Archive for November, 2005
Posted on November 13, 2005 at 8:28 pm by Jeff
DETROIT — General Motors is starting a national incentive program to run through Jan. 3 despite claims that it would hold to its value pricing strategy.
The program, called GM Red Tag Event, starts Monday, Nov. 14, auto dealers say.
A GM spokeswoman declined to comment on Friday, Nov. 11.
Under the program customers can get any 2005 or 2006 Buick, Pontiac, GMC or Chevrolet car or light truck at the supplier price plus $100, several dealers say. The exceptions to the sale are the Pontiac Solstice, Chevrolet Corvette and new Buick Lucerne, they say. The supplier price is the price offered to employees of GM suppliers.
For example, a 2006 Buick LaCrosse has a sticker price of $23,595, says a Buick dealer who asked not to be named. The supplier price is $21,996, he says. Customers also can use any applicable incentives. GM offers a $1,500 rebate on the LaCrosse. Therefore, the vehicle would cost $20,596, the dealer said.
GM told dealers that it will start a national advertising campaign on Sunday, Nov.13, using the slogan, “See some red. Save some green.”
GM will send red tags to dealers to hang in the vehicles’ windows with the revived advertising phrase, “The price you see is the price you pay, not a penny more.”
“It’s not nearly as good as GM’s employee pricing sale,” says Ken Fichtner, owner of Fichtner Chevrolet in Laurel, Mont. “It’s 2 percent higher for the customer than GM employee pricing was.”
Fichtner says GM will give dealers $400 gross profit per vehicle under the promotion. He says the $400 will be less than the profit per vehicle he received with employee pricing, which was 5 percent of the sticker minus the destination charge.
But Buick dealer John Rogin says his sales staff broke into applause and cheers when GM said the salespeople’s bonuses would be $150 for each vehicle sold in November and $100 for December.
GM ran a Red Tag sale at this time last year. Under it, dealers set a vehicle’s price by combining previously announced incentives with a cash bonus between $500 and $2,000 when buyers financed through General Motors Acceptance Corp.
Many dealers were lukewarm about that program, and GM’s December sales in 2004 fell 3.2 percent despite the program.
GM will end any other existing incentives on many of the 2005 vehicles with the new Red Tag Event.
Keywords: GM, Red Tag Event
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Posted on November 11, 2005 at 9:32 pm by Jeff
DETROIT, Mich. — The 2006 Saab 9-7X comes to market this fall with new levels of luxury and refinement and manufacturer’s suggested retail prices that continue to represent superior value in its segment.
The six-cylinder 9-7X 4.2i and the 9-7X 5.3i V8 are priced at $39,240 and $41,240, respectively. Both prices include a $720 destination charge. Linear and Arc model designations have been eliminated on the 9-7X for 2006.
For 2006, Saab’s first-ever SUV adds 15 horsepower to its 4.2-liter inline 6-cylinder engine for a total of 290 horsepower. Displacement on Demand is added to the 300 horsepower 5.3i V8, making it the first and only entry in the midsize luxury SUV segment to offer this fuel-saving technology.
StabiliTrak stability control system, a power moonroof (available now with the rear seat DVD system) and an auto-dimming inside rearview mirror are standard equipment on both Saab 9-7X models for 2006. Three new colors are also available - Winter White, Graphite Grey Metallic and Lingonberry Red Metallic.
As in 2005, the well-equipped 6-cylinder 9-7X features standard all-wheel drive, Saab-tuned sport suspension, leather-appointed heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, front and rear side-curtain airbags with rollover sensor, OnStar, XM Satellite Radio, 6-CD Bose audio system, integrated roof rails and dual-zone automatic climate control. The 2006 5.3i V8 adds standard xenon headlamps, headlamp washers and adjustable pedals, as it did in 2005. These features are also available in the optional “Prestige Package” on the 4.2i.
Saab loyalists will feel right at home in the 9-7X, which has the familiar cockpit-inspired instrument panel, signature sliding-plate HVAC vents, 9-5-style in-dash cupholder and center console-mounted ignition.
The 9-7X is just one part of the most aggressive product development offensive in Saab’s 58-year history. It joins the 9-3 Sport Sedan and Convertible and the all-wheel drive 9-2X, as well as the upcoming Saab 9-3 SportCombi and a freshened 9-5 Sedan and SportCombi. A new 250-hp 2.8-liter Turbo V6 will be standard in all three 9-3 Aero models in 2006.
“The 9-7X is a very important vehicle for Saab,” said Jay Spenchian, general manager of Saab USA. “About forty percent of current Saab owners already have an SUV of another make in their garage, while nearly 30 percent of Saab owners have left the brand for an SUV in the past. With the 9-7X, Saab will be able to take advantage of the continued growth in this segment.”
On top of that, the Saab 9-7X SUV represents outstanding value for the money, especially when compared with the Volvo XC90. Not only has the 9-7X more headroom, legroom, towing capability and engine torque, it is also priced at over $8,000.00 less than a comparably equipped XC90 V8.
Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab USA is the importer and/or distributor of Saab 9-2X, 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X automobiles for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. For more information, please visit www.saabusa.com.
Posted on November 11, 2005 at 8:26 pm by Jeff
DETROIT – Chevrolet has announced the debut of the 2007 Chevy Tahoe, the next generation of the industry’s best-selling full-size SUV. The new Chevy Tahoe is comprehensively redesigned and delivers a sharper, more precise driving feel, more power with improved, segment-leading fuel economy, increased interior refinement and improved quietness.
The new 2007 Chevy Tahoe takes over at the top of the segment in sales, quality and comfort – Tahoe has been the best-selling full-size SUV since 2001. The outgoing model (along with its longer sibling, Suburban) has ranked first in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey for five years, topping all import and luxury models. Engineers built on Tahoe’s established credentials with a “no compromises” mantra that realized improvements in many areas of performance, quality and comfort.
Contributors to the 2007 Chevy Tahoe’s segment-leading capability include:
* Superior ride, handling and quietness
* Improved efficiency
* Refined interior with thoughtful convenience built in
* Distinctive, sporty exterior design
* Enhanced safety and security
“Tahoe is known for delivering whatever its customers want, whenever they want to do it – a hard-earned reputation reflected in countless independent quality studies, buying guide recommendations and customers who have returned to buy another vehicle,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. “The ’07 model enhances the attributes that have made Tahoe the industry’s best-selling full-size SUV and improves them with dramatically increased attention to detail in smoothness, quietness and refinement. We believe it is simply the best Tahoe yet.”
Superior ride, handling and quietness
The 2007 Tahoe is built on GM’s new full-size SUV platform, which incorporates features such as a new, fully boxed frame, coil-over-shock front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and an all-new, premium interior system that bolster the vehicle’s comfort, quality and capability. Wider front and rear tracks enhance handling and lower the center of gravity for a more confident road feel.
Extensive attention to detail was paid by Tahoe’s engineers to ensure a quiet driving experience. It starts with a new, stiffer frame, which reduces vibrations transmitted to the passenger cabin. The strength and accuracy of the full-boxed frame also enables more precise mounting and tuning of chassis and suspension components, which also helps reduce vibration. Even the tires on the large, 17-inch standard and 20-inch available wheels, were designed to reduce noise.
Noise-reducing components and materials are used throughout the body structure, including the headliner material, door seals and front-of-dash area. The engine also features a quiet-tuned alternator and an acoustically tuned engine cover that dramatically reduces engine noise heard inside the vehicle. New door seals help reduce seal “pull away” at highway speeds, which can cause wind noise. Also, Chevy Tahoe’s more slippery shape, thanks to improved aerodynamics, streamlined exterior mirrors and roof rack, and tighter body gap tolerances, makes Tahoe quieter as it slices through the air.
Tahoe also features details such as spray-in expanding foam, which helps reduce noise by filling in space to eliminate sound paths. The foam, located mostly in the A-pillars, expands to fill the void of a space. Tahoe’s quietness and smoothness is complemented by the Autoride suspension system, which is standard on LTZ. This segment-exclusive bi-state, real-time damping system provides an extremely refined ride with greatly reduced body motion. The system consists of a semi-active, two-position damping control system that responds in real time to road and driving conditions, based on body and wheel motion sensors.
Tahoe’s quietness and smoothness are complemented by capabilities full-size SUV customers depend on. Tahoe offers up to 7,700-pounds (3,492 kg) towing capability (4WD models).
Improved efficiency
A new Gen IV small-block V-8 family – the newest chapter in the small-block’s 50-year history – offers more power than comparable powertrains in previous models. Fuel-saving Displacement On Demand technology also enables better fuel economy. When combined with other vehicle-wide features, including improved aerodynamics, the small-block V-8 helps give the Tahoe the segment’s best fuel economy. Preliminary testing with 5.3L-equipped models shows unadjusted combined fuel economy ratings of 20.5 mpg with 2WD models and 20.1 mpg with 4WD models. That’s better fuel economy than any other full-size SUV.
New engine choices allow consumers to choose the performance level that meets their needs. A Vortec 5.3L V-8 with 320 horsepower (238 kw)* and 335 lb.-ft. of torque (463 Nm)* offers fuel-saving Displacement On Demand technology is standard at start of production. A Vortec 4.8L V-8 becomes available later and will be standard on the 2007 Tahoe 2WD models.
A more steeply raked windshield and smoother roofline improve the aerodynamics of the 2007 Tahoe, resulting in a best-in-class 0.363 cd, which enhances fuel economy on the highway. Additional contributors to efficiency include a lower, wider front air dam, tighter tolerances and gaps between the fascias, lamps and grille openings, and improved front-end sealing that nearly eliminates air leak paths. These features all contribute to enhanced fuel economy and improved driving quietness, compared with previous models.
“The economy of the new 2007 Tahoe is tremendous,” said Gary White, General Motors North America Vice President and vehicle line executive for full-size trucks. “It not only delivers better fuel economy than some smaller vehicles, it does so with the full capability expected of a full-size SUV. That means you can tow a boat out to your favorite lake on the weekend and take the kids to school during the week without worry – it’s another trait of Tahoe’s do-anything personality.”
Refined interior and thoughtful convenience built in
The 2007 Tahoe is available in three trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ, with the high-volume LT trim level offered with LT-1, LT-2 and LT-3 equipment groups. Two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models are available. All models come well equipped with enhanced safety, comfort and convenience features. New and substantially revised features include:
* Power-release fold-and-tumble second-row seat
* Remote vehicle starting system
* First- and second-row heated seats
* Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
* Rearview camera system
* Touch-screen navigation system
* Power-articulating running boards (mid-year availability)
* DVD rear-seat entertainment system with larger, 8-inch screen and enhanced features
Refinements throughout Chevy Tahoe’s spacious interior create an environment that exudes quality and precision, as well as comfort. A two-tone color scheme is executed with new, softer and low-gloss materials for the instrument panel and other trim pieces. Additional details include LED backlighting for the instruments and chrome accents on instruments and vents. Flush-mounted accessories and controls, such as the climate control/radio center stack create a seamless, “single unit” appearance. Also, there are almost no exposed metal hardware or latches, as all models feature enclosing “close outs” around the seat bottoms and door sill trim plates.
Read full press release.
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