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2010 Detroit Auto Show: GMC Granite Concept

Published Sunday, 31 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast. Categories: GMC.

Undoubtedly GM will have its spies lurking around the GMC Granite Concept's stand at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, eavesdropping on consumers and the media to find out the reaction to what will be the smallest GMC ever - if it is ever produced. GMC has long been the beefiest GM brand, with a big slate of SUVs and pickup trucks.

GMC teased the Granite last week but now has released such critical details as the vehicle's dimensions. It is 2 feet shorter than the GMC Terrain, with a 103.6-inch wheelbase. The Granite's 161.3-inch overall length is more than a foot and a half shorter than the 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt sedan. The Cobalt sedan has an overall length of 180.5 inches. But the Granite is taller, with a 60.5-inch height versus a 57.1-inch height for the Cobalt.
     


There are also exterior cues previously unheard of on macho GMC products, such as French doors. "Granite has four doors, hinged on each side to open like a set of French doors," said GMC in a statement. The automaker is referring to the Granite as an "urban utility vehicle" that blends characteristics drawn from minivans, SUVs and crossovers...
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Update: Toyota Legally Required to Stop Selling

Published Wednesday, 27 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast. Categories: Industry News.



Toyota has quite the PR nightmare on its hands. The boiling cauldron of complaints surrounding unintended acceleration issues bubbled over this month with two separate but giant recalls. The latest involves eight Toyota models that contain defective accelerator pedal mechanisms that could stick over time due to wear.

There is no fix available for the pedal mechanisms yet and dealers have continued to sell new models affected by the recall, so Toyota announced yesterday that...
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Report: Toyota continuing to sell recalled vehicles without a fix

Published Monday, 25 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast. Categories: Industry News.

 

Toyota is in the beginning stages of a new voluntary recall that affects 2.3 million vehicles. The recall involves accelerator pedal mechanisms that could stick due to wear and cause unintended acceleration, though it is technically not related to an earlier, larger recall to fix floor mats on certain Toyota and Lexus models that could also cause accelerator pedals to stick.

The folks over at Kicking Tires spoke with National Manager of Environmental Safety and Quality for Toyota, John Hanson, who revealed that vehicles affected by the recall are still sitting on dealer lots for customers to purchase in spite of their potentially defective accelerator pedal mechanisms. Hanson said the reason that Toyota is letting dealers still sell the vehicles even though they may have to come back in for repair is because the problem tends to appear after extended wear. However, since Toyota doesn't yet have a fix figured out, dealers can reportedly only replace the defective pedal mechanisms with new mechanisms of the same type for now. Hanson is also reportedly unsure about whether or not the vehicles affected by the recall are still being manufactured, but said he thought the lines involved were down.

While it is within the law for Toyota to keep affected vehicles on the lot given the fact that the recall is voluntary, we hope its dealers have enough scruples to inform potential customers about the issue before these vehicles are purchased.

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Pontiac Vibe included in Toyota Recall

Published Monday, 25 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast. Categories: Pontiac.



It is easy to forget that among the debris swirling in the tornado of claims against Toyota, the Pontiac Vibe is really a Toyota Matrix. Hence, the Vibe is also included in Toyota's recent recall of 2.3 million vehicles to repair accelerator pedal mechanisms that could stick and cause unintended acceleration.

The Vibe was built at the NUMMI plant in a California. The joint venture between Toyota and General Motors became a victim of last year's industry turmoil. GM pulled out of the partnership last June, and Toyota is reportedly ending production there in March.

GM doesn't yet know how many 2009 and 2010 model Vibes are included in the recall. When it receives details on numbers and the fix from Toyota, customers will be notified and they can get their hatches repaired at Buick-GMC dealerships.

[AutoBlog]

For more information or to see if your 2009 or 2010 Pontiac Vibe is included in the recall, visit the Arbogast Service Department or call 1-866-975-3287.   

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Conversion Vans - the best kept secret in the Automotive Industry

Published Monday, 25 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast. Categories: GMC.



Conversion Vans are the ultimate in luxury, comfort, entertainment and personalization.  Who knew you could get more room than a full-sized SUV with ten times the customization. Or that you can combine the convenience of RV's, with much better mileage, much smoother handling and much easier parking.

Each van can be tailored to your exact needs and every want.  With such spacious interiors, luxurious amenities and road-going comfort, there is little question that conversion vans could be called the best value on the road today.

Conversion Vans are better equipped than any SUV. They include sate-of-the-art entertainment systems, finely appointed leather interiors and exciting exterior design with special paint treatments and chrome wheels.  The sky is the limit when you are customizing your own personal van.
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Introducing: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali

Published Sunday, 24 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast. Categories: GMC.



Coming Soon to Arbogast GMC:

GMC will bring Denali bling, bells, and whistles to its crossover Acadia this fall after its debut at the 2010 Detroit show with a choice of either front- or all-wheel-drive, bearing the familiar drilled chrome grilles, Xenon headlamps, monochrome fascias and cladding, chrome accents and special 20-inch chromed wheels with black-chrome centers.

Inside the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali, there's a mahogany steering wheel, perforated leather heated and cooled front seats, head-up display, dual sunroof, tri-zone climate control, special footwell lighting, chromed sill plates with red light-up Denali badging, and most every other creature comfort you can imagine (rear-seat entertainment remains optional).

A more meaningful upgrade is fitment of most of the Enclave's quiet tuning elements (extra mastic, triple seals, and acoustic windshield-the front door glass is not acoustic, as the Acadia's windows are a different shape). Maximum towing capacity is a class-leading 5200 pounds. Expect the price jump to be less than the $15K leap from Yukon SLE to Denali.

The Acadia Denali will be available in front- and all-wheel drive, and seven- and eight-passenger configurations. The standard engine is GM's ever-present 3.6L direct-injected V-6, and maximum towing capacity is 5200 lbs. The Acadia gets a suspension retune to compensate for larger diameter wheels and available all-wheel drive. The EPA's fuel economy ratings don't change: 17/24 mpg for the front-drive models, while all-wheel drive knocks 1 mpg off both ends.

[MotorTrend]
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Suzuki's Kizashi Test Drive Challenge offers $100 to Audi A4 and Acura TSX buyers

Published Saturday, 23 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast.




It's best to aim high, right? While most of the automotive world (ourselves included) are busy comparing the rather wonderful 2010 Suzuki Kizashi with logical competitors like the Volkswagen Jetta - not to mention larger cars like the Honda Accord, Mazda6 and Ford Fusion - it seems the Japanese automaker itself has its sights set a bit higher... all the way up to the Audi A4 and Acura TSX, point of fact.

Called the "Kizashi Test Drive Challenge" incentive program, Suzuki is offering sport sedan buyers $100 if they test drive the Kizashi first and still end up purchasing either a 2010 Audi A4 2.0T or four-cylinder 2010 Acura TSX within 10 days of the test drive. The program ends runs through January 31, 2010. Says Koichi Suzuki, executive vice president of American

Suzuki Automotive Operations:
 
With styling, performance characteristics, luxury features and a new advanced All-Wheel-Drive system on par with the Audi A4 and Acura TSX, we're excited to extend this unique offer to consumers across the country, providing potential sport sedan buyers another reason to consider the all-new Kizashi-at a substantial savings. We're definitely putting Kizashi's premium without the premium moniker to the test.



[AutoBlog]

Visit Arbogast Suzuki to see all of our new and used Suzuki models.
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Spy Shots: Americans, meet the next-gen Suzuki Swift

Published Saturday, 23 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast.




Suzuki finally seems headed in the right direction: away from a lineup clogged with SUVs towards one chock full of fun-to-drive cars. The SX4 was a good start and the Kizashi, in our estimation, is a home run. But the brand that's big everywhere else in the world has one car after which we've always lusted, the Swift. You may remember the Swift from back in the day as a rebadged Geo Metro (or vice versa), but that name carried on in other global markets where it was eventually affixed to the fifth generation Swift that debuted in 2004. Think of it as a poor man's Mini.

While Americans won't get to sample the fifth-gen Swift, Suzuki has indicated that the sixth-gen model currently under development will be sold in the U.S. And here it is in three-door guise.'

[AutoBlog]

Visit Arbogast Suzuki to see all of our new and used Suzuki models.
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GM Challenges Ford to Heavy-Duty Pickup Tug of War

Published Tuesday, 19 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast. Categories: GMC.




Pickuptrucks.com sat down with Tom Stephens, General Motors' vice chairman of global product operations at the Detroit Auto Show, and during the course of the conversation, Stephens began espousing the virtues of the General's new Duramax diesel, due to be fitted to the 2011 Chevrolet and GMC Heavy Duty pickups.

Obviously, it's not rare for an exec to speak highly of a new engine, but in a rare moment of brand fervor, Stephens issued a challenge:

"You know what I want to do to prove it? I want to take our truck and Ford's [new Super Duty] and chain them together back-to-back. Then I want to have them pull against each other. I know our truck will beat theirs."

After making sure Stephens was serious, the site's intrepid editor, Mike Levine, contacted Ford to see if it was interested in the challenge. He hasn't gotten an official response yet, but he's ready to play referee and set up an event in Texas to pit the two H-D haulers against each other. Consider the gauntlet thrown. Ford? We anxiously await your response...
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Introducing the 2011 Buick Regal

Published Monday, 18 January, 2010 by Blake Arbogast. Categories: Buick.

 


Returning to the Buick lineup in 2011 is one of the brand's best-selling nameplates from the 1970s and 1980s: Regal. The 2011 Buick Regal is based on the Opel Insignia, recently voted Europe's Car of the Year for 2009. The Buick version will slot into the lineup below the all-new 2010 LaCrosse, becoming the least expensive Buick for sale in the U.S.

The Regals sleek design blends the sweeping silhouette and proportions of a coupe in a progressive package that suggests motion from all angles. Great attention to detail complements that aggressive styling, with tailored applications of Buicks signature design cues, such as the waterfall grille, select use of chrome trim and superior fit and finish of the exterior panels.

Contact Dave Arbogast Buick at 1.866.975.3287 to learn more about the all New Buick Regal.  We are taking pre-orders now on the first arrivals! View out current inventory of New Buick's in Dayton or Used Buick's in Dayton.
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