For release: Aug. 1, 2007
GM’S NORTH AMERICAN TRANSFORMATION CONTINUES WITH ALL-NEW CADILLAC CTS AND CHEVROLET MALIBU SEDANS, AND NEW OR REDESIGNED MODELS FOR BUICK, HUMMER, PONTIAC, SAAB AND SATURN
DETROIT – General Motors kicks off the 2008 model year with all-new versions of two of its most important passenger sedans – the Cadillac CTS and the Chevrolet Malibu – both offering greatly enhanced levels of refinement, quality and efficiency in their respective segments. They join all-new or redesigned models at Buick, GMC, HUMMER, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn to drive GM’s product transformation into the company’s centennial celebration in 2008.
“GM’s transformation is being driven by high-quality cars and trucks that look great, drive great, are fuel-efficient and provide genuine value to our customers,” said Mark LaNeve, GM North America Vice President, Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. “No other automaker provides such a diverse lineup of cars and trucks that meets the needs of customers that range from college students to contractors. And our five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty – the most comprehensive in the industry – adds even more value to the bottom line, demonstrating that we truly are putting our money where our mouth is on vehicle quality.
“Our hard work is paying off in a fiercely competitive U.S. market, with transaction and residual prices up and incentives down.”
GM’s new entries for 2008 include:
Cadillac – The second-generation Cadillac CTS luxury sport sedan and the redesigned STS luxury performance sedan, both of which get more powerful-yet-efficient engines
Buick – The elegant Buick Enclave luxury crossover and the return of the Buick Super designation on LaCrosse and Lucerne
Chevrolet – An all-new Malibu dramatically redesigned inside and out; a more powerful Corvette; a more powerful version of the Equinox, the Equinox Sport; and an all-new 2-Mode full hybrid Tahoe full-size SUV
GMC – The 2-Mode full hybrid Yukon full-size SUV which, like the Chevy Tahoe 2-Mode hybrid, achieves up to a 25-percent gain in fuel economy over non-hybrid models
HUMMER – A more powerful H2 with a redesigned interior and an all-new, V-8-powered H3 Alpha performance SUV
Pontiac – Two new GXP models: the G6 GXP and Torrent GXP
Saturn – An all-new Saturn Vue compact SUV and Saturn Astra three- and five-door sport compacts
Saab – A more powerful 9-3 range at Saab sporting dramatic exterior enhancements that evoke the popular Aero X concept.
A focus on energy diversity
In addition to producing the industry’s best cars and trucks , a key priority for General Motors is reducing the industry’s reliance on petroleum and petroleum imports, as well as reducing carbon emissions. To that end, the 2008 model year features the world debut of the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon full-size SUVs equipped with GM’s 2-Mode hybrid system. They join three other hybrid vehicles and 12 E85 ethanol FlexFuel cars and trucks in the lineup.
GM has committed to producing electrically driven vehicles that help diversify energy sources, reduce emissions and improve efficiency. Along with hybrids they include extended-range plug-in electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and, ultimately, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
GM also is the first automobile manufacturer to join the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a group of global companies and non-government organizations committed to slowing, stopping and reversing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions over the shortest period of time reasonably achievable.
Brand highlights
Here’s a closer look at what’s new at GM’s eight vehicle brands for the 2008 model year.
Buick
Buick has redefined itself with premium products that deliver luxurious driving experiences wrapped in elegant, sophisticated design. The all-new Enclave luxury crossover SUV and the return of the Buick Super designation lead Buick’s 2008 product lineup.
Enclave combines elegant interior and exterior design and a confident ride in a quiet, well-crafted roomy cabin capable of carrying up to eight passengers with space for gear. It is built on GM’s all-new large crossover architecture and motivated by a sophisticated and powerful V-6 engine.
Enclave also infuses legendary design cues such as a new waterfall black chrome grille – with a bold tri-shield emblem – and portholes, while the interior retains the elegant design and craftsmanship that made the original concept vehicle so popular.
In other news, the Buick Super designation, a badge reserved exclusively for Buick’s most premium, powerful models, returns to Buick vehicles after 50 years. It will debut on 2008 LaCrosse and Lucerne sedans.
The Supers are engineered for Buick by the GM Performance Division to inspire performance on demand. The LaCrosse Super is powered by a 300-horsepower (224 kW)* 5.3L small-block V-8 with GM’s Active Fuel Management technology. The LaCrosse Super’s chassis has been sport-tuned to deliver responsive handling, and the vehicle maintains Buick’s renowned quietness inside.
The Lucerne Super offers a more powerful version of the legendary 4.6L Northstar V-8. It is rated at 292 horsepower (218 kW)*, an increase of more than 6 percent over existing models. The Super has an enhanced chassis with a specially tuned version of Lucerne’s Magnetic Ride Control system, for a refined, premium ride that simultaneously enables crisp, responsive handling.
Cadillac
In recent years, Cadillac has engineered an historic renaissance with a completely transformed product lineup powering enhanced consumer image and global growth. For 2008, Cadillac pushes its progress even further, with the dramatic, all-new CTS luxury sport sedan that takes the brand into a new and more ambitious era.
Launching later this summer, CTS is characterized with dramatic, luxurious design and serious performance – including a powerful, clean and efficient 304-horsepower (227 kW)* 3.6L direct injection engine – and a renewed emphasis on hand-crafted details and advanced technology.
The rest of the Cadillac product lineup continues to extend its performance, design and technology credentials in 2008. The STS luxury performance sedan undergoes major enhancements, including a new, 302-horsepower (225 kW)* standard V-6 engine and advanced safety innovations such as a lane departure warning system and side blind zone alert system.
The exclusive Platinum Series, offering an even higher level of distinctively elegant luxury features, extends to the DTS and STS sedans, as well as the XLR luxury roadster. Finally, in mid-2008, a new and much-anticipated Escalade Hybrid will debut, using GM’s innovative 2-Mode hybrid system to provide significant fuel efficiency to the image and sales leader among luxury SUVs.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet cars – The all-new, redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, a challenger to the midsize segment’s most popular sedans, and a more powerful version of America’s iconic sports car – Corvette – lead Chevrolet’s strong and diverse lineup of cars into the 2008 model year. In addition, the Aveo subcompact receives design and safety enhancements, and the Impala full-size sedan adds another E85-capable engine to its stable.
Chevy’s finest Malibu yet delivers great performance, fuel economy and refinement, wrapped in a clean, tailored design. The new Malibu is based on GM’s global midsize platform, which serves as the foundation for a strong body structure, precise build quality and refined driving dynamics. It has the goods – both tangible and intangible – to assert a leadership position in the segment and re-affirm Chevrolet’s commitment to expressive cars.
Malibu is offered in several well-equipped trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ – all with standard head-curtain side air bags and front-seat thorax air bags, OnStar Gen 7 with remote diagnostics, and XM Satellite Radio. StabiliTrak stability control is standard on LT and LTZ models.
Performance comes from a family of powerful dual-overhead cam four- and six-cylinder engines. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard with the V-6 and will be available later in the model year with the 2.4L four-cylinder LTZ – a segment first.
The 2008 Corvette features everything from an all-new, larger and more powerful V-8 engine, to refinements in driving characteristics that solidify the Corvette’s position as the preeminent American sports car – and further the argument that it is one of the world’s best. There are also a host of exterior and interior refinements that raise the Corvette’s luxury status and enhance the feeling of craftsmanship.
Chevrolet trucks – From the new HHR Panel to the brawn and refinement of full-size SUVs and trucks, there’s never been a broader or more capable range of Chevrolet trucks. Chevy trucks take another leap forward in ’08 with the introduction of the Tahoe Hybrid. It features the world’s first production 2-Mode full hybrid propulsion system, which offers a 25-percent improvement in fuel economy. In addition, the fuel-saving advantages of the Tahoe Hybrid are balanced with a superior driving experience and uncompromised capability.
The popular Equinox compact SUV also gets a more powerful companion, the Equinox Sport.
Along with the Tahoe Hybrid and Equinox Sport, the Chevy truck lineup moves into 2008 with many models that were only recently introduced to the public. Models like the Silverado and HHR panel were introduced last year, while vehicles such as Colorado received significant powertrain upgrades in the last year.
GMC
GMC, maker of professional grade trucks for more than 100 years, builds on the key new product launches of Yukon, Sierra and Acadia in 2007 with more innovation for 2008. The Yukon Hybrid debuts, using the world’s first production 2-Mode full hybrid propulsion system in an SUV. It enables an estimated 25-percent overall improvement in fuel economy.
The innovative hybrid system is designed to deliver optimum fuel efficiency in both city and highway driving, the way most Americans use their vehicles.
Yukon Hybrid’s fuel-saving advantages are balanced with a superior driving experience and uncompromised capability. The Yukon Hybrid can tow up to 6,200 pounds (2,812 kg); and to maximize its efficiency, its Vortec V-8 engine is equipped with GM’s Active Fuel Management technology, which switches between four- and eight-cylinder power in certain driving situations.
HUMMER
The iconic HUMMER H2 enters 2008 with a raft of changes, delivering a more refined interior that combines luxury with HUMMER’s legendary ruggedness; enhanced safety features and a more efficient, powerful engine that is coupled with a new, six-speed automatic transmission. The H2 SUVs and H2 SUT continue as the distinct body styles of the lineup.
The new powertrain combination consists of a 6.2L all-aluminum small-block V-8 engine, rated at 393 horsepower (293 kW)* – an increase of about 20 percent over the previous engine – and a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission.
The all-new interior features a completely redesigned instrument panel, new seats – including a full third-row seat for two passengers– new door trim panels, new controls, new rear-seat heating/air conditioning system, new rear-seat overhead DVD entertainment system and a new family of premium radios. Also, a rear HVAC system is now standard.
The 2008 H3 Alpha broadens HUMMER’s range of versatile, do-anything and go-anywhere vehicles. The H3 Alpha is the second member of HUMMER’s exclusive Alpha series, representing the pinnacle of performance, both off the road and on it. It comes with a new, 5.3L V-8 engine that delivers 300 horsepower (224 kW)* and 320 lb.-ft. of torque (434 Nm)*. It is partnered with a four-speed automatic transmission and enables a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds (2,721 kg) – an increase of more than 33 percent over other H3 models.
Pontiac
Pontiac continues its mission to provide vehicles that feature progressive design, are exciting to drive, and make no compromises in power, performance or comfort.
Headlining the fall introduction of the 2008 Pontiac portfolio are the new Torrent GXP and G6 GXP. Pontiac took what drivers already love about these two vehicles and enhanced their power and appearance. Both models arrive in dealerships this fall and join their high-performance siblings, the popular Grand Prix GXP and Solstice GXP models, to make up Pontiac’s performance series.
The G6 GXP’s design and performance take the midsize segment to a new level performance with coupe and sedan models. A 3.6L DOHC V-6 VVT engine powers the G6 GXP and produces 252 horsepower (188 kW) and 251 lb.-ft. of torque (341 Nm). A Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission complements the engine. Other GXP standard features include the performance-tuned suspension with standard four-channel ABS, 18-inch aluminum alloy painted, flangeless, five-spoke wheels and specific exterior and interior appointments.
The Torrent GXP delivers an exciting, sporty competitor to the SUV market, with a lowered suspension, 18-inch wheels and a powerful, 263-horsepower (196 kW) and 251 lb.-ft of torque (340 Nm) 3.6L DOHC V-6 VVT engine and six-speed automatic transmission. This potent powertrain combination propels the vehicle from 0-60 mph in less than seven seconds. The Torrent GXP is differentiated from the base model with a more aggressive stance and exterior design elements that include a shaped hood, a new front fascia with cooling inlets and detailed grille inserts.
In early 2008, Pontiac will introduce the all-new Pontiac G8 performance sedan, the first North American application of GM’s new global rear-wheel-drive architecture. The 2008 Pontiac G8 lineup will offer a V-6-powered base model and a V-8-eqipped GT model. Each will come with a host of standard performance, convenience and safety features. (A full release on the G8 will appear in the Product Information Guide at a later date; stay tuned to GM Media Online [media.gm.com] for further updates.)
Saab
The fanfare of Saab’s 60 th anniversary in the car business this year followed an unprecedented, aggressive new-product offensive that leveraged Saab’s aviation roots. Saab begins the 2008 model year with a restyled 9-3 range that adopts cues from the Aero X Concept Car; and continued enhancements to the 9-5 range and the 9-7X SUV.
The 2008 9-3 range evokes the design direction set by the Aero X Concept, with a powerful new front end including a larger grille, smaller side grilles and semi-overwrap V-shaped hood.
New front fenders; new headlamps, fog lamps and taillamps; new front and rear bumpers with matte chrome (Aero receives unique front and rear bumpers with a matte chrome fog lamp surround); color-matched Aero rocker panels on all models and new door handles also update the 9-3 exteriors. Later in the ’08 model year, Saab adds the latest-generation Haldex “XWD” Cross-Wheel-Drive system to the 9-3 range.
For the 9-5 range, the OnStar safety and security system; tire pressure monitoring system and rain-sensing windshield wipers are standard, bringing even greater levels of safety and security to the series. Leather-appointed sport seats in Black or Parchment also are standard on all models. Also new for 2008, five-spoke, high-split alloy wheels are included on the Aero, and power-folding mirrors are included in the Visibility Package.
Saturn
Packing European-inspired looks and ride quality to match, the all-new redesigned Saturn Vue compact, five-door crossover and the all-new Astra compact car join the Saturn family for 2008. With a value-driven portfolio that has been dramatically and completely revitalized over just a 20-month period, Saturn has the freshest product lineup in the industry.
The all-new Vue’s exterior exhibits Saturn’s new European-inspired design cues, with a look that is clean, sculpted and distinctively sporty. Tight wheel-to-body relationships, large jeweled headlamps and a sweeping upper profile line contribute to the Vue’s striking design.
Vue is available in XE and XR trim levels, as well as the performance-inspired Red Line and Green Line hybrid models. Vue’s broad lineup will offer a wide range of powertrains, including a more powerful four-cylinder engine, and two V-6 choices mated to six-speed automatic transmissions. In 2008 Saturn will unveil a version of the Green Line that uses GM’s new front-wheel-drive 2-Mode hybrid system, expected to achieve up to a 45-percent improvement in composite fuel economy compared to the non-hybrid Vue. GM also has future plans to produce a Vue plug-in hybrid – depending on available battery technology – that could achieve up to 70 mpg.
Saturn’s other new entry, the Astra, is offered in two trim levels (XE and XR) for five-door models, and a single trim (XR) in the three-door configuration, which was created with more performance-focused drivers in mind.
Astra has a clean, contemporary design that is infused with Saturn’s signature styling cues, including a bold, bright grille bar with prominent Saturn logo. Likewise, refinement and precise execution are the hallmarks of the Saturn Astra’s interior, which envelops passengers in a contemporary environment that maximizes space and comfort.
The Astra’s standard 1.8L Ecotec DOHC engine is a sophisticated, powerful and economical power plant. It uses variable valve timing to optimize power and economy, delivering 140 horsepower (104 kW) and 126 lb.-ft. of torque (170 Nm) – for an enviable 76 horsepower per liter (57 kW/L). It’s mated to a standard five-speed manual or Aisin electronically controlled four-speed automatic.
*SAE certified.
# # #
Contact:
Noreen Pratscher
General Motors Product & Brand Media Strategy
Office: 313-667-2904
Mobile : 586-899-2760
E-mail: noreen.pratscher@gm.com