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GM reports third straight sales drop in China in 2020

BEIJING — General Motors' vehicle sales in China fell 6.2% in 2020, as the U.S. automaker suffered a prolonged slowdown in the world's biggest auto market. GM, China's second biggest foreign automaker, delivered 2.9 million vehicles in the country last year, the company said on Wednesday, for a third straight decline in annual sales. But sales have been recovering in the second half of last year, up 12% between July and September and 14% in the final three months. GM has a Shanghai-based joint venture with SAIC Motor, in which the Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicle brands are made. It also has another Liuzhou-based venture, with SAIC and Guangxi Automobile Group, in which they make no-frills minivans and have started to make higher-end cars. Sales of its Buick brand grew 4% on the year and Wuling rose 9%, the statement said. Luxury brand Cadillac's sales increased 8%. Sales of GM's more affordable Baojun brand dropped 33% last year, while sales of its mass-market Chevrolet tumbled 30%. GM's delivery of 2.9 million vehicles in China follows 3.09 million vehicles in 2019, 3.65 million vehicles in 2018, and 4.04 million in 2017, for a three-year decrease of 28%.

Two More Recalls Push GM Total To 4.8 Million In A Month

General Motors announced two more recalls late Friday, bringing to 4.8 million the number of cars, trucks and SUVs the automaker has called back for repairs in the past month. The string of recalls, topped by an ignition switch problem in compact cars now linked to 13 crash deaths, has embarrassed the company and sidetracked its new CEO, who started work just over two months ago. GM has admitted knowing about the switch problem a decade ago, yet it didn't recall any cars until February. The recall delay has brought two congressional investigations and probes by the Justice Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Late Friday night, GM announced it would recall 490,000 late-model pickup trucks and SUVs because transmission oil cooling lines weren't secured properly in their fittings. Transmission oil can leak from a fitting and hit hot surfaces, causing fires, the company said in a statement. GM said it knows of three fires and no injuries. The recall affects Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks from the 2014 model year, as well as 2015 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe SUVs and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs. All have six-speed automatic transmissions. The Silverado is GM's top-selling vehicle and an important profit center for the company. The GMC Sierra also is among GM's top sellers. Dealers will inspect the transmission oil cooling line fittings and make sure they're securely seated, at no cost to owners. Also Friday night, GM announced the recall of 172,000 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars because the right front axle shaft can fracture and separate while being driven. The recall affects cars from the 2013 and 2014 model years equipped with 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines. If a shaft fractures, the wheels would lose power without warning and the cars would coast to a stop. GM says it has warranty reports of several dozen shaft fractures. It is not aware of any crashes or injuries. Dealers will replace the shafts free of charge. The recall allows dealers to resume selling affected Cruzes. GM issued a stop sale order on the cars Thursday night. The recall also covers about 2,500 replacement shafts used to fix manual transmission Cruzes that were recalled last September. In all, GM has recalled 4.8 million vehicles since last month, two million more than the company sold last year in the U.S.

The Chevy Cruze Hatchback arrives in the US this fall

We knew this was coming, but now it's official. Chevrolet will sell a five-door Cruze in the US beginning in late 2016, and here it is, ahead of its debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Previously, the Cruze Hatchback was available in other markets, and the decision to not offer it Stateside was apparently "a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake," according to GM's Mark Reuss in earlier reports. The 2017 Cruze Hatchback builds on the second-generation Cruze we saw last summer, adding a wealth of functionality – there's 42 cubic feet of cargo space available with the rear seats folded. Plus, the Cruze sedan is lighter and stiffer than its predecessor – more than 200 pounds have been shaved off the compact car's curb weight. While the Cruze sedan is available in four trims – L, LS, LT, and Premier – the five-door will only be available in LT and Premier guise, but can be had with the optional RS appearance package. All Cruze models are powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, with 153 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Standard amenities include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via Chevy's MyLink infotainment system, as well as a raft of high-tech safety features. Pricing information isn't available as of this writing, though we expect the Cruze Hatchback to command a slightly higher premium than the sedan. For comparison, a new Cruze LT sedan starts at $21,995, with the Premier coming in at $23,995. We'll have official numbers closer to the Hatchback's on-sale date this fall. Chevrolet Introduces 2017 Cruze Hatch HERE'S THE STORY Ahead of its debut at the North American International Auto Show, Chevrolet today introduced the 2017 Cruze Hatchback. Developed with all the technologies and dynamic driving attributes of the all-new 2016 Cruze sedan, the new hatch adds a functional and sporty choice for customers. It joins Colorado and Trax as the latest Chevrolets to push into new segments. PRODUCT DETAILS The Cruze Hatch has the same, class-leading 106.3-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase as sedan models, but features a unique roof and rear-end structure – including wraparound taillamps and an integrated spoiler at the top of the liftgate. It opens to offer 18.5 cubic feet (524 liters) of cargo space behind the rear seat. With the rear seat folded, cargo space expands to 42 cubic feet (1,189 liters).