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Monday, August 24, 2015

General Motors worldwide sold over 2.4 million units in the first quarter of 2015.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) sold 2.4 million vehicles globally in the first quarter of 2015, up 2 percent compared to a year ago. Sales in China increased 9 percent and deliveries in North America were up 6 percent. Opel/Vauxhall increased its sales by 3 percent in Europe.

“The momentum our brands are building in China, the U.S. and Western Europe more than offset difficult conditions in some other large markets like Russia and Brazil,” said GM CEO Mary Barra.

“We are in the early days of a very aggressive onslaught of new products and customer-driven innovation,” she said.

“Already, the Chevrolet Trax and Colorado are redefining segments in the United States, Cadillac is growing rapidly in China and establishing a new formula for prestige sedans with the CT6 and Opel’s revitalization is accelerating across Europe. At the same time, we are deploying OnStar with 4G LTE in North America, Europe and China to give our customers the best connectivity experience in the industry.”

Other first quarter global sales highlights:

Cadillac was up 2.5 percent, driven by a 23-percent increase in China.
Opel/Vauxhall’s sales increase outpaced the European region’s growth by 0.2 percentage points.
Buick was up 8 percent.
GMC was up 15 percent, for its best first quarter sales since 2005.
Chevrolet deliveries in the United States increased 5 percent on the strength of a 19 percent increase in crossover deliveries and a 31 percent increase in truck sales. Deliveries in China were up 7 percent.

In prior quarters, GM reported wholesale deliveries in China, which are vehicles sold to dealers. Beginning this quarter, GM is reporting deliveries to customers.

Chevrolet Impala's Dark Side: Midnight Edition makes it to production.

New trim package gives sedan sinister, dramatic style

Chevrolet announced today it will sell a special edition blacked-out package for the Chevrolet Impala based on a concept shown at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Arriving in dealerships early this summer, the Impala Midnight Edition is outfitted to give the full-size sedan a more dramatic, sinister look.

“Since its introduction in 2014, Impala has become a benchmark for Chevrolet car design,” said Steve Majoros, Chevrolet director of car marketing. “The Midnight Edition further strengthens the Impala’s dramatic, head-turning styling.”

The Midnight Edition includes:

Jet Black exterior, including body color mirrors
19-inch machine-faced aluminum wheels with black accents
Black grille and surround
Front and rear black Chevrolet bowtie
Jet Black interior
Sport pedals
Black rear spoiler.

Customers can purchase the Midnight Edition package on 1LT, 2LT and LTZ trim levels. Package prices range from $995 to $1,595 above the starting retail price.

The Impala Midnight Edition will be available with a choice of two powertrains – the standard 2.5L iVLC with stop/start technology and a 3.6L V-6 that is the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in the segment.

The Midnight Edition will be available for the 2016 model year, although a small number of 2015 Midnight Editions will be produced in the 2LT trim level with the standard 2.5L engine.

Since the Chevrolet Impala’s redesign in 2014, it has been named the Cars.com Best Car of 2014 and one of Kelley Blue Book’s 12 Best Family Cars for 2014.

Chevrolet introduces the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Limited Edition.

Track-to-street connection honored with limited production model

Chevrolet today introduced the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition – a road-going, track-capable homage to the Corvette Racing C7.R racecars. It’s offered in Corvette Racing’s signature yellow livery – or black – with coordinated exterior and interior accents.

Only 500 examples of the C7.R Edition will be built and all will include the Z07 Performance Package with carbon ceramic brakes, as well as a specially serialized vehicle identification number. They go on sale later this year.

“Corvette Racing’s legacy and technology were significant influences on the development of the Corvette Z06 and the new C7.R Edition honors the direct link between the racecar and the production model,” said Harlan Charles, Corvette product and marketing manager. “It also advances Chevrolet’s plan to offer special-edition models that offer a unique, personal ownership experiences, which become important parts of Corvette’s legacy.”

Here is a complete list of content and unique features for the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition:

Offered on coupe and convertible models with 3LZ trim
Available in Corvette Racing Yellow Tintcoat (new for 2016) or Black exterior colors
C7.R Edition graphics package
Z07 Performance Package with Brembo carbon ceramic brakes and Michelin PS Cup 2 tires
Yellow brake calipers
Black wheels with yellow accent strip and Corvette Racing-logo center caps
Visible carbon fiber ground effects package
New visible carbon fiber hood section
Grilles and vents finished in Spectra Gray Metallic
Jet Black leather interior with sueded microfiber accents on the instrument panel and doors
Sueded microfiber-trimmed Competition Sport Seat, steering wheel and shifter
Yellow contrast stitching throughout the interior
Carbon fiber interior trim package (high-gloss)
Corvette Racing sill plates
Numbered C7.R Edition interior plaque showing the build number, starting with VIN 700001
Special indoor car cover with C7.R graphics.

The Z07 Performance Package includes Brembo carbon ceramic-matrix brake rotors that improve braking performance and contribute to greater handling through reduced un-sprung weight. The Z07 package also includes adjustable front and rear aero components for unprecedented aerodynamic downforce and Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 tires for enhanced grip.

“The Z07 Performance Package enhances overall performance to make the Corvette Z06 one of the most track-capable cars you can buy off the dealership floor and still drive it to work every day,” said Charles.

“Combined with the 650-horsepower supercharged LT4 engine, true aerodynamic downforce and performance technologies such as Magnetic Ride Control, Performance Traction Management and an electronic limited slip differential, the Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition offers capability matched only by an elite fraternity of the world’s supercars and special-edition exclusivity that is sure to make it an instant collector’s item.”

Additional updates for the 2016 Corvette Z06 include a new, available front curb view parking camera, MyLink connectivity enhancements with smartphone projection technology, power-cinching hatch/trunk latch, new available design packages and more.

GM has reached the impressive milestone of 500 million vehicles built over 106 years, the most of any automaker by far. The company has decided the best approach to mark the event was to thank its customers all over the world.
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GM celebrates 500 million vehicles produced
Vauxhall has made ‘a significant contribution’ after 90 years of GM ownership
GM & Vauxhall continue to innovate after more than a century in business

General Motors today became the first car manufacturer in the world to produce 500 million vehicles, as Vauxhall in the UK – GM’s fourth largest market – celebrated 90 years of ownership by the US company.

‘During 2015, we expect to sell more than 1,000 new vehicles per hour, 24 hours per day,’ said Mary Barra, GM’s CEO.

‘This adds up to nearly ten million vehicles, the most in our history. I look at this extraordinary volume as ten million opportunities to prove what kind of company we are and to say thank you.’

The landmark figure came 90 years after General Motors purchased Vauxhall in 1925 in what was the American company’s first overseas acquisition. Luton-based Vauxhall, which is Britain’s oldest surviving car manufacturer, very quickly repaid GM’s investment and to date has sold nearly 14.5 million vehicles in its own right.

Like its parent company, which pioneered the automatic transmission, the V-8 engine and the first airbags in a production vehicle, Vauxhall has a long history of innovation too. Just 10 years into GM ownership it produced the DY and DX models, the first British cars with independent front suspension. Two years later the H-type was launched, the first British car to have an integral body and chassis.

But perhaps the most significant achievement for Vauxhall is its 112 years of continuous vehicle production, even during both World Wars when it manufactured the D-type Army Staff Car and Churchill Tank respectively from its Kimpton Road plant in Luton. Today, Vauxhall’s Vivaro van is still built on Kimpton Road, with a further five million vehicles produced by the company’s Ellesmere Port plant since it opened in 1964.

‘Vauxhall has made a significant contribution to GM’s success, and we are very proud to be part of its global family,’ said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director.

Half a BILLION vehicles, and still going strong, that will be General Motors - Congrats to you all !

Barra, Batey give 2016 Malibu to wounded vet, announce $174-million investment.

A half-billion vehicles over 106 years equals billions in commerce, payroll, investments and infrastructure in communities all over the world. For customers, these vehicles played roles in weddings, family vacations, graduations, new businesses and countless milestones along life’s journey.

Globally, more than 500 million General Motors-branded vehicles have been built – the most of any automaker by far – and the company is putting its customers at the center of the accomplishment.

GM CEO Mary Barra and GM North America and Global Chevrolet President Alan Batey celebrated the milestone Monday with customers, employees and dealers at the Fairfax (Kansas) Assembly plant, and surprised Iraqi war veteran Trent Brining with a “key” to a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. Production of the midsize sedan begins at the plant later this year.

Brining, a retired Army corporal and Purple Heart recipient, was seriously injured in 2005 after being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade while patrolling a suburb of Baghdad, and has undergone 23 surgeries to his arms and legs. The grandson of a Purple Heart recipient, Brining is one of five customers who, within the next 48 hours, will be notified that they are receiving a new, regionally built GM-branded vehicle.

Brining is from Overland Park, Kan. and his treasured 2008 Chevrolet Silverado actually helped Brining meet his wife, Samantha. He is now a financial relationship specialist for a local credit union; they have a 17-month-old son.

Barra also announced that in the third week of May, all U.S. salaried and represented employees and retirees can share a one-time Customer Appreciation Discount. The discount can be combined with other incentives.

“During 2015, we expect to sell more than 1,000 new vehicles per hour, 24 hours per day,” said Barra. “This adds up to nearly 10 million vehicles, the most in our history. I look at this extraordinary volume as 10 million opportunities to prove what kind of company we are and to say thank you.”

Batey announced GM will invest $174 million in the Fairfax plant for new equipment and technology to support production of the 2016 Malibu and improve customer satisfaction. One enhancement – a “Shake and Rattle” booth – simulates any road condition a customer might experience – and identifies sources of noise so they can be fixed.

“Every element of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu was designed to give our customers a beautiful and high-quality sedan with technologies that will make their lives easier and safer,” said Batey. “It will all come together here at Fairfax, and the men and women who work here can hardly wait to get started.”

Last week, GM announced it will invest $5.4 billion over three years to build the next generations of future vehicles in the U.S., including $783.5 million in three facilities in the state of Michigan and the $174 million announced today.

Since June 2009, GM has announced U.S. facility investments of approximately $16.8 billion. About $11.4 billion of that has come since the 2011 UAW-GM National Agreement. In total, these investments have created 3,650 new jobs and secured the positions of approximately 20,700 others.

Globally since 2009, GM has announced facility investments totaling about $36.7 billion. This includes the U.S. facility investments plus $5.75 billion in Mexico, $1.5 billion in Canada and $12.7 billion in other global regions outside GM North America.

Customers are king

Previews of customer milestones around the world were shared in Fairfax on Monday and will live on GM brands’ social and digital channels. Among them:

A recent retiree in Minnesota still driving his 1957 Chevrolet pickup truck – acquired from a farmer 38 years ago for $75
An Opel owner from Germany whose car traveled extensively with her and her husband – including to Hawaii
A Brazilian woman born in the passenger seat of a Chevrolet Chevette; she continues to be a loyal customer today
A Chevrolet Captiva club member in Thailand who used a fleet of Captivas to propose to his now-wife
A young man in China so inspired by his first vehicle – a Chevrolet Cruze – that he customized it to match his personality, then quit his job and started a retrofitting business to help other customers personalize their rides.

Ongoing customer appreciation initiatives have included free auto show tickets, exclusive owner events, surprise-and-delight moments from Chevrolet’s “Best Day Ever” blitz in April and more. In addition, GM employees are being encouraged to use customized notes to thank customers globally.

GM’s own milestones

Founded in 1908 and reborn in 2009, GM’s global presence dates to the early 20th Century when Sun Yat-sen, the first president of China, and Pu Yi, the last emperor, took their first automobile ride in a 1912 Buick. By 1931, GM owned Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, Holden in Australia and Opel in Germany.

GM’s first manufacturing joint venture with SAIC in China – Shanghai GM – began in 1997. China is now GM’s largest market, where it has 11 joint ventures and two wholly owned foreign enterprises.

Hundreds of GM innovations have helped change the industry, including the first V-8 engine, first automatic transmission, first automotive crash test dummies and first air bags in a production vehicle.

The ninth-generation Malibu, revealed last month at the New York International Auto Show offers an available, industry-first Teen Driver feature, a built-in system that let parents view on a display how their teen drove the vehicle.

The technology is designed to help parents teach safe driving habits. Automobile crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Fuel economy ranks high among midsize sedan buyers. The new Malibu’s lighter curb weight and an available, all-new hybrid powertrain, which shares Chevrolet’s Voltec technology, will help deliver GM-estimated combined city-highway fuel economy of 48 mpg – the highest in the segment.

USA - Cadillac announces orders can now be taken for the 2016 CTS-V High Performance sedan.

U.S. DEALERS BEGIN ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW FOR CADILLAC’S UPCOMING PERFORMANCE ICON

Cadillac announced today that U.S. dealers will begin accepting orders for the next-generation 2016 CTS-V, the all-new high-performance sedan that launches in late summer.

The 640-hp CTS-V is the second of two all-new V-Series models to come to market in 2015, following the smaller ATS-V coupe and sedan, which launches in late spring.

Cadillac’s new 2016 V-Series models represent a significant expansion of the brand’s elite, high-performance line.

Not only are the new V-Series cars elevated in terms of performance, they now reach a broader spectrum of drivers by presenting two distinct personalities, size categories and price points.

With a top speed of 200 mph and 0-60 performance in 3.7 seconds, the CTS-V is the most powerful car in Cadillac’s 112-year history. The 2016 CTS-V is priced from $83,995.

Customers can place orders now with dealers and view additional product information at Cadillac.com.

The CTS-V elevates into the elite group of the world’s highest-performing sedans.

“V-Series represents the pinnacle of Cadillac, a brand that now makes drivers’ cars at the highest level,” said Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac president. “The new CTS-V is essentially two cars in one: a luxury sedan with sophisticated road manners and a track-capable sports car with awe-inspiring performance.

This type of car is exclusive, the domain of the few who can access this level of incredible capability. V-Series matches or overtakes the finest cars in this elite class, while being more accessible.”

Segment-exclusive, third-generation Magnetic Ride Control, the world’s fastest reacting suspension technology, is just one of many standard features and engineering enhancements offered in the 2016 CTS-V.

The car includes a carbon fiber hood, Brembo brakes, 19-inch wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, driver-selectable modes for touring, sport and track driving conditions, and performance-oriented, sueded microfiber accents and matte-finish carbon fiber trim.

Equipped with a 6.2L supercharged V-8 and an eight-speed automatic transmission that offers full manual control via steering wheel paddles, the CTS-V has more horsepower (640 hp/477 kW) and more torque (630 lb-ft/855 Nm) than the Mercedes-Benz 5.5L biturbo V-8 and the BMW M-series 4.4L TwinPower V-8.

The smaller ATS-V launch will precede the CTS-V. Also track-capable from the factory, the 464-hp ATS-V features the exclusive Cadillac Twin Turbo V-6 and 0-60 acceleration of just 3.9 seconds. The 2016 ATS-V is priced from $60,465 and presents high-performance capability in both coupe and sedan forms.

USA - Chevrolet announces pricing and specs for the 2016 MY Volt Hybrid vehicle.

The Chevrolet Volt is poised to continue to bring new owners to the electric plug-in family. Pricing will be as low as $26,495 after the full federal tax credit of $7,500. (Federal tax credit can range from $0 up to $7,500.) In California, the vehicle’s largest market, residents of the state will be able to purchase the all-new Volt for as low as $24,995 after state and federal incentives.

The 2016 model will start at $33,995 MSRP, including an $825 destination fee (excluding tax, title, license and dealer fees). This is almost $1,200 less than the current-generation Volt.

“The next-generation Chevrolet Volt delivers more technology, the ability to drive further between gas fill-ups and now with even more value to our customers. It’s what our loyal Volt owners told us they wanted,” said Steve Majoros, director, Chevrolet Marketing. “We are confident we will continue to attract new customers to Volt with the vehicle’s product improvements and attractive price.”

The Volt continues to be a success with the brand, with nearly 70 percent of Volt owners trading in a non-GM product or adding to their household fleet in 2014, the highest of any Chevy nameplate. The number one trade-in for the Volt is the Toyota Prius. To date, more than 75,000 first-generation Volt owners have driven hundreds of millions of EV miles.

Volt owners who charge regularly can expect to drive an estimated 1,000 miles or more between fill-ups, based on GM testing. The 2016 Volt will provide owners with impressive fuel economy of a GM-estimated 102 MPGe (electric) and 41 combined mpg on gasoline power.

The new Volt will offer a GM-estimated 50 miles of all-electric driving range on a single charge, a 31-percent improvement over the first-generation Volt. This means new Volt owners should anticipate that approximately 90 percent of trips in a new Volt will be driven all-electrically.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value.

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