FastLane

GM CEO Rick Wagoner and Vice President Ed Welburn Jr. introduce the Buick Invicta concept vehicle last week during the Beijing Auto Show. - Will Stewart, blog editor

Check out this cool video of the Young Lords rehearsing for their performance at the Pontiac Garage stage at the New York Auto Show. And be sure to click over to FYI for more NYAS footage featuring Bob Lutz and rapper 50 Cent. — Will Stewart, blog editor

Make sure to check out FYI for a video post from last week’s press days at the New York Auto Show. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor

2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

Jim Bunnell
Buick-Pontiac-GMC General Manager

If there’s anything better than introducing a new product, it’s introducing three new products. And if there’s anything better than introducing three new products, it’s introducing three new products that show Pontiac’s getting its mojo back.

At the New York Auto Show today, Pontiac took the wraps off some new members of the Solstice and G8 families.

First up was the Solstice Coupe, which takes its classic design of the roadster to another level. The original convertible is still the top selling car in its segment and we think that the added all-season capabilities of the coupe, in either the base or turbo-charged GXP model, will just extend its appeal. Plus, a removable top panel can still provide an open-air driving experience.

2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

The G8 GXP is, quite simply, the Pontiac performance flagship. We intend to build on the incredible reception the G8 sedan and G8 GT have already received by upping the excitement quotient with a 400+ hp LS3 V8 engine and an optional six-speed Tremec manual transmission. The G8 is truly a product of GM’s global muscle —a European-inspired performance sedan with American attitude built in Australia.

2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck

Speaking of muscle, we know that performance can be measured in different ways, so we’re also introducing the G8 sport truck, a segment-bending vehicle with sports car DNA and truck-like cargo capabilities. Need to haul six-foot long items or tow a 3,500-pound trailer? The G8 sport truck can handle it. It also can haul in a different way … from 0-60 in 5.4 seconds.

The one thing we want to change about the sport truck is its name. “Sport truck” works fine as a description, but it just doesn’t convey the emotion that this new G8 will create. So, we’re inviting the public to submit their suggestions at www.pontiac.com/namethiscar and the winning name will be announced April 15.

All three Pontiacs introduced here in New York will be on the streets within 18 months.

By Keith Childs
GM Europe Communications

The Opel Meriva Concept, a GM world premiere at the Geneva motorshow, was one of the highlights of our press conference and got a lot of people talking.

There’s an array of patented innovations developed by GM/Opel engineers. The innovative FlexDoors are rear-hinged rear doors that swing open 90 degrees towards the back of the car. It’s something you have to see to really understand, so we videoed them in action.

At the same time, we asked Hans Demant, Opel’s Managing Director and GM Europe Vice President in charge of engineering, Alain Visser, GM Europe’s Chief Marketing Officer and designers Andrew Dyson and Kenjiro Tajima to tell us more about the innovation behind the concept.

Afterwards, I was lucky enough to catch a few minutes with Chief Designer Andrew Dyson, who led the Meriva design team and get his view on the reaction of people during the press days.
What he was hearing over and over again was why hasn’t this been done before? With rear doors and front doors that open independently there’s a clear feeling that this is groundbreaking — and it will redefine the segment just like the Flex7 seating introduced on the Opel Zafira redefined interior flexibility and the monocab segment.

What really gave him a buzz was not just the media reaction, but something else. All the auto designers are here at the show, they all know each other and they always check out the competition. Traditionally highly critical and not easily impressed, they were clearly surprised by the quality of the show car, the finish and how close the concept looks to a production vehicle.

By Tom Stephens
Group Vice President GM Powertrain

As Rick Wagoner announced this morning at the Geneva auto show, we have a strong new addition to our portfolio of hybrid technologies. The next-generation GM Hybrid system is an affordable hybrid option that will be nearly three times more powerful than the one currently found on the Saturn Vue Green Line, the Saturn Aura Green Line and the Chevy Malibu Hybrid.

We’ll introduce the system in North America in 2010, where you may eventually see it in more than 100,000 of our vehicles annually.
The new system is based on a lighter but more powerful lithium-ion battery than the nickel metal hydride one we use today. The lithium-ion battery will be supplied by Hitachi and is paired with a new motor generator to provide more electric assist for a longer period of time. That will increase fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions. Those two goals, as you know, go hand in hand, because burning less fuel puts less CO2 into the air.

As in the current GM Hybrid system, it is belt-alternator-starter hybrid technology. The GM Hybrid system is and will remain the most affordable of our hybrid options. We’re showing the next-gen hybrid system in Geneva with a Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept vehicle, equipped with a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine with FlexFuel capability. While we have no current plans to build that concept, we do anticipate offering the next-gen hybrid system with a wide range of engines and vehicles, and a six-speed automatic transmission in some applications.

Another of our hybrid options is the highly capable rear-wheel drive 2-Mode Hybrid, found in our Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon Hybrids, and starting this year, in the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra crewcabs.Later this year we’ll also begin selling the first front-wheel drive variant of the 2-Mode Hybrid in the 2009 Saturn Vue Green Line.

The next few years will see many new options in our gas-friendly portfolio: In January, we announced that the Saturn Vue will be offered as a plug-in hybrid, possibly as early as 2010, becoming the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market. We’re hard at work on our E-Flex extended-range electric vehicle program with the Chevy Volt. And we’ll have more than 100 fuel cell Chevrolet Equinox SUVs in normal consumers’ driveways this year, so that they can be thoroughly tested under everyday driving conditions. These fuel-cell-powered SUVs use pure hydrogen for fuel and emit only water as exhaust.

Let there be no doubt that we at GM remain committed to increasing the fuel efficiency and reducing the CO2 emissions of all our vehicles. Your thoughts, as always, are welcome.

2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid

By Jim Bunnell
GMC general manager

This week at the Chicago Auto Show, GMC unveiled two vehicles that point to a more fuel-efficient future for trucks: The 2009 Sierra Hybrid and the Denali XT concept vehicle.

The Sierra Hybrid represents the first look at a new production model that goes on sale later this year, while the Denali XT - also a hybrid - supposes a new, more efficient direction in truck design. Both are indicative of GMC and General Motors’ commitment to improving fuel economy and reducing the reliance on petroleum.

GMC Denali XT Concept

GM’s patented two-mode hybrid system (the same in the Yukon Hybrid that is already in production) is the motivating force in the Sierra Hybrid, giving it a 25-percent improvement in overall fuel economy. As impressive as that sounds, it is city driving where it really shines. With all-electric drive up to about 30 mph, the Sierra Hybrid can deliver up to 40 percent improved fuel economy in city driving.

And, no, the truck doesn’t sacrifice capability for mpg. It has a payload rating of more than 1,400 pounds and a towing rating of 6,100 pounds. That’s a fuel-efficient reality that will be in the showrooms later this year.

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2009 Chevrolet Traverse

By Ed Peper
General Manager, Chevrolet

We’re on a roll at Chevrolet. I’m sure you’ve all started to see the new Malibu on the streets wherever you live because we can’t keep them on the dealer lots at this point. We’re showing everyone we can produce a car at Chevrolet that competes head-to-head with Camry and Accord.

We’re already leaders on the truck side, and continue to raise the bar in that area - most recently evidenced with the upcoming Silverado Hybrid.

Now we’ve got the perfect vehicle to “traverse” our portfolio - the all-new 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. (And for those of you Michiganders reading this, it’s pronounced “Tra-VERSE” - not like Traverse City, Mich.)

We really think this crossover fills a sweet spot in our lineup and will be a great addition to the best-selling brand in America.

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By Tom Stephens
GM Group Vice President GM Powertrain and Global Quality

When someone says “hybrids,” you probably think about passenger cars and trucks. They get the lion’s share of attention. But the benefits of hybrid technology aren’t limited to personal vehicles. We can also drive environmental benefits by providing cleaner mass transit options - and with the cost of petroleum somewhat unstable or unpredictable for the foreseeable future, many municipalities are looking more closely at hybrid technology. And that’s where we come in.

Read the rest of this entry »

In case you missed any of it, here’s a recap of our blog posts and photos from NAIAS in Detroit:

• Malibu Wins North American Car of the Year

• Hummer HX Concept and photos
• Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept and photos
• Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept and photos
• 3 Saturn Hybrids and photos
• GM Partners with Coskata on Next Generation of Ethanol
• NAIAS photo album
• GM Blogs Twitter feed