GM Details 2013 Malibu's New 2.5-liter Ecotec, Says it will Deliver More than 30mpg Highway

PHOTO GALLERY

Chevrolet Orlando gets in a Harlequin Suit for the Sake of Art

Photographer credits: Mathieu Damiens

PHOTO GALLERY

Buick Launces eAssist Version of LaCrosse in China

The LaCrosse, Buick’s mid-size sedan offering, is doing quite well in China with 215,000 deliveries in the first seven months of the year alone. Now General Motors is adding the eAssist mild-hybrid version to the LaCrosse's Chinese line-up and is taking orders in 25 pilot cities, with the first cars scheduled for delivery in September.

The eAssist mild hybrid system combines a 2.4-liter direct injection gasoline engine and a 115V lithium-ion battery pack along with a 15 kW generator. The latter charges the battery and offers electric power assistance during heavy acceleration. The eAssist LaCrosse also has an auto stop/start system, with the battery pack powering all of the car’s systems when the vehicle is stopped.

Improved underbody aerodynamics, active grille shutters that close at higher speeds to optimize airflow and low-resistance tires contribute further to fuel saving.

Average consumption is claimed to be 20% lower than that of the conventionally powered version, at 7.2 lt/100 km (32.6 mpg), and drops more than 30% in city driving.

Prices in China are start at RMB 265,900 (US$41,700) for the Elegant version and at RMB 285,900 (US$44,800) for the Luxury Elegant model.

PHOTO GALLERY

It Came from a…Detroit Junkyard: 1968 Iso Fidia S4

Ask any classic car nut what’s on his or her list of must-have Italian exotics, and chances are there’ll be at least one Iso. The boutique automaker made several notable contributions to the world of motoring, among them the legendary Grifo and svelte Rivolta.

The company was also responsible for the Isetta bubble car and, sadly, the Fidia S4 sedan pictured here. Let’s just say it wasn’t one of the company’s finer moments.

Built from 1967 to 1975, only 192 Fidia S4’s were produced. Iso, which had not built a four-door before and would never build one again, describes the Fidia as, “the four fastest seats in the world”.

I call it, “an ugly box of a sedan that only a true Italian auto aficionado could love”. Giorgetto Giugiaro – later of ItalDesign fame – penned the Fidia while working for Ghia. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Giugiaro’s work but the design of this particular car has not aged well.

The interior featured a polished wood dashboard and hand-stitched leather, no doubt contributing to the Fidia’s high development cost and the subsequent pricetag that put it beyond Rolls-Royce territory.

Early cars came with a Corvette-sourced, 5.4 L V8 mated to a Borg-Warner 4spd manual; 1973 saw the introduction of a Ford 5.8 L V8. The latter was offered with the choice of either a 5spd ZF manual or Ford’s Cruise-O-Matic auto.

Today’s eBay offering comes from a man who rescued it from a junkyard in 1977. The car was originally owned by GM Chevrolet Engineering, where it was purportedly driven by such luminaries as Duntov, Mitchell and DeLorean and acted as a “benchmark” vehicle.

Sometime before 1977, GM decided to get rid of it and so ends our story. It has the original Corvette engine, a 4spd manual that tends to jump out of second when you decelerate and non-original wheels and seats.

Unsurprisingly, the reserve price has not yet been met, though at the time of writing the bidding had reached the US$15,800 mark.

Not bad for a Giugiaro-designed, Corvette-engined penis extension, eh?

By Tristan Hankins

PHOTO GALLERY

Subtle Revisions for 2012MY Chevrolet Silverado

The Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck is entering the new model year with some modest changes.

On the outside, there's a new chrome mesh grille matched with either a chrome surround on LS and LT models or a body-color surround on the LTZ, while LS and LT models now sport a silver-painted lower bumper fascia and a new 20-inch alloy wheel design.

GM also introduced four new exterior colors, including Silver Ice Metallic, Mocha Steel Metallic, Carbon Flash Metallic, and Graystone, plus two new interior color combinations, Dark Titanium/Light Titanium and Dark Cashmere/Light Cashmere.

For the 2012MY and with the exception of Hybrid models, all Silverado 1500s now feature Trailer Sway Control and Hill Start Assist as part of the StabiliTrak electronic stability control system, while cruise control and a spare tire lock are now standard on all Silverado 1500 models.

There's also a new White Diamond Edition package that is available in LT or LTZ trim, It adds a unique White Diamond Tricoat exterior color, chrome mirror caps and door handles, and body side moldings with chrome accents on LT models. Furthermore, the LTZ version gets the Z60 suspension package, 20-inch alloy rims, touring tires and a chrome tow hook and exhaust tip package.

Finally, Chevrolet has re-introduced the Custom Sport Truck package with updated content that includes:

Vortec 5.3L V8 engine

6-Speed automatic transmission

Heavy-duty trailering package

Automatic locking rear differential

Heated power-adjustable, manual-folding outside mirrors with chrome caps

20-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels

Bodyside moldings with chrome accents

Chrome door handles

EZ-Lift locking tailgate

Power driver seat

Steering wheel controls

Bluetooth phone connectivity

Audio system with USB port

Dual zone automatic climate control

Fog lamps

GM noted that the Custom Sport Truck package is available throughout the country on Silverado 1500 Extended Cab models and in California, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida and select counties in Arizona, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kansas, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi on Silverado 1500 Crew Cab models.

PHOTO GALLERY