GM halting Duramax production for 10 weeks

The revamped 6.6-liter Duramax V8 engine will go into production in April 2010 and the current Duramax, which doesn't meet emissions requirements that go into effect January 1, 2010, will cease production the day before the new year begins. In the interim, GM will be retooling the factory and won't be producing any of the engines to go in the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra.This has some dealers and outside observers wondering if GM will run out of 2009 Duramax engines before the new ones are built and installed in engine bays. One dealer says GM will take orders for extended cab models with the big diesel, but no longer accepts orders for Duramax regular cabs. Analysts believe that with the car and work truck market showing some recovery, that demand will grow just as GM is trying to play the inventory game.While the General prepares it's urea-infused powerplants, any engines that GM builds through the end of 2009 can be installed in vehicles even if those vehicles are ordered and built next year. For now, GM says it is padding its stocks of Duramax engines and is confident about being able to meet the need.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

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Chevrolet to Reveal 10 New Models, Buick and GMC another 10 through 2011

The new General Motors announced today that it is going to launch 25 brand-new models into the market by the end of 2011 including five new entries for Cadillac, 10 for Chevy while Buick and GMC will add another 10 new models. We've already told you about Cadillac's entries here, so let's concentrate on the three other brands of the "revitalized" General Motors.

Starting with Chevrolet, the brand's most important introduction is of course the Volt plug-in hybrid that's expected to achieve triple-digit fuel economy according to a new methodology used by EPA (see here). In addition to the Volt that will arrive in US showrooms in late 2010, Chevy's relaunch will be include the Spark city car, the Cruze compact-size sedan, a replacement for the Aveo and quite possibly, the Convertible version of the Camaro.

Moving on to Buick and GMC, the Detroit automaker said that the two brands will present a total of 10 new entries through 2011.

Buick's range will be enhanced with the 2010MY Buick La Crosse as well what appears to be a rebadged version of the Saturn Vue compact crossover in 2010 followed in 2011 by a plug-in hybrid variant plus two more sedans, one based on the Opel Insignia / Buick Regal (Chinese market) and the other on the Chevy Cruze / Opel Astra Delta platform.

As for GMC, aside from the new Terrain SUV that was unveiled in New York in April, it is reported that General Motors will present a smaller crossover model.

We suspect that GM will release more details on its new model portfolio later on in the year.

[Source: Carscoop]

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GM worried about Magna deal for Opel, sign backup deal with RHJ, Beijing Automotive

When it came to buying Opel, Fiat's Sergio Marchionne told GM and the German government: "If you have a better offer, take it." They both took Magna, along with its Russian partners Sberbank and GAZ, because that consortium offered a better competitive arrangement and fewer job cuts in Germany. The deal wasn't slated to be finished until September, but it's encountered a few pockets of serious turbulence.

Magna's plans for engineering changes to Opels is worrying to GM because that alters the economics of the General's parts sharing. Magna also wants access to future GM technology, such as fuel cells, that GM doesn't want to hand over. GM is additionally worried about Sberbank, which has already stated its intention to sell its 35% stake once Opel is restructured; GM wants to have a hand in selecting the buyer, and it doesn't want its tech buoying the Russian car industry, nor does it want to compete with what could essentially be Russian versions of Opels.

Magna has its own problems as well, with at least one manufacturer telling the Canadian company that it could be a parts supplier or a competitor, not both. With all those fires to be doused, GM has entered into non-binding agreements with China's Beijing Automotive, and Belgium's RHJ International investment bank -- which looks like another Cerberus scenario -- as backup plans. As for the Germans, it was claimed today that no decision on Opel will come before the country's national elections on September 27.

The only problem with that is GM has stopped all payments to Opel, and the German firm is said to be losing €5 million a day. At that rate, the German government's €1.5 billion bridge loan to Magna that was part of the potential deal will run out before the elections. That means, as we've seen so many times before in this saga, something's got to break.

[Source: Bloomberg via TTAC]

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New GMC Terrain SUV to Hit the Road Priced from $24,995

The Chevy Equinox's spinoff, the "squary" looking 2010 GMC Terrain SUV will arrive at GM's showrooms in September priced from $24,995 for the front-wheel drive model and $26,745 for the all-wheel drive variant. Both prices include a $745 destination and freight charge. The base SLE1 model is powered by a 182HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a 6-speed automatic delivering an EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of 32 miles per gallon.

Standard features on the SLE1 include an integrated rear-view camera system and six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with USB connectivity and XM satellite radio service, along six airbags, StabiliTrak vehicle stability control, and OnStar.

The better equipped SLT2 trim level that features leather seating, a premium Pioneer sound system, a power liftgate, sunroof and a special chrome appearance package, starts at $29,995 (including DFC).

Aside from the 2.4L engine, the Terrain is also offered with a 3.0-liter direct injection V6 engine producing 265HP that returns an estimated 25 mpg highway, 18 mpg city. The V6 model comes with additional standard equipment such as integrated navigation system and a rear-seat DVD infotainment system. Detailed pricing will be revealed closer to the launch date.

[Via: Carscoop]

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