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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 7-28-2016 The 2016 J.D. Power & Associates APEAL study has been released and we spotted an interesting fact. The Camaro is the only GM car specifically designed for the U.S. market at the top of its list. Yet, the Sonic and Cascada, both designed outside of the U.S. primarily for sale in other markets, top their segments. The J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study looks at how satisfied vehicle owners are after 90 days of ownership. The study gives insight to automakers and shoppers about how well a vehicle completes its mission of making the owner happy. It is a very detailed study with 90 areas of inquiry covering all aspects of the ownership experience. Opel, GM Korea, Holden, Vauxhall and other GM affiliates design vehicles primarily for other markets, and those models sometimes make their way to the states. The Sonic is the Aveo outside the U.S. It wins the small car segment. The Cascada is the European Open Cascada. Cascada means "medium sized or small waterfall" in Spanish. It wins the compact sporty car segment. No GM car finds itself in the top three of any of the other APPEAL Study categories except one. The awesome Chevy Camaro wins the mid-size sporty car segment. No GM model finishes in the top three of any high-volume car classes. GM did better in all things trucky, as it always does. The Nissan Titan beat the Silverado in the key pickup class, but GM dominates in other truck segments. Check out the full list of categories here.

George Kennedy Contributor, GM-Trucks.com 3/28/16 The New York International Auto Show plays a unique role in the auto show circuit. When compared to Geneva or Detroit auto shows, NYIAS is not as large and doesnt always have the big-ticket debuts. But for the American market, it is the last major auto show before the 2017 model year vehicles arrive in large numbers, and so it is the last show for automakers to finalize their lineups for the upcoming year. With that in mind, NYIAS is one of the most important shows of the year. One vehicle that debuted immediately prior to the show was the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic. Chevys littlest hatch has ditched the large headlights in favor of very Camaro-inspired cues. It seems the era of grafting overly large headlights and grilles onto small cars might be coming to a close. Frankly the smaller, more aggressive headlights and thinner grille suit the Sonic much more. The updates go beyond skin-deep, as the Sonic gets some of the latest GM technology, such as the latest version of the Chevy MyLink infotainment system, featured on the available seven-inch touchscreen, and thats just the tip of the tech iceberg. Theres also available gear such as 4G LTE access with Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, rear park assist, and rear view camera. Under the hood, the standard engine continues to be a 1.8-liter inline-4 or the available 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-4, which makes 138 horsepower. Output from either engine is sent to the front wheels through either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. The RS trim is the one you see above, with menacing black wheels and revised lower front fascia. It makes the Sonic one hot-hatch runabout! Speaking of runabouts, the Buick Encore was another stout, utilitarian vehicle that went under the knife for the 2017 model year. It features sharper headlights, and the move away from the large slatted grille of older Buicks. The new grille still has the Buick "slats" but are thinner and meant to be a more subtle design cue. This new looks has a more sporting appearance, and from the looks of things, less of an emphasis on the two-tone look of the 2012-2016 Encore. The result is a very clean look that clearly positions the Encore for a younger demographic. Inside, the cabin improvements have centered on a rearrangement of the infotainment, climate, and audio controls. The large 8-inch touch screen for Buicks IntelliLink is no longer perched high up on the dash, but is rather now in the center stack, right at the drivers fingertips. As such, redundant controls can be reduced, and the system has a simplistic set of tactile controls similar to that of the new Chevrolet Camaro. The Encore goes on sale in the fall of this year, and will be available with one of five trim levels: Base, Sport Touring, Convenience, Leather, and Premium models. Most trims will be available with the 1.4-liter turbo-four, which will include stop-start technology. The Encore also comes standard with Buicks exclusive QuietTuning technology, and features Bose active noise cancellation. The Encore will also be available with safety tech such as forward collision warning, lane departure warning, rear park assist, and blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. It is a lot of safety tech to pack into a compact SUV, proving that the Encore boasts style and substance! Last up is the GMC Terrain Nightfall Edition-the latest GMC vehicle to receive this treatment. The Nightfall Edition is basically Murdered Out, which is to say, the excessive use of dark colors in place of the typical chrome found on GMCs models. To learn more about this vehicle and others, we spoke to GM Product Manager Jeff Giacobbe. "With this edition," explained Giacobbe, "It plats into GMCs bold styling, Especially the Terrain. One of the most important parts of a Terrain buyers purchase decision is styling. With the 2016 and previous models there has been a fair amount of chrome on that vehicle so we decided to take it in another direction, so for 2017 we decided to take it down a notch with the chrome." According to Giacobbe, this led directly to the decision to offer the Nightfall Edition for the terrain. "With Terrain," explained, "We've never done this black look. We've gotten a lot of positive feedback, so we're excited to get it out on the market and see how it does." According to GMC, the Nightfall Edition models are intended to appeal to more youthful buyers, as opposed to the more mature and well-heeled Denali buyers. The Nightfall Edition will be available on the SLE-2 and SLT trims of the Terrain and available in one of four colors (Onyx Black, Summit White, Graphite Gray, and Crimson Red). But the conversation was not limited to the latest edition of the Terrain, but also potential future special editions, including even a more off-road-oriented version of the Terrain. "One area we've been looking at," continued Giacobbe, "Is what can we do in terms of off-road capability. We explored this with the Acadia All-Terrain Edition. Its got the appearance elements, but also the hardware to back it up with the advanced all-wheel drive system, including the twin-system." "In the compact SUV space," he continued, "You could say Jeep right now is the front runner, they have several products. That's an area that we see that we can excel at. Its on our horizon for us to up our game. The Acadia All Terrain is a great first step, but well explore this for other vehicles." So will we see a Terrain All-Terrain (if that's what they call it)? It sure sounds like it- only time will tell!

Heads up for all the Chevy Sonic fans and/or owners on the site. -------------------------------------------- The 2014 Chevrolet Sonic Dusk is unveiled Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California. The Sonic Dusk comes exclusively in Ashen Grey Metallic, with a distinctive matte appearance on the upper and lower grilles, door handle inserts and rear license plate trim. The Dusk's exterior appointments include a ground effects package, rear spoiler, 18-inch aluminum wheels with a Midnight Silver matte finish, and four-wheel disc brakes. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet) The 2014 Chevrolet Sonic RS sedan is unveiled Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California. The Sonic RS performance sedan is powered by the Ecotec 1.4L turbo engine rated at 138 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. The RS features unique transmission gearing in a six-speed manual, or a 3.53 final drive ratio for automatic-equipped models - along with a sport-tuned suspension and lowered ride height. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet) Chevrolet Marketing Director Small Cars Cristi Landy introduces the new 2014 Chevrolet Sonic Dusk and the Chevrolet Sonic RS sedan Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California. The Sonic Dusk comes exclusively in Ashen Grey Metallic, with a distinctive matte appearance on the upper and lower grilles, door handle inserts and rear license plate trim. The Sonic RS performance sedan is powered by the Ecotec 1.4L turbo engine rated at 138 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet) Chevrolet Introduces Two New Sedans to Sonic Family Emphasizes brand’s commitment to growing subcompact segment 2013-11-21 LOS ANGELES – Chevrolet today announced two new sedan options to the Sonic lineup in 2014 – the performance-inspired RS and the stylish Dusk – further demonstrating the brand’s commitment to the subcompact segment and to offering younger buyers expressive options at affordable prices. The suggested retail price for the 2014 Sonic RS sedan starts at $20,530 including $825 destination. Sonic Dusk starts at $20,945 including destination. Title and license fees are extra. “Keeping the Sonic lineup fresh and offering consumers more choice is a priority for Chevrolet,” said Cristi Landy, marketing director for Chevrolet small cars. “The Sonic RS and Dusk sedans offer all of the great attributes that have made the Sonic a popular choice in the subcompact segment and they add performance and design cues.” Sonic RS sedan The performance-inspired Sonic RS sedan joins the RS hatchback in the lineup and is powered by the Ecotec 1.4L turbo engine rated at 138 horsepower (103 kW) and 148 lb-ft of torque (200 Nm). Unique transmission gearing in the six-speed manual, or a 3.53 final drive ratio for automatic-equipped models, along with a sport-tuned suspension and lowered ride height, enhances the car’s performance feel. One of the most dramatic Sonic RS cues is its front fascia, which has a deep air dam design that enhances the car’s road-hugging stance. Vertical intakes at the edges of the fascia reinforce a wide, low proportion and house the fog lamps. Interior refinements include: Aluminum sport pedals A sport three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrasting stitching, and a racing-inspired flat-bottom design Leather-appointed front bucket seats with red RS accents to the sportier appearance. EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings are the same as the Sonic RS hatchback – 27 mpg city and 34 mpg highway with the manual transmission. The Sonic RS sedan will initially be available in three color combinations: Black Granite Metallic, Silver Ice Metallic or Summit White, all with Jet Black leather-appointed interiors. Sonic Dusk The Sonic Dusk sedan, first shown as a concept at the 2011 SEMA Show, brings sophistication and style to the subcompact market. Unique exterior appointments include a ground effects package, rear spoiler, 18-inch aluminum wheels with a Midnight Silver matte finish and four-wheel disc brakes – unique to Dusk and RS. The Sonic Dusk comes exclusively in Ashen Grey Metallic, with a distinctive matte appearance on the upper and lower grilles, door handle inserts and rear license plate trim. Stainless steel lower window moldings add an upscale accent to the body. Inside are Jet Black leather-trimmed seats with sueded microfiber accents and Mojave tan inserts. Sonic Dusk is powered by the Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged engine, rated at 138 horsepower (103 kW) and matched with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings are 29 mpg city and 40 mpg highway, with the manual transmission. Also new in 2014, Chevrolet is introducing performance parts that enhance Sonic’s handling, braking and performance. The Chevrolet Performance parts include 1.4L Turbo Stage Kit with high-flow exhaust boosting the car up 10 horsepower and 15 lb-ft of torque Cold-air induction Suspension kit with lowered ride height Brake package with Wilwood front calipers 18-inch wheel-and-tire package. These parts join appearance accessories announced in 2013. Both models go on sale in spring 2014 and will be manufactured at Orion Assembly in Michigan. Sonic is the only subcompact assembled in America. The Chevrolet Sonic and Spark are the first vehicles to offer Siri Eyes Free integration. Through the cars' available Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, customers with a compatible iPhone* running iOS6 or iOS7 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. Also, the available BringGo navigation app, the most affordable navigation system in its class, offers easy-to-use features that included 3-D maps with lane suggestions, live traffic data, and more.