1987 Chevrolet C/k Pickup 1500 on 2040-cars

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Poor headlights cause 40 cars to miss IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

Over the past few months, we've noticed a number of cars and SUVs that have come incredibly close to earning one of the IIHS's highest accolades, the Top Safety Pick rating. They have great crash test scores and solid automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. What trips them up is headlights. That got us wondering, how many vehicles are there that are coming up short because they don't have headlights that meet the organization's criteria for an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating. This is a revision made after 2017, a year in which headlights weren't factored in for this specific award. This is also why why some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, might have had the award last year, but have lost it for this year. We reached out to someone at IIHS to find out. He responded with the following car models. Depending on how you count, a whopping 40 models crash well enough to receive the rating, but don't get it because their headlights are either "Poor" or "Marginal." We say depending on how you count because the IIHS actual counts truck body styles differently, and the Infiniti Q70 is a special case. Apparently the version of the Q70 that has good headlights doesn't have adequate forward collision prevention technology. And the one that has good forward collision tech doesn't have good enough headlights. We've provided the entire list of vehicles below in alphabetical order. Interestingly, it seems the Volkswagen Group is having the most difficulty providing good headlights with its otherwise safe cars. It had the most models on the list at 9 split between Audi and Volkswagen. GM is next in line with 7 models. It is worth noting again that though these vehicles have subpar headlights and don't quite earn Top Safety Pick awards, that doesn't mean they're unsafe. They all score well enough in crash testing and forward collision prevention that they would get the coveted award if the lights were better.

2016 Chevy Volt will not need premium gas

Buried in the new technical details of the 2016 Chevy Volt released yesterday was a throwaway line about a small but important change that's due to the new 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. The first-gen Volt has always required premium gas but the new powerplant will be happy burning plain old regular. The Volt's chief engineer, Andrew Farah, told AutoblogGreen that the change was due to today's Volt owners explaining they were not happy paying for top-shelf petroleum. "The ability to use regular unleaded was based directly on customer feedback," he said. "Since the range extender is an all-new engine, it was optimized to use regular unleaded at the outset. Using regular fuel will not have effect on vehicle acceleration or other performance factors." As Larry Nitz, GM's executive director of vehicle electrification, told AutoblogGreen yesterday, the new engine is more powerful and quieter than the outgoing 1.4-liter engine that's used in the current Volt. Fuel economy and EV range specs for the next-gen Volt are not expected until the full car is revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

2015 Chevy Silverado Custom Sport is subtle in black

In a world where trucks are growing bigger, bolder grilles and more muscle-bound looks, Chevrolet is trying something a bit different with its recently revealed Custom Sport edition for the 2015 Silverado at the this year's Detroit Auto Show. The edition leans on being understated, instead of screaming about its abilities. The design is supposed to be a throwback to the Chevy Custom Sport Trucks of the late '60s that brought a touch of elegance to these usually utilitarian vehicles at the time. The heart of the package is its monochromatic body-color touches for the bumpers and grille surround. The one on display at the show is especially attractive with a chrome-accented black grille that fits perfectly with the rest of the body. The edition does get a bit more shine with chrome covering the 20-inch wheels, door handles, mirror caps and side moldings. In addition, buyers get projector beam headlights, tow hooks and heated power mirrors. The custom package is available on the LT trim in black or white and on the LTZ in black or White Diamond Tricoat. Take a look at this monochromatic take on the Silverado as it sits in the Motor City. 2015 SILVERADO OFFERS CUSTOM SPORT PACKAGE Inspired by Chevy Custom Sport Trucks that helped launch personal-use pickups DETROIT, 07/01/15 – With the new 2015 Silverado Custom Sport special edition, Chevrolet pays homage to one of its most iconic pickups, adding a sophisticated monochromatic look to double- and crew-cab Silverados. The Custom Sport package features body-colored front and rear bumpers and a body-colored grille surround with a chrome-accented black grille. Other accents include 20-inch chrome wheels, chrome door handles and mirror caps, and chrome body-side moldings. The package also includes projector beam headlamps, tow hooks and heated power-adjusted mirrors. "The Custom Sport special edition was inspired by Chevy Custom Sport Trucks of the late 1960s," said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet Trucks marketing director. "Those CST models added a touch of elegance to a great all-around truck, just like the Custom Sport package for the new Silverado." The redesigned 1967 Chevrolet pickup entered the market at a time when trucks were starting to move off the jobsites and into the driveways of cities and suburbs. The 1967 Custom Sport Truck, with its bright trim, plush carpet and bucket seats, helped launch a wave of personal use pickups that continues today.