Motor Authority - blog Category: Cobalt

Everyone is watching with bated breath as General Motors teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, wondering if Chrysler's 'surgical' run through the courts isn't a practice session for GM's own. The latest victims of GM's preparations for a smaller, lighter future appear to be the 2010 Chevrolet Impala SS and 2010 Cobalt SS Sedan. Neither will be built.

The information, revealed through GM's online ordering guide and caught by the fans at GM Inside News, shows no order codes for either the Impala SS or Cobalt SS Sedan for the 2010 model year. The Cobalt SS Coupe is still available, however.

With all that's going on both in the public eye and... Everyone is watching with bated breath as General Motors teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, wondering if Chrysler's 'surgical' run through the courts isn't a practice session for GM's own. The latest victims of GM's preparations for a smaller, lighter future appear to be the 2010 Chevrolet Impala SS and 2010 Cobalt SS Sedan. Neither will be built. The information, revealed through GM's online ordering guide and caught by the fans at GM Inside News, shows no order codes for either the Impala SS or Cobalt SS Sedan for the 2010 model year. The Cobalt SS Coupe is still available, however. With all that's going on both in the public eye and behind the scenes at GM, it's not really a surprise, but on the flip side, GM hasn't announced the deaths of either car yet. Still, it's likely a business decision based on order and sales figures, so it's hard to argue that GM is abandoning its fans - if they were there buying the cars, they'd probably still be available. But it'll be hard not to miss the Cobalt SS Sedan - it was one of the best cars in GM's lineup, and one of the best turbo-four four-doors sold in America. Read More

With all the financial strife General Motors finds itself in, the last thing it needs are product recalls bringing into doubt the quality of its vehicles. Unfortunately for GM, a product recall is just what the company was forced to issue, and with more than 270,000 vehicles across the country affected people are going to take notice.

The recall affects the 2009 versions of the Buick Enclave, and the Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Malibu and Traverse. The Saturn Aura and Outlook have also been affected, as have the GMC Acadia, and the Pontiac G5 and G6.

The issue with the shift lever lies in an inability to effectively mesh with the transmission.... With all the financial strife General Motors finds itself in, the last thing it needs are product recalls bringing into doubt the quality of its vehicles. Unfortunately for GM, a product recall is just what the company was forced to issue, and with more than 270,000 vehicles across the country affected people are going to take notice. The recall affects the 2009 versions of the Buick Enclave, and the Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Malibu and Traverse. The Saturn Aura and Outlook have also been affected, as have the GMC Acadia, and the Pontiac G5 and G6. The issue with the shift lever lies in an inability to effectively mesh with the transmission. This issue manifests itself when drivers move the shift lever into the 'Park' position for automatic cars and the transmission doesn't actually reach the 'Park' setting. This could cause cars to roll away if the handbrake is not engaged, although GM did not go into specifics as to what other issues could present themselves. While around 270,000 cars are being recalled, most are still sitting in dealer lots. Only around 75,000 vehicles that could potentially be affected by the faulty shift lever have been sold to consumers, and none of those vehicles have reported any problems relating to the recall as of yet. Product recalls are an unfortunate part of life for manufacturers, however even the most prestigious auto brands have been forced to issue recalls as recently as this year, including Ferrari (who's F430 Spider convertibles were at risk of going up in flames), BMW and Maserati. Read More

Yesterday’s grim news that General Motors had decided to pull the plug on its High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) caused shockwaves around performance circles, with many believing some of the company’s top sports cars, both current and future, could meet their demise. The HPVO is responsible for the Cadillac ‘V-series’ of cars and Chevrolet ‘SS’ models, and this lead many to believe that the upcoming 2010 Camaro SS could be canceled.

Nothing could be further from the truth as GM spokesman Vince Muniga has revealed to Edmunds. This is because cars like the Camaro SS, Corvette ZR1 and Corvette Z06... Yesterday’s grim news that General Motors had decided to pull the plug on its High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) caused shockwaves around performance circles, with many believing some of the company’s top sports cars, both current and future, could meet their demise. The HPVO is responsible for the Cadillac ‘V-series’ of cars and Chevrolet ‘SS’ models, and this lead many to believe that the upcoming 2010 Camaro SS could be canceled. Nothing could be further from the truth as GM spokesman Vince Muniga has revealed to Edmunds. This is because cars like the Camaro SS, Corvette ZR1 and Corvette Z06 are all regularly engineered. "They did not go through HPVO. Most people did not realize that. They are safe," Muniga said. As for other models like the Cadillac CTS-V, Muniga explained that the performance saloon is a regular part of the CTS lineup and that it will stay for the foreseeable future. "The CTS-V will continue through the life cycle of the product. If they are regular production cars, they will continue through the model run, whether it's an SS Cobalt or an SS HHR." GM is not the only carmaker cutting down on its niche products. Ford, too, has put its own SVT product development on hiatus and there are unlikely to be any new SRT products from Chrysler for its latest models anytime soon.2010 Camaro SS official photos2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZO6 Read More

In what may come as a surprise to many, General Motors has decided to disband its High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) as it seeks to reduce costs and focus on mainstream products. The go-fast center consisted of a small skunk works of GM engineers who worked in the company’s suburban Detroit technical center and were responsible for exciting vehicles like the Cadillac ‘V-Series’ of cars and Chevrolet ‘SS’ models.

The latest information was confirmed by GM spokesman Vince Muniga during an interview with Automotive News. Muniga stated that all “high-performance projects are on indefinite... In what may come as a surprise to many, General Motors has decided to disband its High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) as it seeks to reduce costs and focus on mainstream products. The go-fast center consisted of a small skunk works of GM engineers who worked in the company’s suburban Detroit technical center and were responsible for exciting vehicles like the Cadillac ‘V-Series’ of cars and Chevrolet ‘SS’ models. The latest information was confirmed by GM spokesman Vince Muniga during an interview with Automotive News. Muniga stated that all “high-performance projects are on indefinite hold.” He also revealed that the former HPVO engineers would be moved into working on mainstream products for the Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet and Pontiac lines. Some of the HPVO’s most memorable models included the Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet HHR SS and the Cobalt SS. Sadly, Muniga said there are no plans for similar high-performance versions of future models. One of the cars we were all hoping for was a V-Series version of the upcoming CTS Coupe, complete with a 556hp (414kW) supercharged V8. Considering GM has already developed the powertrain for the CTS-V Sedan there remains a slim chance that the super-coupe could be produced but don’t hold your breath. As some solace, Muniga said the HPVO could be reinstated once GM regains its financial health but with the way things are looking that could certainly take some time. The Camaro SS, Corvette and its ZR1 and Z06 trims are unaffected by the change, however, since they are developed outside of the HPVO system.2009 Cadillac CTS-V Read More

The ongoing economic recession continues to impact the car industry and General Motors with reduced revenue and the need to cut production. Reducing production means cutting back on labor, resulting in today's announcement of 2,000 jobs to be cut.

Along with the lost jobs, GM will be cutting back on output of specific models and doing away with the Cadillac XLR altogether. The Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 will both see their numbers reduced as 800 jobs leave the Lordstown plant where they are built, reports Automotive News.

Heavier losses of 1,200 jobs at the Delta Township plant where the Buick Enclanve, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook... The ongoing economic recession continues to impact the car industry and General Motors with reduced revenue and the need to cut production. Reducing production means cutting back on labor, resulting in today's announcement of 2,000 jobs to be cut. Along with the lost jobs, GM will be cutting back on output of specific models and doing away with the Cadillac XLR altogether. The Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 will both see their numbers reduced as 800 jobs leave the Lordstown plant where they are built, reports Automotive News. Heavier losses of 1,200 jobs at the Delta Township plant where the Buick Enclanve, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook are built will mean a significant reduction in output of those models as well. The lack of available consumer credit, instability in the economy, and rising unemployment have conspired to drive down demand to very low levels. GM characterizes its production cuts as merely responsive to that drop in demand, returning the market to alignment. GM will also be instituting intermittent production halts at ten other plants in North America, nine of which are in the U.S. The halts will come during the first half of the year, and will last for several weeks. In a separate report, the Bowling Green Daily News has revealed some of the production cuts will also come from GM's Bowling Green plant, where the Cadillac XLR is built. The reductions will bring an end to XLR production. Only about 40 employees at the plant will be affected, since the XLR is a low-volume product. Despite its very niche status - only about 1,250 of the cars were sold last year - the XLR was perceived by many as a sort of halo-car for Cadillac, and the loss of the car is being felt keenly by fans. Because of its relatively high $85,000-$100,000 price point and flagging demand, however, continued production simply can't be justified from a business perspective. The reductions and cancellations aren't unexpected. Earlier today GM announced it would be delaying the Cadillac CTS Coupe until mid-2010, itself a car that is expected to slot into a similarly narrow niche as the XLR. The plant also builds Corvettes, and though 154 workers from both lines will be laid off indefinitely as of March 1, the impact on Corvette production isn't expected to be significant. Read More

GM’s next global small car, a new sedan and hatch to replace the current Chevrolet Cobalt in North America, has been spotted testing in Europe recently. Due next year as a 2010 model, the new model will be sold in Europe as a Chevrolet Nubira and in Asia as the Daewoo Lacetti.

The new car is tipped to be riding on GM’s latest Delta platform, which will eventually appear in the next-generation Opel (Saturn) Astra and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.

These latest shots reveal GM’s new two-tiered grille design, as well as a chunky profile and high waistline for the next Cobalt.

The new car will also see the introduction... GM’s next global small car, a new sedan and hatch to replace the current Chevrolet Cobalt in North America, has been spotted testing in Europe recently. Due next year as a 2010 model, the new model will be sold in Europe as a Chevrolet Nubira and in Asia as the Daewoo Lacetti. The new car is tipped to be riding on GM’s latest Delta platform, which will eventually appear in the next-generation Opel (Saturn) Astra and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. These latest shots reveal GM’s new two-tiered grille design, as well as a chunky profile and high waistline for the next Cobalt. The new car will also see the introduction of a turbocharged 1.4L petrol engine that GM plans to manufacture in the U.S. Variations of this engine, including larger 2.0L and 2.4L units, are expected to feature into several other GM vehicles such as the upcoming Buick LaCrosse and possible even the new Chevrolet Camaro.2010 Chevrolet Cobalt (Nubira) spy shots Read More