio system with built in traffic update features, along with new paint colors and the option of new 18 and 20-inch chrome clad wheels, plus the XFE – Xtra Fuel Economy special with lightweight suspension parts, aerodynamic aides and special powertrain equipment. Sierras are available in five different trim levels – WT (Work Truck), SL, SLE, SLT and perhaps befitting its slightly more upmarket status than Silverado, full-on luxury Denali. Three cab styles, regular, Extended and Crew are offered as are a choice of three different box lengths, 5 feet 8-inch short, 6 foot 6-inch regular and 8-foot long, the last only offered on regular cab rigs. Pricing starts at $18,575 for an entry level W/T, while a mid-range SLE Extended Cab with the 5.3 V-8 will run you $29,325 and the full-boat Denali starting at $40,070.

In a move to keep up with the high price of fuel, as well as deal with environmental concerns, GM has developed new XFE-models of some of its most popular trucks. The Xtra Fuel Economy (XFE) package will be offered on the 2009 Silverado, Tahoe, Sierra and Yukon trucks.

The significant alterations to the trucks, in terms of their mechanical makeup, weight and aerodynamics result in an EPA-estimated five percent increase in highway fuel economy and a more than seven percent increase in city fuel economy.

The trucks now achieve a 15/21 (city/highway) rating compared to the 14/20 rating for non-XFE models.

Importantly, the XFE models do not get a reduction in power. The XFE package is available on 2WD models equipped with the 5.3-liter V-8 with the six-speed transmission. On Silverado and Sierra models, the six-speed transmission gets a high-capacity cooling package to deliver a 7,000 lb towing capacity – up from the standard model’s 6,600-lb towing capacity. All XFE models come quipped with a fuel-saving 3.08 rear axle.

Other factors for the improved fuel-economy include lightweight wheels with low rolling resistance tires, lighter suspension components and improved aerodynamics.

A full list of all the unique XFE features is listed after the jump:

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