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AWD turbodiesel Equinox, Terrain dropped for 2020

Citing low demand, General Motors is dropping the AWD diesel options off the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain roster. Chevrolet spokesman Kevin Kelly confirmed to CarsDirect that for 2020, the diesel versions of these SUVs will only be offered with front-wheel-drive. CarsDirect notes that with the AWD diesel Equinox and Terrain gone, the only AWD diesel option in this class is the Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv diesel, which is significantly more expensive: As the AWD diesel CX-5 is only available in a fully loaded Signature specification, the $42,045 price tag is almost $10k heftier than the cheapest comparable Equinox, the AWD 1.6-liter diesel LT which starts from $32,495. The 2019 GMC Terrain AWD SLE costs $34,795 in comparison, which works out to being around $7,200 cheaper than the Mazda. The higher trim levels for the Equinox and Terrain are Premier and SLT, respectively. Some reasoning behind the AWD diesel GM SUV's low uptake is their own price difference to base FWD gasoline models: you can get a 1.5-liter Equinox for less than §25,000 listed. While the 2.2-liter Mazda has plenty more power at 168 hp and 290 lb-ft, compared to 137hp and 240 lb-ft in the 1.6-liter GM SUVs, the Equinox and Terrain are notably more frugal – they are rated 32mpg combined, while the Mazda can manage 28 mpg. With better fuel economy and a significantly lower list price, the General Motors twins are at least more wallet-friendly when it comes to numbers, and as the vehicles will cease to be built in that configuration there's likely to be some cash on the hood on ones in stock. News Source: CarsDirectImage Credit: Chevrolet Chevrolet GM GMC confirmed gmc terrain chevrolet equinox

2014 Chevrolet Malibu gets more torque, more room and inspiration from the Impala

The 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, having stared at the Impala across the showroom floor for a year, gets nips and tucks all over inspired by its larger brother. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder in the base car will get a stop-start system and 23 city miles per gallon, 35 highway, each number representing a one-mpg improvement over the 2013 car. Output is 196 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque.
Opt for the 2.0-liter turbo and, while power holds steady at 259 hp, torque goes up by 14 percent to a striking 295 lb-ft (a figure Chevy calls best in the class). The final details include newly programmed transmission shift points and faster shifts, for better engaging and enjoying the added power.
Looks-wise, the grille's been reshaped to be more in line with the new Chevrolet look, a narrower upper grille hovering over a larger lower grille.

GM Recalling Another 2.7 Million Vehicles In Five Separate Campaigns

The recalls keep rolling in from General Motors, evidently keen to avoid repeating the mistakes of the ignition-switch debacle and clean house. This time they're all coming at once, with five separate recalls announced together covering approximately 2.7 million vehicles. The largest of the five actions involves over 2.4 million units of the previous-generation Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura in order to fix brake light wiring harness, which have been found to be susceptible to corrosion. The recall is separate from the 56k Aura sedans which GM recently recalled over faulty shift cables, not to mention the previous massive recall of 1.3 million vehicles – some of them the same models – but appears to have resulted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation that started with the G6 almost a year ago. The second-largest campaign involves the 2014 Chevy Malibu, specifically those fitted with GM's 2.5-liter engine and stop/start system, approximately 140,000 examples of which has been found to have problematic brakes. The issue does not appear to be connected to the recall of 8k Malibu and Buick LaCrosse sedans (also involving brake woes) which we reported upon last week. Four crashes have been reported in such models, but GM admits it's not yet clear if the problem was a contributing factor in the accidents. A further 112k Corvette models from the 2005-2007 model years are being called in for problems with their low-beam headlamps resulting from a flexing relay control circuit wire that's not meant to bend. GM says it is "aware of several hundred complaints" about this issue, but notes that there have been no reports of related accidents. In addition, over 19k examples of Cadillac CTS from the 2013 and 2014 model years are being recalled over windshield wipers that might not work after a jump start. Finally, GM is also bringing in 477 examples of its 2014 Chevy Silverado, Tahoe and GMC Sierra (though not the Yukon) to fix a problem with a tie rod in its steering rack. As ever, all recall repairs will be performed free of charge, and GM is now estimating that recall-related actions this quarter will result in an estimated $200-million charge against its second-quarter earnings. Read the full announcement from GM below for further details.