1998 Gmc Savana 1500 Sle Standard Passenger Van 3-door 5.0l on 2040-cars

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Despite strong profits, GM still fighting flat market share

Looking at the progress General Motors has made since it entered bankruptcy, it's easy to forget that the company still has a long way to go before it's the juggernaut it once was. A recent report from Reuters points out that, while GM is making money, it isn't making any gains in terms of US market share. Quite the opposite, really. Consider this factoid: In 1963, nearly half of the cars sold in the United States were from Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC or Pontiac. Now, the company's US market share is stagnant at 17.9 percent. That same number is half of just Chevy's 1963 market share. This is all despite GM going on a binge replacing or updating its models. "Market share increases are not instantaneous," Mark Reuss told Reuters at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. "We've got a lot of baggage. Don't underestimate what people though of us, or these brands, through these hardships and 30 years." The reasons for the stagnant market share are numerous. Reuters points out that retooling of factories and a focus on limiting incentives are both good things for profit, but not necessarily for market share. There's also the troubling turnover of the brand's marketing department. These issues don't change the fact that Chevrolet has lost 1.4 percent of its market share in two years, and that Cadillac - arguably GM's most improved brand overall - has lost 1.2 percent in the same period. Part of that can be blamed on GM's avoidance of fleet sales in favor of more profitable customer sales. "Our focus has really been on retail and that's where we've got the growth," said Alan Batey, GM's interim global marketing boss. "We want to grow GM and that means growing market share and profits, but it's not at all costs," Reuss said. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: paul bica - Flickr CC 2.0 Earnings/Financials Buick Cadillac GM GMC sales profits

Sunday Drive: Variety is the spice of life

If there's any one new vehicle the entire world is anxiously waiting for, it's the Jeep Wrangler. Yes, of course the iconic off-roader has a loyal following here in America, but you could plop a Wrangler pretty much anywhere on the globe and everybody will know what it is. Put simply, the redesigned 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL has big, muddy shoes to fill, and the readers of Autoblog are just as interested in the Wrangler's rebirth as anyone else. Moving along, we were fortunate enough last week to spend a bit of time in nearly every version of the venerable Volkswagen Golf all in one day. There isn't a Golf we don't like, but there's one, easily identifiable by its three-digit name, that stands above all the rest: GTI. We think it's the best Golf you can buy, even if there's an R-badged variant that slots above the GTI in VW hierarchy. Rounding out our recap are three vehicles that could hardly be more different. The 2019 GMC Sierra, which was seen wearing pretty light camouflage, is a truck. The Lamborghini Terzo Millennio – which isn't going to go on sale, ever, at any price – is a conceptual supercar. And the Honda CB1000R is a retro-themed naked standard motorcycle. Variety really is the spice of life. 2018 Jeep Wrangler spy shot mega gallery Driving nearly every VW Golf: Base, GTI, R, Alltrack — here's what we learned 2019 GMC Sierra spied sporting just a thin wrapping The Lamborghini Terzo Millennio is a brutally fantastic EV supercar concept Honda unveils 2 new motorcycles, including retro-flavored CB1000R Image Credit: Brian Williams GMC Honda Jeep Lamborghini Volkswagen Technology Truck Convertible Crossover Hatchback SUV Performance sunday drive vw golf gti lamborghini terzo millennio

2015 GMC Canyon is a Chevy Colorado in Sierra clothing [w/video]

Ford may not offer the Ranger in America anymore, nor Dodge (or Ram) its Dakota. But General Motors - not unlike Toyota with its Tacoma and Nissan with the Frontier - isn't about to give up on the midsize pickup market. Less than two months ago, it revealed the new Chevrolet Colorado, and now it's following up with its mechanical twin, the 2015 GMC Canyon.
Launched today ahead of its reveal at the Detroit Auto Show, the Canyon slots into the GMC lineup (and differentiates itself from its Chevrolet twin) with styling that closely apes the larger GMC Sierra 1500 and Sierra HD, only a size or two smaller. Oh, there are visual differences, like a subtly different grille treatment and lower fascia, but it still maintains its big brother's square-jawed good looks and rectilinear flared fenders.
Two aluminum-block engines with direct injection and variable valve timing are available: a 2.5-liter inline-four comes standard with 193 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.6-liter V6 is available with 302 hp and 270 lb-ft. Buyers will also be able to choose between three bodystyle configurations, three trim levels and either two- or four-wheel drive. A six-speed automatic transmits the power to the road, but a six-speed manual is available on the base model with the 2.5 and 2WD, and there's an All Terrain package available on SLE models. A diesel is expected later.