I had a blast attending the General Motors 2008 Collection event this week with the ever passionate Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman and Susan Docherty, General Motors Western Region General Manager who I recently interviewed on AskPatty.com, they spoke about their excitement surrounding the GM brand revitalization that is currently underway.
This
event was a rare opportunity for me to test drive the many GM 2008
models before the hit showroom this fall. It was fun and educational to
get intimately acquainted with the Buick Enclave
my personal favorite, the H2, which I needed to understand why so many
women love to drive H2's here in Los Angeles and the super fast and
sleek 2008 Corvette. I took a long scenic drive with the all new Cadillac CTS luxury sport sedan, which hopes to give Lexus and other luxury sport sedan makers a run for their money with in 2008, then I took a spin in the European look and feel Saab 9-3. What a hoot!
I'll be reviewing all these 2008 GM models and more soon on AskPatty's newest feature CarBlabber, car reviews for women by women, so stay tuned for more on my impressions from a woman's point of view.
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 the GM claim of 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.
In addition, GM has 24 vehicles that surprisingly get 30 MPG or better which are already in showrooms for you to chose from. GM vehicles include a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty – the most comprehensive in the industry and one year subscription to OnStar on all models.
Jody DeVere
President
www.askpatty.com
www.carblabber.com
Related Links:
http://www.blogher.org/how-separate-green-goods-greenish-chaff
http://www.lipsticking.com/2007/06/a_fit_by_five_o.html
http://blog.learnedonwomen.com/learned_on_women/2007/04/marketing_green.html