Chevrolet Adds OnStar 4G LTE To Vehicles

HINGHAM, Mass.- The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show is underway and Chevrolet is speeding up through a partnership with OnStar and AT&T. The automaker announced that drivers of select 2015 models will be able to enjoy high-speed data in the car! Through the new partnership, Chevrolet is adding OnStar 4G LTE to vehicles to help customers stay connected!

The first Chevrolet vehicles to add OnStar 4G LTE will be the 2015 Corvette, Impala, Malibu, and Volt, followed by the Equinox, Silverado, Silverado HD, Spark, and Spark EV. On top of that, even more models will be announced later in the year!

With the addition of the optional OnStar 4G LTE connection, most 2015 Chevy vehicles will be able to offer a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. This will allow passengers to connect multiple personal devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets to the vehicle's high-speed wireless internet. In a world where we all rely on being connected 24/7, the OnStar 4G LTE connection powered by AT&T provides owners with a more consistent and powerful Wi-Fi connection than provided by a smartphone.

When these 2015 models hit the road with the OnStar 4G LTE option, they will act as a mobile hub. Passengers will enjoy easier access to apps and services that may require a high-speed data connection. Most importantly, you'll be able to stay connected with everything that's important to you thanks to the fast and flexible connection through AT&T. If you're a current AT&T customer, you can use an AT&T Mobile Share Plan to add your vehicle to your shareable data. Or, you can purchase data on its own at a price that will be announced later in 2014.

Make sure you stay connected while you're out on the road! Stop by today to learn more about all of Chevy's 2015 models! We're proud to be one of the area's leading automotive dealers! Here at Best Chevrolet, customer service is our highest priority! It is our goal to make the car buying process and vehicle service experience as simple and enjoyable as possible! We are located at 128 Derby Street, Hingham, MA 02043. Feel free to give us a call with any questions that you may have at (781) 749-1950 or visit our website: www.bestchevyusa.com.

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Track Santa's Journey With OnStar

HINGHAM, Mass.- He's making his list and checking it twice. Santa Claus is coming to town! We're just days away from Christmas and as the big day nears, you'll be able to track Santa's journey with OnStar again this year! Beginning on Christmas Eve, those traveling in General Motors' vehicles with OnStar services can track Santa's journey with OnStar just by pressing the great blue button!

This is the fifth consecutive year that OnStar is partnering with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to provide the Track Santa program for all of the good little boys and girls looking forward to Santa's arrival! Anyone with an active OnStar subscription can request a "Santa Update" from 7am on December 24th until 5am on December 25th. An OnStar advisor will then provide an update on his latest location based on NORAD information!

Of course safety and security are always top priority for OnStar, but adjustments in staff are made to accommodate all of the curious little callers as well as day-to-day calls for assistance. So, stay safe this Christmas and don't forget to check on Santa's location as you head home from Grandma's house!

We're proud to be one of the area's leading automotive dealers! Here at Best Chevrolet, customer service is our highest priority! It is our goal to make the car buying process and vehicle service experience as simple and enjoyable as possible! We are located at 128 Derby Street, Hingham, MA 02043. Feel free to give us a call with any questions that you may have at (781) 749-1950 or visit our website: www.bestchevyusa.com.

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Three GM Vehicles Nominated For 2014 North American Car and Truck Of The Year

HINGHAM, Mass.- Over the past year, Chevrolet has made some key updates to their vehicle line up and those changes have resulted in many awards being earned by the automaker. As the end of the year nears, so does the announcement of one of the most noteworthy awards, and it has just been announced that three GM vehicles were nominated for the 2014 North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards!

A jury of 48 automotive journalists collaborated to select finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards from 28 foreign and domestic nominees, and the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Chevy Silverado, and Cadillac CTS all made the cut! The three GM vehicles were nominated for the 2014 Car and Truck of the Year Awards, confirming that the brand is right on track! Even more, the Silverado is one of just three finalists selected from 18 contenders in the Truck/Utilities category!

We can't wait for the winners of the 2014 North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards to be announced on January 13th, and we hope it's a win for Chevrolet!

We're proud to be one of the area's leading automotive dealers! Here at Best Chevrolet, customer service is our highest priority! It is our goal to make the car buying process and vehicle service experience as simple and enjoyable as possible! We are located at 128 Derby Street, Hingham, MA 02043. Feel free to give us a call with any questions that you may have at (781) 749-1950 or visit our website: www.bestchevyusa.com.

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2015 Chevy Colorado Gets Manual Transmission

HINGHAM, Mass.- Last week the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado midsize truck made its debut at the LA Auto Show joining the Chevy truck line up. Now additional details about the truck are emerging and it’s been confirmed that the 2015 Chevy Colorado will get a manual transmission!

While details about it were not mentioned in the press release regarding the truck, GM North American President, Mark Reuss, confirmed that the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado will get a manual transmission! However, not all of the models will receive it. Only the base, rear-wheel-drive WT model will receive the manual transmission the midsize truck launches late in 2014.

Whether the Chevrolet Colorado LT model, Z71 model, or ZR2 off-roader will get the manual transmission later has not yet been confirmed, but we will be the first to let you know!

To check out all the Chevy’s truck line up has to offer, stop by Best Chevrolet and we can help you find a truck that fits your needs perfectly! We're proud to be one of the area's leading automotive dealers! Here at Best Chevrolet, customer service is our highest priority! It is our goal to make the car buying process and vehicle service experience as simple and enjoyable as possible! We are located at 128 Derby Street, Hingham, MA 02043. Feel free to give us a call with any questions that you may have at (781) 749-1950 or visit our website: www.bestchevyusa.com.

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2013 MG6 BTCC Edition

MG have launched a special edition for their 6 hatchback, predictably called the BTCC Edition.

On the outside these include a matt black roof and 18-inch alloy wheels with black gloss sills shod in Dunlop tires size 225/45, door mirror covers, lower front air dam, rear bumper and rear spoiler and the choice of Arctic White or Union Blue paint finishes.

It uses a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine that develops 158bhp – enough to get the MG6 from 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds and on to an electronically limited 120mph top speed.

Interior changes are limited but the model comes nicely equipped with sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and GPS navigation.




Press Release

MG CELEBRATES BTCC SUCCESS WITH SPECIAL EDITION

MG is launching a special MG6 BTCC Edition to celebrate its hugely successful return to Britain’s favourite saloon car racing series.

The MG6 GT BTCC Edition was previewed at the final round of the 2012 MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch where MG’s Jason Plato clinched an amazing third place in the championship after taking the chequered flag six times in the season.

The road-going MG6 BTCC Edition is on sale with a distinctive list of standard features including matt black roof and 18-inch alloy wheels with black gloss sills, door mirror covers, lower front air dam, rear bumper and rear spoiler and the choice of Arctic White or Union Blue paint finishes for just £16,995.

The front grille proudly sports a BTCC badge and there are distinctive MG KX Momentum Racing team colours decals on the bonnet extension, front doors and wings behind the new chrome wing vent. BTCC Edition graphics are highlighted on the sills and also inside the car on the passenger facia.

Power from the BTCC Edition is from the 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine delivering 160 PS and 0 to 62mph in 8.4 seconds with a top speed electronically limited to 120mph. Yet the car has a Group 14E insurance rating.

Standard equipment includes built-in full colour European satellite navigation (including a lifetime subscription to Trafficmaster), sports driver and front passenger seats, Dunlop Sport 225/45R 18-inch performance tyres, electronic hill hold function, power folding electrically heated exterior mirrors, iTPMS tyre monitoring system, rear parking sensors, front fog lights, cruise control, CD audio with USB and auxiliary inputs for MP3/Ipod connectivity and a leather covered multifunction steering wheel.

Despite its sporting credentials, the BTCC Special Edition is surprisingly practical for everyday use with a huge class-leading boot and rear folding seats to give a massive 1,379 litre cargo capacity.

The cars are covered by a full AA European roadside assistance package for three years, have a three year/60,000 mile manufacturers warranty and the UK dealer network has direct support from the MG Birmingham factory.

Customers who purchase the MG6 BTCC Edition before December 31 2012 will also receive a pair of VIP hospitality tickets to a 2013 race with a full hospitality package, including a grid walk and pit lane experience, and an MG KX Momentum team jacket and hat.

Guy Jones, MG Motor UK’s Sales & Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted to be back at the pinnacle of British motorsport in BTCC with the MGKX Momentum team. It has been a great first season for MG and the team and the BTCC Edition is designed to celebrate our return to top level motorsport. The MG6 BTCC Edition turns heads and delivers a great road-going driving experience at a price position that offers outstanding value for money. The class leading 14E insurance group makes this compelling new package available to a wide range of drivers.”

German Union Wants Opel to Rule Out Redundancies, Sign New Deal by October 26

Opel has been bleeding money for the past 12 years and analysts predict that it will post a total of US$1billion operating losses annually until 2021. General Motors wants to restructure the ailing carmaker and turn it around. This, however, involves not only collaborating with PSA Peugeot Citroen, but some serious cost cutting as well.

Industriegewerkschaft Metall, the Industrial Union of Metalworkers that is (thankfully…) more commonly known as simply IG Metall, is the most prominent union in Germany and has some really serious clout with both manufacturers and the government.

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Japanese Automakers May Slash China Production in Half as Sales Plunge Amid Islands Row

Tumbling sales can be attributed to many factors. Japanese carmakers, though, just can’t seem to get a break as since last year, they have seen their production hurt by an earthquake and a tsunami, a nuclear reactor malfunction and now, a political crisis.

As we have already reported, the dispute between the two countries over the ownership of a group of East China Sea islands has resulted in escalating protests, boycotts and even violence against anything Japanese, from restaurants to automobiles in China.

Following these events, Toyota and Nissan announced that last month they recorded their biggest sales drop in China since 2008. In September, Toyota, Nissan and Honda sales fell by 49, 35 and 41 percent respectively, to 44,100, 76,066 and 33,931 units.

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Small Cars Sales on the Rise in the U.S., Could Account for 20 Percent of the Market this Year

Big may be beautiful, but when reality bites, small can prove to be a choice that makes more sense. High fuel prices, along with the fact that subcompact and compact cars are better than ever have resulted in the small car segment being on track to achieve its best-ever market share since 1993 when it held 20.5 percent of the market.

Last month, sales of small cars exploded by 50 percent compared to the same month in 2011 according to Autodata Corp. As a result, the segment accounted for 20.2 percent of September deliveries, the most since July and August 2009, and 19.3 percent of the market year to date.

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GM Opens New IT Center in Michigan, Plans on Hiring up to 1,500 People

In welcome news for Michigan, General Motors announced on Monday that it expects to hire up to 1,500 tech employees over the next few years to staff its new Information Technology Innovation Center located in Warren, just outside of Detroit.

The automaker said that the move is part of a broader plan to overhaul its information technology organization by shifting computer work from outside to a more in-sourced business services model.

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New GM App Shows Chevy Volt Owners the Real Cost of Charging Their Hybrid at Home

Plug-in hybrid vehicles claim to be much more fuel efficient, and thus cheaper to run, than regular models powered only by international combustion engines.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, though; in the case of plug-in hybrids, you have to factor in the energy consumed to charge the battery at your home, which adds to the electricity bill.

General Motors’ OnStar service is currently testing an application that will inform Chevrolet Volt owners about the cost of charging their extended-range plug-in hybrid.

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U.S. Car Sales Increase by 13 Percent in September, Market is on its Way to Reach 15 Million Units

September auto sales were up 13 percent compared to the same month in 2011, according to sales tracker Autodata. This is the best result in the last four years and exceeds even the most optimist analysts’ expectations.

It also raises the automotive industry sales’ Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) projection to 14.9 million. SAAR is determined by dividing the unadjusted annual rate for the month by its seasonality factor, resulting in an adjusted annual rate for the month.

September was the fourth consecutive month, and the seventh month this year, that the SAAR has exceeded 14 million.

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U.S. Auto Industry Threatened by Rising Rate of Industrial Espionage

Industrial espionage in the United States is on the rise in most sectors. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) opened 1,212 intellectual property rights cases in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011 – an increase of 66 percent compared to 2009.

The automotive industry is no exception: General Motors, Ford and Toyota have been the targets of such actions, with former employees stealing and sharing information with foreign rivals.

Assistant U.S. attorney Cathleen Corken described a case in which a Ford employee stole thousands of secrets in order to secure a job with another company, according to a report from Automotive News.

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GM Bids Farewell to the Three Across Front Bench Seat with the Chevrolet Impala [w/Video]

The current Chevrolet Impala is the last passenger car still in production in North America to offer a front bench with three-across seating. This will end soon since the brand-new 2014 model year Impala won’t be available with this option.

The front bench was abandoned by almost every carmaker a long time ago. Even the bow-tie brand itself admitted that it was far from popular with Impala buyers, as only one out of 10 ticked the box for this low-cost (US$195) option on the LS and LT trim levels.

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GM Drops New Photo of 2014 Chevrolet Silverado with Less Camouflage

Instead of waiting for scoop photographers to spread the word around, General Motors is relying on itself to…shoot pictures of prototypes of its next generation Silverado pickup truck series.

After the release of a single image and a short video of a 2014 Silverado test car dressed in a squiggly wrap and plastic covers back in July, GM returns with a new photo of its full-size pickup truck, this time with less camouflage.

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Detroit's Big 3 to Record US$4 Billion Combined Losses this Year due to European Car Sales Slump

After the U.S. market meltdown, which resulted in General Motors and Chrysler receiving a bailout, the two automakers along with Ford recovered quickly and are now posting near-record profits.

However, it seems that Detroit's Big Three have to face the fact that, even though their sales are blooming in most parts of the world, the European debt crisis will put their local operations in the red.

According to a report from the Detroit News, GM’s Opel/Vauxhall and its French partner PSA Peugeot Citroen, Ford of Europe and Fiat will lose a combined US$4 billion this year because sales in the Old Continent are slumping to their lowest levels since the mid-1990s.

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GM and Ford to Cooperate on Joint Development of 9- and 10-Speed Auto Transmissions

It seems that the 8-speed auto gearboxes that are becoming the norm in premium models and are even trickling down to more affordable cars are still not enough.

The New York Times reports that General Motors and Ford are expected to announce an agreement to jointly develop new automatic transmissions specially designed to reduce fuel consumption as early as in November.

According to sources from both carmakers, Ford and GM are already working on 8-, 9- and 10-speed automatic gearboxes for use in their passenger cars and light trucks.

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PSA Peugeot Citroen Reportedly Terminates Hybrid Research Partnership with BMW, Continues with GM

When it formed an alliance with General Motors last February, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Europe’s second-biggest car manufacturer, said that this would not affect its partnerships with other manufacturers.

Yet according to Agence France-Presse, Peugeot’s head of R&D Gauillaume Faury said that the French group would end its joint venture with BMW on hybrid research that was established in February 2011, and continue with GM instead.

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General Motors and its Local Partners Build China's Biggest Test Track

General Motors is pretty serious about maintaining its leading role in China, the world's largest auto market.

On Saturday, September 22, GM and its Chinese partners, which include SAIC, Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, opened the largest automotive proving ground in the country.

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August a Record Month for Chevy Volt Sales Thanks to Big Discounts; But is it Really Good News?

All-electric and hybrid car sales so far account for just 3.5 percent of total vehicle sales in the U.S. this year. Not exactly what their makers expected when they launched these models.

At a first glance, the situation is improving for General Motors, as its Volt extended-range hybrid sold a record 2,800 units last month. Year-to-date Volt sales have so far reached 13,000 units, which certainly compares very well to the 7,700 cars that were sold in 2011.

For example, before the discounts, Bunnin Chevrolet in Culver City, California was selling three to five Volts per month. Last month it shifted 36 cars, mostly leases, and sales manager Chad Kelman told The Detroit News that the dealership is having a hard time keeping enough units in stock.

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Chevrolet Promotes Upcoming 2013 Malibu Turbo with Another Test Track Video

General Motors is evidently placing a lot of focus on the sportier characteristics of the soon-to-be launched 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo, as for the second time in the past couple of months, it has released a video of the car on the track.

Mark Meyers, GM Global Vehicle Performance Manager, tries out the Malibu Turbo LTZ at the Milford Proving Grounds and shares his thoughts about the most potent version of Chevrolet's new mid-size sedan.

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