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GM dealers have ordered 30k Colorado and Canyon pickups, 3rd shift added

General Motors has an early success on its hands in the form of the initial rollout of the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks. According to the automaker, dealers have ordered nearly 30,000 of the trucks thus far, a number that far exceeded GM's early expectations.
This high demand for the Colorado and Canyon twins has prompted GM to add a third shift to its Wentzville Assembly plant where the trucks are built, starting early next year. An extra shift will add an additional 750 jobs at the location to the 1,315 that were already employed there, according to the press release that you're welcome to read down below.
Such positive sales projections for the Canyon and Colorado may portend good things for the midsize pickup segment, which was once hugely popular but has more recently contracted, with the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma standing firm as the market leaders. Now that GM's entries are the most up-to-date, and with the segment's first diesel engine on the way, it will be interesting to see how the trucks continue to sell and if their hopeful success leads more automakers back onto the playing field.

GM is quietly slashing prices on base models

While General Motors' fourth quarter financial figures haven't yet been released, the automaker seems to be weathering a potentially rocky time well, even beating third-quarter projections last year. To keep the climb going, the company is launching new base trims for several popular models that make them cheaper than ever but with tight dealer margins. The new entry-level trims are the Chevrolet Cruze L, Equinox L, GMC Terrain SL and Buick LaCrosse 1SV. Buyers lose some content by picking them, but the prices are slashed. According to Cars Direct, the biggest savings are on the LaCrosse, where customers pay $31,065, plus $925 destination, $2,570 less than the previous base 1SB trim but must accept things like 17-inch wheels and no cargo net in the back. If you're wondering how Buick can remove only a little equipment but cut the price so much, it's because the company also slashed dealer margins. According to Cars Direct, the difference between the invoice and MSRP for the LaCrosse 1SV is only around $150, compared to around $1,350 before. The disparity is even greater for the Cruze with an $81 difference in the prices, compared to about $600 for the LS version. Showrooms are expected to keep very low stocks of these trims, though. "Dealers use such vehicles to get people in the door, but they do not generally want to do high volumes of these strippers. The margins are next to nothing; they don't make much money off these cars," said Ed Kim, Vice President of Industry Analysis for AutoPacific to Autoblog. Dealers are also expected to advertise that these new base trims undercut major competitors. For example, the Cruze L rings up for about $2,320 less than a Honda Civic LX, according to Cars Direct. One potential drawback for buyers is that these models might not be eligible for incentives. While the attractive prices might get customers into dealers, folks may not actually end up driving home with these entry-level models. Kim indicated base trims also make up a small portion of the sales mix. "Consumers aren't asking for stripped out vehicles, even at the low end of the marketplace," he said. Featured Gallery 2015 Chevrolet Cruze View 9 Photos News Source: Cars DirectImage Credit: Chevrolet Buick Chevrolet GM GMC Car Buying Car Dealers Crossover Sedan gmc terrain cheap cars

Chauffeur attacks motorist in road rage incident

A California man was the victim of an intense and violent road rage attack on the 405 freeway on Tuesday, but when the police were called they told the driver to shake it off. Shahnam Asbaghi told KTLA that the altercation began when a GMC Yukon private car began tailgating him. "This limousine Yukon driver was just tailgating me the whole time since when I got onto the 405 North," Asbaghi told reporters. "It was so bad I actually got scared and nervous so I exited early." When Asbaghi exited the freeway, the Yukon followed and rear ended him at the bottom of the ramp. "He just rammed me with his car at probably 25, 30 miles per hour," said Asbaghi. "When he hit me he got out of his car, came around to the driver's side and punched my window four or five times. Then he ran back to his car, got in his car, and drove away." Startled, Asbaghi followed his assailant in an attempt to get the Yukon's license plate number. After a quick chase, the Yukon stopped near Sepulveda Boulevard and Sherman Way where the driver got out of the truck, retrieved a long, unidentified item from the rear cargo area, and attacked Asbaghi's car again. Video shot by Asbaghi shows the chauffeur striking the driver's side window with the object, tossing it back in the Yukon, then leaving the scene. Asbaghi called 911, but the police weren't impressed. "Because my head wasn't smashed, because the window wasn't smashed, no harm no foul is what they told me," Asbaghi told KTLA. The cops did make the drivers exchange information, but no arrests were made. The Los Angeles Police Department is now looking into the incident to make sure they handled the situation correctly. The day after the attack, L.A. Private Car announced via Twitter that they fired the angry Chauffeur after reviewing the footage. News Source: KTLA Government/Legal Weird Car News GMC Driving Safety Crossover SUV Commercial Vehicles road rage 405 freeway chauffeur