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Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Boss 3.0 concept heads to SEMA

Chevrolet is presenting a new take on the Colorado pickup at the SEMA show this year. The show truck picks up where the Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition leaves off, with numerous accessories from the parts catalog as well as several custom additions. The SEMA truck is based on a Crew Cab model with four-wheel drive, painted red with rally stripes. Among the features added from the catalog are a sport bar with LED auxiliary lighting, mounted to the cargo bed. It's also stylistically augmented with fender blares, Bowtie emblems, and rocker steps all done up in black to match the 17-inch alloys shod with Goodyear DuraTrac all-terrain tires. Chevy has also equipped this truck with an automatic locking rear diff, a transfer case shield, recovery hooks at the front, a spray-in bedliner, projector-beam headlamps, fog lamps, and all-weather floor mats. Chevy has also fitted this pickup with color-keyed door handles and mirror caps, upgraded exhaust and air intake, rubber floor liners, brushed metal interior trim, and an illuminated grille badge. Public reception will determine how many of these and other additional features will be considered for production. Colorado Z71 Trail Boss 3.0 Concept Shows Off-Road Style New styling accessories, performance parts enhance trail-ready capability LAS VEGAS – The Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition is designed for those who want to blaze their own trails and Chevrolet's new Z71 Trail Boss 3.0 concept vehicle enhances its off-road style with new Chevrolet accessories and performance parts. Chevrolet introduced the new concept vehicle at the SEMA Show today, where it joined concept versions of the Silverado 1500 and HD models to demonstrate the depth and breadth of the brand's three-truck lineup. "The Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition is made for tackling the tough terrain required to get away from it all and this concept version does it with rugged style," said Sandor Piszar, director of Chevrolet Truck Marketing. "And whether it's the Colorado, Silverado 1500 or Silverado HD, there's a Chevy truck to take you where you want to go, regardless of whether there's a road leading there." The production 2016 Colorado Z71 Trail Boss is offered in extended and crew cab configurations, with a choice of a long or short cargo bed and available 4WD – as well as the all-new 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel, which takes the maximum trailering rating up to 7,700 pounds.

GM trucks get hybrid versions, but you'll probably never see one

A few years ago, General Motors sold hybrid versions of its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. They weren't very good, using GM's old two-mode hybrid system that resulted in only negligible fuel economy gains. But GM's trying again, launching eAssist models of the 2016 Silverado and Sierra that are said to offer 2-mpg improvements in city, highway, and combined fuel economy ratings. Problem is, you probably won't be able to get one. Only 700 eAssist trucks will be made for the 2016 model year – 500 Silverados and 200 Sierras. When you consider that GM moved 824,683 examples of its light-duty pickups in 2015, this small run represents 0.08-percent of all Silverado/Sierra production, and GM says it "will monitor the market closely ... and adjust as appropriate moving forward." But that's not the only limitation. The eAssist trucks will only be sold through California dealers. For the Silverado, eAssist can only be optioned on the 1500 Crew Cab 1LT 2WD model, and for the Sierra, the fuel-saving technology is solely available on the 1500 SLT Crew Cab 2WD model with the SLT Premium Plus package. Granted, in terms of the Sierra, that means you get niceties like LED headlights and taillights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bose premium audio, heated seats and steering wheel, lane keep assist, and more. In the trucks, eAssist combines a small electric motor and 0.45-kWh battery pack with the pickups' 5.3-liter V8. GM estimates total output of 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque – no more horsepower than the non-eAssist trucks, but three more pound-feet of torque. GM says the eAssist trucks can tow up to 9,400 pounds, and the battery only adds 100 pounds to the trucks' weight. The electric motor provides 13 hp and 44 lb-ft of torque for a boost of acceleration off the line, or during passing. It also allows the engine to run in four-cylinder mode for longer periods of time. eAssist uses regenerative braking to help power onboard electrical systems, and adds start/stop to the powertrain. Finally, the so-equipped trucks have a six-percent improvement in aerodynamics, thanks to a soft tonneau cover and active grille shutters in the front fascia. Great news is, the eAssist option is relatively inexpensive, only costing $500. But good luck getting your hands on one.

GM investing $439 million in Corvette plant

General Motors is slowly trickling out announcements about its $5.4 billion in US plant upgrades over the next three years. The latest one is something that fans of one of America's most beloved sports car will be happy about. The Bowling Green, KY, factory that assembles the Chevrolet Corvette is receiving $439 million of those funds to build a new paint shop. Covering 450,000 square-feet, the site will make painting the 'Vette more efficient and environmentally friendly. The upgrades there include robots that use paint more effectively, technology to eliminate sludge water, LED lighting to improve inspections, and less energy-intensive baking ovens. While the groundbreaking is already complete for the building, full construction is expected to begin this summer and take two years. This is the biggest upgrade for the Kentucky factory in a few years. In preparation for the latest Corvette, the Bowling Green plant received $131 million in 2011 for upgrades and to add more workers there. Related Video: Chevrolet Corvette Plant Gets $439 Million in Upgrades New, environment-friendly paint shop drives efficient production, retains 150 jobs 2015-05-21 BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Torch Red, Shark Gray Metallic and Laguna Blue Tintcoat, three popular palate choices on the 2015 Corvette, kept the marketers who make up names working late. Now they can dream about more painstakingly precise pigments, thanks to a new paint shop that is among $439 million being invested at the only plant in the world that builds Chevrolet's iconic sports car. General Motors announced the moves today that include retaining 150 jobs and building the 450,000 square-foot paint shop that is almost half the size of the entire current production facility. The investment builds on approximately $135 million GM has invested in the plant over the last four years for the new Corvette Stingray and Performance Build Center. The announcement was followed by a groundbreaking event for the new paint shop. "The Corvette is one of Kentucky's most-cherished icons," said. Lt. Gov. Crit Luallen. "Such a significant expansion of the Bowling Green Assembly Plant will help the company remain competitive in the region and around the world." Construction of the new paint shop, which includes substantial technology upgrades, is planned to begin this summer and take approximately two years to complete. Corvette production schedules will be unaffected by the construction.