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Even if GM does close all 5 of those plants, it'll still have too many

DETROIT — General Motors' monumental announcement on Monday that it will close three car assembly plants and two powertrain plants in North America and slash its workforce will only partially close the gap between capacity and demand for the automaker's sedans, according to a Reuters analysis of industry production and capacity data. Sales of traditional passenger cars in North America have been declining for the past six years and are still withering. After GM ends production next year at factories in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, it will still have four U.S. passenger-car plants — all operating at less than 50 percent of rated capacity, according to figures supplied by LMC Automotive. In comparison, Detroit-based rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will have one car plant each in North America after 2019. The Detroit Three are facing rapidly dwindling demand for traditional passenger cars from U.S. consumers, many of whom have shifted to crossovers and trucks. Passenger cars accounted for 48 percent of retail light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2014, according to market researchers at J.D. Power and Associates. This year, sedans will account for less than a third of light vehicle sales. That shift in turn has left most North American car plants operating far below their rated capacities, while many SUV and truck plants are running on overtime. The collapse in passenger-car demand is a challenge for nearly all automakers in the United States, including Japan's Toyota and Honda, which have the top-selling models in the compact and midsize car segments. Toyota executives said last month they are evaluating the company's U.S. model lineup. But Toyota also plans to build compact Corolla sedans at a new $1.6 billion factory it is building in Alabama with partner Mazda. The obstacles facing GM in its plans to close more auto factories became apparent on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block payment of government electric vehicle subsidies to GM. While it is not certain that Trump unilaterally has the power to do that, he made it clear he intends to use his office to pressure the company to keep open a small car plant in Ohio that GM says will stop building vehicles in March.

Top-of-the-line 2018 Buick Regal TourX costs $43,795

Buick has unveiled an online configurator for the 2018 Regal TourX wagon, and it shows that picking the full suite of premium options puts the sport wagon at $43,795. That prices it under its Regal GS Sportback sibling and competitors like the Volvo V60 Cross Country and Audi A4 Allroad. The luxury hatchback starts at $29,995 and is available in three trim options: TourX 1SV, Preferred ($33,575) and Essence ($35,945). All are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that puts out 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and drives an eight-speed automatic transmission. Intelligent all-wheel-drive with active twin-clutch, start-stop technology and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels are also standard. There are eight exterior color options, including Sport Red and Summit White for no extra charge, and two options for the interior at no extra charge. Driver Confidence package options come with things like LED headlamps, 4-way lumbar seat adjuster and rear park assist for $1,725, and various driver-assist technologies including adaptive cruise control and forward collision alert for an additional $1,190. A panoramic moonroof will set you back $1,200. At 73.5 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded down, Buick says the TourX boasts more overall cargo space than the Subaru Outback, Volvo V60 Cross Country, Audi A4 Allroad and BMW 3-series Sport Wagon. The rear hatch area offers 32.7 cubic feet with the seats up.Related Video:

Buick's Velite 5 is a rebadged Chevy Volt for China

There's nary a mention of the famous Chevy Bowtie badge in Buick's press release for its new Velite 5. No shoutouts to the extended-range Volt, with which the Chinese-market Velite clearly borrows its hybrid gasoline/electric technology. But that's okay; to borrow an adage, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. And, as you can see from the image above, the Buick Velite 5 is a duck Volt with a Tri-Shield badge. The Velite 5's 1.5-liter engine and lithium ion battery pack provide up to 466 miles of range, with the first 62 miles or so coming on battery power alone. That's more range than Chevy quotes for the Volt, so we're not sure what methodology Buick is using to calculate mileage. Still, even if it's more like the Volt's estimated range of 53 real-world miles, it would be enough for many Chinese drivers to avoid the gas station altogether. Buick showed off a Velite Concept late last year that doesn't appear to share much at all with this new Volt-based production model. But since the brand is promising more plug-ins and EVs in the coming years, we wouldn't be surprised to see further models carrying the Velite moniker, perhaps one based on the all-electric Chevy Bolt EV. Related Video: