North American International Auto Show: General Motors Brings Innovation and Thunder

• Ben Williams


• 30 Jan 2015

At the North American International Auto Show, General Motors, probably not wanting to tip its hand, was some what conservative with their announcements.  Unlike other automakers, there was a stunning lack of most of GM’s big name models at the show.  That being said, Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet did make several  important announcements ranging from an innovative concept, to new models, and updates to preexisting models.  To start off, let’s look at Chevrolet’s new environmental vehicles.

Refusing to be outdone by Honda, Chevrolet announced improvements to their hybrid car, the Chevy Volt.  Going on sale later this year, the new Volt will have many improvements over the first generation.  Besides a new, muscular design inspired by Chevrolet performance vehicles , the new Volt have  a new, lighter, more efficient Voltec hybrid system that has increased the range to a claimed 400 miles, more than 1,000 miles between trips to the gas station with regular charges, and provide more acceleration than the previous system.  Even the 1.5L range extending motor is new, and will increase fuel efficiency to a claimed 41 mpg.

Following the improvements to the Volt’s promise of a better hybrid, Chevrolet introduced its new concept, the Bolt EV, as a showcase of the type of environmental vehicle you can expect to see from the company in the future.  Designed for a global market, the all-electric Bolt EV Concept has a claimed range of over 200 miles while being at a low, affordable price, starting at around $30,000.  Taking from what they learned from their previous environment vehicles, the Bolt EV to have different driving styles settings for weekend cruise comfort to weekday commuting.  The Bolt EV features a new body style made many different light-weight materials such as carbon-fiber, aluminium, and magnesium to reduced its overall weight and increase range.  The Bolt EV will also feature a variety of different technological interaction including using a smartphone as a key fob, and an automatic park-and-retrieval system.  Both the new Volt and the Bolt EV Concept are truly Chevrolet’s responses to the growing popularity of electric vehicle and is truly a giant step into the market.

From one concept to another, Buick  introduced its new concept at NAIAS.  Using the French word for future, the Buick Averir Concept is designed to be a new flagship sedan to combine modern design and technological integration.  The Averir features a new direct-injected V6 with fuel-saving technology, a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system, a nine-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, and driver-selectable suspension settings.  The interior of the concept features four-cockpit like seating, a full LED lighting, driver-recognition technology, 4G LTE Wifi Hotspot, and wireless charging for mobile devices.

At the NAIAS, Buick also announced their new Cascade Convertible.  After being out of the convertible market for the past 25 years, Buick has returned with what seems like a firm platform.  The Cascada’s top will open in 17 seconds at up to 31 mph and will have superior thermal and acoustic isolation when up.  The convertible feature what Buick calls a “2+2” construction that will easily fit 4 adults.   The car has a rigid body structure, specialized suspension, and a 1.6L turbocharged engine that makes 200 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque.  Interestingly, the car will feature a overboost feature that will increase the torque up to 221 lb-ft for a short time.  Another interesting feature are two rollover protection bars that will deploy in the case of roll overs.  Over the last few years, Buick, in my opinion, have seem to be searching for it’s place in the modern automotive market.  The Averir Concept and the Cascada Convertible, while not exactly the most exciting vehicles, seem to be like a good step in the right direction for the company.

While Chevrolet and Buick brought innovation to NAIAS, Cadillac brought thunder.  Making an appearance at NAIAS was the new CTS-V.  Known as the World’s Most-Powerful Sedan for many years before the Charger Hellcat came along, the CTS-V has returned with a vengeance. The CTS-V’s new 6.2L supercharged V8 will again outperform its European rivals, producing 640 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful Cadillac ever.  With a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds, a claimed top speed of 200 mph, Cadillac’s paddle-shift eight-speed transmission, Brembo brakes, and the next-generation Magnetic Ride Control suspension, the CTS-V will be both luxury sedan and a destroyer of tracks.  The CTS-V will also have an optional carbon-fiber package that will add carbon-fiber front splitter, hood vent, rear diffuser and spoiler to the aero-focused body and carbon-fiber hood.  This new CTS-V Cadillac clearly has its European and now American rivals in its sights.

In conclusion, while General Motors did not make many exciting announcements, they did bring a lot to offer in the technological department to the North American International Auto Show.  Chevrolet brought their new environmental vehicles while Buick brought its future, and Cadillac brought its power.  Admitting, I am much more interested in the CTS-V than I am the Bolt EV Concept.  While the type of vehicles that Chevrolet and Buick announced are probably not going to be as popular as Cadillac’s, these new vehicles point to the future of the automobile and their companies.