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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 6-22-2018 Chevrolet revealed its 2019 mid-sized Blazer crossover/SUV last night. The new five-passenger vehicle will be bigger than an Equinox, but smaller than a Traverse. What may be the Blazer’s most defining element is its looks. “The Blazer has attitude,” said John Cafaro, executive director, Global Chevrolet Design. “It looks commanding on the road, while fulfilling the promise of versatility at the heart of every Chevy crossover and SUV.” Drivetrains: The new Blazer will launch with two drivetrains Colorado fans will recognize. GM’s 2.5L I-4 will be the standard engine and the 3.6L V-6 engine will be optional, each mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. There was no mention by Chevy of the new four-cylinder gasoline turbo or any diesel options. “The Chevrolet Blazer is more than just good looks,” said Waqar Hashim, Blazer chief engineer. “Both the Ecotec® 2.5L four-cylinder engine and 3.6L V-6 engine are paired to Chevrolet’s nine-speed automatic transmission, providing drivers a great balance between performance and efficiency.” Specs: GM says that the new Blazer will tow up to 4,500 pounds. Cargo area, with the rear seats folded, will be 64.2 cubic feet. By comparison, a Honda CR-V has 76 cubic feet and a Mazda CX-5 60 cubic feet. GM didn’t offer any interior passenger volume numbers, but we question if the Blazer is really “mid-sized.” GM appears to be targeting the segment in which the Murano and Ford Edge reside with this new crossover. The Blazer is a unibody design and shares its platform with the GMC Acadia. Trims: GM plans to give the various trims distinct personalities. GM says there will be “additional bright chrome on the Premier trim and a more sinister-looking, blacked-out appearance for the Blazer RS.” Technology: GM listed the following technology highlights for the new Blazer: -Hitch Guidance — Available on models with the 3.6L engine, it aids in aligning the Blazer’s hitch to a trailer by showing the center line on the rear-vision camera. -Hitch View — This available feature complements Hitch Guidance by showing a top-down view, making it easier to hitch a trailer without a second person to assist. -Electronic-locking glove box — A Chevy first, it offers added storage security, and is roomy enough to fit a small handbag. The glove box is locked with the vehicle’s Valet Mode, which is accessible through the Settings menu. -Automatic heated steering wheel and automatic heated/ventilated front seats — These available features work with Remote Start and/or automatic climate control to automatically adjust temperature to help maintain comfort. -Comfort-open windows — Activated by the key fob, this feature allows all windows to roll down to help heat escape before occupants enter the vehicle. -Heated outboard rear seats are available on RS and standard on Premier. -Adaptive Cruise Control and Rear Camera Mirror are available on RS and Premier2. -Hands-free power liftgate with Bowtie logo projection is standard on RS and Premier. -Wireless charging and six USB ports are available. Manufacturing Location: The 2019 Chevrolet Blazer will be built in Mexico. Terry Dittes, UAW vice president and director to the UAW-GM department issued a press statement as the Chevrolet Blazer launch concluded, saying “This news that the iconic Blazer nameplate will be built in Mexico is disappointing to UAW families and communities across this country," Dittes said. "GM employs over 15,000 production workers in Mexico, pays the workers less than $3 per hour and exports over 80 percent of the vehicles to the U.S. to sell here.” Timing: The new Blazer will go on sale in early 2019. Pricing has not been announced.

Zane Merva Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com 6/8/2018 The Buick Encore continues on with only small packaging changes for the 2019 model year. Buick is realigning the Encore's trim levels this year, so many of the previous year's trim packages are no longer available. Check out our other "What's New For 2019" Articles Here's what's new for the 2019 Buick Encore. 2018 Options That Have Been Retired FWD Preferred II 1SD (4JU76) models AWD Preferred II 1SD (4JM76) models FWD Premium 1SN (4JV76) models AWD Premium 1SN (4JN76) models (GJ6) Black Cherry Metallic exterior color (GK2) Graphite Gray Metallic exterior color (GQM) Coastal Blue Metallic exterior color New Features, Colors & Options for 2019 (GUM) Seeker Blue Metallic exterior color (GYM) Satin Steel Gray Metallic exterior color (PCL) Safety Package II, includes (KEM) Ionizing air cleaner, (CE1) Rainsense wipers, (UD5) Front and Rear Park Assist, (UEU) Forward Collision Alert and (UFL) Lane Departure Warning (1SL models)

John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 6-25-2018 A new study by our friends at iSeeCars looks at which vehicles had the largest decline in retained value after three years. In the crossover category, the SRX is the top vehicle in this regard with a 47% reduction in value from its new car MSRP. The second best deal on a three-year-old crossover the study found was the three-year-old Buick Enclave which sells for just under 46% of its price new. iSeeCars.com analyzed more than 4.1 million car sales to identify which models had the greatest loss in value after three years. The BMW 5 Series was the top vehicle with an incredible 53% loss in valuation. Commenting on why the SRX and Enclave found their way to this list, iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly said, “The Cadillac SRX and the Buick Enclave, make the otherwise car-dominated list in the ninth and tenth spots making them attractive options for people interested in this booming vehicle segment. Trucks and truck-based SUVs are known for having the highest value retention, which explains why these vehicle types are absent from the top 10 list. Trucks as a vehicle category depreciate 23.3 percent in three years, which is two-thirds of the 35 percent average across all vehicle segments.” The SRX was replaced by the XT5 in Cadillac’s lineup. The name change may be helping push down the vehicle’s value. “Discontinued cars typically have lower resale values than cars still in production,” explained Ly.

Zane Merva Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com 6/5/2018 Only a few short years into this brand new model, Buick is giving some thoughtful upgrades to the 2019 Envision. A new nine-speed transmission and more powerful turbo 2.0L engine top off the long list of improvements. Buick is hoping these small changes will keep the model in buyer's consideration. Check out our other "What's New For 2019" Articles Here's what's new for the 2019 Buick Envision. 2018 Options That Have Been Retired Ebony seats with Dark Plum interior accents Midnight Amethyst Metallic exterior color Headlamps, halogen composite with automatic exterior lamp control Headlamps, articulating LPO, 19" (48.3 cm) Ultra-bright machine-faced wheels with Midnight Silver painted pockets Wheels, 19" (48.3 cm) 10-spoke aluminum with premium Manoogian Silver finish Exhaust, single-outlet stainless-steel Transmission, 6-speed automatic (1SN & 1SP) New Features, Colors & Options for 2019 Dark Galvanized leather-appointed seats with Ebony interior accents Satin Steel Gray Metallic exterior color Air cleaner, ionizing Tire Fill Alert Wireless Charging Headlamps, projector beam, high intensity discharge (HID) (1SV, 1SD and 1SL) Headlamps, Bi-LED technology (Premium and Premium II) Taillamps, LED with low-profile design Wheels, 18" (45.7 cm) 10-spoke painted aluminum (NEW DESIGN) Wheels, 18" (45.7 cm) 10-spoke polished aluminum (NEW DESIGN) Exhaust, turned down, hidden Transmission, 9-speed automatic (1SN/1SP) Small Changes In Trim & Packaging for 2019 Lighting, interior ambient, located on instrument panel and front door trim changes from Ice Blue to White LPO, 19" Ultra-bright machine-faced wheels with Midnight Silver painted pockets replaced by 19" aluminum wheels, LPO Wheels, 19" 10-spoke aluminum with premium Manoogian Silver finish replaced by 19" aluminum wheels

Welcome to the all new forum section dedicated to General Motor's next generation D2XX Architecture as it applies to the 2018+ Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain compact crossovers. More information on these two vehicles can be found here: Chevy's All-new 2018 Equinox With Optional Diesel Power Announced GMC Shows Off All-New 2018 Terrain

John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 9-23-2016 GM was one of the first automotive companies to begin speaking openly about the shift away from cars. Why not? After all, its low-volume performance cars aside, the general has been behind the industry leaders in terms of car sales for a long time. Perhaps this was just the shift GM needed to become relevant again in a high volume vehicle segment besides trucks. The Chevy Equinox is critical to the brand's financial health and long-term success. In its announcement today, Chevy laid out the ways in which the new compact crossover will stay in the fight. Most important is the overall size and shape of the Equinox. The Equinox shaves about a half inch in width and five inches in length off its current body, putting it in the same size box as its peers. It also loses about 400 pounds. These are good things, because, although more space is always welcome, the current Equinox has been larger than its peers in the segment and it didn't fit the mold. There is always a place for trend setters, but that's not what the outgoing Equinox is. And sales have fallen off a cliff. Better to toe the line and wear the uniform. Chevy's focus groups like the new design, and John Cafaro, executive director, GM Design, said, “Customers who previewed the vehicle early on had a strong emotional response to the sleek and sophisticated exterior design." The new 1.6-liter diesel engine option will attract media attention because the auto press loves diesel family vehicles. Almost nobody else cares, and they have never sold well in the U.S. GM didn't give any numbers, but, as always, diesel power's ability to put up good highway numbers when combined with (just) front-wheel drive will allow GM to attract attention. Will the Equinox diesel have a higher combined MPG, or better cost per mile than segment leaders? Doubtful, but possible. In any case, diesel vehicle advocates love to write comments under stories, so we are as happy as anyone to see GM offering the new spark-less engine. Dramatically more important than the diesel will be the two gasoline turbos GM will introduce, a 1.5-liter and a 2.0-liter. Sub-two-liter, boosted engines have just recently matured and companies like Honda, Ford, and Hyundai have engines like this on the market now in small vehicles that work perfectly. We suspect GM will as well. Interestingly, GM opted for a nine-speed auto transmission. Although it sounds like that will help with fuel economy, the fact is that geared transmissions are done in this segment and the CVTs will be the fuel economy leaders. It is hard to understand why GM made this move. Infotainment will be what we expect today, but keep in mind this vehicle is six months away. Safety is key to the family vehicle segment and GM is one of the only automakers who don;t have a Top Safety Pick + compact crossover. GM hopes to rectify that with OPTIONAL advanced crash prevention. We highlight optional because all 2017 Toyota crossovers will have that technology standard. Toyota is ahead in sales, already has TSP+-rated crossovers, and every single article you read about GM's vehicles's safety will be pointing out that GM charges families extra for safety (or should). No news on pricing yet. GM says the new 2018 Equinox will come to U.S. dealers in Q1 of 2018.

George Kennedy Contributor, GM-Trucks.com 7/14/2016 It seems like everything is going “biggie-biggie” these days. From Big Box Stores to massive iced coffees, everything has to get bigger to match our tastes. Cars, trucks, and SUVs are no different, with models growing every time they are redesigned. We automotive experts call this “generation bloat,” and it seems like it is inevitable when a new vehicle comes out. But GMC did the unthinkable when it redesigned the new 2017 Acadia SUV, and actually made it smaller. The second generation of GMC’s full-size (available) three-row crossover is 7 inches shorter, 3.5-inches narrower, and has a 6-inch shorter wheelbase. GM says this new footprint, which is based on the C1XX platform (which will underpin the new Cadillac XT5), is 740 pounds lighter than the outgoing model and has a tighter turning radius. Put it next to the first generation Acadia and it appears considerably smaller from the outside, but what it loses in size, it gains in style. The first-gen’s styling was inoffensive enough, but the Lambda-platform vehicles had rather bulbous styling–not exactly in line with the brawny “Professional Grade” image that GMC tries to portray. But the new-look Acadia has a well-defined visual character, with an upright grille and brooding headlights. Thankfully GMC left off the indented faux fender flares of the Terrain. Despite the smaller footprint, the Acadia retains a lot of its cabin space. You sit slightly closer to the passenger beside you, but first and second row passengers have plenty of head- and legroom. The Acadia is available as a 5-passenger (delete 3rd row), 7-passenger (3rd row with 2nd row captains chairs) or 8-passenger (2nd and 3rd row benches) configurations. The second row features GMC smart-slide seating. One handle, one motion slides seat forward for easy access to the 3rd row. GMC says customers asked for more usable space and lots of places to put things, so they delivered, with plenty of cupholders and pockets for all your gear and devices. The re-proportioned styling also resulted in improved visibility, so you’ll use the standard backup camera as an aid rather than a crutch. The weight loss also gave GMC room to employ technologies like lightweight sound deadening, contributing to a quieter cabin A GMC model would not be complete without a Denali trim, and the Acadia does not disappoint. True to form the Acadia Denali features 20-inch wheels, hands free power liftgate, and the usual slathering of chrome to the exterior. New for 2017 is the Acadia All-Terrain. For starters, it loses the 3rd row, resulting in 79 cu ft. of storage space. The chrome of the Denali replaced by black accents, for a more menacing look. But the real development of the All-Terrain is beneath the skin, there an Active Twin-Clutch AWD System transfers torque from front to rear or from left to right. Our sources at GMC say this model is targeted at Jeep Grand Cherokee customers and its capability seems to back that up. You won’t be crossing the Rubicon trail in one of these, but the AWD can get you to the ski loge, camp site or out on to the beach with ease. The Acadia delivers a ton of standard and available technology to you’re your life easier. The automatic rear lift-gate opens simply by having your keys in your pocket swinging foot under the rear bumper. This is crucial when you’re hands are fully of groceries and can’t reach your keys. GMC has also baked a whole host of new connectivity into the Acadia, highlighted by three new apps that are accessed via the large available touch screen. The first one is Glimpse, which allows users to send their location to friends. Other Glimpse users can see you on a map, which is very handy when picking up someone from a busy airport terminal. Next up is At Your Service, which is an OnStar-type app that lets you search local businesses and it will bring up relevant deals and coupons. Finally, there’s the Weather Channel app. Seems simple enough to have a weather app on your smartphone, but this app layers on top of navigation, and will give weather related warnings and adjust travel times accounting for the weather. The base engine is a 2.5-liter inline-4 making 194 hp and 190 lb ft of torque. This engine features auto-stop-start and is good for 21 miles per gallon city, 25 highway, 23 combined (for AWD) The more powerful engine (and likely more popular choice) is the 3.6-liter V6, developing 310 hp and 272 lb ft. This engine has Active Fuel Management, which turns a V6 to a V4 when less power is needed. This engine returns fuel economy of 18 city, 25 highway, 20 combined (AWD). Power is sent through a 6-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels or available all-wheel drive. Acadia features Traction Select, which adjusts throttle response, transmission shift points, steering feel, and suspension stiffness (if equipped). You can chose from Sport, Snow, all-wheel drive, off-road, and trailer/tow drive modes, all with the push of a button. In Sport mode, the Acadia has brisk acceleration, but we found the 6 speed automatic sometimes had trouble deciding which gear to stay in. This could be chalked up to pre-production teething. Steering was well-weighted and the suspension was responsive, while still soaking up bumps in the road. An innovative feature is the available Tow Vision Camera. All models have the backup camera, but the Tow Vision Camera offers unique angles and guidelines perfectly suited for towing up to 4,000 lbs. (when equipped with V6 and towing package). The Acadia also has all of the latest advanced safety tech, including Lane Keep assist, front park assist, pedestrian detection, front auto braking, (low speed front auto braking) adaptive cruise, and forward collision alert. The 2017 Acadia is also equipped with Rear Seat Reminder: when you close doors and turn off car, there will be five reminders to look back into the rear seat. This is to prevent parents from leaving kids in the back seat on a hot day. This feature is defaulted on, but can be toggled off in the settings menu. Base MSRP for the 2017 GMC Acadia is $29,995 for the SL trim, $33,375 for the SLE-1, $39,275 for the SLT-1, and $45,845 for the Denali. The pricing suggests the Acadia wants to move upmarket in the large SUV space, and the svelte new look actually makes sense in the process. Acadia buyers seeking a premium vehicle with upscale features had more than enough space, but needed more luxury. The new Acada has that luxury in spades, and trims the fat, resulting in a stylish, well-equipped SUV with head-turning looks and a cabin that will be a pleasure to sit in for hours and hours of freeway or back road alike.

Zane Merva Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com 3/31/2015 Today at the 2015 New York International Auto Show, GMC shared how it plans to update the Terrain for the 2016 model year. New front and rear fascias along with an updated hood are the most noticeable changes. We've been waiting to see what GMC had up its sleeve since Chevrolet introduced the 2016 Equinox last month. Since the Equinox and Terrain are pretty much the same vehicle, it was expected the Terrain would get an update this year too. The important updates and changes: New front and rear fascia design New chrome grille designs for SLE, SLT, and Denali New "Power dome" hood New LED daytime running lights on uplevel models New 18/19 inch wheel options on Terrain/Denali Revised instrument panel with new graphics and storage Model lineup: SL, SLE-1, SLE-2, SLT, Denali Premium cloth now standard on SL and SLE New Saddle Up leather interior on SLT New Light Titanium/Jet Black interior combination Front passenger eight-way power seat now on SLT (previously only on Denali) New transmission shifter Blind-Zone and rear cross traffic alert now available on SLE and SLT New While Frost Tricoat and Crimson Red Premium Tintcoat color options 2015 Terrain vs 2016 Terrain 2016 Terrain Denali

John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 2/12/2015 Chevy took the wraps off the new 2016 Equinox today at the Chicago Auto Show. The Equinox gets a new nose with new projector beam headlamps. More importantly, the Equinox gets a new larger touchscreen inside and safety is taken up a notch. Rear view cameras are now standard on all Equinox models and rear-cross traffic and side blind zone alert is available. The timing of this change is perfect for Chevy. The Equinox just had a great sales month posting up its best January sales number ever. Chevy says the Equinox captures fully nine percent of the important compact crossover market.