CHEVY'S AD GOAL: GLOBAL REACH

By Mike Colias, Automotive News - General Motors' decision to put Chevrolet's global advertising work up for grabs spotlights two core priorities of the "new GM":

1. Squeeze out cost and complexity.


2. Transform its all-American brand into worldwide player.

GM said last week that it has asked four ad agencies for "proposals on creative solutions for Chevrolet's global marketing operations." GM spends most of its $4.3 billion global ad budget on the Chevy brand.

Three of the agencies now do work for GM, and the result of the review is likely to have a profound effect on how their workloads, and billings, will change.

The most is a step toward driving "efficiencies in our marketing operations on a global scale," Joel Ewanick, GM's global marketing chief, said in a statement.

It's also about getting Chevrolet to speak to consumers around the world with one voice -- something Ewanick has acknowledged that the brand hasn't done well in the past.

As he works to carry out CEO Dan Akerson's strategy to increase Chevy's global market share, Ewanick is trying to stitch together his sprawling marketing apparatus by combining budgets and borrowing ideas. "I'm bringing these guys together and making them talk," Ewanick to Automotive News in July. "Some of the work they're doing in India we could run in North America or in Europe."

It's also a cost-savings move, Ewanick said then, because "we can pay for it once and get that same bang around the world."

The ad review renewed speculation around Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, the lead creative agency for the Chevy brand in the United States since May 2010. In August, Ewanick told Automotive News that Goodby's work, which includes the "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign, "hasn't been consistent."

But the review is not aimed at Goodby, which remains in good standing with Ewanick, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The agencies that will offer proposals are Goodby, which is owned by Omnicom Group Inc.; Interpublic Group of Cos.; Publicis Groupe of France and Cheil Worldwide of Korea. Except for Cheil, all four of those firms do work for GM and have much to lose -- or gain -- from GM'snext move. Dozens of smaller firms globally also could lose GM's business if it consolidates accounts.

GM said late last week that the review will be complete by year end.

The ad review is consistent with Akerson's view that GM needs to cut cost and layers out of its massive enterprise.

'CHEVY RUNS DEEP" CAMPAIGN TO STICK AROUND

By Chris Shunk, Autoblog.com - When General Motors announced that the ad agency in charge of Chevrolet was up for review, the speculation was that its "Chevy Runs Deep" ad campaign could be on the ropes after only one year. Critics say "Runs Deep" doesn't have the same impact as previous campaigns, for example "Like a Rock", but GM apparently doesn't see it that way.

The General has reportedly informed Advertising Age that the creative review of Goodby Silverstein & Partners is all about reducing complexity and cutting costs. GM spokeman Tom Henderson is quoted as saying that the review "is consistent with GM's push to reduce complexities across the business." Henderson reportedly added that GM hopes to "make a decision on a way forward, concurrent with a decision on our media-buying and planning review, by the end of this year."

The new year at GM may or may not come without Goodby Silverstein & Partners, but it looks like we can expect the "Runs Deep" campaign in 2012 and beyond.

GM INVESTS $325 MILLION IN WARREN, MICHIGAN PLANT

General Motors Warren Transmission employee Michael Burrows
assembles a six-speed transmission Friday, October 21 in Warren, Mich

By Suzanne Ashe, CNET.com - General Motors' latest investment will provide tools and equipment to support production of future electric vehicle components. The company announced on Friday that it will invest $325 million in its Warren, Mich., plant and create or retain 418 jobs.

The plant's current 679 employees produce transmissions for the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia crossovers and the Chevrolet Malibu sedan.

The 2.1-million-square-foot plant, equivalent to the area of 15 city blocks, produced more than 338,000 transmissions in 2010, the company said in a press release.

"This investment in the future recognizes the excellent work force and operation of this plant," said GM Manufacturing Manager Gerald Johnson in the release. "While we aren't sharing many details about this product, I can tell you that this investment demonstrates how GM, working with our UAW partners, continues to innovate and bring new electrification solutions to our customers."

Last spring, the company announced it would invest $2 billion and add an additional 4,000 jobs in 17 U.S. plants.

DIESEL CHEVROLET CRUZE TO BE BUILT IN THE U.S.

By Zach Bowman, Autoblog.com - The Detroit News reports that the diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze will be manufactured at the General Motors Lordstown, Ohio plant. GM is slated to retool the facility's body shop and assembly line next year through a US$5.5-million investment, according to Tom Mock, a spokesman for GM. The Lordstown facility already produces the gasoline Cruze on three shifts Monday through Friday in order to keep up with demand. The Detroit News reports that the plant has recently taken to operating on the weekends to maintain the volume, as well.

The diesel Chevrolet Cruze is set to arrive in 2013, and though GM hasn't released any official powerplant decisions or fuel-economy estimates as of yet, the vehicle is expected to return somewhere around 4.7 L/100 km when it arrives. This is the first legitimate diesel passenger car effort from a domestic manufacturer in years, and rumours indicate the vehicle will come boasting a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with around 147 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque.

CHEVY PUSHES SONIC OUT OF PLANE FOR FIRST MARKETING EFFORT

By Jeff Sabatini, Autoblog.com - We're big fans of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, which is launching this month behind a large-scale digital marketing effort. Chevy is calling the campaign "Let's Do This," and it features the Sonic "performing" a variety of YouTube-worthy stunts, like skydiving and bungee jumping. You can check out the 27-camera skydiving video after the jump.

It's no secret that the ads are targeted at millenials, just like the car itself. General Motors would really like the Sonic to be a hit with the kids, rather than just appealing to people who want the cheapest car they can find. Chevy's ad director told Automotive News that GM is hoping to connect with young people who don't "have the history necessarily or even the baggage you might say that a lot of the more traditional consumers might have."

To that end, GM is also bankrolling a 10-car giveaway through a social media game. To win, participants have to do wacky stuff like "working out in the middle of a grocery store or donating blood dressed as a vampire" then upload proof of their deeds. Chevy is calling it the "Game of Firsts," no doubt inspired by having finally built its first credible compact.

U.S. CHEVY CAPTIVA DELIVERIES BEGIN AS GM MULLS SONIC-BASED CUV FOR BUICK

By Zach Bowman, Autoblog.com - Chevrolet began deliveries of its Capitva fleet vehicle last week. The compact crossover is imported from Mexico and bears a striking resemblance to the recently deceased Saturn Vue. Don't think we're about to see the vehicle show up in the company's consumer lineup, however. General Motors says that the Captiva will remain a fleet-only offering in the near future. That doesn't mean that GM isn't keen to grow its compact crossover offerings, though. Automotive News reports that GM is currently mulling a high-riding vehicle based on the Sonic for both Chevrolet and Buick.

Earlier this year, our spy photographers spotted a high-riding Sonic out testing, and the AN report suggests that the baby Buick crossover could arrive on showroom floors sometime next year, possible as a 2013 model. The only question is whether or not Chevrolet will follow suit with a version of its own. That would leave the Chevy lineup with the Traverse, Equinox and this new model for a very crossover-heavy lineup. GM is apparently considering every angle at this point.

FUTURE CHEVROLETS TO BENEFIT FROM SMALL GAS ENGINE FAMILY

By General Motors Corporation - General Motors will develop an all-new global family of small-displacement Ecotec gasoline engines over the next several years that will give customers in markets around the world improved fuel economy, higher quality, better performance and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

The program could encompass more than 2 million engines a year by the end of the decade.

The new global engine family will comprise a range of three- and four-cylinder engines - in displacements from 1.0L to 1.5L - engineered and manufactured in multiple regions for global use. They will feature lightweight design and advanced technologies such as direct injection, turbocharging and alternative fuel compatibility to provide customers with both efficiency and on-demand performance. The new engine family also will be designed to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, a common trait of smaller engines.

"Our customers around the world agree we need to reduce our dependence on petroleum and reduce vehicle carbon emissions," said Jim Federico, vehicle line executive for GM global small cars and electric vehicles. "We are working aggressively on vehicle electrification and other technologies, but the most immediate progress will come from continually improving the internal combustion engine."

The global engine family consolidation is part of GM's larger product development strategy to reduce engineering and manufacturing complexity and cost while improving competitiveness, efficiency and quality.

For example, to reduce engineering and manufacturing complexity, the engines will be designed and built using a modular approach with interchangeable global components. This also provides more flexibility for global vehicle programs.

Production is expected to begin mid-decade. The engines will be introduced in GM global vehicle programs across multiple vehicle architectures in various regions, through the end of the decade. Manufacturing locations and production timing will be announced later.

The new engine family is the result of an engineering partnership between GM and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), Shanghai General Motors (SGM) and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC).

SPARK JOINS CHEVROLET'S CANADIAN SMALL CAR LINEUP IN 2012

By General Motors of Canada, Oshawa - Chevrolet hopes to excite first-time buyers and city residents when the Spark mini car joins the brand's small car family next year in Canada and the United States. The Spark is a sporty five-door, four-passenger hatch that is on sale in Chevrolet markets around the world.

"For young, urban dwellers, the 2013 Chevrolet Spark can be their key to the city," said Chris Perry, vice president, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy. "Spark's vibrant exterior and interior colors make a statement, but it is a practical car, too. Affordable, maneuverable and very fuel-efficient, Spark will be easy to own and easy to drive."

More details about the Spark, the smallest Chevrolet in the Canadian and U.S. lineups, will be unveiled next month at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The first version of the Spark is being sold in Europe, Korea, India, Mexico, South America and Australia.

The Chevrolet Spark is 14 inches (355 mm) shorter than the recently launched Chevrolet Sonic. It is three feet longer (0.91 meter) than the Smartfortwo and four inches (101 mm) longer than the Fiat 500. In Canada and the United States, the Spark will be powered by a 1.2L four-cylinder engine that delivers 83 horsepower (61 kW). The standard transmission will be a five-speed manual. An automatic transmission will be available.

The Spark will offer more interior room than other mini cars, and it will be the only car in the segment to provide standard benefits such as a five-year, 160,000 km powertrain warranty and the safety and security of OnStar.

Available packages include uplevel features such as color touch screen radio; Chevrolet MyLink infotainment connectivity with Stitcher internet radio; Bluetooth; exterior enhancements such as chrome accents; heated leatherette seats and alloy wheels.

The Spark was originally seen as the Chevrolet Beat concept at the 2007 New York Auto Show. Show goers and online fans chose the Beat over two other concepts, and it was developed into an updated version of the Spark that will come to Canada and the United States.

RECORD 1.2 MILLION CHEVROLETS SOLD IN THIRD QUARTER OF 2011

By General Motors Corporation - Chevrolet sold 1.2 million vehicles globally in the third quarter, the best July-to-September results in the brand's 100-year history. In the first nine months of 2011, Chevrolet sold 3.6 million vehicles globally, positioning the brand for its best-ever calendar-year sales.

"Nine months of record sales is a great testament to the strength of Chevrolet's products and service," said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet global marketing and strategy. "That success would not be possible without first connecting with new customers individually -- no matter where they live -- listening to their needs, and then welcoming them to the Chevrolet family."

That customer-focused approach is best illustrated by the successful U.S. launch of the Cruze compact sedan. Chevrolet sold more than 175,000 Cruzes worldwide in the third quarter of 2011, fueled by U.S. and China sales growth. More than 970,000 Cruzes have been sold since it was introduced in early 2009, and the 1 millionth Cruze is expected to sell by the end of October.

"One million people have chosen a Cruze in less than three years," said Perry. "That success was made possible by offering customers around the world more than they expected in a compact car. We are applying that same customer-focused approach to every new Chevrolet car, truck, MPV and utility vehicle."

The Cruze is part of a wave of new models from Chevrolet, including the Spark mini car, all-new Aveo/Sonic small car, and Orlando MPV. They will soon be joined globally by the all-new Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan and the all-new Colorado compact pickup, which go on sale later this year. The 2013 Malibu began production this week in Korea and the Colorado earlier this month in Thailand.

Chevrolet posted double-digit sales gains for the third quarter in 20 markets throughout Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

The strength of Chevrolet's global presence has helped the brand significantly outpace the rest of the global industry. Chevrolet's third-quarter sales were up 13.8 percent over the same period a year ago, more than tripling the 3.9 percent gain for the industry. Chevrolet also tripled the industry growth rate for the first nine months of the year: Chevrolet sales were up 14.4 percent compared to a 4.5 percent gain for the industry.

GM TO BUILD FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC CAR SINCE EV1

By Charles Murray, DesignNews.com - General Motors has resumed its commitment to electric cars, officially announcing that it will produce and sell a new vehicle called the Spark EV in 2013.

Without a trace of the fanfare that accompanied the announcement of the Chevy Volt in 2007, GM said its new car will be sold in limited quantities in select US and global markets, and will be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack from A123 Systems. The Spark EV will be the first all-electric vehicle built by GM since it scrapped its infamous EV1 program a decade ago.

"This car will not be aimed at the mainstream buyer, as the Volt was," noted Dave Hurst, senior analyst for Pike Research, in a Design News interview. "It's just too small."

Indeed, a GM press release refers to the Spark as a mini-car, about "three feet longer than the Smart Fortwo and four inches longer than the Fiat 500."

GM is believed to be targeting the vehicle toward Asia. "The Voltec technology in the Volt certainly has a place in the US, China, and Europe," Randy Fox of GM told us. "But there are other markets that will be best served by these vehicles."

Hurst said he expects India to be a key area of concentration for the Spark EV. There, he said, mini-car-sized vehicles are considered much more acceptable, and government agencies don't require the same safety features that have become common in the US. The biggest factor, however, could be cost, he said.

"You've got lower incomes there," Hurst said. "In India, mainstream buyers are looking at two-wheel vehicles and much cheaper cars."

GM says the smaller vehicle is also better suited to Asia's high population density. "When you get into the mega-cities and the shorter driving commutes that they have in those regions, the Spark EV might be a better fit than a vehicle like the Volt," Fox said.

GM will power the Spark EV with A123 System's nanophosphate lithium-ion battery technology. In August, the giant automaker said it would partner with A123 on the development of battery technology "at both the cell and system level" for vehicles in global markets. At the time, GM also announced that it was teaming with LG Group, a South Korean electronics and battery manufacturer, to jointly design and engineer future electric vehicles. The automaker has not yet announced any specific vehicle programs involving LG, however.

Hurst said he expects the Spark EV battery to be smaller and less costly than the batteries seen in earlier EVs: "This vehicle is not going to need the same speed or the same range as other electric vehicles, such as the Leaf. There's not going to be the same concern about going 50 miles per hour in India.

GM'S INTERNAL DEBATE: DOES CHEVY NEED ANOTHER CROSSOVER?

By Rick Kranz, Automotive News - The question General Motors executives are debating: Does Chevrolet need another model?

Today, Chevrolet markets the Equinox and the Traverse, both successful crossovers for the bow-tie brand.

Chevrolet also offers the Captiva crossover, which is imported from Mexico. But that compact is sold only to fleets. The first deliveries began late last week. You won't find a Captiva sitting in a U.S. showroom.

So now the thumbs-up-or-down question is whether Chevrolet needs another crossover in its lineup, specifically a model based on GM's new subcompact platform. That entry-level crossover is currently under debate. If approved by GM management, the crossover would be positioned below the Equinox. The time frame is unclear.

The first U.S. vehicle on that platform is the Chevrolet Sonic, which went on sale a few weeks ago. Two Sonic models are offered, a sedan and a five-door hatchback. The hatchback has a separate greenhouse and is abaout 12 inches shorter than the Sonic sedan, creating a vehicle that is distinct from the sedan.

Buick also will share the platform, but Buick's model will be a small crossover, sharing underpinnings with the potential Chevrolet crossover. The Buick crossover is slated for sale sometime next year. Buick needs a model portfolio that appeals to a wider range of buyers, and the crossover fits in perfectly.

But does Chevrolet need one, too?

There's another issue lurking in the wings: Would a subcompact crossover add sales to the Chevrolet brand or cannibalize Sonic sales, resulting in a net gain of zero?

BLACKBERRY OUTAGE COINCIDES WITH REDUCED NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

By Chris Shunk, AutoBlog.com - When BlackBerry servers crashed between Tuesday and Thursday last week, owners of the popular business phones were left without a tool they've come to rely on. At the same time, the server crash could have made roads in the Middle East that much safer.

The National reports that traffic accidents in Dubai dropped 20 per cent compared to historical averages during the blackout. In Abu Dhabi, accidents dropped by 40 per cent, and there were zero fatalities. If you're thinking that this isn't a signifcant enough sample to show that smart phones and distracted driving are inexorably linked, consider this: There is an accident in Dubai every three minutes.

Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim pointed out to The National that the accidents resulting from distracted riving "range between minor and moderate ones, but at times they are deadly." Officer Al Harethi took it a step farther, adding "the roads became much safer when BlackBerry stopped working."

While the loss of BlackBerry service was no doubt a major inconvenience, these real-life statistics once again show that smart phones and driving just don't mix.

GM DENIES RUMOURS OF BANKROLLING CANNONBALL RUN REDUX

By Zach Bowman, AutoBlog.com - General Motors may not be handing over cold-hard cash to fund a remake of Cannonball Run after all. Detroit News DC Bureau Chief David Shepardson announced via Twitter that GM has denied the rumours, saying that there isn't even a script to go with the speculation. Those words came from Tom Henderson with GM communications.

Buzz that GM would step past the typical product placement role and into full-blown financial support of a film hit the wires late Tuesday evening. A report from New York Magazine indicated that Guy Ritchie may be helming the project with Brad Pitt serving as the lead talent. Of course, that same report also mentioned Ben Stiller as a possible star as well. Those sound like two very, very different movies.

While we're fine with a remake of Cannonball Run, we're a little apprehensive about what could amount to a two-hour long advertisement for GM metal. No one likes watching a movie where every main vehicle is from one brand or another, especially when the film specifically focuses on an illicit race. Who wants to see a Spark square off against an Equinox?

CHEVROLET VOLT DRIVEN

By Matthew Jones, Topgear.com - This is the electric Chevrolet Volt. And it has a plan. Well, two actually.

It's called an extended range EV. That means it's powered by electricity, but to compensate for the dismal lack of charging infrastructure, it's also got a 1.4-litre petrol engine on board. But this doesn't drive the wheels directly - it fuels the electric motor, working as a generator. Hence extended range.

So you get the instant torque delivery of a full EV all the time but, because of the fossil-fuelled safety net, you don't have to purse your buttocks when the Low Charge warning light comes on (you get about 50 miles on electric power).

The other benefit is that the petrol lump works as a generator, not a direct engine. Because it doesn't rev beyond a few thousand RPM, you get colossal fuel economy and hyper-eco carbon credentials - 235mpg and 27g/km CO2.

Chevrolet admits that these numbers are best-case scenario - ie, rather optimistic - but not wholly unachievable. During a recent Alpine sojourn, we managed to get 81 clicks before the petrol engine kicked in - and it only took four hours from flat to charge on a 240-volt system.

So, all the cerebral eco numbery stuff's pretty good, but what about the drive?

Because of the clever generator/full-time EV setup, the instant thrust that's endearing about watt-powered kit is always on tap. Even when it's being powered by petrol. And it's a fair old whack of torque to deploy: 237lb ft, to be precise.

The world doesn't tumble out of the rear window when you prod the accelerator - 0-31 mph takes 3.1 seconds - but it's endearingly pokey. That's 0.7 seconds slower to 50 km/h than the new Audi TT, and in complete silence.

While sub-50mph is very much the Volt's comfort zone, it's not strictly an urban toy. 100mph is achievable, though the muted soundtrack's replaced by the slightly unnerving thrum of an engine doing entirely its own thing, as engine speed bares absolutely no relation to road speed.

It rides pretty well at motorway pace, and it doesn't make a fuss about bigger potholes around town either. You only start getting thrown around when the going gets really rough, and it's a pretty portly old hector, so wobblyness takes a while to settle despite otherwise solid damping.

Inside, it's predictably jet-aged. You get an iPod-white centre console and gear shift trim, which looks uncannily like a Gilette Venus, and most of the buttons are touch sensitive. If anything they'd be a little more receptive - you can quite easily find yourself witlessly pawing away without turning anything on, rather like our teenage years.

The Volt is pretty much identical to its GM stablemate, the Vauxhall Ampera, but for one key distinction: price. It's 450 pounds less at 28,545 pounds (that's after the maximum Government grant), and you get leather chairs as standard. Whis is a lot to forfeit for a Vauxhall badge.

In short, the Volt is a very pleasant surprise, proving that loving EVs doesn't mean you have to be a slave to them. At the very least, cars should offer a sense of unbounded possibility, which, thanks to pitiful range and little resources to sustain them, most EVs don't. This does.

CHEVROLET STAFFS TO LEARN DISNEYLAND-STYLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

Classes at the theme park for dealers and sales staffs are part of a
campaign by General Motors Co. to boost market share in
California, where Chevrolet has lagged behind its import
competition for more than a generation.

By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times - Most people go to Disneyland for the rides. Peter Hoffman is going there to learn how to sell rides.

Hoffman, the owner of Sierra Chevrolet in Monrovia, and other Chevrolet dealers and their sales staffs are headed for classes at the Anaheim theme park and elsewhere designed to turn fast-talking car salesmen into personable Prince Charmings.

They will learn such rules as a prince or princess never smokes in public. That take the magic out of the Magic Kingdom. They will also learn that sometimes it's better to be a little bit like Dopey. The silent dwarf doesn't have to say anything to make people feel good. When it comes to purchasing cars, customers remember less about what the sales staff said than they do about the experience they had at the dealership.

The customer service initiative is the latest in a campaign by General Motors Co. to boost market share in California, where the storied American brand has lagged behind its import competition for more than a generation.

The Toyota, Honda and Ford brands each sell more vehicles in the Southern California market than Chevrolet. When it comes to just passenger cars, Chevrolet also lags behind South Korean upstart Hyundai as well as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen.

That's about to change, said Mark Reuss, president of GM's North American operations.

"We are really going to have a go at California. This is not some half-baked plan," Reuss said. "We will be putting a serious amount of money into this."

There are three parts to GM's strategy. Along with improving customer service, the automaker is unveiling smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles that better compete with the imports Californians favor. It is also sprucing up dealerships.

A person familiar with the automaker's discussions with franchise owners said GM plans to give California dealers a combined $60 million to $100 million over the next year or so as long as they sign 10-year exclusive contracts to stick with the brand. GM declined to comment.

The company has identified more than 100 franchises, primarily in the Los Angeles, San Diego and San Fransicso metropolitan areas and has offered $500,000 to $1.5 million in improvement funds, depending on the dealer, according to the person, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the initiative.

The funds will be used to move some dealer locations and refurbish facilities, including creating a uniform entrance that will give Chevrolet outlets a more distinctive look. Chevrolet has taken a meticulous approach to the details, telling dealers the style of furniture to use in their showrooms and choices of paint colors on the walls.

"They are really all over it with the dealers. We are 100% in support and actively engaged in their facility program," said Marc Cannon, spokesman for AutoNation Inc., owner of two California Chevrolet dealerships.

But Reuss and GM executives acknowledge that no matter how great the dealerships look, customers won't come through the door unless they have vehicles people want to purchase. Reuss acknowledged that GM before its 2009 bankruptcy and government bailout had become a "truck funded, Midwestern and Southern" business that lacked cars that could sell on the West Coast.

However, Reuss said that for the first time in decades, Chevrolet has vehicles for California buyers, including fuel-efficient sedans such as the new Cruze, the Sonic subcompact and a new Malibu that comes out at the end of the year with a hybrid system that could get 38 miles per gallon on the highway.

Chevrolet is turning to Disney to teach the dealers how to retain customers.

"Disney has created a culture where they talk about how they are always on stage with their customer. Sometimes we take the customer for granted," said Alan Batey, Chevrolet's vice president of sales and service.

The Disney training will teach dealership employees how to interact with customers and to do dozens of small things that Batey hopes will create repeat business.

Niceties such as washing a car when it comes in for routine service and placing a bottle of cold water in the cup holder when the owner takes back the vehicle can help change consumers' perceptions of the car business, Batey said.

All this is playing out in California, the nation's largest auto market and one of the worst-performing regions for Chevrolet. The brand has been tarnished by a reputation over a generation - fair or not - for producing gas guzzling, unreliable vehicles.

It is facing flak from shoppers such as Bernice Greene, a retired teacher from Anaheim who has spent several recent weekends trolling dealerships shopping for a new car.

"I just looked at Kia and the Honda but not any American cars. I just didn't consider them," said Greene, who settled on a Subaru Impreza hatchback. "The quality of an American car was not that good. It might be up now, but I just didn't look."

In the 1930s, Chevrolet accounted for a third of new vehicles sold nationally. But its market share steadily declined all the way through the GM's bankruptcy and governmetn bailout in 2009, falling below 13% before bouncing back to just over 14%.

The picture in California's big cities is worse. Chevrolet has just 6% of the market, according to an Edmunds.com and R.L. Polk & Co. analysis of Los Angeles-area registrations. When it comes to just passenger cars, it has less than 3% of the market.

"The job in front of them is tough," said Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive of auto information company Edmunds.com. "There still is a heavy consumer bias against Chevrolet in California.

"GM produced generations of bad vehicles that have lingered in the collective memory," Anwyl said.

Reuss said that Chevrolet has its first opportunity to make gains in the Golden State in many years. Sales of Toyotas have fallen steadily for nearly two years and Honda sales are down this year as the brands have suffered through large recalls and an inventory shortage resulting from the Japanese earthquake this year.

That's helped Chevrolet to begin to move the needle in Southern California. Through the first eight months of this year, Chevrolet accounted for 9,145 car registrations in the market, according to the Edmunds-Polk numbers. That's up from 5,093 during the same period last year.

For years, Sierra Chevrolet lived off selling trucks and sport-utility vehicles, but now "cars are becoming a significant part of what we are selling ... Now the products are very competitive," said Hoffman, who also owns Acura, Honda, Mazda and Subaru franchises in Southern California.

Hoffman and other dealers know that no matter how good the cars are, the chances of selling them can go up in smoke.

At one Disney session, Bruce Hamlin, owner of Guaranty Chevrolet in Santa Ana, learned how Disneyland cast members aren't allowed to do anything but play their role in public.

"Imagine that you have Cinderella going out and greeting these kids," Hamilin said. "Can you imagine her taking a break and kids seeing her puffing on a cigarette?"

Any smokers on his staff now must puff out of sight, behind a wall in a section of the dealership.

GM MOVES 2 MILLION VEHICLES IN CHINA, POISED TO RETAIN TOP SPOT AS MOST POPULAR AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURER

For the second year in a row, General Motors has sold 2 million
vehicles in China, with 10 weeks left in the calendar year 2011.

By Derek Kreindler, Autoguide.com - GM reported strong demand for Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles, up 24, 18 and 73 percent respectively. General Motors' SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture also reached a milestone, selling its 1 millionth vehicle in China in October of 2011. General Motors sold 2.35 million vehicles in China in 2010. That year marked the first automaker to sell more than 2 million units in what is now the world's largest car market.

A CHEVY WORTH SNIFFING: THE CAMARO SHARPIE CAR

The Camaro Sharpie Car is finely detailed
and looks even better than the original.

By carbuzz.com - We know what you're thinking: "Great, another CarBuzz article about a Camaro." Well you're right, this is another article about the classic Chevrolet muscle car. Chris Dunlop out of Gait6hersburg, Maryland designed and drew some incredible artwork to adorn the latest Camaro to come out of the American automaker. The fifth-generation car took over 50 hours to finish, as he had to go through an extensive process from start to finish.

Speaking to LSXTV about his work, Dunlop aka Pinstripe Chris, said "First I remove the old stripes, wash the car, mask out new stripes across the entire car - roof, bumpers and all - and prep it to accept clear coat. Then I Sharpie like crazy. Once I'm done, I mask the rest of the car off, spray the clear coat, buff it, and do a final wash. In total the whole job took about 54 hours from start to finish." Dunlop used 10 sharpies on the Camaro. This is his fourth Sharpie car, as he has already made his mark on "a Cadillac in California and a Fiero here last year, then I did a Mustang and Harley Davidson here this year."

GENERAL MOTORS: SELF DRIVING CARS A REALITY BEFORE THE END OF THE DECADE

It might be a scary thought to some, but according to
Alan Taub, vice president of Global Research and
Development at General Motors, the self-driving
car is less than a decade away.

By Huw Evans, Autoguide.com - Advances in technologies such as sensors, portable communications devices, radars, GPS systems and cameras, collectively make the idea more feasible now than ever before.

During a speech at the Transport Systems World Congress in Orlando, Florida yesterday, Taub declared that, "the technologies (GM is) developing will provide an added convenience by partially or even completely taking over the driving duties. The primary goal, though, is safety. Future generation safety systems will eliminate the crash altogether by interceding on behalf of drivers before they're even aware of a hazardous situation."

In fact, some of the technologies Taub talked about can already be found on current GM production vehicles, such as a lane departure warning and carsh avoidance system via a front mounted camera which is standard on the 2012 GMC Terrain crossover. A blindspot alert system is also fitted to a number of the General's SUVs, including the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalled, as well as the Buick LaCrosse sedan.

In addition, GM is working on more advanced systems, such as vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure communication setups, where sensors gather information from other vehicles, pedestrians, buildings, obstructions, roadways, even traffic signals to warn drivers of potential hazards ahead, such as slippery road conditions, stalled or crashed vehicles or busy or dangerous intersections. Such systems can be added as apps to portable devices such as smart phones which wirelessly connect to the car, or are embedded in the vehicle itself.

In addition, GM is working on its next generation EN-V urban concept vehicle which combines GPS with vehicle to vehicle communications and distance sensing technology. This latest EN-V is designed to enable fully autonomous driving, incorporating such features as collision avoidance, platooning even automated parking and retrieval.

The idea is that one day, city dwellers will have a personal transportation device that will be able to drop off its driver, park itself and then be summoned when needed, simply via a command on the driver's smart phone.

GM DEVELOPS MOBILE TECHNOLOGY THAT WATCHES ROAD AHEAD

By General Motors Corporation - New technology being developed by General Motors researchers could alert drivers of potentially dangerous driving situations in advance by using small, portable devices to create a wireless safety net.

These portable devices are designed to gather information from other vehicles and infrastructure to warn drivers about slowed or stalled vehicles, hard-braking drivers, slippery roads, sharp curves and upcoming stop signs and intersections.

Instead of minimizing a collision once it occurs, as most safety systems do today, these new technologies could help prevent crashes altogether. This technology, knows as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems could help avert nearly 81 percent of all U.S. vehicle crashes, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"These safety systems could provide a significant leap in automotive safety, but their effectiveness goes up dramatically as more people use them," said Don Grimm, senior researcher for GM's Perception and Vehicle Control Systems group. "By putting the technology into portable devices, we could make this potentially life-saving technology widely available and more affordable."

GM has been testing the technology in two mobile platforms: a transponder about the size of a GPS unit and a smartphone application that can be tied to the vehicle's display unit. GM is showcasing the technology this week at the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Orlando.

The portable transponder has its own display screen. For the smartphone application, GM engineers can connect the smartphone to the vehicle's audio and video display systems to seamlessly integrate notifications into the automobile.

The embedded system, portable transponder and smartphone technologies all use Dedicated Short-Range Communications, or DSRC, to transfer data between devices and have a communication range of about one-quarter of a mile in all directions. The DSRC radio can send and receive messages with other vehicles in the area, as well as communicate with fixed radios connected to traffic signals or construction zones.

These systems can provide critical information using basic location data. For example, if the driver at the head of a string of vehicles applies the brakes, those that follow can automatically get an alert. Two vehicles approaching an intersection can warn each other before the drivers can see each other. When fully connected to the automobile's computer system, these devices also can relay information already being collected by sensors throughout the automobile. The sensors that activate electronic stability control, for example, could alert drivers in other vehicles about hazardous road conditions ahead.

As an added benefit, the smartphones have the potential to be used by pedestrians and bicyclists, who could download a special application to let drivers know their location. The technology could help prevent vehicle-to-vehicle collisions and also reduce the number of collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists.

"The technology we're testing right now is a viable solution for providing crucial safety information to drivers," Grimm said. "Instead of just seeing what's right in front of them, drivers will be able to know about the truck a quarter-mile ahead that's stalled in their lane. Later this decade, smartphones, transponders and embedded systems could be working together to make our roadways safer."

GM is working on embedding these communications systems into new vehicles, but with the average age of U.S. vehicles at 10.2 years, according to Polk, GM researchers also have been focusing on finding ways to retrofit automobiles already on the road.

GM DEBUTS NEXT STEP IN VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE COMMUNICATIONS

By Zach Bowman, Autoblog.com - General Motors is working on a new vehicle communications system that could help avert up to 81 per cent of crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The system uses small mobile devices, like smart phone applications, to gather information about the vehicle's surroundings. The system could alert the driver of stalled vehicles on the side of the road, drivers who are abruptly stopping, averse road conditions and even stop signs and stop lights before the hazards come into view. GM is already testing the system in two ways -- with a small dash-mounted transponder and a smartphone application that integrates with the vehicle's in-dash display.

The system uses dedicated short-range communications, or DSRC, to transfer data between similar devises within a half-kilometre radius. In addition, the system can communicate with fixed radios connected to traffic lights or construction zones.

GM says that the tech could arrive in the automaker's vehicles in as little as a decade. If it works as promised, the technology could not only keep us out of a fender bender, but it could also alleviate traffic congestion and help drivers get where they're going more efficiently. We like the sound of that.

CHEVY WON'T BUILD MALIBU COUPE

By Jeff Sabatini, Autoblog.com - A new report says General Motors has decided against producing a coupe version of the forthcoming 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. We don't know how far into the development process a two-door Malibu made it, but renderings of the car were shown to journalists last week. When queried, however, GM design chief Ed Welburn told Inside Line, "A Malibu coupe could be a pretty nice car, but it is not in the plan right now."

GM introduced the new Malibu at the 2011 New York Auto Show, and has said it intends the car to be a truly global product sold in 100 countries. Shorter and wider than the old model, the new Malibu's proportions would have certainly lent themselves to a two-door -- and we'd be lying if we said it wouldn't warm our hearts to see a "Chevelle" badge on the deck lid.

Alas, the coupe market isn't what it once was, and Chevy clearly has other plans for positioning the car. A 6.2L/100 km Eco model was also announced at the New York introduction, taking advantage of GM's eAssist mild hybrid system currently used in the Buick line to improve the Malibu's fuel economy from the 2012 model.

All standard 2013 Malibu's will be powered by a new 190-horsepower, 2.5-litre, direct injection four-cylinder. This may have influenced the decision against a coupe, which would have demanded a sportier engine. Also likely playing into Chevy's thinking is an increasingly crowded brand lineup. With new nameplates like the Sonic and Spark joining the one-year-old Cruze and Volt, Chevy sales and marketing has quite a lot on its plate already.

HENNESSEY ANNOUNCES 20TH ANNIVERSARY HPE650 SUPERCHARGED CAMARO

By Jeff Sabatini, Autoblog.com - What do John Entwistle, Rutherford B. Hayes, Hugh Jackman and Hennessey Performance Engineering all have in common? Very little, we imagine, outside of celebrating October birthdays.

HPE is turning 20 this month, giving the Texas-based tuner the perfect excuse to build a celebratory Camaro. The company blog tells us the 20th Anniversary Edition HPE650 Camaro will be limited to 20 black over black examples, and yes, that "650" in the model name is an indication of horsepower. The lofty number is achieved by fitting a supercharger, new heads, a new cam, headers, and intake and exhaust upgrades. HPE says their mods are good for 655 horsepower at 6,300 rpm, which is enough to push the Camaro to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.

Other upgrades include custom wheels, front splitter and side skirts, embroidered headrests, and a coilover suspension system. Of course, floor mats and the obligatory numbered dash plaque are yours as well, so long as you're willing to pay the US$79,500 asking price for a coupe, or US$84,500 for a convertible.

CHEVROLET CONFIRMS COLORADO PICKUP AND CAMARO ZL1 CONVERTIBLE

By Paul Stenquist, The New York Times Wheels - Thailand-specification 2012 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab. G.M. announced Monday that a version of the pickup would be built and offered in the United States.

During a media event marking Chevrolet's 100th anniversary, held at the General Motors Design Center here, G.M. announced that a new version of the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup truck would be offered to American buyers. The automaker also unveiled a convertible model of its ultra high-performance Camaro ZL1.

The new Colorado, based on midsize truck architecture developed by G.M.'s Brazil division, is being built in Thailand and is expected to go on sale in that country this month. There had been some doubt as to whether G.M. would offer the truck here as a replacement for the current Colorado, which is to be discontinued after the 2012 model year.

G.M. did not disclose when or where in the United States the American model would be built -- the current Colorado and Canyon, its GMC twin, are assembled in Shreveport, La -- nor did the automaker say how the vehicle would be equipped. In Thailand, the Colorado is offered with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine.

"Other than announcing that we will offer the truck in the U.S., we have no other announcements," said Mary Barra, the G.M. senior vice president for global product development.

The redesigned Colorado would compete against all trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. The Ford Ranger, which is being discontinued in North America, was recently designed for global markets, but the automaker has not stated its intentions to adapt a version of it for the United States.

In unveiling the Camaro ZL1 convertible, Ed Welburn, the G.M. vice president of global design, raised the door to a garage area where concept cars were maintained. The burbling bass produced by the car's supercharged 580-horsepower V-8 could be heard before the slate-gray model emerged into view.

Under its skin, the convertible is virtually identical to the ZL1 coupe introduced at the Chicago auto show in February, but the car includes additional bracing intended to eliminate some of the cowl and steering-wheel shake common to many convertibles.

2012 CHEVROLET SONIC LTZ TURBO HATCHBACK - SHORT TAKE ROAD TEST

SMALL-CAR EXCELLENCE NOW
AVAILABLE FROM CHEVY

By Jared Gall, Car & Driver - While we're of the strong belief that you can't dig half a hole, we do know with absolute certainty that it takes only time to dig one heck of a deep one. Give a car company, oh, four decades, and you might be surprised just how deep that hole can get. Witness the veritable parade of losers that is Chevrolet's historical lineup of small cars: Vega, Chevette, Spring, Aveo -- and let's not forget the Geo/Chevrolet Metro. (To be fair, tiny cars from GM's domestic competition have rarely been much better.)

One could have imagined Chevy fitting its new Sonic with a winch and a hard-core four-wheel-drive system with locking differentials and a low-range transfer case: How better to extricate itself from the Abyss of Those That Came Before? Instead, Chevy simply focused on making its small car a good car. The result is an unprecedented success.

Small and stiff: Even from a purely aethetic standpoint, the Sonic is a home run. With dinky wheels, drab sheetmetal, and a protuberant proboscis, the Aveo was a gas-fired dork. The Sonic looks more bully, with sharp creases, an angry slant to the headlights, an aggressive rearward cinch of the beltline, and beefy fender flares. In its final years, the Aveo looked sort of decent inside, but the Sonic's thoroughly considered interior design and upscale detailing make even the best Aveo look old. Front and center sits an analog tach -- needle hanging straight down at rest -- flanked by a digital cluster that reports the rest of the info you need to know.

Grab the steering wheel and you'll notice nice, chunky ears at 10 and 2. The rest of the rim is a bit thin, but those flanges are perfectly shaped, with a natural contour and a comfortable plane to rest the pad of your hand. Fire up the Sonic and saw at that wheel, and you immediately realize how quick the steering is. This is among the most satisfying drivers in the segment. The steering is sports-car quick -- almost too tight for relaxes cruising, with even the slightest inputs prompting directional changes.

The Sonic rides on an all-new platform that is 77 percent stiffer than the Aveo's. It has an extra 1.8 inches of wheelbase, expanded tracks front and rear, and is several inches longer in both hatchback and sedan body styles. For its part, the stiffer body structure transmits barely a shudder over the roughest roads, and the suspension minimizes body roll without battering occupants. The sense of solidity comes at a cost, though: The Sonic is much heavier than most cars in its class. At 2808 pounds, it carries 500 or so more than the average Mazda 2. When you're talking about cars that weigh under 3000 pounds, that can be a disastrous difference. Fortunately, it hides its weight well, with an agile and responsive feel, and posts a best-in-class 0.81-g skidpad performance despite an addiction to understeer at the ragged edge.

High Praise for High-Tech: We were likewise surprised by the 138-hp, 1.4-liter turbo four. It's a gem, much easier to appreciate here than in the heavier Cruze. There is very little lag, power delivery is smooth, and it never groans in complaint like so many other econocar engines. (A naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four is the Sonic's base engine.) The Sonic's 1.4-runs out of breath way before redline, though; the fuel cutoff is at 6500 rpm, but shift by 6000 if you want to keep things moving. We saw 60 mph in 8.2 seconds on our best acceleration run, and we snuffed the quarter-mile in 16.5 at 85 mph. A small engine and an upright body are not a good combo for high-speed runs; the Sonic needs 24.7 seconds to hit 100 -- although that's almost as good as it gets in this class.

In a move that we'll assume is blatant pandering, Chevy offers the turbocharged 1.4 only with a six-speed manual. The shifter has a precise bite, although the throws are a bit long. The clutch is pretty bad, with almost no feel; it's good that take-up is so slow, as it covers a lot of the clumsiness that results from the radio silence between disc and pedal. There are a lot of bad clutches at the low end of the market, and this is far from the worst, but it is just as far from rewarding. When you decide to turn your Sonic into a fire-breathing track beast, this is one of the first pieces you should upgrade. (A five-speed DIY'er is standard with the naturally aspirated 1.8-liter. It also can be had with a six-speed automatic, a gearbox which is likely to be offered with the turbo sometime in the near future.)

The six-speed's tall gearing couples with a tall final-drive ratio to keep engine rpm remarkably low at highway speeds: At 70 mph, the 1.4 is barely turning 2100 revs. While you'll need at least a two-gear drop to find any power, that gearing helps the Sonic achieve 40 mpg highway in the EPA's testing. We saw 31 overall.

Lots of Space in a Little Footprint: Thanks to its hatchback body, the Sonic has decent space all around. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, and there's a fair amount of room in the back seat. At 41 cdubic feet, the rear accommodations are among the roomiest in the segment, and the hatch boasts a slim 0.3 inch more rear headroom than the sedan. It's not all sunshine, though: While the 19 cubes of storage lag behind the class leaders only a bit, the opening to access that space is narrow, hemmed in on both sides by the Sonic's mongoloid rear-light fixtures. And folding the rear seats doesn't net nearly the volume it does in, say, a Honda Fit. The Sonic's 31 cubes are a woefully uncompetitive 54 percent of the class-leading Honda's 57-cubic-foot figure.

But the Sonic once again finds itself at the desirable end of the spectrum with its standard and available equipment. Even a $15,395 base Sonic LS five-door, which comes with a poverty-class AM/FM radio and just four speakers -- but an auxiliary input -- is fitted with 10 airbags: driver and passenger front, side, and knee; full-length side curtains; and side bags for rear passengers. A tilting and telescoping steering column, power locks, and automatic headlights are also standard on all cars. The midlevel LT trim, at $16,495, upgrades the stereo with two more speakers, satellite radio, and a CD player, plus adds heated power mirrors, power windows, chrome exterior trim, and nicer seat cloth. More important, it opens up the option of the 1.4-liter turbo, which costs just $700. Do it. (If $700 breaks the bank at this price point, then you're shopping above your head; get a used car instead.)

At $17,995, an LTZ model like the one tested here adds Bluetooth conectivity, fog lights, more chrome trim, a USB input, faux-leather seats (heated up front), plus a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and phone controls. Cruise control, part of a $375 package on LT cars and unavailable on the LS trims, is standard on LTZs. Add $700 for the 1.4 and another $850 for a sunroof and our Sonic stickered at a rather lofty $19,545. Without the big hole in the roof, it'd be $18,695.

The Sonic's $15,395 base price is a little high for this class, but only barely. Yes, the backmarker Nissan Versa starts at $11,750, but it is terrible and therefore doesn't count; the $15,165 Mazda 2 is the only desirable competitor to undercut the Sonic. The $15,495 Honda Fit and $16,295 Ford Fiesta hatch are there, too, but require you to open your wallet a little wider. All three, of course, climb the price ladder when you start checking options; in that light, the $17,195 buy-in for a nicely equipped turbo Sonic seems fair.

Chevy's newest small car has clambered not only out of the pit dug by its predecessors, but right up toward the top of the small-car heap -- especially with the turbo.

GM TO ADD EASSIST TO CHEVY EQUINOX AND GMC TERRAIN

By Zach Bowman, Autoblog.com - General Motors is aiming to improve fuel economy performance on both the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain by integrating the company's eAssist hybrid system, according to GM Inside News. The report cites multiple unnamed sources indicating that the hybrid crossovers will debut for the 2014 model year, and that they will utilize the same eAssist system found on sedans like the Buick Regal, Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Malibu. The system pairs a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with a 15 kilowatt electric motor and a 115-volt lithium-ion battery pack.

So far, GM has priced its eAssist models identically to the company's V6 offerings. If that trend continues, buyers will have their choice of fuel-efficient crossovers without having to endure a price penalty. As you may recall, the Buick Lacrosse eAssist yields an estimated 9.4 L/100 km city and 6.6 L/100 km highway, which we're guessing wouldn't be too far off of what a front-wheel drive Equinox or Terrain eAssist would be capable of returning.

SMALL SONIC BIG ON POWER

By Autonet.ca - With the arrival of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, General Motors has taken a big step toward closing the gap with its main sub-compact competitors. But complete parity may still remain just out of reach.

In some areas, such as horse-power and torque, Sonic is better than rivals such as the 2012 Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Accent. In others, such as cornering and ride, it is tantalizing close.

Available as a four-door sedan or hatchback, Sonic is no doubt an important car for GM, as small car sales are forecast to grow 30% by 2015. Vincent Boillot, marketing manager for Chevrolet cars in Canada is anticipating Sonic will double its share in the segment to annual sales of 18,000.

He really believes Sonic "will really stand out in its segment" -- especially the five-door model with rear door handles hidden in the c-pillars, giving it the look of a two-door coupe.

Power: Power is provided by the same pair of Ecotec engines used on Chevy Cruze -- a 1.8-litre inline-four with five-speed manual transmission and 1.4L turbo with six-speed stick.

A six-speed automatic is a $1,50 option on both, although its availability on turbocharged models will be delayed until January 2012.

Space: The interior has a generous 2,556 litres of passenger room, more than either Accent or Fiesta, and there's a cool motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster (dominated by a big round tach and a large digital speedometer) that includes useful info such as distance to empty and instantaneous fuel usage. The front seats are comfortable, even on longer trips, but ergonomics could be better.

Ride: GM touts the car's quiet ride, and that's true as far as engine and wind noise are concerned. In those areas, GM engineers have done a great job in isolating the cabin.

The front suspension is the usual MacPherson strut set-up but the torsion bar rear suspension still needs work, and you'll not just hear but feel every expansion joint and gap in the pavement. Otherwise, the ride is smooth.

The base LS lists at $14,495 for the sedan, $15,495 for the hatch.