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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , SUVs , Green , GM , Saturn , First Drive Click above to view high-res gallery of the Saturn VUE 2 Mode Hybrid We attended the New York-area "GM Collection" event this week, which is basically an opportunity for journalists to drive a variety of 2009 models up at Bear Mountain, an hour or so outside Manhattan. What we didn't know going in was that GM would bring along three production-spec examples of the '09 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, and that this would be the first opportunity to take the new gas-electric 'ute for a spin. Bear in mind that this impression is based on about 25 minutes of shared time with the car (we buddied up with Jalopnik's Wes Siler). The official full-dog-and-pony-show media launch event is set to take place in December, and we'll be on hand for that as well. For now though, follow the jump to see some initial impressions of the new Saturn hybrid. Gallery: First Drive: Saturn VUE 2 Mode Hybrid All Photos...
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Filed under: Videos , Ford , Saturn Click above to watch video after the jump The Autoblog staff probably spends way too much time thinking about cars, and sometimes we find ourselves doing goofy things , as well. We can say that we've never fooled around with triggering air bags, but we're sure there are a few of you out there who have. One such person wanted to see what would happen if he hooked up a steering wheel air bag to a lead acid battery and set it off... while it was sealed inside a home appliance. Luckily for us those thoughtful farmers/junk car collectors caught the action on tape, and it's explosive to say the least. The first air bag to find it's way into the refrigerator freezer is from an old Saturn, and since the airbag is larger than the confined space within the freezer, we weren't surprised that the door swung open violently. Next up the bat was an older Ford air bag, and we'd rather you saw the ridiculous results than have us explain them to...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Green , Chevrolet , GM , Pontiac , Saturn Click above for live high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt GM is not going to let the Volt or its E-Flex powertrain get lonely. The first Volt -- the one due in late 2010 -- hasn't been finished yet, yet is so popular that GM is publicly theorizing about how far it can spread the technology through the empire. Ideas include a smaller car with a smaller battery pack that could go 20 miles on pure electric, and be much cheaper. A proper wagon, just "a little bit bigger," could also make the cut. And those variants don't all need to be Chevrolets. Other GM brands will certainly be blessed with Volt technology, if not an outright case of brand engineering. Cadillac is one of the wolves thought to be circling the Volt's henhouse, and using Volt systems in a Caddy might allow GM to make a profit on such a car without tax breaks . If there were a more economical...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Green , Chevrolet , GM , Pontiac , Saturn Click above for live high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt GM is not going to let the Volt or its E-Flex powertrain get lonely. The first Volt -- the one due in late 2010 -- hasn't been finished yet, yet is so popular that GM is publicly theorizing about how far it can spread the technology through the empire. Ideas include a smaller car with a smaller battery pack that could go 20 miles on pure electric, and be much cheaper. A proper wagon, just "a little bit bigger," could also make the cut. And those variants don't all need to be Chevrolets. Other GM brands will certainly be blessed with Volt technology, if not an outright case of brand engineering. Cadillac is one of the wolves thought to be circling the Volt's henhouse, and using Volt systems in a Caddy might allow GM to make a profit on such a car without tax breaks . If there were a more economical...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Green , Chevrolet , GM , Pontiac , Saturn Click above for live high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt GM is not going to let the Volt or its E-Flex powertrain get lonely. The first Volt -- the one due in late 2010 -- hasn't been finished yet, yet is so popular that GM is publicly theorizing about how far it can spread the technology through the empire. Ideas include a smaller car with a smaller battery pack that could go 20 miles on pure electric, and be much cheaper. A proper wagon, just "a little bit bigger," could also make the cut. And those variants don't all need to be Chevrolets. Other GM brands will certainly be blessed with Volt technology, if not an outright case of brand engineering. Cadillac is one of the wolves thought to be circling the Volt's henhouse, and using Volt systems in a Caddy might allow GM to make a profit on such a car without tax breaks . If there were a more economical...
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Filed under: Etc. , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , HUMMER , Saturn In a move that might frost your cupcakes, General Motors has dropped the heated windshield washer fluid option on all models. The feature was a big part of Buick advertising in the recent past, but GM has either not had enough takers, or there are issues with the OEM for the system components. Either way, you're going to have to chip the ice off the windshield of your brand new Traverse the same way we've done it since the invention of the wheel: cold, freezing, wet, and swearing. In all honesty, heated washer fluid is better in theory than in practice. It may help a little bit, but the windshield has a lot of "thermal inertia" and the glass is what really needs to be warmed up. Those of us who thought we were smart wrapping the washer fluid line around a radiator hose back in the day discovered this, and now it seems GM has found out the same thing. Maybe Tata could hook The General up with...
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Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show , Euro , Hatchbacks , GM , Saturn , Opel , Vauxhall Click above for high-res gallery of fourth-gen Astra sneak peek We just told you about Bob Lutz' comments that the Saturn Astra is too expensive and not making any money in the U.S., but that may change when the next iteration arrives. Of course, the next Astra will debut in Europe first as an Opel (and Vauxhall in the UK), but we suspect that GM will offer it in the U.S. again, especially if the automaker can build it locally so that it's not dogged by a weak currency exchange like the current model. Though not scheduled to debut until late next year at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show , the fourth-gen Astra is making an appearance today in a couple of sketches released by General Motors Europe. The design is said to take direct inspiration from the new Insignia , which itself will become the next-gen Saturn Aura. The all-new Astra will be based on the Delta II platform with vehicles like the Chevy...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Economy , Euro , Hatchbacks , GM , Saturn Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Saturn Astra XR Car buyers here in the States are clamoring for fuel efficient transportation, but so far the Saturn Astra hasn't been on the top of buyers lists. The Astra is a smash hit in Europe and we liked it during its short stay in the Autoblog Garage , but it may just be too expensive compared to the competition with a starting price of $16,495. General Motors isn't keeping the price high to make a profit on the small volume import, either. GM vice chairman and quote master Bob Lutz told Automotive News that the Belgian-made Astra isn't profitable in the U.S. at all anymore due to the weak value of the Dollar vs. the Euro. The Astra has gone up in price by $500 since its introduction to reflect the broadening gap between the two currencies, and the price hike was implemented only to lessen the hit from the currency exchange. The Astra is not just a financial...
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Filed under: Saturn , Lifestyle , Celebrities Click above to view gallery of stills from Saturn's Project Runway appearance Project Runway is one of those reality shows that you both can watch, if you know what we mean. Though most men man not admit it, watching Heidi Klum and a bunch of models walk down a runway makes up for the obnoxious antics of the designers. This week's episode incorporated one of the show's long-time sponsors, Saturn, which heretofore has been relegated to supplying the winner with that year's Saturn du jour as a grand prize. Episode 7, however, brought Saturn onto the runway in a challenge that required the contestants to create fashions using parts from the new VUE. Make it work, indeed. Though we haven't watched the episode yet (oh yes, we DVR it), the best part appears to be when the designers begin dismantling a pair of VUEs for materials. Mental note: be wary of used late-model VUEs for sale in and around New York City. It appears the designers...
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Filed under: Safety , Crossovers/CUVs , Buick , Chevrolet , GMC , Saturn The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety took some GMC Acadias and smashed them up to see how the big crossovers hold up against immovable objects, and unlike recent tests conducted for the Chevy Equinox and Pontiac Torrent , the news is positive. An AWD Acadia SLE acted as a stand-in for all of the Lambda models - Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Saturn Outlook, and all Acadia trims included. It didn't matter whether the IIHS attacked the front, side, or rear - the CUV earned a "good" rating in all directions. With the standard fitment of Stabilitrak, the IIHS also bestowed a Top Safety Pick crown on GM's big haulers. The Lambas now have both a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick designator about which to brag. [Source: Inside Line ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Car Buying , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , HUMMER , Pontiac , Saab , Saturn Wow, there are some great deals to be had at the moment from General Motors. Not the least of which is on the Corvette, specifically the Z06 model, which we've had nothing but good things to say about, even at its $72K asking price. Now that GM is offering all of its models at employee prices, that cost drops by about ten grand! A Z06 for $62,653? Yes please... if only our meager blogging budgets would allow it. Similarly, a Caddy XLR-V can be had for $84,771.80 -- about a $15,000 discount. Need an SUV? May we suggest a Hummer H3 for about $23K? Those in the market for a luxury sedan could certainly do worse than a Cadillac STS-V for $66,640.88 after some $14K in savings. Of course, practical shoppers can take five-grand off their Saturn Aura XR sedan and end up paying just $21,634.28 for the privilege. We're having way too much fun with this and there is plenty of other news we need to...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Marketing/Advertising , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , HUMMER , Saab , Saturn It is no secret that the automotive industry is hurting for sales to close out 2008. Over the past few months incentives have been thrown out left and right to draw in more buyers. The deals have not done enough to bring folks into the showroom, though. With all the media talk of bleeding Detroit, consumers know that the domestic manufacturers have been holding out on their best offers. Perhaps the memory of 2005's employee pricing incentives has kept many waiting on the fence. With 2009 models heading to dealerships as we speak, General Motors is hoping to end the stalemate. It will be testing the waters of employee pricing yet again beginning Wednesday, August 20th and running through September 2nd. The employee discount program will apply across all 8 GM brands. Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will mark down 91 percent of their inventory on all 2008 models, along with...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Euro , GM , Saturn , Opel , Vauxhall Ja, Bjorn, tink dat's de new Astra? Shoor looks like it, Jan. Lutz will be asking you to kiss this thing when it comes out from under that checkerboard camo. The current Astra is good, and the new one promises to be better, with looks that aren't revolutionary, but nicely done nonetheless. We'll see this world car version of the Astra sometime around 2011 with a variety of drivetrains, including hybrid power. The C-Pillar remains obscured, leaving our curiosity about the hatch's ultimate form unfulfilled. From what we can see, though, the new Astra will be like the current Astra - competitively styled and priced. [Source: autoblog.nl ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Euro , Saturn , Opel , Rumormill Click above for a high-res gallery of the Opel Insignia. Despite repeated rumblings from industry sources (including Lutz himself ) that the Opel Insignia's transformation into a Saturn model was on hold, Bob Lutz now indicates that work is indeed proceeding on making that model ready for the American market. Changes are going to be made to both the interior and the exterior of the Insignia as it morphs into the Aura. Lutz also indicates that the two Epsilon II-based cars will share suspension bits and powertrains, though we are not sure just how many of the six available gas and diesel engines in the Euro-only Opel will make their way Stateside. Also debatable is the Insignia's Haldex all-wheel-drive system that will be offered across the pond. Whatever the case, we hope that the car doesn't see too many changes as it's an extremely attractive and compelling package as it currently sits. Bring it. Gallery: British...
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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising , Hatchbacks , GM , Saturn Click the image above for a high-res view. Need a new car? If you're the Saturn Astra is on your shopping list, be wary of saliva spots... and while you're at it, pucker up. GM is running a Saturn "Kiss My Astra" contest, in which entrants are directed to capture their adventures in Saturn smooching on camera and upload them to the I M Saturn website . There, the online community of Saturn fans (we know, we were surprised, too) will judge the photos and declare a winner in September. The prize is a Saturn Astra XR. You're free to make out with any Astra you like, even your neighbor's, though you might officially become the neighborhood weirdo if people catch you locking lips with their ride. GM's Bob Lutz demonstrates his man-car love technique in the enclosed galery. Somebody turn a hose on this guy. Gallery: Kiss My Saturn Astra [Source: Inside Line ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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