GMC Acadia Has Jet Fighter Technology, Room for Eight

DETROIT – Owners of the 2012 GMC Acadia midsize crossover can safely merge onto the highway using technology similar to what fighter pilots use to guide precise movements at supersonic speeds. The vehicle’s optional heads-up display, or HUD, was born out of aerospace research.

“With these devices, the main benefit is seeing important information without the distraction of looking down,” said Wen Wu, a Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science researcher.

“The technology is useful but challenging. The key issue is deciding what to display, where to display, when to display, and how to display,” Wu said.  “A square doesn’t look like a square when projected on a curved windshield, so there is a lot of correction involved in designing these systems.”

Acadia’s HUD works by projecting information from within the dashboard, using two mirrors to reflect a crisp digital image off the windshield so that it appears to the driver to be floating in front of the vehicle’s bumper. Drivers can adjust the brightness of the image, its location on the windshield or even turn the image off altogether.

Viewable information includes speed and tachometer readings, vehicle warnings, turn signal activation, outside temperature and other vehicle and radio information.

Cynthia Houeiss, lead General Motors electrical vehicle systems engineer for Acadia, said company engineers have come a long way in the integration of head’s up displays into the vehicle.

“The HUD in the 2012 GMC Acadia is completely integrated into the vehicle and its styling,” she said. “It was styled as part of the instrument panel, instead of being an afterthought or add-on.”

The heads-up display is part of an available technology package on the Acadia and is standard on the Acadia Denali, and will be available on the redesigned 2013 model.

A technology invented for fighter jets to help pilots keep their eyes on the skies around them, HUDs were first implemented in automobiles in the late 1980s by GM. Since then, GM has been a leader in the area, with patented technology that makes the 2012 Acadia’s system an industry leader.

Further advancements in head-up display technology are ongoing. General Motors R&D and several universities are working on a system that would use data gathered from an array of vehicle sensors and cameras and project images generated by compact ultra violet lasers directly onto the entire surface of the windshield.

“We’re looking to create enhanced vision systems,” said Thomas Seder, group lab manager-GM R&D. “Let’s say you’re driving in fog. We could use the vehicle’s infrared cameras to identify where the edge of the road is and the lasers could ‘paint’ the edge of the road onto the windshield so the driver knows where the edge of the road is.”

Courtesy of media.gm.com

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Connected Families Can Rely on OnStar

NEW YORK – OnStar today announced the launch of Family Link, a new service that will allow subscribers to stay connected to their loved ones when driving an OnStar-equipped vehicle.

Family Link is an optional service that includes two key features:

• Vehicle Locate: Subscribers can log onto the Family Link website to view a map with the vehicle's location at any time.
• Vehicle Location Alert: Subscribers can set up email or text message notifications to let them know the location of their vehicle. They can choose the day, time and frequency of the alerts.

Family Link is OnStar’s first a la carte service. Subscribers can add it to any existing OnStar package for $3.99 per month.

“For more than 16 years, OnStar has developed and enhanced our service by listening to our customers,” said OnStar Vice President of Subscriber Services Joanne Finnorn. “They tell us how they use technology and what they want it to do. Last year, we had more than 4,500 subscribers test the Family Link service and they told us it provides them peace of mind by staying connected to their family when they’re on the road.”

Family Link begins a phased launch in mid-April with select subscribers invited to sign up. More subscribers will receive an invitation in June. The service will roll out to all U.S. subscribers throughout the year.

Access to the Family Link website requires an OnStar user name and password. Only the subscriber with access can locate a vehicle or request alerts.

To use Vehicle Locate, subscribers log onto the Family Link website and navigate to the Vehicles tab and click on Locate. Once the vehicle has been located, the vehicle's icon will be shown on the map.  Additional location details can be seen by hovering over the vehicle.

To set up a Location Alert, subscribers log on to the Family Link website and navigate to the Alerts tab and click on Add Alert. The subscriber can request the day of week and time to receive an alert, as well as notification preference: text, email or both. Location Alerts will include the address the vehicle is near as well as the date and time.

“OnStar continues to evolve because we spend time listening to our subscribers so that we can develop new technologies and applications that meet their needs,” said Finnorn. “Family Link is the result of OnStar turning what they imagine into a solution they can use.”

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GMC Vehicles Prepared for Do-It-Yourself Project Trends

DETROIT – Springtime is here, which means the hammers and shovels for do-it-yourself home improvement projects are coming out. And from Terrain to Sierra HD, every GMC is capable of carrying the load – big or small – for a variety of home renovation projects.

Home improvement is an ever-growing industry with an expected retail sales increase of nearly 4 percent in 2012 to $269 billion, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute.

“I’ve been a contractor forever so I wouldn’t even consider a vehicle that can’t fit plywood and other materials” said Eric Stromer, host of HGTV’s “Over Your Head,” do-it-yourself expert on “GMC Trade Secrets” and a GMC Sierra Hybrid driver. “The crew cab is good for my kids, I can tow cement mixers and other equipment, and with it being a hybrid, it offers that capability with a lower carbon footprint.”

With Sierra 1500 half-ton, 2500HD ¾-ton, and 3500HD 1-ton pickups, GMC offers a variety of cab layouts, bed lengths, engines, transmissions, and axle ratios. Payload capacity is as much as 6,635 pounds and with the Duramax diesel’s 765 lb-ft of torque, trailers weighing up to 23,000 pounds can be towed. According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, home addition projects that require heavy lumber, bulky insulation, and other materials are on the rise.

For the Acadia midsize crossover, which had its best sales year ever in 2011 and will be significantly updated for 2013, do-it-yourself projects were part of the development process from the beginning.

At the core of the cargo area’s development was the ability to accommodate a 4-foot-wide sheet of drywall or plywood. The second- and third-row seats fold forward to create a practical cargo space with a flat load floor for easy loading. Healthy lifting movements were also considered when the load height was set at an average waist level. Inside, there’s no deep well in the floor that would require excessive bending.

“I’m at the home improvement store all the time and I still haven’t come across anything that won’t fit in my Acadia,” said Sue Eckel, vehicle chief engineer. “I’ve slid the SmartSlide seats forward to fit small trees without tipping them over, and I’ve slid the second row rearward to put heavy pots securely on the floor. SmartSlide is all about that configurability.”

SmartSlide is an industry-exclusive feature in GM crossovers including Acadia that allows one-handed adjustment of and access to the second- and third-row seats. According to Eckel, “you can even slide the second row back enough to recline the front passenger seat fully to carry a ladder.”

The Terrain small SUV, which gets a more powerful V-6 and an upscale Denali model for 2013, offers similar versatility. Its Multiflex rear seats can be moved fore and aft nearly eight inches (200 mm) or folded flat in a 60/40 configuration to free up 63.9 cubic feet (2820 liters) of cargo space.

For Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs, the capability includes a third row of seats that’s fully removable and a second row that tumbles forward with a single hand or push of a button with the available power fold-and-tumble second row seating.  An available power lift gate provides easy access to Yukon XL's segment-leading cargo volume of 137.4 cubic feet (3891 liters).  The Yukon XL 3/4 ton, with its 6.0L Vortec V-8, can tow a trailer as heavy as 9,600 pounds. And like Eric Stromer’s Sierra, the fuel-efficient Yukon Two-Mode Hybrid is ideal for remodelers looking to lessen environmental impact through all phases of a project. It offers an EPA-estimated 20 mpg in city driving and 23 on the highway.

Courtesy of media.gm.com

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Experience Buick Gives Customers All-Inclusive Luxury

DETROIT – Buick is announcing a new initiative that supports the brand’s mission to redefine itself as a modern luxury automaker and leader in customer satisfaction. Experience Buick offers the security and convenience of a 24-month lease that includes routine maintenance, an OnStar Directions and Connections plan and SiriusXM radio, all bundled into one simple monthly payment.

Buick sales have increased two years in a row with four all-new or significantly revised products introduced during the same period. At the same time, many Buick dealerships across the country are in the process of makeovers.  Experience Buick is available on all models – the Enclave luxury crossover SUV and the LaCrosse, Regal and Verano luxury sedans.

“New drivers continue to find the Buick brand,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick and GMC Sales and Service. “The vehicle lineup has never been stronger, and our dealer network continues to modernize its facilities. The Experience Buick program represents the next step in the brand’s reinvention by providing buyers two full years of all-inclusive, worry-free driving.”

Also included in every Experience Buick lease is a bumper-to-bumper warranty for the duration of the lease and beyond – four years or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first). Routine maintenance includes services like oil changes and tire rotations.

Experience Buick should help build lasting relationships between customers and dealerships, according to DMEautomotive, a marketing solutions and research provider in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“Programs like this are a strong strategy for raising customer retention rates,” said Doug Van Sach, DMEautomotive vice president of Strategy & Analytics and author of “The Changing Service Loyalty Landscape” white paper. “By removing cost from the decision about where to service a vehicle, Buick is creating the opportunity for dealers to establish a service relationship with their customers based on expertise and workmanship rather than on discounts and promotions.”

“Because the leases are all-inclusive, younger buyers, who are more price sensitive, will be inclined to return to a dealership for their service needs,” Van Sach said.

The Experience Buick lease is offered through Ally Financial.

 

Courtesy of media.gm.com

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GMC Denali Lineup Growing in Numbers and Popularity

DETROIT – What began as an upscale trim level on the 1999 GMC Yukon full-size SUV has grown in 13 years to become a sub-brand of eight individual models today, representing the best of GMC performance, technology and style in their respective segments.

To date, more than a half-million Denali vehicles have been produced at a pace that is constantly increasing. While the GMC brand grew 19 percent in total sales from 2010 to 2011, Denali sales increased by 79 percent.

“Denali is the ultimate expression of Professional Grade,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of GMC Marketing. “These are the most-capable, most-advanced and most-luxurious vehicles GMC offers.”

The Denali name itself reflects that mission statement. Derived from the native name for Mount McKinley in Alaska – North America’s highest peak – it can be translated to mean “the high one.”

More than half of all GMC Yukons sold in 2011 were Denalis, while nearly a quarter of all Sierra HDs and 28 percent of Acadias last year wore the badge. Later this year, the new 2013 Terrain Denali joins the growing model range. Here are the models that have worn the Denali name:

Model Type Model Years Offered

Model Type	Model	Years Offered
Yukon Denali	Full-size SUV	1999–present
Yukon XL Denali	Full-size SUV	2002–present
Sierra Denali	Full-size pickup	2002–present
Envoy Denali	Midsize SUV	2005–2009
Envoy XL Denali	Midsize SUV	2005–2009
Yukon Denali Hybrid	Full-size SUV	2009–present
Acadia Denali	Midsize crossover	2011-present
Sierra 2500 HD Denali	Full-size pickup	2011–present
Sierra 3500 HD Denali	Full-size pickup	2011–present
Terrain Denali	Small SUV	New for 2013

 

Since its inception, the Denali trim has comprised a core set of design characteristics. On the exterior, every vehicle features chrome wheels, chrome elements in the front grille and body-color moldings. The Denali script is displayed prominently on the outside of each front door.

Inside, Denalis use premium materials such as soft leather and mahogany wood accents. These top-trim vehicles have introduced features such as upgraded audio systems and ventilated front seats to the GMC brand.

Courtesy of media.gm.com

2012 GMC Acadia Denali | Luxury Crossover Vehicle

Buick Gets Into 2012 NCAA® March Madness®

As college basketball fans create their perfect bracket sheets, Buick, the NCAA partner of human achievement, launched its own busy month of March at General Motors headquarters on Monday, donating more than 300 pairs of shoes to needy children.

It is Buick’s second year of working with Samaritan’s Feet, an organization dedicated to helping cover the feet of 300 million shoeless children around the world.  Nearly 1 million of these children die each year from soil-transmitted illnesses and foot-borne diseases. The organization’s founder, Emmanuel “Manny” Ohonme, was featured on the Buick Human Highlight Reel during last year’s NCAA basketball tournament.

The Buick Human Highlight Reel is an online collection and archive of short videos featuring former NCAA student-athletes whose greatest victories occur away from the game, where they apply their passion to serving those in need. 

New stories in this year’s Human Highlight Reel will be introduced on NCAA's Buick page, and many will air throughout coverage of this year’s tournament. Student-athletes to be featured include:

• Chris Duhon, a Duke basketball player from 2000-2004 who now plays professionally. His Stand Tall Foundation works with children to encourage teamwork, commitment, discipline, and work ethic through community outreach events.
• Amber Tollefson, a former Florida State soccer player who founded the Give N Go Project. While traveling abroad, Amber was inspired by poverty-stricken children playing soccer with nothing but goals made of sticks and a coconut for a ball. She now raises money to provide equipment and raise self-esteem in Third World countries.
• Tyrone Grant, who played college basketball at St. Johns. He now works with inner city youth in Brooklyn, N.Y., as a mentor through his Team First program. The organization uses competitive athletics to promote responsibility and teamwork.
• Jason Taylor, a University of Arizona football player who later had a career in the NFL. His Jason Taylor Foundation works to improve health care, education, and quality of life for children in southern Florida.

Buick’s NCAA Final Four® involvement  extends to New Orleans, as well. Bracket Town, an NCAA fan experience  located in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, is expected to attract more than 50,000 people and will feature two Buick displays. Fans will be able to get a close look at current Buick models, as well as the upcoming 2013 Encore crossover. They’ll also be able to compete in what is expected to be the world’s largest game of “knockout”, to win game tickets or other prizes. Buick will also be donating shoes to Samaritan’s Feet for every participant.

Samaritan’s Feet activities will continue in New Orleans, with Buick donating 2012 pair of shoes to impoverished children in the region. The handouts will be split across four different events at local schools and community centers.

“The NCAA Final Four showcases incredible human achievement on the basketball court,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing. “With the Human Highlight Reel and our involvement with Samaritan’s Feet, Buick hopes to demonstrate the difference men and women can make away from the court, all around the world.”

Article and image courtesy of GM-Buick News.

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GMC Sierra HD Total Sales Growth Hits 20 Straight Months

DETROIT – With a strong February performance, GMC Sierra HD fullsize pickup total sales hit 20 consecutive months of sales increases.  Owner John Jay Johns Jr. says the trucks’ capability is one reason he recently purchased his second Sierra HD.

“I live at 7,000 feet above sea level, work at 2,500 feet, and trailer horses and cattle to my ranch up at 9,000 feet,” said Johns, who purchased his second HD, a 3500 Denali at James Wood GMC in Decatur, Texas.  In addition to driving up to 7,000 miles a month as salesman at a family-owned food processing plant, he owns a horse ranch high in the mountains and volunteers with a local disaster relief group in Ruidoso, N.M.

“My new GMC already proved itself on these inclines when I stopped to help a disabled semi on an incline while towing 17,000 pounds of equipment,” he said. “Even with that load, the truck got moving again and later, the exhaust brake and trailer brake control helped me avoid an accident when I needed to stop in just 1/8^th of a mile coming down a hill.”

The Sierra HD was redesigned for the 2011 model year and boasts a best-in-class maximum towing capacity of 23,000 pounds and an optional Duramax diesel engine generating 397 horsepower and 765 lb-ft of torque.  

With his varied pursuits, Johns needs that kind of strength. With his previous GMC Sierra 2500, he delivered supplies to teams battling wildfires and helped trailer dozens of horses out of a fire’s path. “Like most of my friends, the local fire department has traded in Dodges and Fords for all General Motors trucks,” Johns said.

His 2007 Sierra HD had 135,000 odometer miles at trade in. Johns is hoping for 200,000 miles in his new truck. “So far, I’m averaging about 19.5 miles per gallon, and I really love my Bluetooth, which lets me keep my eyes on the road while making phone calls.”

In February, total sales of the GMC Sierra HD, including ¾-ton and 1-ton models, were up 19.9 percent year-over-year. Commercial truck sales – those sold to businesses in industries like construction and utilities – were up 49.0 percent. 

The GMC Terrain small SUV also showed strong sales in February, with year-over-year total gains of 12.5 percent amid rising fuel prices. Terrain is EPA-rated at a segment-leading 32 highway mpg.

“Sales successes for GMC this past month were led by the brand’s most efficient crossover as well as the most-capable pickup truck,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick and GMC Sales and Service. “That is a testament to a strong product line that is relevant to a diverse customer base.” 

Total GMC sales for February were up 0.1 percent compared to February 2011.

 

Courtesy of media.gm.com

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2013 Buick Enclave Teased Ahead of New York Reveal

DETROIT – The redesigned 2013 Buick Enclave will debut at the New York Auto Show on April 4, 2012. A rendering of the new luxury crossover’s new cabin released today previews the changes to come, which include industry-exclusive safety technology and modern design updates. Full information will follow in the coming weeks.

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