GM adds compressed natural gas option to cargo vans aimed at fleet users

Compressed natural gas is now a fuel option for General Motors Co.'s full-sized cargo vans.

The fully integrated CNG fuel system option uses GM's 6.0-liter V-8 engine and carries a $15,910 sticker price. It is available on the 2011 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana.

The vehicles were unveiled today at the Green Fleet Conference in San Diego.

“Natural gas is an abundant and clean alternative fuel,” Beth Stanek, GM's director of federal environmental and energy regulatory affairs, said in a statement. “Based on today's CNG fuel rates and anticipated payback period, fleet investment in CNG can be quite affordable.”

Before the CNG application, the engine is modified to include hardened exhaust valves, and intake and exhaust valve seats for improved wear resistance and durability with gaseous fuel systems.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101019/OEM/101019844/1186#ixzz130b6Ou8Y

GMC Illinois

IIHS reveals most, least expensive cars to insure by type

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released a rating of which cars have the highest and lowest insurance claims by category. In general, 2007-2009 SUVs and sports cars fared better than most other vehicle types in minimizing insurance losses.

The top 10 vehicles with the lowest overall insurance losses were the Chevrolet Corvette convertible, Mazda Miata, Chevrolet Corvette coupe, Volkswagen New Beetle convertible, Saturn Sky, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Veracruz, Honda CR-V, Subaru Outback, and Toyota 4Runner.

Among the vehicles with the lowest claims rate for medical payments other than sports cars are the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 pickups, Honda Pilot, Audi A6, and Buick Enclave.

The results are relative, expressed on a scale with 100 representing the average car.  Unlike in past reports, IIHS says it adjusted, or standardized, the results to reduce distortions from non-vehicle factors such as operator age, gender, and marital status and vehicle population density. Collision and comprehensive results are also adjusted to standardize the deductible.

Read More: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/10/iihs-reveals-most-least-expensive-cars-to-insure-by-type-chevrolet-corvette-mitsubishi-lancer.html

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2010 GMC Yukon 1500 SLT

2010 GMC Yukon 4WD 4dr 1500 SLT
Stock#: 100259
Exterior: Pure Silver Metallic
Interior: Ebony
Miles: New
Doors: 4
VIN: 1GKUKCE05AR132016
5.3L 8 Cylinder Engine

M.S.R.P. $47,615

3 yr/36,000 Mile Ltd 'Bumper-to-Bumper'
Plus 5 yr/100,000 Mile Powertrain

GMC Dealers

2011 GMC Terrain SLE-1

2011 GMC Terrain FWD 4dr SLE-1
Stock#: 110430
Exterior: Steel Blue Metallic
Interior: Jet Black
Miles: New
Doors: 4
VIN: 2CTALMEC9B6241897
2.4L 4 Cylinder Engine

M.S.R.P. $24,995

3 yr/36,000 Mile Ltd 'Bumper-to-Bumper'
Plus 5 yr/100,000 Mile Powertrain

GMC Illinois

2011 GMC Acadia SLE

2011 GMC Acadia FWD 4dr SLE
Stock#: 110075
Exterior: Carbon Black Metallic
Interior: Ebony
Miles: New
Doors: 4
VIN: 1GKKRPED2BJ135162
3.6L V6 Cylinder Engine

M.S.R.P. $35,435

3 yr/36,000 Mile Ltd 'Bumper-to-Bumper'
Plus 5 yr/100,000 Mile Powertrain

GMC Dealers Chicago

2011 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4WD Reg Cab 133.7

2011 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4WD Reg Cab 133.7
Stock#: 110043
Exterior: Onyx Black
Interior: Ebony
Miles: New
Doors: 2
VIN: 1GT020CG4BF108723
6.0L 8 Cylinder Engine

M.S.R.P. $37,770

3 yr/36,000 Mile Ltd 'Bumper-to-Bumper'
Plus 5 yr/100,000 Mile Powertrain

Read More: GMC Illinois

GMC considers loaner cars to build brand awareness

DETROIT (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co.'s GMC and Buick, the fastest-growing brand in the U.S. this year, are considering a courtesy loaner program for customers getting warranty service on their vehicles to build awareness of the company's products.

GM may start the service in the “next couple weeks,” Brian Sweeney, vice president of sales for Buick and GMC, said in a telephone interview. The program would seek to get GMC Acadia owners into a Buick Enclave, for example, and build recognition of more GM vehicles, he said.

“We want to expose customers to other Buick and GMC products,” said Sweeney, who last week met with about 900 dealers that sell the two brands.

Dealers selling Buick need to change and meet the expectations customers have when shopping for a premium car, said Mike Bowsher, co-chairman of the national dealer council for Buick-GMC and president of Carl Black Automotive Group.

“We can't sell Buicks like we did Pontiac,” Bowsher, who runs dealerships in Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, said in a telephone interview. “A lot of us were old Pontiac dealers, and we now have to learn how to handle the Lexus, Ritz-Carlton, Cadillac, Mercedes kind of crowd.”

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101011/RETAIL03/101019965/1147#ixzz129y4I4Zy

GMC Dealers