2014 Chevrolet Malibu 2lt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Sunday Drive: Taking a gaze into the automotive crystal ball

Mankind has long been fascinated by the future. So it makes sense that this past week's top stories were all about cars, trucks, and SUVs that won't be hitting the market until the 2019 model year. And right at the top of the list is the Ram 1500. We've come to know Ram as the truck maker that styles its pickups with cues cribbed from big rigs, but that look has slowly evolved over time into something uniquely its own. The next Ram 1500 continues this trend, with a newly refined look that we can't wait to see in person. Up next is the 2019 Chevy Silverado. Pickup trucks have been, continue to be, and will remain the best-selling vehicles in America. And General Motors is a leader in the field, with two distinct offerings with which to entice buyers, one from the bread-and-butter Chevrolet brand and one wearing the slightly more upscale GMC badge. The Chevy looks to get LED lighting elements for 2019, which ought to keep the truck from looking dated when compared to the Ford F-150 and the previously mentioned Ram 1500. From there we move past pickup trucks and into SUVs and sedans. The 2019 Jeep Cherokee looks to get toned down a bit with its next refresh, and the '19 BMW 3 Series continues its slow evolutionary journey at the top of its aspirational sales pedestal. Finally, spy shots give way to official production reveals for the 2019 Audi A7 and Polestar 1. This pair of European luxury cars won't compete with one another – one is a rakish hatchback and the other a sports coupe – any further than for the eyeballs of our readers, but both proved popular enough to merit inclusion in our weekly roundup. As always, tune in to Autoblog next week for a front-row seat to all the happenings worth following in the automotive industry. 2019 Ram 1500 spotted without the classic crosshairs 2019 Chevy Silverado spied with new LED accents 2019 Jeep Cherokee reveals a much more normal face 2019 BMW 3 Series spy shots reveal production lights, new interior details 2019 Audi A7 revealed: More torque, refined styling Polestar 1 First Look | The 600 horsepower hybrid Scandinavian Green Audi BMW Chevrolet Jeep RAM Volvo Truck Hatchback SUV Future Vehicles Hybrid Luxury Performance Sedan sunday drive polestar 1

GM recalls 200k Hummer H3s for fire risk

An issue with fires erupting in some Hummers has prompted General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for nearly 200,000 vehicles around the world. The bulk of them are in the United States. According to the first statement (below) obtained by Autoblog from GM, the issue stems from the HVAC system in Hummer H3 models. The connector module for the blower motor has, in certain cases, overheated, melted the surrounding plastic, and started a fire. 42 such cases have been reported, including three instances of occupants citing minor burns. GM confirms that two of those three cases lead to the vehicle being destroyed in the fire, but states that no crashes or fatalities have resulted. The issue affects 196,379 examples of the 2006-10 H3 wagon and the 2009-10 H3T pickup, with 164,993 estimated to be in the United States. In order to fix the issue, dealers are being instructed to replace the relevant parts of the connector and harness. In a second, unrelated campaign, GM is also calling in 50,731 Chevy Spark and Sonic small cars – 45,785 of them in the US – due to a software glitch. In those affected vehicles fitted with the base radio and OnStar system, the audio system may not be able to switch out of turn-by-turn direction mode, causing the display to go blank and all sound to mute – including key safety warnings. In addition, the system may not switch off, draining the battery. GM states that no crashes, injuries, or fatalities have resulted from this issue, and all that dealers will need to do in this case is reflash the software. Related Video: General Motors is recalling 164,993 2006-2010 model year HUMMER H3 and 2009-2010 model year HUMMER H3T models in the U.S. In certain vehicles, the connector module that controls the blower motor speed in the heat/vent/air conditioning (HVAC) system may overheat under extended periods of operation at high- and medium-high speeds. The heat could melt the plastic surrounding the connector module, increasing the risk of a fire. Dealers will replace the affected portion of the connector and harness. GM is aware of three reported minor burns and 42 fires but no crashes or fatalities related to this condition. Including Canada, Mexico and exports, the total recall population is 196,379. ### General Motors is recalling 45,785 2014-2015 model year Chevrolet Sparks, and 2015 model year Chevrolet Sonics in the U.S.

GM issues stop-sale for 3 SUVs over incorrect MPG rating

This week, GM sent a memo to Chevy, GMC, and Buick dealers to tell them to stop selling three SUVS. The 2016 Chevy Traverse, the GMC Acadia, and the Buick Enclave all have EPA window stickers that show higher fuel economy ratings than the vehicles actually have. Unlike other recent – and very public – fuel economy ratings problems from VW and Mitsubishi, it doesn't seem like GM did anything wrong with the testing for these vehicles, it just misprinted the labels. New labels are being printed and should arrive at dealerships this weekend and early next week. After that, the SUVs will be able to be sold and delivered again. The official fuel economy rating for the three SUVs are all the same. The correct numbers for the all-wheel drive versions are 17 miles per gallon combined, 15 city, and 22 highway. The stickers say the SUVs get 17/24/19. The front-wheel driver models were also incorrectly labeled, and the total number of affected vehicles is 59,823. In the memo, GM said the problem was caused by an "inadvertent error," Automotive News says. GM is working with the EPA to solve the issue. We have asked GM for a comment on the mistake and will update this post if we hear back. Related Gallery 2013 GMC Acadia View 16 Photos News Source: Automotive News – sub. req. Government/Legal Green Buick Chevrolet GM GMC Fuel Efficiency mpg gmc acadia chevy traverse