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2017 GMC Canyon steals Cadillac's V6 for a little more power

GMC is fortifying the Canyon with a new powertrain and two new trim levels for 2017. GMC will give the Canyon the 3.6-liter V6 found in the Cadillac ATS, CTS, CT6, and XT5 crossover. The engine will be matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission, which also can be found on Cadillacs, the new 2017 Colorado, and other General Motors vehicles. The new engine comes with variable valve timing, improved direct injection, and Active Fuel Management, which is a form of cylinder deactivation that shuts off two cylinders to increase fuel efficiency and performance. Power is up from 305 to 308 horsepower, while torque increases from 269 to 275 pound-feet of torque compared to the old 3.6-liter V6. With the new transmission, the Canyon benefits from a higher first gear ratio, which should help drivers get off the line more easily when towing large cargo, and lower overdrive ratios for improved fuel efficiency. The 2016 model had a six-speed automatic. The Colorado also gets the eight-speed transmission for '17. GMC previously announced the All Terrain X and Denali models. The All Terrain X trim is offered on the SLE model and comes with the new 3.6-liter V6 engine or the 2.8-liter Duramax turbo-diesel. The All Terrain X gets Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac P225/65R17 all-terrain tires, a body-color grille surround and matching rear step bumper, bespoke 17-inch aluminum wheels, and a spray-on bedliner. The truck also is fortified with Hill Descent Control and an off-road suspension. The Denali carries the flag as the most luxurious Canyon model and gets a Bose seven-speaker audio system, more chrome, and interior upgrades. In addition to the new models and the powertrain, the 2017 Canyon will be offered with new colors – Dark Slate Metallic, Mineral Metallic, and Red Quartz Metallic – a new IntelliLink radio with a seven-inch touchscreen, a heated steering wheel as an optional extra, and Standard Teen Driver Mode. The 2017 Canyon, with all of its changes, will be available in the fourth quarter of the year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 GMC Canyon Denali: LA 2015 View 14 Photos News Source: GMC Cadillac GMC Truck Luxury Off-Road Vehicles engine gmc canyon chevrolet colorado

Genesis wins J.D. Power Tech Experience Study for third straight time

The results are out for the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study, which "focuses on the user experience with advanced vehicle technology as it first comes to market and is an early measure of problems encountered by vehicle owners." Its measurement metric is problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), same as with the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). The takeaway this year isn't that owners aren't using advanced technologies, as was the case with the 2022 study, or that they're having more problems with them overall. It's that owners of battery-electric vehicles are having more problems with advanced tech than owners of ICE-powered vehicles. According to the study, 17 of 21 features that can be had on both propulsion types — such as remote parking assistance and gesture controls — get lower satisfaction ratings by owners of BEVs, in some cases nearly 20 PP100.  The survey organization says this tracks with what its found in the IQS, where total vehicle problems were "46% higher among BEVs (excluding Tesla) than ICE vehicles and satisfaction is lower among owners of BEVs across nine of 10 APEAL categories than among owners of ICE vehicles." Findings regarding biometric measurements are among those that go against the overall study findings. Whether a fingerprint reader or an eye tracker, car owners in general said "they do not consider them to be useful." In terms of ease-of-use and satisfaction, plug-and-charge capability on EVs gets good marks. This allows EV owners to plug into a public charger and have payment taken care of automatically; the vehicle communicates with any charging station compatible with an automaker's plug-and-play system, so the vehicle can automatically submit a bill for the charging session to a central owner account with no further action needed at the station. Survey respondents noted a mere 6 PP100 and an 88.9% satisfaction.    Among manufacturers, repeat winners took the top prizes. Genesis earned the highest rank for innovation overall and among premium brands for the third straight year. Hyundai not only won the tech innovation banner for mass market brands for the fourth straight year, ahead of Kia, GMC, Ram and Subaru, Hyundai finished in second in the overall standings. On that overall chart, the top five are Genesis, Hyundai, Cadillac, Lexus and BMW. On the premium chart, Genesis is followed by Cadillac, Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the top five. It wasn't close from the first to the rest, though.

GM announces $7 billion Michigan factory investment, most going to EVs

GM announced a $7 billion investment in Michigan manufacturing, much of which is earmarked for EV production. Four sites are included, but the key elements are a new battery cell plant in Lansing and the conversion of GM's existing Orion Township facility to expand production of the forthcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV and its GMC Sierra sibling.  GM says it is the largest investment announcement in company history and that it will create 4,000 new jobs. It also says 1,000 jobs will be retained. "We are building on the positive consumer response and reservations for our recent EV launches and debuts, including the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Equinox EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV," said GM CEO Mary Barra.  GM says the Orion expansion and new battery plant will support an increase in full-size electric truck production capacity to 600,000 units. This is in addition to the Factory ZERO facility in Detroit that will also be constructing the electric Silverado and Sierra.  The Orion Township factory current builds the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, and will continue to do so during the plant's conversion. GM did not indicate what will happen with the Bolts once that conversion is complete or whether all will continue to be built at Orion. They do not use the Ultium vehicle architecture. GM will build other EV models at three other factories that are under construction or being converted. They are located in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Ingersoll, Ontario, and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM says that it will have the ability to produce 1 million electric vehicles by 2025. The Ultium Cells Lansing facility is a $2.6 billion joint investment by GM and LG Energy Solution. GM says it alone will create 1,700 jobs once fully operational by late 2024. It will join two other GM Ultium Cells battery factories currently under construction in the United States, one in Ohio and the other in Tennessee.  Not all of the $7 billion investment will be for EVs. It also announced $510 million of the total will go toward upgrading the Lansing Delta Township Assembly to produce the next-generation Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. Money will also go to upgrading Lansing Grand River Assembly.