1972 Chevelle Hardtop Coupe on 2040-cars

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Chevrolet Malibu could last until 2024 before joining the dodo

Automotive News pieced together all available intel on the Chevrolet and GMC lineups, trying to ascertain how much life each model might have left. Concerning the Chevrolet Malibu, the answer is not too much, and the historic nameplate's final years don't look like the glory kind. After a major overhaul in 2016 boosted sales for the ninth-generation sedan to 227,881 units, the 2018 sales fell to 144,542, and this year's are down almost 15% through the end of June. The Malibu is one of two Chevrolet sedans still breathing - the other being the Impala for now - but only for about five more years. AN says there'll likely be a refresh in 2022, followed by a visit from the Reaper in 2024. After that, it could be "indirectly replaced" by an electric vehicle, one of the 23 EVs that GM is working on for 2023.     The Impala will meet the ax earlier despite a recent stay of execution. Production is still set to close in January 2020. In the entire GM stable, Cadillac might soon be the only marque with sedans. The Buick LaCrosse has a date with death, and Groupe PSA won't supply Opels-as-Regals forever.  The Sonic hatchback should say goodbye at the end of 2020, a year before the seemingly eternal Spark is thought to die. Two years after that, according to one report, the Camaro will go back into cold storage, perhaps forever, and AN says an "expected redesign of the car in 2021 was reportedly canceled." Finally, let's give one final shout-out to the Chevrolet Cruze, a global nameplate, which in the United States alone outsells the Malibu, outsold the Camaro by a factor of three last year, and absolutely trounces the Impala, Sonic, and Spark. Even that couldn't get a stay of execution. In more uplifting news, everything's happening on the crossover and truck side in the next few years. The Chevy Bolt is due for a refresh next year, even though it has "become more important for self-driving ride-hailing fleets that GM Cruise plans to operate than for consumers." In 2021, the Bolt-based crossover should bow, first in China, then here. It's said to look like "a mix of the Bolt and Trax" in spy shots. Still waiting for a green light: a possible subcompact GMC crossover called Granite that might make it to market by 2023. The full-sized SUV triplets Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon could show their new faces in 2020. The Silverado might get an updated interior in 2020 or 2021, while the Colorado and Canyon mid-sized pickups won't get attention until perhaps 2023.

UAW rejects GM contract proposal but makes a counter offer

The United Auto Workers union said a new comprehensive offer made by General Motors Co late Monday to end a two-week-old strike was not acceptable and said it had made a new counterproposal. UAW vice president Terry Dittes said in a letter to members "there are many important issues that remain unresolved." The union is awaiting GM's next proposal. He said GM's offer came up short on many issues.  Dittes said GM made a "comprehensive proposal" at 9:40 p.m. Monday. "This proposal that the company provided to us on day 15 of the strike did not satisfy your contract demands or needs. There were many areas that came up short like health care, wages, temporary employees, skilled trades and job security to name a few." Dittes is the union's vice president for GM relations and the UAW's lead negotiator in these contract talks. "We have responded today with a counterproposal and are awaiting GM's next proposal to the union," he wrote. "Regardless of what is publicized in print or social media, etc., there are still many important issues that remain unresolved." The strike, in its third week, has cost GM more than $1 billion, according to J.P. Morgan analyst Ryan Brickman. He said the cost per day in potential profit is $82 million. However, another analysis, by East Lansing-based consultant Anderson Economic Group, put the losses at $25 million a day. And the effects of the strike are expanding. GM said Tuesday the strike has created a parts shortage that forced the automaker to halt production at its pickup and transmission plants in Silao, Mexico, temporarily laying off 6,000 workers. Silao is where GM builds its highly profitable four-door crew cab Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. The strike has also forced GM to idle some Canadian workers, and many suppliers have been forced to halt operations. About 48,000 UAW members went on strike on Sept. 16 seeking higher pay, greater job security, a bigger share of the leading U.S. automaker’s profit and protection of their healthcare. 

Trucks with the best gas mileage for 2024

There's no denying that pickup trucks are an integral part of our culture. They've been instrumental in building our infrastructure and giving the public access to remote locations and myriad recreation activities. Trucks aren't known for being particularly fuel efficient though, with boxy silhouettes and considerable weight negatively affecting their gas mileage ratings. The times are changing and not only are trucks getting more economical, but there are also several new smaller alternatives. An efficient tuck doesn't have to by tiny, though. Some of the trucks with the best gas mileage look classically bulky. What is the most fuel-efficient truck? So what's the most fuel-efficient pickup truck on sale in the U.S? It depends on which class of trucks you're looking at. For this list, we're focusing only on internal-combustion trucks. The small crop of all-electric trucks are certainly worth considering, but it's not so easy comparing EVs to ICE trucks here. In most cases, these trucks are the two-wheel-drive versions since they return the best mileage, but there are a few four- or all-wheel-drive models that we call out.  Not surprisingly, the revival of the compact pickup has altered the truck landscape. In many cases, these petite trucks may be just the right size for many shoppers. That's great because most owners would rather not lug around a ton of weight that they don't necessarily need. The simplest answer to the question posed above is the Ford Maverick Hybrid. It tops this list of fuel-efficient truckswith an impressive 37-mpg EPA estimate for combined city and highway miles. With only 191 horsepower and a continuously variable transmission, it's not as capable off-road or for towing as other trucks, but if you just need something to haul stuff around, you really can't do any better. Its 4.5-foot bed has a slight advantage over its only rival, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which has a 4-foot bed and an estimate of 23 mpg. So now we know what truck uses the least amount of gas. 2024 Ford Maverick 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain 37 mpg combined (EPA estimate) What is the most fuel-efficient midsize truck? While not as popular as their full-size siblings, midsize strike a good balance of utility and drivability. They’re easier to navigate in a crowded parking lot, and fit down more trails earning a set of Arizona pinstripes.