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2020 Chevy Trax spied sporting design cues from the new Blazer

We saw spy shots in August for what we thought was either a redesigned Chevrolet Trax or new GMC subcompact crossover. At the time we were leaning Chevy. But after this latest batch of spy shots taken near GM's proving grounds, we're now thinking this one is the Trax replacement and the other one was a GMC. For one, the thin row of LEDs looks remarkably similar to the 2019 Chevy Blazer's LED strip. The additional light slightly below that is similar to the Blazer as well, leading us to believe that the next Trax will have a Blazer-esque front end. At first glance, this vehicle looks slightly larger than today's Trax with a much brawnier shape than the current blob-like design. The rear roof cladding could be hiding the same sloped rear window with spoiler hangover we see on the Blazer. Circling back to the other small GM crossover we caught testing, this one doesn't have those Blazer elements. The curved windshield and sloping roof are like those of the GMC Terrain, as are the horizontal grille bars. By contrast, the above car has a straighter windshield and a roof shaped more like the Blazer. One element that does seem to diverge from the new Blazer are the taillights, but they don't exactly look production-ready anyway. If we're right about this being the next Trax (and we're pretty sure we are) then this looks to be a more distinctive vehicle than what it will replace. The mirrors have left their awkward spot on the doors, and it's shaping up to be a much sportier looking crossover as a whole. This vehicle will most likely end up being a 2020 model year car, and if so, we would expect to see undisguised photos of both it and the assumed GMC version next year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2020 Chevrolet Trax spy shots Spy Photos Chevrolet GMC Crossover SUV Future Vehicles chevy trax

5 reasons why GM is cutting jobs, closing plants in a healthy economy

DETROIT — Even though unemployment is low, the economy is growing and U.S. auto sales are near historic highs, General Motors is cutting thousands of jobs in a major restructuring aimed at generating cash to spend on innovation. It's the new reality for automakers that are faced with the present cost of designing gas-powered cars and trucks that appeal to buyers now while at the same time preparing for a future world of electric and autonomous vehicles. GM announced Monday that it will cut as many as 14,000 workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it abandons many of its car models and restructures to focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles. The reductions could amount to as much as 8 percent of GM's global workforce of 180,000 employees. The cuts mark GM's first major downsizing since shedding thousands of jobs in the Great Recession. The company also said it will stop operating two additional factories outside North America by the end of next year. The move to make GM get leaner before the next downturn likely will be followed by Ford Motor Co., which also has struggled to keep one foot in the present and another in an ambiguous future of new mobility. Ford has been slower to react, but says it will lay off an unspecified number of white-collar workers as it exits much of the car market in favor of trucks and SUVs, some of them powered by batteries. Here's a rundown of the reasons behind the cuts: Coding, not combustion CEO Mary Barra said as cars and trucks become more complex, GM will need more computer coders but fewer engineers who work on internal combustion engines. "The vehicle has become much more software-oriented" with millions of lines of code, she said. "We still need many technical resources in the company." Shedding sedans The restructuring also reflects changing North American auto markets as manufacturers continue to shift away from cars toward SUVs and trucks. In October, almost 65 percent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. were trucks or SUVs. That figure was about 50 percent cars just five years ago. GM is shedding cars largely because it doesn't make money on them, Citi analyst Itay Michaeli wrote in a note to investors. "We estimate sedans operate at a significant loss, hence the need for classic restructuring," he wrote. The reduction includes about 8,000 white-collar employees, or 15 percent of GM's North American white-collar workforce. Some will take buyouts while others will be laid off.

Hacker jury rigs Amazon Echo into voice-controlled remote start

A lot of automakers have smartphone apps to start, lock, or unlock a connected car. Some automakers will even let you do that with a smartwatch. Then, there's YouTube user Jryanishere, who decided to use Amazon's chatty Echo voice-controlled, internet-connected information thingy. Yes, we said thingy, because we aren't really sure how else to describe the Echo. While the Echo system has received a hearty ad campaign – featuring Alec Baldwin asking Amazon's virtual assistant, Alexa, questions and ordering socks – we think this might be the first really useful thing we've seen it do. Using a MacBook, a Raspberry Pi, an Echo, an OBDLink plug-in, and his 4G LTE-equipped GMC, Jryanishere has basically made a voice-controlled remote-start system. Now, like so many voice-controlled things, this strikes us more of an extravagance than something that's functionally worthwhile. After all, the remote start on the a GMC keyfob isn't exactly rocket science. You can check out the Echo in action up top. Jryanishere gives a pretty thorough breakdown of how the setup works in the video above, but if you're at all into this sort of technological mischief, you'll want to watch (and check out the hilariously detailed blog explaining the job). Related Video: