General Motors - 2009 New Car and Truck Line-Up
General Motors, with its multitude of brands, has many new car and truck offerings for 2009. These range from the small Pontiac G3 to the sporty Corvette ZR1, which GM claims will rival Ferrari. Unfortunately, General Motor's safety and reliability ratings of the brands 2009 models send mixed messages to potential customers according to their performance in recent studies.
Let us start with the new vehicles. Pontiac is introducing the G3 to the US market. The G3 is a new small car that is basically the same as the Chevrolet Aveo5 with some minor styling and option differences. The G3 was available in Canada and Mexico in 2008. Pontiac also introduced the G8 GXP in 2009. The vehicle has the same 402 horsepower 6.2 liter V8 that is in the Corvette. Finally, Pontiac introduced a new fastback coupe of the Solstice and an all-new Vibe mini-wagon into its 2009 line up.
The Chevrolet Aveo5, which is the hatchback version of the Aveo, was also updated in 2009. The vehicle footprint is larger and the styling has changed. Additionally, the turbocharged Chevy Cobalt SS is available as a 4-door sedan, in addition to the coupe, in 2009. However, the most exciting new Chevy vehicle for 2009 is the Corvette ZR1. Its 638 horsepower engine will go 0 to 69 in 3.4 seconds, and the ZR1's maximum speed is 205 mph.
In terms of hybrids, the Cadillac Escalade and the Saturn Vue both received new hybrid models for General Motors in 2009. The manufacturer estimates that the hybrid versions of these vehicles will allow customers to receive 50% better fuel economy in the city than the base model.
Although General Motors has introduced many new products in 2009 and updated others, unfortunately, the overall reliability of the GM line up sends mix messages to potential customers this year. In a recent Consumer Reports reliability report, the Chevrolet Malibu performed average or better than average depending on the engine tested, and the Buick Lucerne V8 and Pontiac G6 were rated above average. However, to counter these successes, 25% of GM's models were rated below average in the Consumer Reports study for reliability.
In terms of safety, General Motors, as all brands, has made improvements in 2009. However, overall the GM models do not stand out for customers as being known for their excellent safety features and performance. One exception is the Chevrolet Traverse which as been rated as "Excellent" for safety by US News and World Report. The Traverse was also on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick list for 2009.
In summary, General Motors has some interesting new cars and trucks and engines in its 2009 line up. Despite difficult times in the overall automotive industry, General Motors has been able to deliver the product updates needed by its brands. The most exciting new GM vehicle for 2009 is the Corvette ZR1. However, General Motors sends mix messages to consumers in terms of its reliability and safety performance of its 2009 line up.
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