William Maley

The current Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are getting shown up by Ford’s F-Series and Ram truck lineup with their improved interiors, ride, and powertrains. But GM is busy at work on the next generation pickup to steal back some of the spotlight. This week, Inside Line got some spy shots of the new Sliverado/Sierra undergoing some testing. The biggest difference between the current trucks and the one featured in the pictures is a new greenhouse. Also, the truck looks to sporting more cues from the current GM HD trucks with it’s larger front end and less rounded shape. Also, the new trucks are expected to be 500 lbs less than the current Siverado/Sierra. Source: Inside Line View full article

Lexus’ HS250h hasn’t been meeting expectations since being introduced back in 2009. Through 2011, Lexus has only sold 2,383 HS250hs, a drop of 72.8% from last year. Because of this, Lexus is showing the HS250h the door and is replacing it with another model. Ward’s Auto is reporting the new model will be positioned towards the younger crowd and not towards people moving on up from a Toyota Prius. Also, the new model will be priced much lower than the HS250h which has a base price around $37,030 ($3,495 more than a base Lexus IS.) Source: Ward’s Auto (Subscription Required) View full article

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Buick is going a different route with their showing at the LA Auto Show next week. Instead of going all out with a swoopy, futuristic design that can run on unicorn farts, they're showing a plush version of the Buick LaCrosse, called the LaCrosse GL. On the outside, Buick has dressed the GL in a luscious red complimented by brushed and tinted chrome on the grill, door handles, and rear deck. The satin-finished twenty-inch wheels borrowed from the Regal GS finish the exterior. Inside, Buick fitted French-stitched leather in contrasting dark cocoa brown and caramel chocochino for the doors, dash, and seats. The headliner is finished in a chocochino suede while the dash, steering wheel, and door panels get bespoke wood trim. Press Release is on Page 2 LaCrosse GL Concept Refines Buick’s Signature Style Elegant forms, warm hues and inviting materials preview possible design direction LOS ANGELES – When designers set out to capture the essence of Buick luxury for the LaCrosse GL concept vehicle, they looked to the fine cuisine, heirloom objects and enriching experiences the brand’s customers savor. The design study is on display at the L.A. Auto Show through Nov. 17. Buick’s color and trim designers worked from a palette of cabernet red, dark cocoa brown and caramel chocochino. They took inspiration from the burnished metal of antique jewelry, ombré patina on vintage guitars and flocked lining of keepsake boxes. For GL’s French-stitched premium leather seats, the designers looked to the understated elegance of classic club chairs and contours of windswept sand dunes. And their use of smooth suede for the headliner is designed to invite one’s touch like a favorite pair of gloves. “The LaCrosse GL concept expresses Buick’s distinctly human kind of luxury – one that is as warmly inviting as it is elegant and refined,” said David Lyon, executive director of design. “The design cues that already distinguish the production LaCrosse – such as the premium leather-upholstered seats, ice blue ambient lighting and soft touch surfaces – are amplified in the GL and serve as inspiration for future Buick models.” LaCrosse GL’s cabernet red exterior paint is complemented by brushed and tinted chrome accents on the grille, door handles and deck lid, as well as around the windows, taillights and headlights. Machine-face, satin-finish 20-inch rims fill the wheel wells for a firmly planted appearance. “The brushed-and-tinted chrome trim gives the GL a more subdued appearance than if we had used bright chrome. The overall effect is more in keeping with Buick’s quietly confident aesthetic,” said Magdalena Kokoszynska, creative designer on LaCrosse GL. Open the GL’s doors and backlit Buick-emblazoned sill plates invite one to enter like illuminated welcome mats. Take a seat and one is ensconced in luxury, enveloped by flowing sculptural surfaces finished in a rich blend of warm-hued materials. They offer soft-touch refinement and surprise-and-delight details. The seats, doors and instrument panel surfaces are finished in contrasting dark cocoa brown and caramel chocochino leather. The seat cushions’ pillowed surfaces evoke windswept sand dunes, and the ice-blue French stitching along their seams harmonize with Buick’s signature ambient lighting. Overhead, one finds a rich chocochino suede headliner – a material and usage rarely seen in anything but the most luxurious automotive interiors. This butter-soft material also accents the steering wheel, inviting one’s touch. Like the GL’s exterior trim pieces, the interior metal accents on the instrument cluster and center stack controls are a darker, warmer hue, and are complemented by the swirling grain of wood trim on the steering wheel and dash that evokes the ombré patina fade found on classic Gibson Les Paul guitars. Attention to detail also is evident underfoot, where leather-surged and accent-stitched floor mats offer further refinement. Likewise, the storage compartments are flocked like the interior of a jewel box. “Every surface in the interior of the LaCrosse GL has been crafted with the knowledge that Buick customers enjoy the finer things in life, but don’t need to flaunt it,” Kokoszynska said. View full article

Cadillac has comfirmed to Jalopnik that is XTS we'll be seeing next week at LA. http://www.cheersandgears.com/page/index.html/_/articles/gmnews/ladies-gents-i-give-you-the-cadillac-xts-r28

The picture you see here is the brand new 2013 Cadillac XTS. The picture was accidentally posted on Cadillac's home page today before being taken off. Luckily, a reader from Jalopnik captured the picture for all of us to see. Since then, Cadillac has confirmed this will be the XTS we see next week at the LA Auto Show. The production model is almost a carbon copy of the XTS Platinum concept shown at last year's Detroit Auto Show, with a different design for head and foglights. The XTS will also have Cadillac's new CUE infotainment system. Source: Jalopnik Edit: GM has since officially released the XTS photograph. I've updated the photo in this article with the GM Media supplied one - DD View full article

Last year, Chrysler announced that the 2012 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger would be equipped with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission from parent company Fiat. One year later, Chrysler has dropped the idea to put a dual-clutch transmission for now. "We were concerned about the refinement and how the American customers might perceive the transmission," said Chrysler Spokesperson, Vince Muniga. Muniga also said the decision was made in the summer and will "look for other future products" to put it in for the North American market. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article