GMC CANYON WINS CARS.COM MIDSIZE PICKUP CHALLENGE

By General Motors, Detroit - The all-new GMC Canyon was the top pick by the editors of Cars.com in a midsize pickup comparison test posted today.

The editors praised the Canyon SLT - the segment's only premium entry - for its road manners and performance with a full load in the bed, as well as its design and "high-end materials", in a side-by-side challenge with Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Nissan Frontier PRO-4X.

"The GMC Canyon scored well throughout our tests, and offered a capable and luxurious ride and feel that clearly separated the GMC from the rest of the pack," said Cars.com Pickup Truck Editor Mark Williams.

The trucks were tested for a range of capabilities, including performance, seating and erognomics, tech and entertainment, ride quality, visibility, value and off-road capability.  The trucks were track-tested for braking and acceleration performance, subjected to a true off-road course, and took part in a 320-kilometre-mile fuel-consumption evaluation.  Additionally, a pickup truck shopper unaffiliated with Cars.com tested each of the trucks for overall ride, comfort and features.

"Establishing a benchmark for a premium mid-size pickup was our goal with the Canyon and PickupTruck.com's insights affirm our instincts," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and MArketing.  "The Canyon's quiet cabin, premium design and materials make it a maneuverable solution for customers who want the capability of a pickup with the modern amenities customers expect from GMC."

In addition to Cars.com's recognition, Canyon was named Autoweek's Best of the Best Truck for 2015.

Canyon in Canada starts at $20,600, plus a $1,695 destination freight charge and is available in four-door extended- or crew-cab models.  It offers the segment's best horsepower and fuel consumption rating: 200 horsepower (149 kW) and 8.8 L/100 km highway (2WD) from a standard 2.5L I-4; and 305 horsepower (227 kW) and 9.6 L/100km (2WD) from an available 3.6L V-6.

Canyon V-6 models offer a segment-leading maximum trailering rating of 3,175 kilograms (7,000 lbs), as well as the G80 locking rear differential, for sure-footed traction in slippery conditions and when trailering.

UPDATED CHEVY SILVERADO SPIED, POSSIBLY WITH ALUMINUM COMPONENTS

By Steven J. Ewing, Autoblog.com - Chevrolet is readying a refresh for its trusty Silverado pickup, and these spy shots give us our first glimpse at what might be in store.  The front and rear fascias of this prototype are covered, obscuring some styling tweaks (with LED accents up front).

More interestingly, our spies suggest that many of the Silverado's body components could move to aluminum with this mid-cycle update.  The hood will go from steel to the lighter alloy, and it's possible the front fenders could benefit from the weight-saving material, too.

Ford's latest F-150 is extremely aluminum-intensive and by switching the construction, 700 pounds was trimmed off the truck's weight.  We've already heard that General Motors is working with a similar plan for its next-generation fullsize trucks.

Beyond that, expect the smaller 5.3-liter V8 to ditch its six-speed automatic transmission in favor of the eight-speed unit that's already mated to the larger, 6.2-liter V8.  Neither transmission will stick around very long, as the trucks will likely adopt a 10-speed automatic around 2017.

Look for the updated Silverado to debut later this year, likely as a 2016.5 model.

CHEVROLET TO OPEN RETAIL SALES OF SPARK EV IN CANADA

By General Motors Canada, Montreal - Today, Chevrolet builds on its position as the Canadian leader in plug-in electric vehicle sales, by expanding the availability of the 2016 Spark EV for retail customers.  Spark EV has been available for fleet customers for 2 years.  The Spark EV will be eligible for provincial incentives from the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.  Chevrolet also offers the best-selling electric vehicle in Canada, the Volt, and has recently announced plans to bring the next generation all-electric vehicle based on the Chevrolet Bolt EV Concept into production.

We're expanding our electric vehicle offerings to our customers by offering the 2016 Spark EV for retail sales in the growing EV markets here in Quebec as well as in Ontario and BC," said Chris Hay, regional director for Chevrolet.  "For city residents whose transportation needs can be met with an all-electric vehicle, Spark EV builds on Chevrolet's proven electric motor and battery development programs from the Chevrolet Volt."

The Chevrolet Spark EV is an all-electric urban mini-car designed for fun driving and easy ownership.  It offers the latest in technology and in-vehicle infotainment, including industry exclusive OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.

It uses no gasoline, yet its GM-built motor and drive unit deliver 327 lb-ft (444 Nm) of instant torque, enabling a 0-97 km/h (0-60 mph) time of 7.2 seconds.  Storing that energy from the charging process and the vehicle's regenerative braking capability is an 18.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

When fully charged, Spark EV features a combined city-highway estimated range of 131 km and an estimated city/highway fuel consumption equivalent of 2.0 L/100kms.

Three available levels of recharging capability include the industry's first use of the recently approved SAE combo charger for DC fast charging, which charges 80 percent of the battery in just 20 minutes.

Pricing for 2016 Spark EV will be available at a later time.