Chevrolet eds the year on a massive high with most of it's models winning awards, 18 in total, with more to come ?

• 18 awards led by the all-new Bolt EV electric vehicle

Chevrolet scored a brand-record 18 awards in automotive and consumer media rankings this week, led by five awards for the all-new Bolt EV.

Offering an EPA-estimated 238 miles of range on a full charge at a starting price of $37,495 before tax incentives, the Bolt EV earned a position on the 2017 Car and Driver 10Best Cars list. 

It was also named Best New Car to Buy by Green Car Reports, Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal and Best EV by Car Connection.

“The Bolt EV is the newest example of how Chevrolet is driving the industry with leading technology matched with great design and the connectivity that makes customers’ lives easier,” said Alan Batey, president of GM North America and brand chief, Global Chevrolet. 

“We’re innovating like never before with more choices for every need and these awards affirm the depth, breadth and value offered by Chevrolet’s lineup.”

The Camaro 1LE and Corvette Grand Sport were also named to the coveted Car and Driver 10Best Cars list. It was the second consecutive nod to the Camaro and the third time in four years on the list for the Corvette.

Six Chevrolet vehicles earned Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy awards, while Impala and Tahoe received back-to-back Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award recognition in their respective categories for the past two years. The Hispanic Motor Press also named the Bolt EV, Camaro and Colorado as the best vehicles in their respective categories.

The complete list of awards:

Bolt EV

• Car and Driver – 10Best Cars
• Car Connection – Best EV to Buy, Best Hatchback to Buy
• Green Car Reports – Best New Car to Buy
• Green Car Journal – Green Car of the Year
• Hispanic Motor Press – Best EV/Plug-In Vehicle

Camaro

• Car and Driver – 10Best Cars
• Hispanic Motor Press – Best American Muscle

Colorado

• Consumer Guide Automotive – Best Buy (Compact Pickup)
• Hispanic Motor Press – Best Pickup Medium Size

Corvette

• AutoGuide.com – Reader’s Choice Sports Car of the Year
• Car and Driver – 10Best Cars
• Consumer Guide Automotive – Best Buy (Premium Sporty/Performance Car)

Impala

• Consumer Guide Automotive – Best Buy (Large Car)
• Kelley Blue Book – 2017 Best Buy Award (Full-Size Car)

Malibu

• Consumer Guide Automotive – Best Buy (Midsize Car)

Silverado 1500

• Consumer Guide Automotive – Best Buy (Large Pickup)

Tahoe

• Kelley Blue Book – 2017 Best Buy Award (Full-Size SUV)

Volt

• Consumer Guide Automotive – Best Buy (Electric Car)

Chevrolet at the Los Angeles Auto Show

All of the award-winning Chevrolet vehicles are on display through Nov. 27 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, along with three new vehicles shown for the first time: the 2018 Colorado ZR2 — the most-capable off-road truck ever from Chevrolet — the public debut of the redesigned 2018 Equinox and the introduction of the 2017 Spark ACTIV.

USA - The Chevy Suburban and Tahoe are both added to the brand's range of Midnight Edition special Edition models.

Tahoe and Suburban are the latest Chevrolet vehicles to receive the Midnight Edition treatment for 2017

Chevrolet announced that it is expanding its popular specialty models to include Midnight Editions of its segment-defining Tahoe and Suburban full-size SUVs.

With years of heritage to build on, Chevrolet continues to forge ahead in sales and share with these two storied full-size SUV entries. 

Tahoe retail sales are currently up 18 percent compared to 2015, while Suburban sales are up 30 percent compared to 2015. Market share for Suburban and Tahoe has risen a combined 3.6 percent this year, and Chevrolet continues to lead the segment.*

Together, these two vehicles represent about 50 percent of all full-size SUVs sold in the U.S.

The News

The Suburban and Tahoe join the Silverado, Colorado, Equinox and Trax as part of the growing portfolio of Chevrolet Midnight Edition vehicles, among the fastest-selling of Chevrolet’s special editions.

These two iconic vehicles were natural candidates for the special edition treatment due to their lineage and importance to the Chevrolet brand – Tahoe is the best-selling full-size SUV in America and Suburban is the longest-running nameplate in automotive history since the vehicle’s inception in 1935.

Product Details

The Midnight Edition Suburban and Tahoe full-size SUVs are offered in two distinct variants, the Z71 Midnight package and the LT Midnight package. All Midnight Edition vehicles are finished exclusively in black.

The Z71 Midnight includes all of the features found on the Z71 Package including off-road tuned suspension, off-road tires, skid plates, off-road tubular assist steps, fog lamps, tow hooks, sill plates, 3.42 axle, 2-speed transfer case, floor mats, hill descent control, high capacity air cleaner, Z71 badging and more. 

The Midnight Edition adds 18” black-painted Z71 wheels, roof rack cross rails, black grille insert, and black Chevrolet “bow tie” logos. The Z71 Midnight Tahoe also comes equipped with aggressive Goodyear DuraTrac off-road tires.

The LT Midnight includes all of the features found on both the LT trim levels of Suburban and Tahoe and adds 20” black wheels, all-season tires, roof rack cross rails, black assist steps and black Chevrolet “bow tie” logos.

Quotable

“Our SUV customers have shown a considerable appetite for specialty vehicles,” said Mike Weidman, marketing and advertising manager, Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe. “The Midnight Editions allow us to further deliver on the premium expectation that our customers already have for these class-leading full-size SUVs.”

On Sale

Late 2016

About the Suburban

The 2017 Suburban features a standard Teen Driver feature that encourages safe driving habits for teens as well as enabling parents to view the vehicle’s maximum speed, distance driven and the number of times active safety features were engaged during a drive.

In-vehicle shopping apps are added via Chevrolet MyLink, new front active aero shutters enhance aerodynamics on the highway, and new available features include Low Speed Forward Automatic Braking and rear seat entertainment upgrades such as an HDMI/MHL connector, an additional USB port, digital headphones and device projection as well as a new video voiceover feature for the hearing impaired.

About the Tahoe

The 2017 Tahoe has been updated with a standard Teen Driver feature that encourages safe driving habits for teens as well as enabling parents to view the vehicle’s maximum speed, distance driven and the number of times active safety features were engaged during a drive. 

Front active aero shutters enhance aerodynamics on the highway and Chevrolet MyLink adds in-vehicle shopping apps and Rear Seat Reminder Customization. New available features include Low Speed Forward Automatic Braking.

USA RECALL - General motors is recalling 3.64 million units for software defects that impact on the airbag system.

GM is voluntarily recalling approximately 3.64 million 2014-17 model year vehicles in the United States. The sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) in these vehicles, which controls airbag and pretensioners deployment, contains a software defect that may prevent the deployment of frontal airbags and pretensioners in certain rare circumstances when a crash is preceded by a specific event impacting vehicle dynamics.

The recall includes certain:

• 2014-2016 model year Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet SS and Spark EV
• 2014-2017 model year Chevrolet Corvette, Trax, Caprice PPV and Silverado 1500; Buick Encore; and GMC Sierra 1500
• 2015-2017 model year Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and Silverado HD; GMC Yukon, Yukon XL and Sierra HD; and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV

GM will notify customers, and dealers will update the software free of charge. Customers also can look up their vehicle identification number (VIN) at either NHTSA or GM websites to see if their vehicle is part of the recall.

The cost of the recall is not expected to be material and will be included in GM’s third quarter earnings.

USA - Chevrolet announces a price cut of upto 50% on the Data Plan for it's 4G LTE connectivity.

Chevrolet owners have used more than 3 million gigabytes of data since OnStar 4G LTE launched in June 2014

Chevrolet is reducing its OnStar 4G LTE data plan pricing by up to 50 percent just in time for the Independence Day weekend, when AAA projects 36 million Americans will drive to holiday destinations.

As the first automaker to offer 4G LTE connectivity across its entire retail portfolio, Chevrolet has sold more than 2.1 million OnStar 4G LTE-connected vehicles since June 2014 and is an industry leader in bringing this technology to the masses.

In only two years, Chevrolet customers have consumed more than 3 million gigabytes of data – the equivalent of streaming more than 100 million hours of music – and Chevy in-vehicle data usage continues to trend upward.

“Wireless connectivity has proven to be a beneficial technology for many Chevrolet customers, from contractors who use their Silverado as a mobile office to families using their Suburban on a summer road trip,” said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet truck marketing director. “As our customers increase their usage of the technology, we are able to make it more affordable for them.”

More than 60 percent of Suburban owners and passengers use their OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, with Tahoe and Traverse hotspot usage not far behind. Not surprising when you consider those vehicles are typically for families and you can connect up to seven devices to the hotspot. The high-volume Silverado accounts for the largest amount of data usage, with customers consuming more than 1 million gigabytes of data to date.

A 4G LTE connection comes standard on all new Chevrolet retail models with the OnStar Basic Plan, which also features remote vehicle access and the AtYourService marketplace via the myChevrolet mobile app.

The new data pricing constitutes a 50 percent reduction for most plans with the all-new 4 GB monthly plan representing four times the amount of data available previously for $20 per month.

Data Plan	Old Pricing	New Pricing
1 GB / month	$20	$10
4 GB / month	N/A	$20
10 GB / month	$80	$40
20 GB / 12 months	$150 for 10 GB / 12 mos.	$150

“As more people embrace the technology, it brings down the cost of entry for all users,” said Laura Keck, OnStar Subscriber Marketing Strategy manager. “With these lower prices, we expect even more customers to use 4G LTE connectivity during this busy summer driving season.”

USA - Five Chevrolet vehicles led their segments in the J.D. Power 2016 Initial Quality Study.

Five Chevrolet vehicles led their segments in the J.D. Power 2016 Initial Quality Study. No other brand has more J.D. Power Initial Quality awards than Chevrolet — for the fourth consecutive year.

This follows the brand’s strong showing in the 2016 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, where Chevrolet also had more models ranked highest in its segments than any other brand.

“These results play two critical roles in our strategy to bring new retail buyers to the brand,” said Alan Batey, Global Chevrolet president. 

“First, the study results will help attract new buyers to Chevrolet, as J.D. Power data shows ‘expected reliability’ is customers’ top purchase consideration for a new vehicle. 

Second, the improved ownership experience of our new vehicles will help convert first-time Chevrolet buyers into repeat customers, as J.D. Power indicates customers who have a positive experience in the first 90 days of ownership are more likely to become repeat buyers for the brand.”

Chevrolet’s focus on the customer has fueled a 3 percent gain in retail sales for the first five months of 2016. In the same period, Chevrolet’s share of the retail sales grew 0.6 percentage points, making Chevrolet the fastest growing full-line brand in the industry.

Chevrolet segment awards in the 2016 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study include:

• Silverado swept the full-size truck categories, with the Silverado 1500 receiving the top marks for light-duty trucks and the Silverado HD receiving the top marks for heavy-duty trucks.
• Equinox led the compact SUV segment (in a tie), with study results that were 15 points better than the segment average.
• Tahoe lead the large SUV segment, with study results that were 19 points above the segment average.
• Finally, the Spark dominated the city car segment, with study results that were 48 points higher than the segment average.

The study, now in its 30^th year, examines problems experienced by vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership. Initial quality is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

The 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on responses from more than 80,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2016 model-year vehicles surveyed after 90 days of ownership. 

The study is based on a 233-question battery organized into eight problem categories designed to provide manufacturers with information to facilitate the identification of problems and drive product improvement. The study was fielded from February through May 2016.