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GMC Canyon, Chevy Colorado diesels finally heading to dealers

Customers who have been waiting to receive their diesel-powered Chevrolet Colorados and GMC Canyons should be relived to hear that GM will finally start to ship them out of the Wentzville Assembly Plant. "The highly anticipated 2016 GMC Canyon diesel has begun shipping to dealers," a company spokesperson confirmed to The Detroit News. The trucks originally had a fall launch date, but a final review forced a delay in deliveries. The 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel in the midsize trucks produces 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and the company touts the engine's low emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board even put the mill through extra scrutiny with a real world test in the wake of VW's diesel scandal, and the Duramax passed with no problems. At that time, a Chevy spokesperson told Autoblog that the models' launch was on track. The Duramax engine adds $3,730 to the price of a comparable V6 model, but they're the most fuel-efficient pickups on the market. The EPA estimates the twins at 31 miles per gallon highway, 22 mpg city, and 25 mpg combined in two-wheel drive form and 29/20/23 with four-wheel drive. Buyers likely can't wait to finally experience these pickups after reading a heap of positive reviews. The Colorado diesel recently earned Motor Trend's Truck of the Year award. We also came away impressed with it during our First Drive and liked the Canyon during our Quick Spin. Related Video:

Mother's Day Suggestion No. 2,506

With Mother's Day coming up, we're always looking for new gift ideas to celebrate the occasion, but hot laps around a track might not be the best suggestion for Darius Khashabi. In a video posted on YouTube, Khashabi straps his mom into the passenger seat of his C6 Corvette Z06 for some laps around Sonoma Raceway (formerly Infineon Raceway) at "60 percent" with comical results.
Now this isn't the first time Mama Khashabi has gotten seat time in her son's car around a track, as his YouTube page shows him pulling a similar stunt - with similar results - around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last year. Scroll down for the video, but know that the action really gets going at around the 1:40 mark.

What we know, and think we know, about the 2016 Chevy Volt

With the next-gen Chevy Volt due to make an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show early next year, bits and pieces about the new car are making their way into the press. Perhaps most importantly, the new Volt is going to have better "fuel economy and efficiency," according to GM executive vice president Mark Reuss. The current Volt gets 98 MPGe and 37 miles per gallon on premium fuel. It also has a 38-mile electric-only range. We don't know how GM will improve the efficiency or to what degree, but the logical options include making the car lighter, giving it better aerodynamics and/or improving the powertrain. To that end, one of the big things we don't know for sure includes information on the new gas-powered engine. Forbes says it will be a downsized 1.0-liter, three-cylinder mill instead of the 1.4-liter, four-cylinder used in the current model, which could certainly help the car be more efficient. The new Volt is also going to have more technology, which shouldn't surprise anyone. GM is now openly talking about how it will change the way it markets the Volt, shifting away from the mass-market mentality to focus on the regions where the car is already popular. "There's a Northeast and West Coast market for Volt, and there's nothing wrong with that," Chevy chief marketing officer Tim Mahoney told Forbes. There are rumors that the new Volt will have seating for five by adding a seat in the back. This is something a lot of current Volt owners would love, but we've heard nothing official hinting that this would be the case. We expect the battery to be the new 17.1-kWh version, or maybe even have a capacity increase, so GM would have to seriously repackage the pack to eliminate the ridge that runs from between the front seats and then back to the rear two seats. If you've heard anything official, do let us know.