2014 Gmc Terrain Sle-2 on 2040-cars

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GM announces net 220 job increase as Trump visits Michigan

GM announced today that about 900 jobs would be added (or, importantly, retained) ahead of President Trump's arrival in Michigan, where he is expected to discuss his plan to roll back fuel economy standards. The timing of the announcement is almost certainly not coincidental, as appending it to a Trump visit gives it a higher profile and dovetails with the President's jobs agenda. It's less likely the decision itself was made for those reasons, but the free PR boost is a nice bonus. As for those 900 jobs themselves, they aren't all new jobs. The only net gain is approximately 220 jobs at the Romulus Powertrain Plant, which produces the 10-speed automatic transmission that's proliferating through the company's lineup. The 180 jobs at Flint Assembly and 500 jobs at Lansing Delta Township are retained jobs – that is to say, spots the company found for workers who would otherwise have been laid off. By the way, the Flint jobs will help with production of heavy-duty pickups, and the Lansing jobs are to produce the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. Finding jobs for manufacturing workers in the auto sector, whether new or retained, is admirable. No matter how GM couches it, the company has created or retained a total of 7,000 jobs this year, and its total reinvestment in US production is around $1 billion. But these decisions are business ones, not political ones – timing the announcements to make them seem inspired by economic policy, or the political situation, is simply smart PR. Related Video: Image Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images Celebrities Government/Legal Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GMC

2016 GMC Terrain refresh revealed

Posting its best-ever sales year in 2014, the GMC Terrain is hauling in sales, conquest buyers, and profits for the brand. GMC wants that to continue with its refresh for the 2016 model year, which sees the underlying formula left untouched under a raft of cosmetic and trim changes. There will be four trim levels: SL, SLE (SLE-1 and SLE-2), SLT, and Denali. They all get a front fascia with a lot more character, sculpted with chrome-outlined, C-shaped ornamentation, and all but the base SL version feature chrome accents on the grille. Flanking that, the headlights get new LED DRL signatures and the hood gets a power dome. The Denali gets new 19-inch alloys, models below it get new 18-inch wheel designs, and the sheetmetal color palette expands with the addition of White Frost Tricoat and Crimson Red Tintcoat. Beyond a revised center console, a mix of cabin offerings spice up the various trims. Premium cloth is the go-to for the SL and SLE, "Saddle Up" leather is an option on the SLT as well as an eight-way passenger seat, and a two-tone, dual-material Light Titanium and Jet Black interior is possible inside the Denali. Assistance features migrate down, with Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert available on the Terrain SLE and SLT for the first time. Engine choices remain the 182-horsepower Ecotec 2.4-liter inline-four, and the 272-hp 3.6-liter V6. The press release below has more details, and we'll have more on it live from the show floor. GMC Introduces 2016 Terrain New appearance, features build on success in growing compact SUV segment NEW YORK, March 31, 2015 – Distinguished by a new, more contemporary front-end appearance, the 2016 GMC Terrain and Terrain Denali were introduced today, ahead of their public debut at the New York International Auto Show. The 2016 Terrain lineup features new front and rear fascias, new grille designs, a power dome hood, light-emitting diode (LED) daytime running lamps and additional updates. Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are offered on SLE and SLT models for the first time. "Terrain is a popular choice in the growing compact SUV segment, introducing drivers to GMC's professional grade design and features," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing.

Next-gen Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra may use carbon fiber

It's been generally accepted that the next generation of full-size GM trucks will use some sort of strong, lightweight material for the beds while retaining steel for the cab. While aluminum seems like the most obvious choice, according to Automotive News, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra will incorporate both aluminum and carbon fiber in their beds. The publication cites sources from within GM, though it seems the introduction of this comparatively exotic material mix is still a few years off. While carbon fiber is both stronger and lighter than steel and aluminum, it takes significantly more time and money to produce, essentially relegating the material to small-volume cars. The main benefit for trucks is the resulting reduction in weight to improve fuel economy without sacrificing the tough, rugged capabilities truck buyers expect. The Ford F-150 made the switch to aluminum for the 2015 model year and it's proved highly successful. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before the competition followed suit. Automotive News says that the next-gen trucks will launch with aluminum beds and that it will take a couple of years before we'll see any carbon fiber incorporated into the design. Even then, only look for the composite material on higher-trim models, with a trickle down to lower-spec trucks possible further in the future. In 2011, GM announced it was working with Japan-based Teijin Limited on a carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic. There's a good chance that material's introduction will be on trucks. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Plants/Manufacturing Rumormill Chevrolet GM GMC Truck