Posts Tagged ‘Chevrolet’

Interested in the new Chevy Cruze but not sure if you’re ready to step away from the segment-leading Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla? GM has you covered with a new plan that asks 3,000 dealers to buy a new Civic and Corolla and have them on hand for comparison test drives at the dealership.

Chevrolet is clearly confident about the new Cruze. With ten air bags and top scores in European crash tests (US test results are pending), the new compact sedan promises high levels of safety. And with special sound-deadening glass and acoustic mats, the cabin will no doubt be quiet and refined. A new 1.4-liter turbocharged engine promises up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway for the special Eco model, too.

Chuck Russell, vehicle line director for Cruze, told Automotive News that the new Chevy sedan has more shoulder room than the competition and offers many of the premium features you’d normally find in a midsize car. He expects the car to appeal to folks who want to downsize without losing any gadgets or gizmos. Prices will range from $16,995 to $22,695 with shipping included.

But the big challenge will be in managing three test drives at one dealership. Sales consultants don’t like to leave the lot for long periods of time because it cuts into their selling time. There are bound to be headaches if a customer drives all three cars and then walks away.

Still, the offer to cross-shop all three cars at once is enticing. And if the 2011 Cruze is as good as GM says it is, Chevy’s got nothing to fear.

Were you one of the first in line for the iPhone? Are you drooling all over your glossy new iPad? Do you have to have the latest and greatest gadgets before anyone else?

If so, I have good news for you because automakers will soon be releasing next-gen technology that will transform the way we drive.

It’s part of a coming wave of new cars that will (finally!) offer options beyond the dinosaur internal combustion technology that’s been around for the past 100 years.

Like many new technologies, however, these future cars will only be available on a limited basis at first.  Field trials of the all-electric Mini E and hydrogen fuel cell Honda FCX Clarity, for example, were limited to Southern California and the New York metropolitan region last year.

These prototype test cars were leased to early adopters for a specified time and then returned to the manufacturers for continued analysis.  Ideally, these trials are intended to help Mini and Honda create even better production cars for the rest of us to enjoy.

Three new cars, the Nissan Leaf, the Chevy Volt, and the Ford Focus Electric, are slated for production in the next year. In addition to cutting-edge technology under the hood, these cars will feature advanced dashboard, navigation, and wireless communication technology that you will not find in standard gas-guzzling machines. They will also come with their own SmartPhone applications for maximizing energy use and minimizing charge costs. For example, this video gives you a taste of the Chevy Volt Wireless App.

How do you get a “car of the future”? This time it won’t be just Californians and New Yorkers who get to show off their new toys: early adopters in several other regions across the country can look forward to getting in on the electric drive action.

Those regions include:

- Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, TN (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Los Angeles, CA (for the Chevy Volt and Ford Focus Electric)

- San Jose and San Francisco, CA (for the Chevy Volt and Ford Focus Electric)

- San Diego, CA (for the Nissan Leaf)

- New York, NY (for the Ford Focus Electric)

- Austin, TX (for the Ford Focus Electric)

- Phoenix and Tucson, AZ (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Portland, Eugene, and Corvallis, OR (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Seattle, WA (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Detroit, MI (for the Ford Focus Electric)

Early adopters in these regions can expect significant city and state purchase incentives (in addition to the well-publicized $7,500 federal tax credit). In many regions, these folks can also qualify to get a free charger installed in their home for juicing their new electrically-driven wheels. Officials in these cities are working with manufacturers to establish a new public charging infrastructure, as well.

But what is it like to be an early adopter for these future cars? How does one join this energy evolution? In the next few weeks, I hope to interview some first-movers in the electric car field for our Honk readers. Stay tuned for an inside perspective from those who are on the front line of next-gen mobility…

Dr. Shannon Arvizu is a clean-tech strategist and educator. You can read more at MissElectric.com

It doesn’t get much more American than baseball and Chevrolet.

General Motors is trying out a new marketing tactic with a Chevy-branded exhibition version of Flick Baseball Pro.  The app is available for download on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch and allows users to play 3- or 9-inning games with “life-like control of pitching and hitting via the accelerometer.”

The automotive tie-in comes courtesy of the Chevy Dugout portion of the app, where players can learn more about Chevy vehicles, like the iconic Corvette or hot-selling Equinox.  Fans who enter the dugout can also enter for a chance to win a trip to the 2010 All Star game.

Yes, this Americana-laden promotion is a bit cheesy.  And yes, there is some schlepping of products involved.  But as far as marketing and advertising is concerned, GM may be on to a grand slam concept here.

The baseball fan wants a fun game to play.  The automaker wants exposure to an audience that’s receptive to its message.  When GM sponsors the app – which normally retails for $2.99 – both parties benefit from the transaction.

That’s a nice change from billboards and television commercials where viewers are frustrated by the distractions and advertisers are frustrated by the lack of attention paid to their messages.

And while sponsored content is not exactly new in the marketing world, GM is among the first to offer a sponsored app like this for the iPad.

The Detroit automaker was also clever to tie into social media with a feature by Plus+ that allows players to brag about their baseballs skills to friends on Facebook.  This makes it convenient for users to share and it increases the chance for the app to go viral and spread to a larger audience.

If this app succeeds, it’s likely that other advertisers will jump in with sponsored content of their own.  But hey: if you’re going to be advertised to, you might as well get something in return.

Will fuel cells be the next to kill the electric car?  Conventional wisdom says of course not.  GM has been talking about fuel cells for years and they have brought our more than a handful of concepts over the years.  What do you think the future of the fuel cell is?

Chevrolet took a huge swing at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show with the introduction of its new Volt MPV5 concept.  Based on the Volt platform, the SUV is roughly seven inches wider and taller than the Volt sedan.  It production model will likely carry the same Voltec system – engine generated electrical power.  The added weight of the vehicle will be interesting to see how this affects range and performance.

The look is extremely consistent with the Volt – a good thing – and shows the promise of great things from GM.  One striking thing you can see from the concept car is its extremely low rocker cladding, making this crossover more wagon-ish than SUV-ish.  The lithium ion battery packs certainly have a lot do do with the lower floor.

While it doesn’t take a trend forecaster to know this vehicle was coming, it is comforting to know that GM is spending our government funds wisely.  They have built another smart package and they are clearly addressing the growing needs of the consumer.  I for one, don’t really see myself in one of the plenty smallish EVs on the road.  It will take a product like this to get me over the hump to buying electric.  Yes, I did money down on a Nissan Leaf, but that’s because another better opportunity is not in front of me yet.  The world hopefully changes in the next 6 months.

I’m not a hug fan of the rear, but I get why the designers needed to make it so vertical, almost van-like.  To make it truly a cargo carrying crossover, they needed to create as much cargo space as they could.  Without much flexibility in the wheelbase, all they could do is maximize rear height.  It’s doesn’t kill the car for me, but i do wish they had the ability to get a few more inches out of the wheelbase and give the designers more flexibility in shaping the rear.

The introduction of this vehicle at the Beijing Auto Show is a sign of the times for GM.  As it has spent considerable energy in China the past 15 years, it is clearly showing the world the importance of the region by showcasing a vehicle that has very American proportions.  But if they’re going to win in China, they’ve learned that they must give it’s premier show the respect by launching a future core product there.  I like the thinking as it also shows they are going to get out of their current crisis by being a world brand.  And their press release accentuates this point:

“Rapidly growing demand for personal transportation across China is creating new environmental and energy security challenges,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “GM is committed to finding and adopting solutions, which include the electrification of the automobile. The world premiere of the Volt MPV5 concept in Beijing demonstrates GM’s desire to make China a global focus of its advanced technology strategy.”

To see the full press release, go here.  You can also view all car reviews of various GM vehicles at Honk.