2013 Chevrolet Silverado

“We know from talking to our truck customers that they expect their vehicles to work hard for them for several years, and the less money they have to spend on routine maintenance, repairs and other operating costs, the more they can invest in their businesses and lives,” said Don Johnson, vice president of Chevrolet Sales and Service. “There are nearly 10 million Silverado full-size pickups on the road today – a true testament to their reliability and operating efficiency,”

The Vincentric recognition shows that Silverado full-size pickups have the segment’s lowest combined ownership costs, which include items such as cost of depreciation, insurance, financing, repairs, fuel, fees and maintenance.

“For several years running, the Silverado has performed well in our analysis,” said David Wurster, president of Vincentric.  “With low depreciation, maintenance and fuel costs, it’s no wonder why the Silverado leads the segment with the lowest cost of ownership.”
Midway Auto Group

The 2013 Buick Enclave comes with standard signature LED daytime running lights and HID headlamps

Working with supplier 3M, Buick developed a unique LED taillight design with a soft, uniform red glow in a complex and unique shape. Like Enclave’s standard LED daytime running lamps and accent lighting, this contemporary lighting effect previews a future design element for other models the Buick lineup.

“As a brand driven by intelligent design and technology, Buick has to be at the forefront of purposeful, modern design cues,” said Mark Adams, executive director of Buick Design. “Our signature LED lighting serves a double purpose of providing a premium look and making sure our vehicles are unmistakable in the eyes and mirrors of other drivers on the road. Some of the new Enclave’s design cues will carry over to other Buick models to come, but every execution will be true to each model’s character.”

Enclave’s taillight glow is made possible by 3M Uniform Lighting Lens technology, which uses a precision engineered micro-patterned, thermoformable polycarbonate material that provides even illumination around complex shapes with fewer LEDs, reducing both complexity and energy use.

For 2013, Enclave comes standard with signature L-shaped LED daytime running lamps and high-intensity discharge headlamps, which provide a light clearer and brighter than halogen. Articulating headlamps, which use small motors to rotate the light up to 15 degrees with the curve of the road, are an option.

The 2013 Enclave’s advanced lighting story continues inside, with a cabin bathed in the Ice Blue glow of ambient lighting.
Midway Auto Group

The 2013 Buick Encore luxury crossover is rated at an
EPA-estimated 25 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and a combined 28 mpg fuel
economy with a standard six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel
drive.

Encore’s combined fuel economy is based on 45 percent highway and 55 percent city driving. It is the best fuel economy for any crossover offered by a U.S.-based automaker, and the vehicle’s EPA estimated annual fuel cost of $1,900 is the same or lower than any domestic or imported 2013 model year crossover sold in the United States.

Ford’s most-efficient crossover, the 2013 Escape, is EPA estimated at 23 city/33 highway, or a combined 26 mpg. A Jeep Compass equipped with an automatic transmission is EPA estimated at 23/28 mpg, or 25 combined.

Encore boasts higher ratings than its direct import competition, including the Mini Countryman S, which gets an EPA estimated at 25/32 mpg with an automatic transmission, and the Volkswagen Tiguan. Compared to the Volkswagen’s EPA estimates of 21/26 mpg, Encore’s gains of four city mpg and seven highway mpg equate to $500 less spent on fuel for each year of ownership, based on EPA estimates. The Encore is designed to run on regular gasoline while both competitors recommend more expensive premium fuel.

Reducing weight saves fuel, so Buick engineers developed a body structure for Encore that’s 60 percent high-strength steel, providing safety benefits while trimming pounds off the vehicle. Encore is powered by a 1.4L turbocharged engine.

“Right from its inception, Encore was designed to offer customers the safety and comfort expected of any Buick, but with an added emphasis on space and fuel efficiency,” said Vehicle Chief Engineer Jim Danahy. “We did things like specify one optimized wheel and tire package to ensure that every customer has the best driving experience possible.”

When Encore goes on sale in early 2013, it will offer the interior flexibility of a 60/40 folding rear seat and a front passenger seat that folds forward for longer cargo, as well as dual glove boxes and storage bins designed for items like smartphones and tablet computers.

With the arrival of Encore, Buick will offer four different models with turbocharged four-cylinder engines and six models with EPA-estimated highway fuel economy greater than 30 mpg.

Fuel economy estimates for Encore models with all-wheel drive will be announced later.
Midway Auto Group

“Cadillac ATS vs. the World,”
debuts online this week and includes 60- and 30-second television spots
airing during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games on July
27.

The cinematic adventure takes the ATS from the deserts of
Morocco, to
the streets of Monaco, to the Guoliang Tunnels in China and windswept
Patagonia, Chile. Each challenge showcases aspects of the car’s agility,
driving performance and efficient design.

“Completely new from the ground-up, ATS is Cadillac’s bold
entry into
the most significant segment of the global luxury auto industry,” says
Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. “ATS was developed to
take on the world’s best sport sedans. So we designed a world challenge
for ATS to dramatically demonstrate its all-new purpose-built chassis
and advanced technology in a global, cinematic adventure.

“The films demonstrate the performance of the new ATS on a
world stage, making it a natural fit for the Olympics.”

The campaign includes short films, ads and photography,
directed by
Academy Award-nominated documentary film maker Joe Berlinger, and Jeff
Zwart, an acclaimed automotive expert and film maker.  The
driver in the
spots is Derek Hill, a champion race driver and son of Phil Hill, the
only American to win the World Driving Championship.  American
actor and
filmmaker Ross Thomas hosts the series, which includes short films
highlighting aspects of the ATS and the cultures of the locations
featured in the challenges.

Coming to Cadillac showrooms later this summer, the compact ATS

establishes a new entryway to the Cadillac portfolio, with a starting
price of $33,990 including freight and the choice of three power-dense
engines. EPA highway fuel economy is 33 mpg, while a new 2.0-liter turbo
engine and the car’s lightweight construction enables peak 0-60 mpg
acceleration of 5.7 seconds.

“‘ATS vs. the World’ is about the compelling
performance of the car,”
said Butler. “ATS has been comprehensively prepared for a big and
unprecedented mission. That inspired us to create this unique creative
platform to present ATS to luxury consumers in a big, new and engaging
way.”

ATS Photos

In Patagonia, famed as the windiest place on earth, the ATS’s
advanced aerodynamics are put to the test. In Morocco, Hill pilots the
ATS through a treacherous road in the Atlas Mountains that features 100
corners. In Monaco, ATS attacks the intricate and legendary Monaco Grand
Prix circuit. And in China, Magnetic Ride Control technology helps ATS
confront the remote hand–carved Guoliang Tunnel Road.

“It took global scale and a directorial dream team to help us
pull
off a production of this magnitude,” said Pat Fallon of Fallon
Minneapolis, the agency behind the ad. “Jeff Zwart is one of the best
car shooters in the world and Joe Berlinger is an Oscar-nominated
documentarian with a great eye for human stories. A combination of
talent like that is something that we just don’t see that
often.”

Midway Auto Group

Unveiled earlier this year at the New York Auto Show, the Impala
leads the full-size segment with 10 standard air bags and boasts
numerous active safety systems. While passive safety systems, such as
air bags and seat belts, protect occupants in the event of a crash,
active safety systems are designed to prevent a crash in the first place
through the use of sounds, visual warnings and automated actions.

Here are the active safety features on the 2014 Impala designed to help drivers avoid crashes:

• Full-speed-range adaptive cruise control – Radar technology
  senses ahead and adjusts the Impala’s speed from a complete stop to full
  acceleration. It is the first application in a Chevrolet.
• Collision mitigation braking – Another Chevy first: Radar
  technology detects a possible crash threat and alerts the driver. If the
  driver does not appear to react quickly enough or doesn’t react at all,
  this feature intervenes to apply the brakes in an effort to avoid the
  crash.
• Forward collision alert - Camera technology detects a
  possible crash threat and alerts the driver visually and audibly, giving
  him or her time to stop and/or change course. If a crash occurs, the
  Impala is equipped with OnStar, and a specially trained advisor is
  connected to the vehicle. If the driver requests help or can’t answer,
  emergency responders are sent to the precise GPS location.
• Lane departure warning - A camera-based lane-detection system
  identifies traffic lane markings and provides audible alerts in cases
  of unintended lane changes.
• Side blind zone alert - Using radar sensors on both sides of
  the vehicle, the system “looks” for other vehicles in the blind zone
  areas of the Impala and indicates their presence with LED-lit symbols in
  the outside mirrors.
• · Rear cross traffic alert - Based on the radar sensors of
  side blind zone alert, it warns the driver of vehicles in traffic when
  backing out of a parking spot – including angled parking. Visual and
  audible alerts are triggered if moving vehicles are detected.
• Rear vision camera with dynamic guidelines – With a display
  in the center stack infotainment system, the camera provides a view of
  objects directly behind the Impala, while the dynamic guidelines provide
  a reference that helps make parking and other maneuvers easier.
• Rear park assist - Uses sensors in the rear bumper to detect objects directly behind the vehicle and provides an alert for the driver.
• Brake pre-fill feature – Another Chevy first: Radar
  technology detects a possible crash threat and the system increases the
  hydraulic pressure in the brake lines, anticipating a driver’s hard
  braking. This quickens the response time and shortens stopping distances
  (included with 20-inch wheels on uplevel models).
• Hill hold/start assist – On hills, applies the brakes for
  about 1.5 seconds to prevent the car from rolling when the driver moves
  his or her foot from the brake to the accelerator pedal.

The all-new Impala will arrive in Chevrolet showrooms in early 2013Midway Auto Group

The Chevrolet Spark, a mini-car currently sold in 100 markets
worldwide, will debut in the U.S. later this year with new features
specifically targeted to appeal to the urban millennial market.      

“We listened to what young people said they wanted in a car. Our
engineers tuned and equipped the Chevrolet Spark specifically for
first-time buyers and city dwellers in North America,” said Chris Perry,
vice president of Chevrolet Global Marketing. “Spark is the perfect
urban car because we’ve made it easy to drive, easy to park and easy to
own.”

The 2013 Chevrolet Spark comes standard with Hill Start Assist,
which helps drivers of manual transmission-equipped vehicles navigate
steep inclines or declines in cities known for their hilly terrain.

The 2013 Chevrolet Spark comes standard with Hill Start Assist,
which helps drivers of manual transmission-equipped vehicles navigate
steep inclines or declines in cities known for their hilly terrain.

The 2013 Chevrolet Spark in Jalapeno, one of several available
colors. The Spark, Chevrolet’s first North American mini-car, will be
available in showrooms in late 2013.

The 2013 Chevrolet Spark in Jalapeno, one of several available
colors. The Spark, Chevrolet’s first North American mini-car, will be
available in showrooms in late 2013.

To tackle the challenges of urban driving environments, several Spark
features are tailored to North American consumers, including:

• Giving the Spark the ability to conquer steep inclines and declines
  with Hill Start Assist and equipping the Spark with a sixth sense with
  Panic Brake Assist – both standard on Spark and new to the mini-car
  segment in North America.
  • Hill Start Assist aids drivers in cities known for hilly terrain –
    such as San Francisco – by holding the vehicle in place while the driver
    switches from the brake pedal to the gas.
  • Panic Brake Assist detects situations where emergency breaking is needed and automatically engages maximum braking force.
• Squeezing Spark into the tightest of parking spaces with a length of
  only 144 inches and 63 inches wide, which is 37 inches shorter and 8
  inches narrower than the Chevy Cruze.
• Connecting Spark owners to their friends, music, videos and photos
  with a radio that features a seven-inch diagonal color touch screen
  equipped with the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, which provides
  users with access to Pandora and Stitcher, Bluetooth and navigation.
  MyLink also makes it possible to connect a smartphone or other USB
  device to play movies, display pictures and download contacts for
  hands-free calling, allowing for a full in-vehicle media experience.
• Packing extra horsepower under the hood with modifications to the
  engine displacement and enhancements to the ride and handling, giving
  the Spark more power and better handling at higher speeds.
• Hooking up the Spark with 15-inch dubs, making it the only vehicle
  in the segment to come standard with alloy wheels and increasing its
  performance and style street cred.
• Giving the Spark a facelift with a deeper grille and restyled fog lamps for a sportier, more aggressive style.

The Spark will arrive in Chevrolet showrooms later this year.Midway Auto Group

2013 Buick Verano Turbo

Buick today announced the 2013 Verano Turbo luxury sedan will be powered by an Ecotec 2.0L turbocharged engine with direct injection and continuously variable valve timing that produces an SAE-certified 250 horsepower (187 kW) at 5300 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm) of torque at 2000 rpm. Acceleration from 0-60 mph is an estimated 6.2 seconds.

The Verano Turbo goes on sale later this year.

More than 90 percent of the Verano Turbo’s peak torque – more than 234 lb.-ft. – is available between 1700 to 5500 rpm. Its closest competitor, the 2013 Acura ILX 2.4L, offers a peak of 170 lb.-ft. of torque.

“The 2.0L turbo engine was designed for refinement, higher output capabilities and reduced noise,” said Amy Joss, Ecotec 2.0L assistant chief engineer. “The way it sounds, the power delivery and the refined character are all fitting of a luxury sedan with a fun side.”

In December, Buick’s 2.0L turbocharged Ecotec engine was named one of WardsAuto World’s 2012 10Best Engines for North America. At the time, the publication’s editor-in-chief, Drew Winter, said: “This engine delivers a level of power and sophistication that redefines Buick.”

The choice to use a small-displacement turbocharged engine for a more powerful Verano model is consistent with Buick’s effort to downsize its powertrains without sacrificing performance. Verano and the Regal luxury sport sedan are available exclusively with four-cylinder engines, while the LaCrosse luxury sedan comes standard with a four-cylinder engine paired with eAssist technology, which uses an electric motor and battery to boost both performance and fuel economy. The standard 2013 Regal four-cylinder engine also is equipped with eAssist.

“Buick’s engine strategy continues to be driven by intelligent performance,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick Marketing. “Four-cylinder engines, turbocharging and eAssist are all the right solutions for today’s market. With these advanced technologies, Buicks are more efficient without sacrificing their smooth, quiet character.”

According to IHS Automotive, use of four-cylinder engines in North American vehicles will grow 74 percent from 6.9 million to 12.2 million units over the next 10 years.

The Verano Turbo will be available with a choice of a six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox. Including Regal Turbo and Regal GS, the Buick brand offers more manual transmissions than Ferrari and Lamborghini combined.

Acceleration performance is expected to be consistent between the two transmissions.

Fuel economy numbers are not final, but the Verano Turbo is expected to be in line with Buick’s other turbocharged models. Pricing will be announced closer to the start of production in late 2012.

Midway Auto Group

Download the GM Design Timeline

“Our global team is united around its passion for designing vehicles that make an emotional connection with customers,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design. “What was true 85 years ago is still true today: A designer’s role is to create a beautifully executed exterior with great proportions to draw you in, and an interior environment that invites you into a relationship that develops and grows.”

Welburn, the sixth design chief in GM’s 104-year history and the first to have global vehicle design leadership responsibilities, will serve as honorary chairman of another visionary group at the 25th annual EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition on Sunday, June 17. Proceeds benefit the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology’s efforts to find scientific breakthroughs to help those with severe vision loss.

Under Welburn’s strategic eye, each of GM’s eight global passenger car brands is distinctive in form and vocabulary from one another as well as from other brands in the marketplace. Cadillac and Buick have each undergone a design renaissance, and Chevrolet has become a global brand with a globally recognized design language. Vehicle introductions that have helped propel GM’s resurgence include the Chevrolet Camaro sports car, Malibu midsize sedan and Cruze compact car; the Cadillac CTS Coupe, GMC Terrain, and the Buick Enclave and LaCrosse.

The award-winning Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range went from concept to production in just three years. Volt won North American Car of the Year honors and, along with its European sibling, the Opel Ampera, the European Car of the Year award as well. GM’s other award-winning global brands include Holden in Australia and Wuling and Baojun in China.

Welburn and his global design team say their best work lies ahead. Tomorrow’s classic cars, he said, are on the sketchpads and computers of today’s designers. GM Design is at the forefront of an ongoing global product renaissance that will see 70 percent of the vehicle portfolio replaced within the next three years.

“Our global structure allows us to design more new vehicles and to dedicate more people using the latest technology and tools to bring them to market,” said Welburn. “The diversity of thought, experience, culture and perspective we foster here is unrivaled, and it fuels our creative process. Though we have multiple design centers, our mission is clear: Every new product we develop has to be a home run; each one has to be a great vehicle.”

GM was the first automobile manufacturer to single out automotive design. On June 23, 1927, the Executive Committee of General Motors approved the creation of a new department to “study the question of art and color combinations in General Motors products” and hired Harley Earl, a custom coach builder from Hollywood and the creator of the 1927 LaSalle, as its leader.

Earl’s entry into the auto industry doomed rival Henry Ford’s “the customer can have it any color he wants as long as it is black” motto. Among Earl’s numerous accomplishments are the development of concept cars; the yearly model changeover; the vehicle tailfins of the 1950s; the traveling Motorama auto shows and the development of the iconic Corvette. Earl also is credited with hiring the industry’s first female automotive designers.

Earl also was responsible for identifying architect Eero Saarinen to design the GM Technical Center campus, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized around the world for its mid-century architecture.

While other corporations have moved operations out of midcentury Modernist buildings or renovated them beyond recognition, GM and GM Design have balanced functionality and design esthetics, adapting to modern technologies and needs while maintaining and preserving an architectural masterpiece. The iconic Design Dome, adjacent studios and administration building’s long life are a testament to architect Saarinen’s innovative and flexible plan, but also to the company’s commitment to good design.

GM Design vice presidents following Earl were William Mitchell (1958-1977), Irving Rybicki (1977-1986), Charles Jordan (1986-1992), Wayne Cherry (1992-2003) and Welburn (2003-present).

In 2005, Welburn was named to the newly created position of GM vice president, Global Design, and the first to create and lead a network of the company’s Global Design Centers. Welburn is also a member of GM’s Executive Operations Committee. The Design Centers are located in the United States, Germany, Korea, China, Australia, Brazil and India.
Midway Auto Group

With an EPA estimated 31 mpg on the highway, the 2012 Chrysler 300 is
finely tuned to reduce trips to the gas pump. The powerful 3.6L
Pentastar V6 engine under the hood ensures that performance and fuel
efficiency work in tandem.  In other words, the 300 isn’t a one-trick
pony, as the editors of Roadfly took into account.

“MPG isn’t the only criteria used to determine the best green cars.
We evaluate driving characteristics, cargo capacity, and even the
Manufactures green initiatives,” said Roadfly Founder and Publisher,
Charlie Romero.

The 2012 Chrysler 300 has earned a long list of awards and
recognition. Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2012 Chrysler 300 a 5-star safety rating and the editors of Kelley Blue Book® named the 2012 Chrysler 300 one of the 10 Best Family Cars of 2012.

Midway Auto Group

Chevrolet today announced the return of a V-8 powered,
rear-wheel-drive performance sedan to the U.S. lineup, the Chevrolet
SS.  The SS will also be Chevrolet’s next NASCAR Sprint Cup racecar and
will debut in its race configuration at the 2013 Daytona 500.

The limited production version of the Chevrolet SS will be a 2014
model and will arrive in dealer showrooms in late 2013. It is the first
time in 17 years that Chevrolet will offer a rear-wheel-drive sedan for
sale in the United States.

Chevrolet has a long history of using the SS (Super Sport)
designation on high-performance models of some of its most enduring
nameplates. The SS designation first appeared in 1957 on a Corvette
prototype race car built under the guidance of Zora Arkus-Duntov with
the plan to enter it in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

The first production vehicle offered with an SS option was the 1961
Impala – 453 were built with the performance upgrades which included a
modified chassis and suspension, power brakes, a steering column mounted
tachometer and unique wheels and tires. The latest SS model in the
Chevrolet lineup is the fifth-generation Camaro, which debuted in 2010.

The Chevrolet SS will be a derivative of the award-winning global
rear-wheel-drive architecture that spawns performance vehicles like
Chevrolet Camaro and Holden’s upcoming VF Commodore.  The much
anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant
technology advances which enhance overall performance.

“As a passionate race fan and performance enthusiast, I am thrilled
that Chevrolet will deliver a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR racecar in
the SS that is closely linked to the performance sedan that will be
available for sale,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. 
“The Chevrolet SS is a great example of how GM is able to leverage its
global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience that
extends beyond the track. I am personally looking forward to driving
it.”

Chevrolet was America’s best-selling performance car brand in 2011
with Camaro and Corvette accounting for one out of every three sports
cars sold in the United States.  The addition of the SS should
strengthen Chevrolet’s position as a leading performance brand.

Midway Auto Group