GM gives its pickups a much-needed makeover
DETROIT (AP) - General Motors is giving its big pickups a much-needed makeover.
The company is unveiling new versions of its top-selling Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra on Thursday. The 2014 models will go on sale by early spring or late summer.
The timing is good. The models roll into a market where truck sales are growing after a five-year slump. And GM's current trucks are looking dated, hurting sales. The current trucks, last revamped in 2007, are the oldest on the market and have fallen behind newer models from Ford and Chrysler.
The revamped Silverados and Sierras are aimed at putting GM back in front. They look similar to the old models, but are a little more aggressive and aerodynamic-looking. The company also says the trucks will have stronger, quieter cabs, and updated steering, suspensions and brakes.
GM is offering a choice of three revamped engines: a 262-horsepower, 4.3-liter V-6 that GM says can tow a substantial trailer; a 325-horsepower, 5.3-liter V-8 will get better mileage than the current model, which gets 22 mpg on the highway; and a 6.2-liter V-8 with 376 horsepower.
Gas mileage and pricing of the trucks was not released Thursday.
The trucks should hit the market at a good time. The economy is improving and pickup trucks are starting to sell again. The housing industry, which has a direct relationship to pickup sales, is strengthening and should be in even better shape by springtime when the weather gets nicer. Plus, trucks now on the roads are aging because people kept them through the recession. The average age of a pickup in the U.S. is now 10.4 years, GM said.
But GM is having a tough time selling its older trucks against Ford's F-150 and Chrysler's revamped Ram. Full-size pickup sales were down 8 percent last month as competitors saw increases. At the end of November, GM had enough trucks on dealer lots to supply them for 139 days of sales. Automakers consider a 60-day supply of vehicles to be optimal.
The company said that it didn't offer big deals last month, but that is changing in December as it tries to clear out the growing inventory.
The GMC and Chevy trucks, which are essentially the same vehicle, also will get six-speed automatic transmissions on all models, which should improve gas mileage. Some six cylinder models now have older four-speed transmissions that aren't as efficient.
All three new engines have efficient direct fuel injection, and GM says they can switch seamlessly to run on only four cylinders to use less gas. The engines will have more torque and power than the older models.
"Chevrolet is committed to giving truck customers the most refined, best-engineered pickups on the market," GM North America President Mark Reuss said in a statement.
The company is unveiling new versions of its top-selling Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra on Thursday. The 2014 models will go on sale by early spring or late summer.
The timing is good. The models roll into a market where truck sales are growing after a five-year slump. And GM's current trucks are looking dated, hurting sales. The current trucks, last revamped in 2007, are the oldest on the market and have fallen behind newer models from Ford and Chrysler.
The revamped Silverados and Sierras are aimed at putting GM back in front. They look similar to the old models, but are a little more aggressive and aerodynamic-looking. The company also says the trucks will have stronger, quieter cabs, and updated steering, suspensions and brakes.
GM is offering a choice of three revamped engines: a 262-horsepower, 4.3-liter V-6 that GM says can tow a substantial trailer; a 325-horsepower, 5.3-liter V-8 will get better mileage than the current model, which gets 22 mpg on the highway; and a 6.2-liter V-8 with 376 horsepower.
Gas mileage and pricing of the trucks was not released Thursday.
The trucks should hit the market at a good time. The economy is improving and pickup trucks are starting to sell again. The housing industry, which has a direct relationship to pickup sales, is strengthening and should be in even better shape by springtime when the weather gets nicer. Plus, trucks now on the roads are aging because people kept them through the recession. The average age of a pickup in the U.S. is now 10.4 years, GM said.
But GM is having a tough time selling its older trucks against Ford's F-150 and Chrysler's revamped Ram. Full-size pickup sales were down 8 percent last month as competitors saw increases. At the end of November, GM had enough trucks on dealer lots to supply them for 139 days of sales. Automakers consider a 60-day supply of vehicles to be optimal.
The company said that it didn't offer big deals last month, but that is changing in December as it tries to clear out the growing inventory.
The GMC and Chevy trucks, which are essentially the same vehicle, also will get six-speed automatic transmissions on all models, which should improve gas mileage. Some six cylinder models now have older four-speed transmissions that aren't as efficient.
All three new engines have efficient direct fuel injection, and GM says they can switch seamlessly to run on only four cylinders to use less gas. The engines will have more torque and power than the older models.
"Chevrolet is committed to giving truck customers the most refined, best-engineered pickups on the market," GM North America President Mark Reuss said in a statement.
No diesel? They really have lost contact with the market.
@david_42 These are the lighter duty "1500" trucks. The heavy duty "2500" and "3500" pickups are available with a diesel.
I will never ever buy another GM product. It is a poorly run company and does nothing but support unions.
Â
I will only buy a vehicle made in a non union shop.
@RalphCramden If you get overtime pay or paid vacation, these are benefits unions fought for years ago, thus helping to build the middle class. You just can't see past the end of your nose.
 @OCJohn Â
Unions did a lot of good. Now they are big business and hurting American forcing businesses to move out of the country.
Â
The time of unions is past.Â
 @wvboy Â
The bottom line for me is I want quality at the lowest price. If I can get that product that is made in China and meets my quality standards then I am good.
Â
Few products that I use are made in the US. Some people detest Harbor Freight because most of their products are made in China. I have heard folks say they are going to get a DeWalt or Milwaukie and support US workers. Well, those products are made in China.
Â
If one company makes a quality product in China and can undercut the competition then the competition is forced to move overseas to China to stay competitive. That is what a market driven economy is all about.
Â
China can produce a quality product for 10% what an American company can make it for. Shipping is pretty cheap so that really isn't a factor.
Â
Unions drive up costs because they refuse to look at the global market.
Â
If you look at all the parts in a GM product most are made outside the US and they are only assembled in the US. The reason is due to the costs of making anything in the US.
Â
Like it or not, we are in competition with the rest of the world.
Â
Nokia had to close up the assembly plant in Germany because it was too expensive and they moved to a country that had much lower costs and no unions.
@RalphCramden @wvboy - What you say is not incorrect in my view - just not my opinion. I still disagree. When you choose to make a little more money, and offshore work at the expense of keeping your own countrymen working - it can be nothing but greed. The patriotic aspect of the economy - when American meant something is dead, and is a great influence on why we as a nation are so ambivilant about what happens - even when it negatively affects us as consumers. It is not lost on me the fact that these are multi national companies with multi national influences. Time after time after time small business in this country comes up with a product and makes it here and markets it succesfully. Only to then have it outsourced (after the idea or design) is stolen and made in someother overseas country -  to save just a few bucks. The large retailers in this country know this is going on and I say promote this behavior at the expense of american small business for a few dollars. We can argue al day about laying blame and the amount (percentage) of hurt each segment causes. You cannot not deny that as this country has moved more and more to a service sector workforce - with lower paying jobs on average - we suffer by losing the consumer spending power we had in the early through mid part of the last century. That directly contributes to consumer debt which affects many economic facets of society. Even economists cannot agree on what to do or what the causations are with any surety. To say that unions are acause is just flat wrong. Working wage (middle class if you will) jobs - with benefits contributes more to this countries economy than any other class. The two percenters do not keep the factories going or the service sector going. Its the 40 -50% of middle income people, the ones who buy the consumer goods do. Thier sheer numbers in buying power and taxes paid are what do it. I thank the unions that are left for trying to keep the "American way of life" going that I remember as a kid. It is greed that makes americans forget who they are dude and want to forget any semblance of patriotism, or sacrifice a little for thier country  - greed. Â
 @wvboyÂ
I have done my homework. My thesis is on world wide competition and the factors that influence decisions to move operations from one state/country to another.
Â
The motivating factors are taxes, cost of labor, unions, government regulations, energy costs and stability (tax, regulatory, government and social).
Â
The US rates highest in mean taxes, top 5 in the cost of labor, in the top 10 of labor unions, in the top 10 of excessive government regulations, and some of the US states like California are driving out companies to other states because of their excessive devotion to alternative energy which is expensive, the US is very unstable for businesses because politicians change the rules all the time and that is expensive.
Â
You make the common mistake of calling it greed when companies need to keep their costs down to stay competitive. The US is not a place to do business when competitors can make the same product for 10% of what it costs to produce it in the US.
Do your homework Ralph. That arguement is long past.. Union membership has declined for the past 50 years - not gone up. Greed is what has forced jobs overseas.
@RalphCramden @RalphCramden @OCJohn Well back then people were complaining just as you are now that those benefits that you are call "a lot of good" were bad.
Â
Its pretty dang simple, people resist change. Makes no difference what the "change" is. I've seen it replayed a thousand times in everyday work life. Suggest some change and you will get 1/2 the people complaining about the changes.
Â
Suggestings todays unions do no good over simplifies the problems and its easy for the buisnesses to blame the problems on them.
Â
Such as the PERS retirement agreements. These people accepted lower pay for promises of extra contributions to there retirement. Both side agreed, both side should face the consequences. IMO its stupid to accept promises for a better tomorrow for accepting lower pay now. You should always get what is owed to you upfront no matter how enticing the promises may sound. Things change and the people who made the promisses may no longer be around in the furture or may just no longer want to honor previous promisses.
Â
So I think you over generalize without knowing everthing that went on during the negotiations. I do think some agreements that get made are rediculous but I also understand I'm not the one that agreed to the terms. IMO there needs to always be a slight advantage on the buisnesses side. But not so much that the companies are allowed to take advantage of its employees.