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GM announces 3 new recalls affecting 1.7M vehicles in North America [w/video]

Still embroiled in the ongoing ignition switch recall, General Motors announced today three more discrete recalls, affecting a grand total of 1,546,900 vehicles in the US. The Detroit News reports that some 1.7 million vehicles are affected overall in North America. The first and largest of the trio of new recalls concerns some 1.18-million Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia crossovers from the 2008-2013 model years, Chevrolet Traverse from 2009-2013 (pictured above) and Saturn Outlook vehicles from 2008-2010. All of the crossover utilities may have an issue with the wiring harness for their seat-mounted side airbags. Apparently, the vehicles are equipped with a Service Air Bag warning light that, if ignored, "will eventually result in the non-deployment of the side impact restraints." Those restraints include the side airbags, a front-center airbag if the vehicle is so equipped and seatbelt pretensioners. Dealers of affected vehicles will be instructed to remove driver and passenger side airbag wiring harness connectors, and then "splice and solder the wires together." The second recall affects 303,000 Chevrolet Express (pictured right) and GMC Savana vans from model years 2009-2014, and with gross vehicle weights under 10,000 pounds. Said vehicles do not comply with a head impact requirement for unrestrained occupants, and will need a reworking of the instrument panel material to be sent back on the road. It doesn't sound as though there's a quick fix for this one, as the GM press release states: "Unsold vehicles have been placed on a stop delivery until development of the solution has been completed and parts are available." Finally, the third recall affects 63,900 Cadillac XTS luxury sedans from model years 2013 and 2014. A brake booster pump may be susceptible to corrosion by way of the relay, potentially causing and electrical short, overheating, melting of plastic components and even engine fires. GM says it is aware of two engine fires in unsold XTS models and two cases of melted parts. Repairs for the issues affecting the XTS have not not mentioned by GM in the release. The Detroit News is also reporting that along with news of the triple-recall, GM is taking a $300-million credit to help pay for the repair costs, and to deal with the ongoing costs associated with the ignition switch recall. In an attempt to explain just what GM has been doing in the face of these very serious issues, newly minted CEO Mary Barra has addressed the issues in a new video.

Cadillac prices new XT5 from $39,990

Keen to put your deposit down for a new Cadillac XT5, but waiting to find out how much you'll need to set aside? Well the wait is over, friend, as Cadillac has announced pricing for the new crossover. US pricing starts at $38,995, which works out to $39,990 once you factor in the standard $995 destination charge. That's only $1,390 more than the now wreathless brand charged for the outgoing SRX, which the new XT5 replaces and which carried a starting price of $38,600 (delivered). It also undercuts the competition from most other luxury automakers. The BMW X3 ($40,495), Audi Q5 ($40,900), Lexus RX 350 ($42,850), and Infiniti QX70 ($45,850) each start at a higher base price than the Caddy. However the Mercedes GLE stats marginally lower at $39,875, and the Lincoln MKX goes for significantly less at $37,935 – all prices including destination charges. Of course, that starting price is just for the base model with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional on Luxury and Premium models, but comes standard on the top-spec Platinum. Step that far up the ladder, though, and you'll be looking at $63,495 (delivered). Related Video: New 2017 Cadillac XT5 Crossover Arrives in April 2017 XT5 CROSSOVER PRICED FROM $38,995 IN THE U.S. 2016-02-10 The first-ever Cadillac XT5 will arrive in U.S. dealerships in early-April, continuing the brand's product-driven growth. XT5 enters the strongest category in the luxury automotive space, the midsize luxury crossover segment, where Cadillac set sales records in 2015. "The arrival of this sophisticated new crossover positions Cadillac well, as XT5 enters the most popular segment in the global luxury market," said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen. "It's pivotal to our ongoing growth, which is why we've developed XT5 from the inside out to provide customers more space, more technology, more luxury and more efficiency." The XT5 is the first in a series of upcoming luxury crossovers carrying the "XT" designation, a key aspect of the brand's product-driven global growth plan. The new luxury crossover joins Cadillac's lineup immediately following the new range-topping CT6 Sedan, as the brand enters a new phase of product growth. The XT5 is the next chapter in elevating the Cadillac brand: it is bold, distinctive and sophisticated with enhanced driving dynamics. This new crossover perfectly reflects Cadillac's positioning in the luxury automotive marketplace, de Nysschen said.

How Cadillac improved power output in 2016 ELR by 25 percent

Earlier this year, Cadillac announced that the 2016 ELR would come with a big price drop and a powertrain that packs 25 percent more power output. That's a lot more oomph, but it didn't sound like the Caddy engineers made any major changes to the engine or motors. So, what happened? Let's refresh our memories with the numeric details. The 2016 car is 1.5 seconds quicker to 60 miles per hour than the 2014 model (there was no 2015), down to 6.4 seconds. The 2014 put out 295 pound-feet of torque. For 2016, it will be 373 lb-ft. The specific breakdown of the various components in the powertrain has not been disclosed, but from what we can tell, the two electric motors and the 1.4-liter inline-four engine in the new ELR are not that much different than those in the old one. Sam Abuelsamid, senior research analyst at Navigant Research (and former writer here at Autoblog) said that any of the unspecified upgrades would be difficult to tell on a part-by-part basis, but the overall effect will be noticeable. "The changes to the ELR as I understand them are analogous to getting more performance out of a 1965 Mustang with the entry version of the 289 cubic-inch V8. You can replace the carburetor with a larger version that enables more air and fuel to flow into the engine, thus producing more power. The basic engine hasn't changed, but power capability is being unleashed by feeding it more." "Cadillac has changed components in the power electronics to enable more current flow into the motor and thus produce more torque. When you do this in the Mustang, you probably need to replace the rear axle gears and use a beefier clutch to transmit the power to the wheels. Similarly, the ELR probably has some upgraded clutches, bearings, and gears to withstand the increased total output." Cadillac spokesperson David Caldwell told AutoblogGreen in an email that the new ELR does indeed have more than just new lines of code. "One could not 'reflash' a previous ELR to get the performance of a 2016," Caldwell said. "If one only changed software you would not get the performance upgrade fully, as the 2016 creates higher current, more power. So these have been upgraded physically – hardware.