chevrolet

After years of auto show concepts and parking lot test drives, we finally got a Chevrolet Volt in for a proper review. With no GM minders riding along, we drove the Volt up steep San Francisco hills, along scenic coastal roads, and over miles of freeways at speeds of 65 to 75 mph. In city traffic the Volt contended with stop-and-go traffic and our usual method of jamming the accelerator when the light turns green, getting us to the next red light quickly.

And over all this, the Volt performed more than admirably. When the battery was charged, the car … Read more

The mid-engine sports car has been electrified. To celebrate its centennial, Chevrolet debuted at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show a hybrid supercar concept with the styling of a jet fighter, but the fuel consumption of a Volt. The design won the award for Best Concept Car at the show.

The Mi-ray (which is Korean for the word "future") roadster blends and updates styling cues from past sports cars, like the 1963 Monza SS and 1962 Corvair Super Spyder. Designers at the GM Advanced Design Studio in Seoul gave the Mi-ray LeMans-style scissor doors, an open top, and a … Read more

Punctuating its move toward global cars, Chevy will unveil the next-generation Malibu simultaneously at the Shanghai auto show and on the marque's Facebook page. The auto show unveil will be shown live on Facebook at 5:30 p.m. PT on April 18.

Prior to the unveil, Chevy released a teaser photo showing a set of LED taillights and the rear fender of the car. The square design of the taillights reveals a retro look, similar to the square gauges in the new Chevy Camaro.

The only other clues Chevy offers about the new Malibu is that it will … Read more

General Motors is investing more than $30 million of investment in its Pontiac Stamping plant to retool and enhance manufacturing equipment, and 290 hourly and salaried jobs at the 79-year-old plant.

The enhancements will include upgrading three conventional press lines already operating at the plant and the installation of two additional presses that are part of the company's stamping consolidation project, GM said today in a press release.

Pontiac Stamping provides parts to the new Chevrolet Sonic and the new Buick Verano, among other products.

"GM continues to invest in our manufacturing operations to ensure we have the … Read more

Chevrolet rolled out its latest midsize pickup truck last week at the Bangkok International Motor Show. The Colorado Show Truck features a body-on-frame, extended-cab body, leather-trimmed seats, and a 2.8-liter turbo-diesel engine. The AWD chassis rides on 20-inch wheels and off-road tires.

The current Colorado is sold in the United States and Asia, and is marketed as the Holden Colorado in Australia. The truck's sporty dual-port grille features a gold bowtie in the center and large headlights on the sides. The exterior is painted Pepperdust Metallic and includes polished aluminum details in the fascias and the integrated side … Read more

The Ford Focus Electric will use the embedded AT&T wireless connection to send and receive data about the car, Ford announced today.

Through the new MyFord Mobile smartphone app, owners will be able to plan trips, monitor their vehicle's state of charge, locate charging stations, remotely lock/unlock doors, use a built-in GPS system to locate the car and receive alerts.

"With a wireless connection, we're putting battery charge and vehicle range information, along with an interactive, data-driven trip planning app, directly at the fingertips of our customers," said Ed Pleet, product and business … Read more

If you're ready to move on to the greener pastures of fuel cell technology, geography is the single biggest factor limiting your ability to drive a hydrogen-powered vehicle. Although no fuel-cell vehicles are available for sale at this time, a handful of auto manufacturers have opened their hydrogen-testing programs to the public. But it's not an open-door policy; you have to qualify.

Car makers typically partner with universities, commercial fleets, or government agencies to get feedback on their technology platforms while working out the bugs. These organizations often have access to private hydrogen gas refueling stations, and can … Read more

General Motors is giving a vehicle each to 10 winners of the PushOn sweepstakes. Contestants need to register through OnStar by May 31, 2011, to win a new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac models.

The sweepstakes rules allow anyone with a digital OnStar-equipped vehicle--regardless of whether they are a current OnStar subscribe--can enter to win by pressing the blue OnStar button. The eligibility doesn't include fleet vehicles (such as rental or media fleets), only personal vehicles, the company said.

An alternative way to register for the sweepstakes is to send in a hand-written postcard. Details of the contest rules, … Read more

There are cars that were born for the track and those that have absolutely no business there. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is one of the latter. But when given the opportunity to lap Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in GM's newest electrified vehicle, we jumped at the opportunity.

Imagine, for a moment, pushing your favorite dull midsize sedan (say a Toyota Camry or Chevy Malibu) at 8/10ths around your favorite back road with all of the understeer, body roll, and middling power-to-weight ratio. It's unoffensive, but few would call the experience "fun." This is the starting … Read more