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Buick Enclave gets continental makeover with Tuscan trim

Buick is trying to lend an air of Italian elegance to the Enclave with its newly announced Tuscan Edition that's available on the crossover for the 2016 model year. Named after the famously hilly and fertile region of Italy, the package brings some bronze accents to the CUV. As the very specific trademark filing for the Tuscan suggests, the special edition adds bronze trim to the uprights in the grille, and the metallic color finds its way into the embellishments on the 20-inch chrome wheels, too. Buyers also get to choose from three shades when ordering the package: White Frost Tricoat, Dark Chocolate Metallic and Ebony Twilight Metallic. Beyond those trim upgrades, the Tuscan Edition is just like any other Enclave. The package can only be ordered on the Leather and Premium trims, and all of their features are still available including a power moonroof, park assist, HID headlights and many luxury features inside. As with the rest of the range, power comes from a 3.6-liter V6 with 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque that routes through a six-speed automatic. There's also a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. The Italian-inspired CUV makes its debut at the New York Auto Show in just a few days and brings its bronzer to dealers this summer. Buick Introduces 2016 Enclave Tuscan Edition Bronze accents distinguish crossover that ignited brand's renaissance 2015-03-26 DETROIT – Buick today introduced the 2016 Enclave Tuscan Edition – a more distinctive expression of the popular crossover, highlighted by a bronze-tone grille and 20-inch chrome-clad wheels with bronze accents. The Enclave sparked Buick's renaissance eight years ago and continues to fuel its momentum, with 2015 sales building on record sales of 62,300 in 2014. "Buick's quality, refinement and style continues to attract more customers and this modern resurgence started with Enclave," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. "It was a pioneer for three-row luxury crossovers and remains one of the segment's most popular. The new Tuscan Edition celebrates Enclave's achievement and rewards owners with a higher level of distinction." The 2016 Buick Enclave Tuscan will be on display at the New York International Auto Show and goes on sale this summer on the Leather (1SL) and Premium (1SN) trims. It is offered in three premium exterior colors: White Frost Tricoat, Dark Chocolate Metallic and Ebony Twilight Metallic.

Opel to electrify all model lines by 2024, speeding PSA transition

What do you see in the Opel logo? That's right, a lightning bolt. As the German automaker dramatically restructures its future plans, electric cars are in the core of Opel's survival. With attempts to stop leaking money, Opel is speeding up its secession from GM technology, launching nine new models by 2020 with the aim to complete transition to PSA hardware by 2024, leaving only two Opel platforms. This is all part of Opel's freshly announced PACE turnaround plan, which is crucial for the company's survival, according to CEO Michael Lohscheller. "PACE will unleash our full potential. This plan is paramount for the company, to protect our employees against headwinds and turn Opel/Vauxhall into a sustainable, profitable, electrified, and global company," says Lohscheller. Competitiveness will be improved by reducing per-car costs by 700 euros, and by cutting marketing costs by 10 percent. Regarding Vauxhall's future, the statement still includes the British brand. When the Opel sale agreement was reached between PSA and GM in March, the plan was to start implementing PSA technology in 2019, completing the transition in eight years, as Automotive News says. The new business plan is noticeably faster. By 2020, with full access to PSA's electric tech, Opel would have a fully electric next-generation Corsa hatchback and a PHEV version of the Grandland X SUV, which is already based on Peugeot's 3008 model. Currently, there are nine Opel platforms and 10 engine families. By 2024 there should be two platforms and four powertrains; the number of diesel engines in use remains to be seen, and all product lines would include an electrified model. There would be an SUV and a midsize vehicle based on PSA's EMP2 architecture, with the former built in Eisenach — formerly known as the town that built East German Wartburg cars before its Opel era — and the latter built in Russelsheim, where Opel HQ is located. The Russelsheim hub will become PSA's global "competence center," where all Opel/Vauxhall vehicles would be engineered — not Paris. Plans include avoiding any factory closures or personnel layoffs. The PACE statement also mentions Opel's entrance to all of 20 new export markets, with a specific mention of China and Brazil, countries which have traditionally seen Opels sold as Chevrolets. Will the United States be included in that export plan?

GM cutting production at two plants

General Motors is continuing to adjust to excess supply of some of its brands' models. To get production more in line with the vehicles' actual demand, the automotive giant is idling two of its factories in North America in the coming months. The Orion Assembly plant is going to be down from March 9-13, according to an anonymous plant worker and another insider speaking to Automotive News. The factory builds the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano, but there are plenty of both models sitting on dealer lots, including 216 days worth of Sonics, according to AN. The factory already had two idle periods announced to reduce the excess. In addition, downtime is scheduled at GM's "Flex" line at the Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, plant from April 13-17. This affects supply of the Chevrolet Camaro, Impala, Buick Regal and Cadillac XTS. Among them, the automotive giant has the largest supply of Regals ready for dealers with 213 days worth of them, according to AN. The future for the whole Oshawa factory is cloudy in general, though. There are rumors that it could close entirely in the future because the Camaro is leaving and the Regal and XTS might not last much longer than 2017. The Canadian government and the labor union there intend to put up a fight, though. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM orion assembly oshawa plant idle