2014 NORTH AMERICAN CAR AND TRUCK/UTILITY OF THE YEAR AWARD SHORT LIST RELEASED

By Chris Paukert, Autoblog.com - Although the domestic auto season is not yet upon us, the picture for the 2014 model year is well established, with many models already on sale at dealerships.  Likewise, the jurors of the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards are already in the thick of their new vehicle evaluations, and they've culled down their "long list" of nominees down to a tighter list of candidates.  Whereas the long list essentially represents all new vehicles that are expected to launch in a given year, the "short list" above is a move focused look at what the self-funded, independent, non-profit jury of 50 North American auto writers feel is worth closer consideration.

This year's NACTOY short list is composed of 12 cars and 12 truck and utility vehicles, with the latter category once again including crossovers.  The list of Car of the Year candidates covers a broad bandwidth of segments, from sporty coupes (BMW 4 Series, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray) and convertibles (Jaguar F-Type) to bread-and-butter offerings like the Chevrolet Impala, Mazda3, Mazda6 and Toyota Corolla.  Vying for the Truck/Utility award is everything from the tiny Buick Encore to honking full-size pickups like the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, along with luxury CUVs like the BMW X5 and Land Rover Range Rover Sport.

Overall, General Motors enjoys a particularly robust showing this go-round, with three vehicles up for consideration in each category, and Toyota has notched a vehicle on both the car and truck lists, along with a model from its Lexus brand.  Mazda has landed both of its new-for-2014 offerings on the short list, BMW and Kia both have two entries, and Nissan has a pair of vehicles including their premium Infiniti marquee.

The next step in the process will see the jurors training their gaze on these short-listed vehicles before another round of voting leaves just three finalists in each category.  Another round of evaluation and voting follows that, with the eventual winners announced at a press conference on the first press day of the Detroit Auto Show in January.

2014 North American Car of the Year short list:

• BMW 4 Series
• Cadillac CTS
• Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
• Chevrolet Impala
• Infiniti Q50
• Jaguar F-Type
• Kia Cadenza
• Lexus IS
• Mazda3
• Mazda6
• Mercedes-Benz CLA
• Toyota Corolla

2014 North American Truck/Utility of the Year short list:

• Acura MDX
• BMW X5
• Buick Encore
• Chevrolet Silverado
• GMC Sierra
• Hyundai Sante Fe LWB
• Jeep Cherokee
• Kia Sorento
• Land Rover Range Rover Sport
• Nissan Rogue
• Subaru Forester
• Toyota Tundra

CALLAWAY CORVETTE STINGRAY AEROWAGON CONCEPT TO SEE PRODUCTION

By Jeffrey N. Ross, Autoblog.com - The 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray is shipping to dealers now, but if that's too common for you, it sounds like you'll be able to upgrade to the Callaway AeroWagon starting next year.  GTSpirit is reporting that Callaway has given this car the go-ahead, and it will be available starting January 1 only in North America.

When the idea was first floated back in March, the proposed conversion price was US$15,000, but as it turns out, if you want a cargo-friendlier Corvette, it will cost you US$22,995 on top of the price you pay for the car itself.  As for the "aero" part of the AeroWagon, Callaway has previously stated that it hopes to give its mechanically modified version of the C7 the best fuel economy in the supercar segment while allowing the car to still hit speeds of more than 320 km/h (200 miles per hour).

CHEVROLET OFFERS THE MOST MODELS WITH 5-STAR OVERALL SCORES

From subcompact to full-size pickup, brand earns highest possible ratings

By General Motors, Detroit - Among 2014 model year vehicles, Chevrolet offers seven with 5-Star Overall Vehicle Scores for safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -- more than any other brand and more than Ford and Toyota combined.

In New Car Assessment Program testing, NHTSA gave its possible 5-Star Overall Score to the Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze, Volt, Impala, Traverse, Camaro Coupe and Silverado 1500 Crew Cab.  Sonic is the first and only car in the subcompact class to receive a 5-Star Overall Score.

Federal Motor vehicle safety standards and safety regulations are included in the design and performance requirements for every new Chevrolet vehicle.  About 40 percent of the crash load cases are based on regulatory requirements with the remaining 60 percent based on General Motors' internal requirements for vehicle safety and crashworthiness, which exceed federal requirements.

According to GM research, safety ranks among the top 10 reasons for purchase.  According to 2012 calendar year sales data, 54 percent of Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick buyers surveyed listed safety features as an "extremely important" purchase consideration.  The same percentage of buyers industrywide also listed safety features as "extremely important."

"We design safety and crashworthiness into our vehicles very early in development," said Gay Kent, GM's general director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness.  "We are committed to offering advanced safety technologies on a broad range of models, not just on the most expensive vehicles.  All of our vehicles are designed to provide continuous protection for customers before, during and after a crash."

Active safety technologies, including forward collision alert and lane departure warning, are designed to help the driver avoid a crash before it happens.  These and other advanced technologies are available on many new Chevrolet vehicles -- from small cars to big trucks.  Silverado offers the new Safety Alert Seat that pulses to alert the driver of potential hazards.

Passive safety features, such as Cruze's segment-leading 10 standard air bags and the available industry-first front center air bag in the Traverse, are designed to help protect occupants during crashes and rollovers.  Sonic was the first subcompact to have 10 standard airbags.

OnStar, available on all Chevrolet models, enables occupants to get help from emergency services after a crash through Automatic Crash Response.

GM FINALLY WALKING THE WALK WHEN IT COMES TO QUALITY VEHICLES

By Jeremy Cato, Special to The Globe and Mail - For as long as I've been covering the car business, I've been among those who have criticized General Motors for touting the "fabulous future" and never achieving the predicted results -- sometimes even failing woefully short.  The unkind way to put this is to say GM has a long history of talking a good game.

GM still likes to chat up future models and grand plans.  For instance, earlier this year at the Detroit auto show, Mark Reuss, GM's North American president, reminded every reporter within earshot that his company will have turned over its entire product line by mid-2014.  And GM's new pickups, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, would rock the competition, he added.

Reporters love bold comments coming from senior executives.  What's different these days is something I haven't seen in nearly 30 years: GM is living up to its promises and predictions at an unheard of clip.

For instance, late last week, GM Boldly touted the fact that among 2014 model year vehicles, the Chevrolet brand boasts seven with 5-Star overall vehicle scores for safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Chevy has more 2014s wearing 5 Stars than any other brand, including Ford and Toyota combined, GM proudly noted.

The 5-Star winners in the New Car Assessment Program: Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze, Volt, Impala, Traverse, Camaro coupe and Silverado 1500 crew cab.

"Sonic is the first and only car in the subcompact class to receive a 5-Star Overall Score," GM happily announced.

Then there's this about GM's new 2014 pickups: the Chevrolet Silverado 1500s "Excellent" road-test score makes it Consumer Reports' top-rated truck.  In the summer, CR's testers also gave Chevy's revamped Impala the top spot overall for all sedans -- taking a position held by Japanese and European models for at least the last 20 years.  An "Excellent" 95 score put the Impala at the top of CR's "Large Sedan" category and only two vehicles had to date earned a higher test score: the Tesla Model S hatchback and the BMW 135i coupe.

Also in the summer, GM stood atop the 2013 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study or IQS.  GM's GMC and Chevrolet brands ranked among the top five of the IQS, which measures the number of owner-reported problems on 2013 cars and light trucks during the first 90 days.

"GM has the best quality of any corporation in the study, the first time it's been on top," David Sargent, Power vice-president of global automotive and the study's author, told Automotive News.

Still, take note that among individual brands, Porsche ranked No. 1, Lexus ranked No. 3 and Infiniti No. 4.  GMC was No. 2 and Chevy No. 5.  Interestingly, Toyota did not rank in the top five with Lexus and Nissan failed to do the same tag team with Infiniti.  Only GM had two brands in the top five.  Impressive.

Hopefully, no one at GM is running up a victory banner.  For instance, while GM may have won the pickup battle in the latest round of CR tests, the testers pointed out that the second-place Ram 1500 may be an even better daily driver than the Silverado.  Indeed, these two finished one-two among pickups, separated by only three points.

"The reality is that you can't go wrong with either one.  Both are capable trucks that get decent gas mileage and are as quiet inside as a good luxury car," said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.

So GM is starting to string together some tangible results, keeping a few promises along the way.  Moreover, GM's tale is part of a bigger story coming out of Detroit.

"The Impala's performance is one more indicator of an emerging domestic renaissance," said Fisher in releasing Impala test results.  "We've seen a number of redesigned American models -- including the Chrysler 300, Ford Escape and Fusion, and Jeep Grand Cherokee -- deliver world-class performance in our tests."

Could it be that GM and Detroit as a whole really are doing more than talking a good game?


GM IS CONSIDERING OFF-ROAD VARIANT FOR LARGE SUV LINE

By Mike Colias, Automotive News - General Motors is considering an off-road model for the redesigned large SUVs it unveiled this month, GM's top truck engineer said.

GM for years has sold a Z71 off-road package for the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, with stronger shocks, bigger wheels and special styling cues such as larger wheel flares and badging.  But they haven't been big sellers, said Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer for GM trucks.

"We are looking at, for this generation, a more off-road variant," Luke said during a media preview last month to introduce the SUVs, the first redesign for the body-on-frame trucks in eight years.

Luke said off-road capability is one reason buyers gravitate to big SUVs instead of unibody crossovers, which largely have replaced body-on-frame architectures.

Owners "just love off-roading with these vehicles," Luke said.  "They look at this vehicle as more off-road capable" than crossovers, he said.

In general, Luke said GM will introduce more enhancements to the next generation of SUVs, which will go on sale by March for the 2015 model year.  The outgoing SUVs have gone without major modifications or powertrain advancements since their debut in early 2006.

"In the life cycle of this product we're going to continually upgrade and add technologies, including in the powertrain area," Luke said.  Asked about the possibility of an eight-speed transmission, he said simply: "Stay tuned."

2013 CHEVROLET TRAX RECEIVES VINCENTRIC AWARD

By General Motors of Canada, Oshawa - The 2013 Chevrolet Trax has been recognized by Vincentric as a Consumer Best Value in Canada in the Compact Sport Utility Vehicle segment.  The Vincentric award acknowledges Chevrolet's commitment to delivering value and performance in a city-sized SUV.

"The 2013 Chevrolet Trax offers Canadians convenience and utility in a small SUV, making it the ideal partner to drive in urban centres and cities across Canada," said Vincent Boillot, marketing manager, crossovers, General Motors of Canada.  "This award recognizes the excellent fuel efficiency, flexibility and car-like handling delivered by this urban adventurer."

With room for five passengers and generous cargo space, Trax exhibits its SUV toughness and capability in a small package through a muscular exterior design and a wide athletic stance.  It comes equipped with Chevrolet's proven 1.4L Ecotec turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, producing 138 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque.  The 2013 Trax has 10 standard air bags, StabiliTrack stability enhancement and the security of OnStar, all for the starting price of just $18,495 plus $1,500 destination charges.

To determine the 2013 Vincentric Best Value in Canada awards, Vincentric analyzed over 1,800 vehicle configurations measuring cost-of-ownership using eight different cost factors: depreciation, fees & taxes, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, opportunity cost, and repairs.  Using a statistical model, the company identified the Vincentric Best Value in Canada winners by measuring which vehicles had lower than expected ownership costs given their market segment and price.

CHEVY BEGINS SHIPPING C7 CORVETTE STINGRAY

By Jeffrey N. Ross, Autoblog.com - If you live in the greater Detroit area or in one of General Motors' favorite testing zones, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the C7 era is already upon us -- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupes are thick on the ground in every colour of the rainbow around here.  Of course, that's just our Motor City Myopia creeping in, as the first customer deliveries from the automaker's famed Bowling Green, Kentucky facility are actually just now getting underway.

Thus far, Chevrolet says it has built around 1,000 Corvettes for retail sale, with most examples slated to arrive safely in their white prophylactic transport wrappers at dealers nationwide in the next few weeks.  If you're waiting for a droptop, find a comfy chair -- Corvette Convertible production isn't slated to begin until the end of this year.  If you live in colder climes, might we suggest you take delivery at your winter snowbird residence?

For those of you with orders in, VIN paperwork in hand and a glint in your eye, General Motors cautions that cars are being shipped out of build sequence, a fact it notes is normal during the start of production of any car.  For the rest of you, well, you're a step closer to seeing the seventh-generation model on a street corner near you.

Chevrolet Begins Shipping 2014 Corvette Stingray

All-new Stingray Coupes rolling out of Bowling Green plant for dealers nationwide
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Chevrolet today began shipping the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe to dealers.

"It's an amazing sight to see the transporters filled with Stingrays heading to customers in all corners of the country," said Dave Tatman, plant manager of General Motors' Bowling Green Assembly plant.  "The pride at Bowling Green is overwhelming and it shows tremendous quality and attention to detail going into each one of these new Corvettes."

Bowling Green Assembly has produced approximately 1,000 Corvette Stingrays for customer deliveries.  Most of these vehicles are expected to be delivered to dealers within the next few weeks.  To expedite delivery, vehicles may be shipped out of build sequence, which is a normal part of any new vehicle launch.

The Bowling Green facility underwent a $131-million upgrade to support production of the Corvette Stingray, including approximately $52 million for a new body shop to manufacture the car's all-new aluminum frame in-house for the first time.

The lightweight aluminum frame is the foundation for the most powerful standard Corvette ever, with an SAE-certified 455 horsepower (339 kW) and 460 lb-ft of torque (624 Nm) -- and 460 horsepower (343 kW) and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) with the available performance exhaust system.  It is also the most capable standard Corvette ever, with Z51-equipped models able to sprint from 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds, run the quarter-mile in 12 seconds at 119 mph, achieve 1.03g in cornering grip and stop from 60 mph in 107 feet.

Complementing its performance capability with efficiency, the Corvette Stingray delivers the best fuel economy of any sports car on the market -- an EPA-estimated 17 mpg in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway.  No other car offers more than 455 horsepower and greater than 29 mpg on the highway.

The 2014 Corvette Stingray is the seventh generation of the sports car, which has been built exclusively at the Bowling Green plant since June 1981.