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2016 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel First Drive [w/video]

The first thing you notice inside the diesel Chevy Colorado is that it's quiet. Almost too quiet. A lot has been done to quell noise and vibration with this new powertrain, and it shows – or rather, doesn't. There's some characteristic diesel clatter at idle, but even then it's distant and practically disappears as you start moving down the road. At full throttle, when the engine is at its noisiest, the sound isn't particularly diesel-like, just a pleasant intake breath. The accompanying smoothness is almost eerie. When we ask where all the noise went, Chevy's engineers, marketing guys, and PR reps all explain that this refinement is what Americans want. We're still not sure. This is a truck, after all, and the diesel pickup customer is different from the guy buying a diesel Cruze for his highway commute. Chevy contends that they're also not the same as the buyer of a Silverado HD. Although this 2.8-liter Duramax four-cylinder has been in service elsewhere around the globe, its first US application is in the Colorado and its GMC Canyon twin. The engine puts out 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and it does so unobtrusively as a result of a lot of modifications for our market. To keep normal diesel sensations out of the cabin, the intake and oil pan both get acoustic treatments. A new, thicker material is used for firewall sound deadening. Redesigned balance shafts have tighter tolerances to increase smoothness. The diesel powertrain is smoother than the Colorado's gasoline V6. One of the more interesting and certainly unexpected vibration-reduction changes is a special torque converter from German supplier LuK equipped with a centrifugal pendulum absorber. This pendulum spreads from the center of the torque converter as engine speed increases and is tuned to absorb the four-cylinder's second-order vibrations, not just those in a narrow frequency band. It does an admirable job, especially considering the engine's biggish, 0.7-liter cylinders, which lead to bigger vibrations. The result is a powertrain that's smoother than GM's (not particularly smooth) corporate V6, which is available in the standard Colorado. It's quieter than a Cruze diesel and even out-softens some gas direct-injection engines on the market. Paradoxically, it may be the most refined of all of the Colorados. No vibration comes through the steering wheel, pedals, floorboards, or even the rearview mirror. But you can tell it's a diesel when you hit the throttle.

2016 Chevy Volt rated at 106 MPGe, 53 miles of pure EV range

Following a string of rumors, Chevrolet and the Environmental Protection Agency have released official fuel economy numbers for the second-generation Volt. As was reported earlier today, the new and improved hybrid will cover 53 miles on pure electric power. As Chevy tells it, first-gen Volt owners cover about 80 percent of their mileage on EV power alone, so the 40-percent increase from the second-gen should lead to an even bigger reduction in gas-powered Volt mileage. Chevy expects some 90 percent of mileage to come from a plug with its new 2016 model. This newfound EV range comes thanks to the 2016 Volt's 18.4-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery. Rated at 106 MPGe by the feds – exactly what was promised by a June leak – the 2016 Volt improves nicely on the current model's 17.1-kWh, 98-MPGe battery back. There's also a marked improvement when relying on the gas-powered on-board generator. The 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine will happily run on regular fuel and return a still-impressive 42 miles per gallon combined rating once the battery's state of charge is depleted. Expect the freeway to cruise to be even better, although Chevy isn't ready to say by how much. Fully charged and with a full tank, drivers should expect to cover 420 miles, a 40-mile improvement over the current model. Scroll down for the official press release from Chevrolet Related Video: The Results Are In: More Range for the 2016 Volt EPA-estimated pure electric range is 53 miles DETROIT – The 2016 Volt is engineered to offer customers more of what they want: range, range and more range. The Volt's all-new second-generation Voltec extended range electric propulsion system delivers 53 miles of pure EV range, based on EPA testing. That is nearly a 40-percent improvement over the first generation Volt. Chevrolet expects many next-generation Volt owners will use power solely from their battery for more than 90 percent of trips. Today, Volt owners use battery power on 80 percent of their trips. This means that the average Volt owner may expect to travel well over 1,000 miles between gas fill ups, if they charge regularly. For the first 53 miles, the Volt can drive gas and tailpipe-emissions free using a full charge of electricity stored in its new 18.4-kWh lithium-ion battery, which is rated at a combined 106 MPGe, or gasoline equivalent. When the Volt's battery runs low, a gas-powered generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range for a total of 420 miles on a full tank.

MotorWeek looks back at 1995 Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon

MotorWeek's Retro Review series gives us a nostalgic look back at some of the best sports cars and luxury sedans available in the 1980s and '90s. For its latest clip, the show shifts gears to remember the 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. Similar to the success of crossovers today, SUVs were tallying big sales and making big money for automakers in the mid-'90s. The Tahoe and Yukon filled slots in the market as steps down from the larger Suburban. These twins weren't wanting for space, though, with plenty of room to haul around a family. MotorWeek came away generally impressed too, and called the models some "of the better riding sport utilities we've ever experienced." This review comes with some jazzy, electric guitar licks to enjoy in the background.