Special Edition Gm Black Magic Equinox Lt Awd Save Thousands From New Cost on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Auto Show Notebook: Legendary Continental name inspired Lincoln's designers

What's in a name? A lot for the Continental concept, and it gave Lincoln designers a sense of purpose as they styled the brand's upcoming flagship sedan. "The moment that we told them, it was amazing," Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra said. "They totally got it." "It" is cutting-edge technology wrapped in stately, large-sedan design. It's a nod to Lincoln's storied past, but a signpost for where the brand is heading. Though the Continental name dates to the late 1930s, Lincoln designers avoided making the concept overtly retro. "You can't let it pull yourself back too far in history, but you've got to design a car that lives up to the name," Galhotra said. Speaking to Autoblog on the floor of the New York Auto Show where the Continental formally debuted Wednesday, the Lincoln president reiterated that the car is on track to launch in 2016. It will compete against the Audi A6, Lexus GS, BMW 5 Series and other large luxury sedans. After its debut, the concept in New York will fly to China – another critical market for Lincoln – for display there. It will be replaced in New York by a prototype without an interior. The Continental is the latest high profile play by Lincoln to raise its image with consumers, who have either ignored or forgotten about it amid steep competition in the luxury sector from German and Japanese brands and a potentially resilient Cadillac. Lincoln sales are essentially flat compared with 2014 through the first quarter of this year, with total volume of 21,478 units. The middling start to 2015 comes on the heels of nearly 16-percent sales growth last year spurred by the launch of the MKC and the prominent signing of Matthew McConaughey to star in Lincoln advertisements. Other News, Notes & Quotes Speaking of names, Chevrolet did its homework before deciding to proceed with "Malibu" for its new generation of midsize cars. "We went out and researched it," said Alan Batey, president of General Motors North America. "People actually like the name 'Malibu,'" he said. Admittedly, the current Malibu has struggled in the marketplace against entrenched competitors, Batey said, but he's optimistic its awareness and historical value are assets to the dramatically redesigned sedan."The name's strong," he said. Meanwhile, in other Chevy news, the brand kicked off a new marketing campaign, "Real People, Not Actors" Wednesday. It will show consumers interacting with Chevys and their spontaneous reactions to the vehicles.

Chevy Bolt wins 2017 Green Car of the Year

We knew that a plug-in vehicle was going to win the 2017 Green Car of the Year award this year, given that all five finalists have a way to charge up. And when Ron Cogan, the editor and publisher of Green Car Journal, announced the winner – the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV – he said that the car itself represents one of those times in the auto industry when everything is about to change. Similar to the invention of the starter motor, things are about to get different. For now, though, the fact that the Bolt EV won an award sounds like the same old thing all over again. Just this week, it was named Motor Trends Car of the Year and to the Car And Driver Top 10 list. The other four finalists for Green Car of the Year included the Toyota Prius Prime, the Chrysler Pacifica, the Kia Optima (including hybrid and plug-in hybrid models) and the BMW 330e iPerformance. Last year, the winner was the 2016 Chevy Volt. Did Green Car Journal make the right selection this year? See the award ceremony below.

Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon get trim levels reworked again

GM Authority reports that GM has fiddled with trim packages on the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon for the 2021 model year, eliminating the base trims on both pickups and implementing small price changes. When the new model year goes on sale, the Chevy will lose the rear-wheel drive Base Extended Cab with the automatic transmission that starts at $22,395 after a $1,095 destination charge. The new entry-level is going to be the Work Truck model with the extended cab in rear-wheel drive, starting at $26,595 assuming the destination charge holds steady. That represents a $4,200 jump over the base 2020 model. MSRPs for the entire Work Truck lineup, from base to the Crew Cab Long Box, rise by $400. Elsewhere in the Colorado line, the four Z71 trims go down by $100, while the two ZR2 trims increase by the same amount. Only the six LT trims don't see any change.  The GMC side is a bit more involved due to previously announced changes. The 2020 Canyon comes in SL, Base Canyon, SLE, SLT, All Terrain, and Denali steps. Last month, GM Authority reported the 2021 Canyon would give all that up for the new names Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali. Since the SL base model retires in 2021, the Elevation Standard takes over at the entry level. Unlike on the Colorado, which sheds one trim, the Canyon lineup gets pared from 20 total combinations of trims, cab sizes, and bed lengths, to 14 total combinations. But like the Colorado, due to the loss of the cheapest configuration, the least expensive 2021 Canyon becomes $4,200 more expensive than in 2020, assuming the destination price remains the same. What's more, the 2021 Elevation Standard pricing adds $700 or $800 to the prices of the 2020 Canyon base and SLE models. There are more increases up the range. The 2021 Elevation trim replaces a combination of SLE and SLT models, bumping prices up by up to $900. In 2020, the least expensive All Terrain model is the Extended Cab Cloth for $37,695. For next year, the least expensive AT4 trim is the Crew Cab Short Box for $39,295. Like-for-like, though, the AT4 represents a $300 premium over the 2020 All Terrain Crew Cab Short Box. Three Denali trims will still stand at the top of the heap, each one going up by $400 in 2021. Until GM details the equipment changes, we won't know how the new pricing equates to value.