Tag: suvs

Report: GM to unveil new SUVs at the State Fair of Texas?

Filed under: SUV, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

With General Motors just having rolled out its new fullsize truck twins – the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra – for 2014, now it seems to be time to focus on its big SUVs. The Truth About Cars is reporting that the 2015 Chevy Tahoe/Suburban and 2015 GMC Yukon lineup will be making their debuts later next month at the State Fair of Texas, which kicks off on September 27.

To date, we’ve only seen spy shots of the new Chevy and GMC SUVs (shown above in Yukon XL guise). Based on those spies both trucks seem to be taking a different styling direction than their pickup truck counterparts – just check out the Ford-looking headlight design on the next-gen Chevys.

We reached out to GM for comment and heard back simply that there is no official announcement about the new Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon. Still, the report definitely makes a solid leap of logic, as Texas is a top market for GM’s fullsize SUV lineup. It also appears that GM is still planning a separate launch for the next-gen Cadillac Escalade.

GM to unveil new SUVs at the State Fair of Texas? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota reaffirms commitment to body-on-frame SUVs

Filed under: SUV, Toyota, Off-Road

2014 Toyota 4Runner front three-quarter

Toyota sold 121,055 Highlander CUVs in 2012, according to Automotive News. By comparison, it sold 78,457 examples of four different body-on-frame, truck-based SUVs (4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Sequoia and Land Cruiser). One could argue then, that the traditional SUVs aren’t pulling their weight from a sales perspective. Yet that isn’t stopping Toyota from reaffirming its commitment to a segment that has seen its former champions – Ford, General Motors and Chrysler – abandon it with alarming speed. Ford and GM still offer body-on frame utilities, but only in the very largest offerings, catering to seven or even eight passengers. Everything outside of the Expedition or Tahoe rides now on a unibody.

Toyota’s decision to stick with the technology is good news if you’re in the market for smaller SUVs that are still capable of heading well off the beaten path. Outside of the Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee (a unibody) and perhaps Nissan Xterra, there’s not much in terms of capable SUVs between $20,000 and $50,000. As the Toyota brand’s US head, Bill Fay, says, “Clearly, the trend has shifted, but there is still an owner base that is interested in these vehicles.”

We don’t doubt Fay on that, but it may also be somewhat telling that Toyota’s SUV lineup is aging, and we haven’t seen or heard much about replacement models in the pipeline. Admittedly, the 4Runner (pictured) has been facelifted for 2014, but it’s mostly cosmetic in nature. Despite Toyota’s posturing, we still expect its body-on-frame lineup to thin in the coming years as sales dwindle and escalating fuel-economy standards make business cases even tougher. Here’s hoping that Toyota manages to keep at least one rough-and-tumble SUV in its lineup in the coming years.

Toyota reaffirms commitment to body-on-frame SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jul 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM recalls over 230,000 more Trailblazer-family SUVs over door electronics

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Buick, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Saab

Back in August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a recall on the General Motors GMT360 SUVs (Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender and Saab 9-7X) ranging from the 2005 to 2007 model years and the 2006 GMT370 SUVs (Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL) due to potential fires associated with the driver’s door module. Initially limited to 250,000 units sold or registered in 20 Snow Belt states (and the District of Columbia), the recall has now been expanded to include an additional 193,000 of these SUVs in the US and, according to The Detroit News, 40,000 more sold outside the US, including Canada and Mexico.

Like the original recall, the issue is still a faulty driver’s door module that can short out, which could lead to a fire. The Detroit News is reporting that, out of the 443,000 units being recalled, GM says that there were 58 fires that caused 11 minor injuries, and the expanded recall accounted for six fires and one injury. Despite the lower number of fires, the recall notice recommends that owners park their vehicles until the recall repairs has been performed.

On recalled units with functional modules, the repair consists of a protective coating being applied to the module, while vehicles with modules that are not working properly will have the driver’s door module replaced. The official recall notice is posted below, and it includes contact information for customers of all five brands.

Continue reading GM recalls over 230,000 more Trailblazer-family SUVs over door electronics

GM recalls over 230,000 more Trailblazer-family SUVs over door electronics originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking: Chrysler repays the rest of its federal loans… are SUVs to thank?

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, Earnings/Financials, Fiat

chrysler banner announces government dept paid off

It’s Official: Chrysler has announced that it has repaid its multi-billion dollar obligations owed to both the United States and Canadian governments. Adding up both loans plus interest, Chrysler has just shelled out a tidy $7.6 billion. The U.S. receives $5.9 billion and Canada will get $1.7 billion.

Chrysler was able to secure new means of financing, which allows the automaker to pay off its government obligations a full six years ahead of the original payment schedule. While this new financing still involves debts, it saves Chrysler an estimated $350 million per year in interest. This move also allows Chrysler to remain liquid, with more than $10 billion in assets ready to roll.

Under the direction of the U.S. government, Chrysler partnered up with Fiat, and the goal was to bring smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles to the states. Yet as an opinion piece in The Detroit News sagely reminds us, it wasn’t really the smaller cars that helped Chrysler, but the newly refreshed sport utility vehicles. The all-new Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee models helped push sales up 17 percent in 2010.

Regardless of how they got there, this move should serve to instill confidence in the U.S. car-buying public. Chrysler continues to add new or redesigned vehicles to its lineup and has a strong media campaign behind those vehicles. Will high gas prices slow the positive momentum that Chrysler has built up, or is this the chance for the Fiat portion of the relationship to step up and shine? Sound off in Comments, and check out the full press release posted after the jump.

Continue reading Chrysler repays the rest of its federal loans… are SUVs to thank?

Chrysler repays the rest of its federal loans… are SUVs to thank? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler SUVs spitting up gas?

Filed under: SUV, Recalls, Jeep, Off-Road

2007 Jeep Wrangler

Some Jeep Wrangler owners say they’ve been getting a nasty surprise from their 2007-2008 Wranglers. According to 600 complaints and 900 warranty claims, the Jeep off-roaders have been spitting gas at their owners during fill ups.

According to owners, the Jeeps have a tendency to spit fuel back out of their filler lines if you aren’t paying close attention at the pump. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the claims in November 2010, but closed it in February after finding that the fuel leaks don’t pose any significant safety hazard.

NHTSA also said that internet forums had played a role in the number of complaints they received, after forum members posted messages telling other owners to file complaints with NHTSA. Despite the number of complaints, NHTSA says many of them were unfounded and based solely on the urging of message boards.

Jeep owners who experienced the problem aren’t convinced, however, saying that the problem is dangerous, and carries a repair valued at about $600, though Chrysler warranties cover most of the repair.

[Source: CFNews13]

Are 2007-2008 Jeep Wrangler SUVs spitting up gas? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM expands axle pin recall to include more pickups, SUVs

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Recalls, Safety, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

2011 GMC Sierra

It would seem that General Motors has discovered that the defective axle cross pins responsible for a recent recall were installed in more vehicles than originally thought. The automaker has expanded the recall to cover a total of 26,751 vehicles, up from the 1,262 units in the original notice. As of right now, certain 2011 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Avalanche, Colorado, Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe models as well as GMC Canyon, Sierra and Yukon models are included in the newest recall.

As with before, the vehicles were built with rear axle cross pins that may not have been heat treated. As a result, the pieces could fracture and move out of position. If this happens, the defect could actually cause the rear axle to lock up while driving. Needless to say, the problem could easily cause an accident.

GM will replace the pins free of charge, though the recall isn’t scheduled to get underway until January 25. The company says that while one owner did experience a loss of power to the rear axle as a result of the defect, no accidents have been reported. Hit the jump to take a look at the full recall notice.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading GM expands axle pin recall to include more pickups, SUVs

GM expands axle pin recall to include more pickups, SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Facing high gas prices, dealers get cautious with big SUVs

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Crossover

SUV parking lot

The average gas price in the U.S. is over $3 right now, and there’s a good chance it’ll go higher before too long. What do you do in this situation if you’re a car dealer with a lot full of SUVs and big crossovers? You start being cautious.

That’s the takeaway point from an Automotive News article, with the key quote coming from a New York Ford dealer, who told the industry publication:

SUVs are still important in this area, but people are downsizing to more fuel efficient SUVs instead. We are still stocking with the idea that it may go either way. Hoping for the best, but prepared for anything.

For the moment, gas prices aren’t high enough to make people panic and try to offload their gas hogs the way we saw in 2008, but Kelley Blue Book analyst Alec Gutierrez told Automotive News that SUV sales could drop “dramatically” once gas reaches $3.50 or $4 a gallon, saying, “The days where a dealer could just go to auction and stock up on a bunch of SUVs and hold them for 40 or 60 days are over.”

The last time gas jumped up to panic levels was in 2008. That’s when Joe Crawford took the picture that illustrates this post. In the accompanying Flickr caption, he writes:

So a local (Culver City) car dealer started storing cars on the top of our parking garage. I always park on the roof, so anytime I am up there I see the cars. I have taken to think of these cars as an economic indicator. They all seem to be SUV vehicles. I wonder about why they are up there, and why there seems to be more every week. I suspect the fact that they’re stored here has something to do with the price of gas.

We suspect he’s right, and we can’t imagine there are dealers out there who want to have to go through a process like that again.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req. | Image: Joe Crawford – C.C. 2.0]

Report: Facing high gas prices, dealers get cautious with big SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Paris takes first step to ban SUVs

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Government/Legal

Ford Explorer question

Does a Sport Utility Vehicle belong in the city? Environmental officials in Paris certainly don’t think so and they’ve taken the first steps toward an outright ban of the SUV. While not strictly aimed at SUV owners, the Parisian officials are looking to implement restrictions on gas-guzzling vehicles.

It’s not clear yet what types of restrictions will be set in place for SUVs (and older diesel-powered cars as well), but officials hint at limitations on vehicle type by neighborhood and time of day. Penalties for breaking these restrictions have yet to be established.

Paris is not alone in moving to implement these changes either as Lyon, Grenoble, Aix-en-Provence and a handful of other French cities are joining in this movement. Elsewhere in Europe, London and Berlin already have such restrictions in place in the form of Low Emission Zones with varying levels of success. However, the biggest question is: How do you define an SUV?

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Report: Paris takes first step to ban SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz recalls 3,500 G-Class SUVs over turn signals

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz G-Class – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2002 through 2010 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is equipped with covers for the front turn signals – added for style as much as protection. Undoubtedly, many owners of the blocky SUV have never given the covers a thought, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has and it’s been deemed unworthy of Federal Standard 108.

If you’re wondering, that’s the standard that covers “lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment.” In this case, NHTSA claims that the cover could “impact over time the signal’s ability to meet the minimum requirements of FMVSS 108.” In other words, the cover could inhibit the visibility of the signal.

If you’re one of the 3,522 G-Class owners affected by this recall, you’ll be notified to bring your $100,000 off-roader to a Mercedes dealer, where they’ll install a new turn light unit that works better with the grill cover. Hit the jump to read over the NHTSA press release.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Mercedes-Benz G550

[Source: NHTSA]

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Mercedes-Benz recalls 3,500 G-Class SUVs over turn signals originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM SUVs to continue with full frame, Granite still on the table

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

The Sport Utility Vehicle is dead. Long live the Sport Utility Vehicle.

We all know by now that the SUV, considered the Official Car of the 1990s and early 00s, has mostly fallen out of favor. But that doesn’t mean we should expect the large, body-on-frame behemoths – with the exception of impractical niche models like those from Hummer – to completely disappear from automaker showrooms any time soon.

Instead, the market may just right-size itself back to a more natural mix, with those users who really do need the off-road and towing capabilities of a proper SUV sticking with their ‘utes and the rest of the population switching to crossovers. With that in mind, Automotive News reports that the redesigned GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe, due in 2013 or 2014, will likely stick to their truck-based roots. No surprise.

Nor should we be shocked by the revelation that the GMC Granite, which was first shown at the Detroit Auto Show early in 2010, is still in the works. In today’s market conditions, an entirely truck-based lineup makes very little fiscal sense, but we’d imagine that General Motors’ Lambda triplets will remain the automaker’s volume sellers.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Report: GM SUVs to continue with full frame, Granite still on the table originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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