Check out more news from the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.

“With an award-winning combination of space, capability and fuel-efficiency, Acadia epitomizes GMC’s ‘never say never’ attitude,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of GMC Marketing. “For 2013, our engineers and designers applied that same attitude to developing the new Acadia.”

While things have been upgraded inside out, the GMC Acadia keeps its interior roominess and functionality – including the popular SmartSlide seating system that allows easy access to the third row. The second and third row still fold completely flat allowing for class-leading cargo space.

The exterior of the 2013 Acadia has been completely redesigned and I think it looks quite amazing. The front fascia has a more chiseled and prominent look with premium looking LED running headlamps. The rear also gets some nice touches including a G shaped taillamp.

On the inside, the 2013 GMC Acadia gets an upgraded material with soft-touch materials, stitching and red ambient lighting. It seems GMC has finally received its own interior rather than sharing the same one from the Enclave and other GM brand trucks. The interior of the new Acadia also gets something called GMC’s Color Touch Radio, which was first seen on the 2012 Terran. The feature is now standard in the Acadia with available IntelliLink for Bluetooth and iPod connectivity.

The GMC Acadia Denali gets a totally upgraded interior with perforated leather seating and Denali-specific Cocoa Dune upholstery color, leather-wrapped steering wheel with wood inserts and power tilt/telescope, heated and cooled front seats, accent lighting in footwells and lighted sill plates with Denali logo, color Touch navigation and dual SkyScape sunroof system, with sliding front sunroof and fixed rear section. Optional on the base Acadia but standard on the Denali are some strong safety features including Side Blind Zone and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

So all that stuff is new but what about the powertrain choices? Unfortunately, no – and that may not be a bad thing. The 2013 GMC Acadia keeps its 3.6 liter V6 making 288 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. Mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, the 2013 Acadia returns an EPA estimated fuel-economy of 17/24 mpg (city/highway) for the FWD model and 16/23 for the AWD.

- By: Omar Rana

GM announced today that it is starting construction next week on its new $200 million facility that will create around 180 jobs. The new plant is a part of GM’s Arlington manufacturing complex and will be responsible for producing the next generation of full-size Chevrolet Tahoes, Suburbans, GMC Yukons and Cadillac Escalades.

“Our investment in GM’s Arlington plant is one more example of GM strengthening the economy and creating jobs throughout the many U.S. communities where GM does business,” said GM Manufacturing Manager Larry Zahner.

The plant currently receives stamps from several GM plants with some pars coming from more than 1,000 miles away.

GM’s new investment in the facility is on top of a $331 million investment to purchase tooling and equipment and expand the Arlington Assembly Plant that was announced along with 110 additional jobs in May 2011.

- By: Omar Rana

GMC and Buick are making efforts to improve the dealership experience for consumers in the same fashion that many already have.

Enhancements include an exterior facelift with new sinage, a station designated for greeting guest upon arrival, a bright, airy atmosphere, and a lounge that includes free Wi-Fi, along with other perks that may include a salon or a café.

Behind the new design is prominent global architecture firm Gensler, which is working on each individual location.

With 40 percent of Buck and GMC’s consumers coming from automakers outside of GM’s labels, the brand decided to do the update as a way to cater to this market.

“Luxury shoppers today expect a certain level of treatment when purchasing a vehicle,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “Those expectations are now being met at many Buick and GMC stores around the country. These aren’t just new faces on old buildings. We’re creating the complete and convenient dealership experience that attracts these buyers.”

Since both brands are featuring models with successful sales and redesigns, consumers also have a strong selection standing behind the new showrooms that feature them.

- By: Alexandra Koken

The General apparently enjoyed a very strong 2011 moving more than 9 million vehicles on a global scale, a gain of 7.6 percent when compared with 2010. Of course, Chevrolet was GM’s pride and joy with the brand moving 4.76 million units around the world in 2011.

The jump in sales helped the Detroit automaker gain four-tenths of a point of market share to 11.9 percent of the global vehicle industry.

The U.S. obviously led the way for Chevy with total vehicle sales coming in at 1,775,812, up more than 13 percent from 2010. China posted record sales of 595,068, up 9.5 percent from the previous year.

“Chevrolet’s impressive growth in both established and developing markets is the result of a strong new product lineup that meets the diverse needs of consumers around the world,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “In addition to Chevrolet’s record-setting sales, the entire lineup of GM vehicles is meeting customer needs for fuel-efficient cars and work vehicles as well as unmatched luxury.”

The Chevrolet Cruze highlighted most of the brand’s sales figures with more than 670,000 being sold in 2011, making it the best-selling Chevy model around the world with more than 1.13 million sold since its launch 4 years ago.

- By: Omar Rana

Heating and cooling a vehicle requires energy, and until now, there has been little effort put forth to make passengers comfortable rather than filling the space with comfortable air. Commercial airliners heat and cool passengers much more efficiently than cars because they simply direct jets of air to specific places, whereas a car’s air handling system constantly replaces all of the air in the cabin with comfortable air.

This is not a hardship often for heating the car, but for cooling, the compressor has to work pretty hard. In a combined venture between GMC, the US Department of Energy, the California Energy Comission, Delphi Automotive and the University of California at Berkeley, GM’s Jeff Bozeman is using the GMC Terrain as a pilot project to make the HVAC systems in cars more efficient.

This is accomplished with intelligent test dummies, which mimic human temperature preferences. In short, GMC say they have significantly improved the air handling system in the 2012 GMC Terrain.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

The GMC Granite Concept, which made its debut two years ago at the Detroit Auto Show, as a stylish, MPV-like concept aimed at young urban buyers. Ever since, it has been rumored that the model will enter production to lure in younger buyers to the GMC brand. Well, that’s not going to happen.

“There’s no Granite,” says Jim Federico, vehicle line executive for General Motors’ small and compact cars. “We got a lot of input, pretty good input, but we never moved it out of concept.”

He offered no other details on the Granite’s demise.

Oh well, seems like Scion doesn’t have anything to worry about.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoNews

General Motors has been known to be one of the many leaders in automobile innovation and technology. Such examples include the brand’s hybrid technology, a wide range of advanced engine technologies and vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt.

But such things wouldn’t have happened without GM’s Vice Chairman and Chief Technology Officer, Tom Stephens. And to cap a 43-year long career, Mr. Stephens announced that he will be stepping down from his position on April 1^st, later this year—this is most likely not an April Fool’s joke.

“Tom Stephens is an engineering icon within our company and within our industry,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson.  “We have all benefited greatly from his passion, wisdom, and commitment to product excellence.  His talent and contributions to GM are deeply appreciated and his expertise will be missed.”

Stephens held positions at Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, and several others before his last and final position as Chief Technology Officer, leading departments such as GM’s newly created GM Powertrain Division. And during those times, Stephens helped develop the first ever Cadillac Northstar engine, develop nearly all of GM’s advanced engine technologies today such as Displacement-On-Demand or “Active Fuel Management,” and GM’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, like in the Volt.

- By: Chris Chin

With the upcoming release of GMC’s remodeled Sierra and the Chevrolet Silverado pickups, GM is considering taking the opportunity to upgrade the models’ market positions.

Both the Sierra and the Silverado are scheduled to go on sale next year, giving the automaker plenty of time to adjust options and pricing, and change its marketing plans to work in the same fashion as was used to separate the GMC Terrain and Yukon from the Suburban, Equinox and Tahoe.

GM North America president Mark Reuss says “Right now, there is about a $500 difference on a brand basis between the two,” and notes that the Sierra would be given more standard equipment then the Silverado. Reuss still admits that “A pickup truck is a pickup truck,” and that only so much can be done to give each a distinct identity.

Options and packages should differ between the two pickups, and Reuss also added that some changes to features and access will be made that may have proven difficult otherwise.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Source: Automotive News

GM’s tire pressure monitoring system on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain has, as per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, failed to meet federal standards. The two models are being recalled by GM for repair.

Equinox and Terrain models built between July 18 and September 6 totaling 33,964 units are impacted by the recall. A sticker placed on the driver-side door jamb has the build date for the vehicle on it.

The two popular models have been growing in sales since they hit dealers in 2010, with the Equinox up 33% from September 2010 as of this September, and 45% for the same time frame on the Terrain.

In the next few weeks the recall will begin, as poor tire pressure can lead to blowouts, crashes, and other issues, like a decrease in fuel economy. Chevrolet can be contacted for further information at 800-630-2438. GM dealers will be correcting the problem at no cost to the owner.

- By: Alexandra Koken

The navigation system goes beyond its directional duties to include Bluetooth, music, local weather forecast, and comes with three months of SiriusXM NavTraffic. USB and auxiliary inputs allow the driver to connect their devices easily and an SD card reader is available for photos that can be displayed when the vehicle is in park.

GM’s navigation system engineer Dave Bonjanowski says “Terrarin’s Color Touch Navigation System is practical, purposeful technology with a high-tech look and feel at an economical price point compared to competing systems,”

The system comes with a smaller price tag then its competition at $795.

Check out the video after the jump.

- By: Alexandra Koken

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist, which starts at $29,960, delivers up to 37 mpg highway fuel-economy. The new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco will also utilize the eAssist system 2.4L Ecotec direct-injection 4-cylinder.

According to sources, GM’s popular crossovers, the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain, will soon get eAssist technology. When? The eAssist system will be offered on the 2014 Equinox and Terrain and will be the same system used by the LacRosse and Malibu.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: GMI

GMC is implementing the automotive industry’s premiere collision avoidance technology in the upcoming 2012 Terrain SUV.

The new system assists in preventing front-end and lane departure crashes with a high-resolution digital camera that is attached to the rear-view mirror. As it keeps an eye out for lane markings and vehicle shapes, it alerts the driver with both a visual and audible warnings if lanes are being changed without signal or if the vehicle gets too close to another.

Data from the National Automotive Sampling System puts rear end crashes at about 6 million annually, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is firm about the cause being distracted drivers, and believes this system can help.

General Motors Technical Fellow for the systems comments “Digital image sensors are used in just about everything from cameras to mobile phones to computers and this is making them a more-affordable alternative for use in vehicles. By combining a digital camera with state-of-the-art image processing algorithms, we’re able to estimate when a crash may be imminent.”

At a rate of 14 frames per second, the system can quickly identify an approaching issue and alert the driver, as it also charges the breaks for a more rapid response from the driver.

GM’s executive director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness, Gay Kent, says “GM is committed to providing protection before, during and after a crash, but the bet scenario is to avoid a collision in the first place, and this technology is designed to assist drivers for that purpose.”

- By: Alexandra Koken

General Motors announced today that it is teaming up with RelayRides, the world’s first peer-to-peer car sharing  marketplace, to allow millions of GM vehicle owners to leverage the OnStar system to rent out their idle cars through the RelayRides marketplace.

RelayRides allows vehicle owners to rent out their idle vehicles, with the owner of the vehicle controlling the rates and availability of the car. RelayRides provides an online marketplace and a $1 million insurance policy to make the transaction safe and convenient.

“We’re using technology to make both our older and newest models carshare ready and available for those owners who choose to participate in carsharing,” said Stephen Girsky, GM vice chairman. “Our goal is to find ways to broaden our customer reach, reduce traffic congestion in America’s largest cities and address urban mobility concerns.”

RelayRides will use OnStar to allow RelayRides borrowers to unlock Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC cars with their mobile phones. For vehicles that don’t have OnStar, RelayRides will install a small device in the car to provide convenient access to borrowers. The integration makes all eligible OnStar vehicles immediately ‘RelayRides ready’ without having to install additional hardware.

The partnership between GM and RelayRides will start in early 2012.

- By: Omar Rana

The Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain are very popular sellers for General Motors. The automaker has added as many a 100 workers to its Canadian plant that builds the two crossovers as demand shows no signs of slowing down.

According to Dan Borthwick, president of Canadian Auto Workers Local 88, GM added 100 workers to its assembly line at its CAMI Automotive Inc. plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.

Borthwick said that the move will increase production by more than 50 vehicles a day, to more than 1,100 units a day. The plant has been running three shifts and Saturday overtime shifts for nearly 2 years to meet high demand, he said.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News

The front center air bag will be first introduced on the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse midsize crossovers in the 2013 model year. It will be standard safety feature.

“The front center air bag is not required by federal regulation, and no other air bag in passenger vehicles today offers the type of restraint and cushioning this air bag is designed to provide for front occupants,” said Scott Thomas, senior staff engineer in GM’s advanced restraint systems.

The air bag deploys form the right side of the driver’s seat and positions itself between the front row seats near the center of the vehicle.

- By: Omar Rana

General Motors said that it will idle its Fort Wayne, Indiana plant for one week in November to adjust to market demand for its full-sized pickups. The plant, which builds the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, will halt output during the week of Nov. 7, according to GM spokesman Chris Lee said.

The Detroit automaker has reduced production of its pickups several times since the end of June, when inventory hit 122 days.

“We make adjustments at our plants based on demand, whether it means adding overtime or in this case taking a down week,” Lee told Automotive News.

Last month, GM canceled Saturday shifts at Fort Wayne for the rest of the year. Also last month, GM cut five Saturday shifts for September and October at its Flint, Michigan plant that also builds its large pickups.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News

With an unexpectedly large pick up inventory, GM has decided to cancel five Saturday overtme shifts that were originally planned for September and October for the Flint, Michican assembly plant.

The plant is responsible for the productin of the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickup models.

Tom Wickham, GM Spokesman says the reason behind cancelling the shifts is “strictly to make sure that or inventory remains at the appropriate level, as opposed to producing too many vehicles.”

GM’s Fort Wayne, IN plant also had its shifts cancelled through the end of the year.

Full sized pickups have remained in GM’s inventory due to gas prices and economic downfalls. Whereas analysts say the average inventory for these vehicles is around an 80-day supply, GM was up to a 122-day one as of June, which then dropped to 115 days by July’s close.

An increase in demand is still anticipated for the second half of the year, and GM is will also need to work on next years inventory. The 2013 model will also need to begin production, and the plants will be closing in preparation.

Despite the overtime cancellations, the recently added third shift is not going to be effected.

By: Alexandra Koken

Source: Automotive News

The 2012 GMC Sierra 3500HD has won PickupTrucks.com’s ’Heavy Duty Hurt Locker’ comparison test. The test is a grueling showdown among industry heavyweights that included towing 19,400-pound fifth-wheel trailers over some of the most demanding grades in the United States.

“We procured similarly equipped trucks from Ford, Ram and GMC and put them through the paces, towing up and down some of the toughest grades in the country covering a total of 2,200 miles,” said Mike Levine, editor of PickupTrucks.com. “When we analyzed the data, the GMC Sierra 3500HD simply outperformed the trucks from Ford and Ram.”

Click here for more news on the GMC Sierra.

The tests were conducted from July 11 to July 18 between Denver, Colo. and Laughlin, Nev.

“Customers choose full-size trucks for their capabilities,” said Rick Spina, vehicle line executive for full-size trucks. “For 2012, we built on the foundation we created in 2011, with engineering changes and additional validation designed to make the most capable heavy-duty pickup even better. Based on PickupTrucks.com’s test results, it looks like we got the job done.”

2011 GMC Sierra Denali HD:

- By: Omar Rana