Heated Leather, Column Shift, Chrome Wheels, Pwr Windows & Locks, 1-owner 12996 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM investing $167m in Spring Hill for new midsize vehicles

General Motors has announced a large investment in its Spring Hill, Tennessee facility. The former home of Saturn production will be getting a $167 million addition to a previously announced $183 million, to cover a pair of new midsize vehicles. The investment is expected to create 1,800 jobs at the factory.
That $350 million is being divvied up for a pair of programs at Spring Hill. The first will take the bulk of the money ($223 million) and create 1,000 of the 1,800 jobs, while the other will take the remaining $127 million and generate the leftover 800 positions. But GM says the investment will cover "midsize vehicle programs." So what could they be?
The leading candidate in our minds is a new crossover for Buick, called the Anthem, that will slot between the Encore and Enclave, but will be slightly smaller than the Equinox and Terrain. As we've explained, the new model will likely be the first product to sport GM's new D2UX platform, which will eventually replace both the Delta and Theta platforms. Spring Hill is already building the Equinox, so there could be some credence to this theory.

It's official: GM selling Opel-Vauxhall to Peugeot-Citroen group for $2.3B

It's a Brexit for General Motors. GM is selling off its Opel and Vauxhall unit, it confirmed today, ending 90 years of automobile production in Europe, and nearly two decades of losses from that division. The deal was announced on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show. The focus for GM now becomes North America and China. "This was a difficult decision for General Motors," CEO Mary Barra said. "But we are unified in our belief that it is the right one." "For GM, this represents another major step in the ongoing work that is driving our improved performance and accelerating our momentum. We are reshaping our company and delivering consistent, record results for our owners through disciplined capital allocation to our higher-return investments in our core automotive business and in new technologies that are enabling us to lead the future of personal mobility." The buyer is French automaker PSA Groupe, maker of Peugeot and Citroen as well as its DS luxury sub-brand. The $2.3 billion deal will make PSA the second-biggest European manufacturer after Volkswagen, with 17 percent of the market share. "We want to create a European automotive champion," said PSA Groupe Chairman Carlos Tavares. "We will totally unleash the potential of the Opel and Vauxhall brands." Tavares gave assurances that jobs would not be lost in the deal. "We respect all that Opel/Vauxhall's talented people have achieved as well as the company's fine brands and strong heritage. We intend to manage PSA and Opel/Vauxhall capitalizing on their respective brand identities." The two companies have agreements for PSA to continue to supply some Holden and Buick models; it's not yet clear exactly how this will work, as Opel models form the basis for several of Buick's core products, including the Encore small crossover and Regal sedan. PSA also is purchasing GM's financing operations in Europe as part of the deal. GM may invest in PSA shares in the future, and the two companies may collaborate on electric and fuel-cell vehicles as part of GM's joint venture with Honda. The sale of Opel and Vauxhall brings GM's global brand total down to eight, including three that are specific to the Chinese market. Buick GM Citroen Opel Peugeot Vauxhall 2017 Geneva Motor Show

2017 Buick LaCrosse priced at $32,990

Buick has announced the starting price for its totally redesigned LaCrosse sedan, and it's looking competitive. According to the company's consumer website, the base trim will start at $32,990, while the vehicle featured on the page is helpfully listed as "As Shown: $45,560." Buick is being coy about the standard equipment list, but we do know a few traditionally higher-end options will be free of charge, including an eight-inch touchscreen that's compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and HID headlamps. General Motors' 4G LTE wifi is a no-cost feature (although you'll need to shell out for a data plan, eventually). The optional extras list, which will include goodies like adaptive cruise control, hasn't been published yet. Underhood, all LaCrosse models will get eight-speed automatic transmissions paired with 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 engines. The new powertrain, plucked from the Cadillac XT5, has stop-start and cylinder deactivation as standard to save fuel, although it's still too early to predict where the LaCrosse will fall on the EPA scale. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive will be available for a unknown premium. Buick says the sedan's reasonable starting price backs the company's "position of attainable luxury." And that's true. At $32,990 the LaCrosse is $560 less than the $33,550 base Toyota Avalon, $355 less than the $33,345 Nissan Maxima S, and $850 less than the $33,840 Kia Cadenza. Only the antiquated Ford Taurus, at $27,985, can undercut it. On the opposite end, the LaCrosse is $6,945 less than a front-drive Lincoln MKS and $6,060 less than a Lexus ES. Starting prices are useful tools for comparison but they only go so far – we'll have to wait until next month, when full details are released, to see how truly reasonable the LaCrosse's price is.