GM to Offer 2015 Chevy Tahoe, Suburban Z71 Packages | All American Chevrolet of Slaton | Slaton TX

DETROIT, MI- General Motors Co. will add the Z71 package to its 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban.

The Detroit-based automaker this week announced the off-road package for the all-new sport utility vehicles, which went on sale earlier this year. GM also released a teaser of the Z71 badge on one of the vehicles.

GM said additional features and production timing will be announced in late-September.

The first official special Z71 package appeared on Chevy's full-size pickup trucks in 1988, and in 2001, the brand added the Z71 package to Tahoe and Suburban.

The full-size SUV segment, although smaller than its peak in the late-1990s and early-2000s, is critical for GM. Since 1975, the automaker has consistently represented more than 40 percent of the full-size SUV market, including an 80 percent stake in 1995. 

Michael Wayland covers the automotive industry for MLive. Email him at MWayland@mlive.com & follow him on Twitter @MikeWayland or Google+.

How Chevrolet Makes the American Dream Car | All American Chevrolet of Slaton | Slaton TX

The latest episode of the Science Channel’s How It’s Made: Dream Cars aired on Friday, October 3. It highlighted the assembly process of the 2014 Corvette and was filmed at both Tonawanda Engine in New York and Bowling Green Assembly in Kentucky.

Francois Senecal has directed multiple episodes of the Science Channel show, and he was kind enough to let us know how the Corvette stacks up against other vehicles he’s profiled.

Why did you choose to focus on the Corvette?

The name of the series is, “How It’s Made: Dream Cars” and if ever there was an American Dream Car, it’s the Corvette. With the 2014 model representing the 7th generation of the Corvette, it is one of the most recognizable sports cars manufactured in North America. It had to be on my list of programs, along with the likes of the Porsche 911 and the Audi R8.

What were your impressions of the Corvette and the people who build it?

The 2014 Corvette is simply an amazing car. The quality of the construction at all levels – engine, body panels, chassis – is amazing. Even more amazing for me is that I have filmed the Bugatti Veyron and the Pagani Huayra – two incredible cars with engines that torque out more than 1000 hp. But the Corvette, for the quality of the build, the aluminum chassis, power to weight ratio, its 430 to 460 hp engine and starting price, is the dream car I can afford.

I have worked in a lot of factories over the years for How It’s Made and I can tell the people who build the 2014 Corvette love the work they do. They are genuinely proud to work on the latest version of one of North America’s most iconic vehicles.

What was the most interesting piece of information you learned about the Corvette?

One really impressive moment was filming the robots that assemble the aluminum chassis. I was greatly impressed by the chassis manufacturing section, and the engine build in Tonawanda was awesome too. Although I had seen lots of pictures of the car before getting to Bowling Green, what surprised me the most was how beautiful it was in person – both outside and inside.

How were the employees at Tonawanda and Bowling Green involved in the process of creating the episode?

Everyone from Communications to the people on the assembly line was generous with their time. It is important for me not to get in the way of people when we film, but we are also there to do a job. We want to take the best images to make the best program so the car we are filming will look as fantastic as it does in real life. It was really a great group effort and I cannot stop thanking everyone at GM and Corvette enough for their assistance.

Is there anything else you’d like FastLane readers to know about the Corvette episode?

I had the opportunity to drive the Bugatti Veyron for a few hours. It’s priced at $2,000,000 US dollars. I also drove the Corvette C7 for a few hours. Though the Bugatti is truly out of this world, the Corvette was truly an impressive drive and I had more pleasure driving it than the Bugatti. The Corvette is the affordable dream car and there is no compromise in the quality of either the car or the driving experience.

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How It’s Made: Dream Cars can be seen on the Science Channel. Check your local listings for show times and dates.

New 8-Speed Enables Quicker, More Efficient Corvette | All American of Slaton

The all-new, GM-developed Hydra-Matic 8L90 paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission offered in the 2015 Corvette Stingray and Z06 enhances performance and efficiency, while delivering exceptional refinement and world-class shift responsiveness that rivals the world’s best dual-clutch transmissions.

In fact, in the 2015 Corvette Stingray, it enables a class-leading 29-mpg EPA highway estimate – a 3.5-percent increase in fuel economy over the previous six-speed automatic – and a quicker 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds, all while delivering wide-open-throttle upshifts quicker than those of the dual-clutch transmission offered in the Porsche 911.

“GM’s new 8L90 eight-speed automatic represents a rare win-win-win scenario for customers,” said Kavoos Kaveh, global chief engineer for eight-speed automatic transmissions. “It offers greater performance and efficiency, while weighing less than the transmission it replaces. That’s a rare accomplishment in the industry today – and one for which GM has been awarded more than two dozen patents.”

With four simple gearsets for optimal efficiency and five clutches (two brake clutches and three rotating clutches), creative packaging enables the new eight-speed automatic to fit the same space as the previous six-speed automatic – and  the powerflow only uses two open clutches for low spin losses, which enhances efficiency. Extensive use of aluminum and magnesium also make it more than eight pounds (4 kg) lighter than the six-speed.

The greater overall performance and efficiency enabled by the 8L90 in the Corvette is due primarily to a new, wider 7.0 overall gear ratio spread, which enhances off-the-line performance with a more aggressive first gear ratio – 4.56 vs. 4.03 on the six-speed – helping achieve the quicker 0-60 time.

The top gear ratio is 0.65 vs. the six-speed’s 0.67. Combined with a new, numerically lower 2.41 rear axle ratio in the Stingray vs. the 2.56 gear used with previous six-speed automatic models, engine rpm is reduced by 8 percent (123 rpm) on the highway at 70 mph. The lower engine speed reduces fuel consumption, while a new torque converter design enhances refinement, particularly during low-speed gear changes.

Stingray models equipped with the Z51 Performance Package feature a more aggressive 2.73 axle ratio, while the Corvette Z06 features the 2.41 axle ratio.

Ratios compared: eight-speed automatic vs. six-speed automatic

	2015 Corvette Stingray / Z06	2014 Corvette Stingray
Type:	8L90 eight-speed paddle-shift automatic	6L80 six-speed paddle-shift automatic
Gear ratios (:1)
First:	4.56	4.03
Second:	2.97	2.36
Third:	2.08	1.53
Fourth:	1.69	1.15
Fifth:	1.27	0.85
Sixth:	1.00	0.67
Seventh:	0.85	N/A
Eighth	0.65	N/A
Reverse:	3.82	3.06
Axle ratio:	2.41 (Stingray / Z06) 2.73 (Stingray with Z51)	2.56 (std.) 2.73 (with Z51)

World-class performance
Designed and built by GM, the paddle-shift 8L90 transmission delivers world-class shift times that rival the best dual-clutch designs.

“The Corvette’s new eight-speed automatic delivers the comfort and drivability of a true automatic transmission, as well as lightning-fast shifts and the manual control that enhance the performance-driving experience,” said Kaveh. “It was designed to enhance the driving experience, with performance on par with dual-clutch designs, but without sacrificing refinement.”

For performance driving, the transmission offers full manual control via steering wheel paddles. A new transmission-controls system and unique algorithms deliver shift performance that rivals the dual-clutch/semi-automatic transmissions found in many supercars – but with the smoothness and refinement that comes with a conventional automatic fitted with a torque converter.

In fact, a new, Gen II transmission controller analyzes and executes commands 160 times per second, and wide-open throttle upshifts are executed up to eight-hundredths of a second quicker than those of the dual-clutch transmission offered in the Porsche 911.

Smaller steps between gears, compared to the previous six-speed automatic (see chart above), keep the engine within the sweet spot of the rpm band, making the most of its horsepower and torque to optimize performance and efficiency. Additionally, a torque converter design with a turbine damper complements performance with excellent refinement at low engine speeds.

Unique clutch and torque converter specifications matched to the torque capacity of the Stingray’s LT1 6.2L naturally aspirated engine and the Z06’s LT4 supercharged engine distinguish the applications for the different Corvette models.

Architectural and design features
More than 550 computer-aided engineering analysis were made during the development of the 8L90 to ensure strength, durability, performance and refinement. The architecture features a one-piece case with an integral bell housing for enhanced powertrain stiffness, as well as a detachable extension for the Corvette’s rear transaxle arrangement.

Similar to GM’s six-speed automatic design, the eight-speed’s architecture locates the grounding clutches rearward of the middle of the structure, outside the gearsets. However, the grounding clutches are splined to the case, eliminating the center support, which reduces weight.

This architecture also features a turbine shaft node that reaches to the outside of the barrel, enabling easy execution of a high-resolution magnetic speed sensor. The turbine shaft itself is very short, keeping oil channel drill lengths to a minimum. The rotating clutches are located near the front of the transmission, with short oil feed channels, supporting the transmission’s very fast shifts.

Additional design and performance features include:

• Clutch compensators are fed by lubrication oil rather than the dedicated and regulated feed design of the 6L80. There are two benefits of this new design feature: The reduction of one oil channel between the valve body and the rotating clutches, which reduces the number of rotating oil seals and oil channels within the turbine shaft; and, secondly, the capability for rapid discharge of oil in the compensators during clutch apply, for greater control.
• An industry-first off-axis, chain-driven binary vane-type pump – located within the valve body – effectively allows for two pumps in the packaging size of a single, which contributes to lower parasitic losses and optimal priming capability, as well as ideal oil routing to the controls system.
• The binary pump enables a 60-percent reduction in pump torque at points that represent large portions of the operating duty cycle, compared to the 6L80 six-speed, which is a significant contributor to the overall efficiency gains offered by the 8L90.
• The binary pump is located very low in the sump, for greater cold prime operation – as low as -40 F (-40 C) and excellent high-speed operation with stable line pressure.
• Thanks to a new torque converter clutch friction lining and a new control strategy, the 8L90’s squashed torque converter uses conventional dual-path converter feeds.
• New synthetic fluid with improved cold temperature performance and reduced friction characteristics.

Shift time quickness and improved responsiveness are accomplished with the new Gen II controls system. VFS solenoid technology and three internal speed sensors give the 8L90 the capability for world-class shift performance. The new transmission controller is mounted external to the transmission and has a processor that executes hundreds of calculations and commands every 6.25 milliseconds.

The 8L90 is built at GM’s Toledo, Ohio, transmission facility.

Source: http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Aug/0820-8speed/0820-corvette-8-speed-lead.html

Chevrolet Silverado Gears Up for 2015 | All American Chevrolet of Slaton

The all-new, GM-developed Hydra-Matic 8L90 eight-speed transmission is matched with the available 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8 engine in the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, supporting the pickup’s capabilities with greater efficiency and refinement.

It was designed with 11 percent greater torque capacity than GM’s 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission, complementing the output of the 6.2L, which – at 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque – is the most powerful engine offered in a light-duty pickup.

EPA estimated fuel economy will be announced closer to the start of production in the fourth quarter of 2014.

“The new 8L90 eight-speed is designed tougher to handle the greater power of the Silverado’s powertrains, with great improvements in spin loss to complement that capability with greater efficiency,” said Kavoos Kaveh, global chief engineer for eight-speed automatic transmissions. “It is a marvel of packaging efficiency and driving efficiency that has garnered more than two dozen patents for General Motors.”

With four simple gearsets for optimal efficiency and five clutches (two brake clutches and three rotating clutches), creative packaging enables the new eight-speed automatic to fit the same space as the previous six-speed automatic, with a lower weight. A wider 7.0 overall gear ratio spread provides a numerically higher 4.56 first gear ratio, helping drivers start off more confidently with a heavy load or when trailering.

The 2015 Silverado 1500 equipped with the 6.2L engine and eight-speed automatic transmission will have amaximum available trailer rating of 12,000 pounds, based on SAE J2807 Recommended Practices.

Smaller steps between gears, compared to the 6L80 (see chart below), keep the engine within the sweet spot of the rpm band, making the most of its horsepower and torque to optimize performance and efficiency. They also enable numerically lower rear axle ratios, which reduce engine rpm on the highway for reduced fuel consumption.

Additionally, friction-reducing design features – including all-new synthetic fluid – and lower spin losses via a powerflow that uses only two open clutches contribute further to efficiency. A new torque converter design with turbine damper enhances refinement, particularly during low-speed gear changes, for smoother performance when the truck is loaded or pulling a trailer.

Ratios compared: Hydra-Matic 8L90 vs. 6L80

Type:	8L90 eight-speed automatic	6L80 six-speed automatic
Gear ratios (:1)
First:	4.56	4.03
Second:	2.97	2.36
Third:	2.08	1.53
Fourth:	1.69	1.15
Fifth:	1.27	0.85
Sixth:	1.00	0.67
Seventh:	0.85	N/A
Eighth	0.65	N/A
Reverse:	3.82	3.06

Architectural and design features
More than 550 computer-aided engineering analysis were made during the development of the 8L90 to ensure strength, durability, performance and refinement. The architecture features a one-piece case with an integral bell housing for enhanced powertrain stiffness.

Similar to GM’s six-speed automatic design, the eight-speed’s architecture locates the grounding clutches rearward of the middle of the structure, outside the gearsets. However, the grounding clutches are splined to the case, eliminating the center support, which reduces weight.

This architecture also features a turbine shaft node that reaches to the outside of the barrel, enabling easy execution of a high-resolution magnetic speed sensor. The turbine shaft itself is very short, keeping oil channel drill lengths to a minimum. The rotating clutches are located near the front of the transmission, with short oil feed channels, supporting very fast shifts.

Additional design and performance features include:

• Clutch compensators are fed by lubrication oil rather than the dedicated and regulated feed design of the 6L80. There are two benefits of this new design feature: The reduction of one oil channel between the valve body and the rotating clutches, which reduces the number of rotating oil seals and oil channels within the turbine shaft; and secondly, the capability for rapid discharge of oil in the compensators during clutch apply, for greater control.
• An industry-first off-axis, chain-driven binary vane-type pump – located within the valve body – effectively allows for two pumps in the packaging size of a single, which contributes to lower parasitic losses and optimal priming capability, as well as ideal oil routing to the controls system.
• The binary pump enables a 60-percent reduction in pump torque at points that represent large portions of the operating duty cycle, compared to the 6L80 six-speed, which is a significant contributor to the overall efficiency gains offered by the 8L90.
• The binary pump is located very low in the sump, for greater cold prime operation – as low as -40 F (-40 C) and excellent high-speed operation with stable line pressure.
• Thanks to a new torque converter clutch friction lining and a new control strategy, the 8L90’s squashed torque converter uses conventional dual-path converter feeds.
• New synthetic fluid with improved cold temperature performance and reduced friction characteristics.

Shift time quickness and improved responsiveness are accomplished with a new Gen II controls system. VFS solenoid technology and three internal speed sensors give the 8L90 the capability for world-class shift performance. The new transmission controller is mounted external to the transmission and has processor that executes hundreds of calculations and commands every 6.25 milliseconds.

The 8L90 is built at GM’s Toledo, Ohio, transmission facility.

Source: http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Aug/0820-8speed/0820-silverado-8-speed.html

Full-size SUV keeps modern families entertained and connected, too | All American Chevrolet of Slaton

Chevrolet’s full-size Suburban SUV has ample space and comfort to carry up to nine passengers and their gear on long hauls – and brings cutting-edge technology along for the ride.

Summer is in full swing and with it comes the traditional American road trip. Last year, an estimated 40 million travelers hit the road for the July 4 holiday, according to AAA. While travelers once relied on the alphabet or license plate games to pass the time on long trips, the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban entertains passengers in the most high-tech way.

Additionally, the Suburban’s available maximum trailering package has the capability to tow 8,300 pounds, perfect for hauling a travel trailer, boats, jet skis and other seasonal toys.

“The 2015 Suburban has every creature comfort the modern family needs for a long haul,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Chevrolet Marketing. “With some of the most state-of-the-art technologies available in the industry, the Suburban is sure to give everyone something to do mile after mile.”

The Suburban offers passengers individual entertainment with wireless headphones so they can independently experience the available Blu-ray™ overhead entertainment screens, AM/FM or satellite radio, media devices synced through the available MyLink system’s Bluetooth^® connection, or media connected to built-in USB ports or SD card slots. A composite plug-in in the center console allows rear-seat passengers to play a game system through the overhead, 9-inch LCD entertainment screens.

To ensure the entertainment keeps rolling, 12 power outlets – including multiple 110-volt, three-prong outlets – are available to charge game systems, cell phones and tablets.

Gaming and other media are not limited to what passengers bring into the vehicle, either. This fall, the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban will be available with OnStar 4G LTE, providing a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot to seven devices on one data connection for as little as $5 per month. The stronger connection of the built-in 4G LTE antenna provides data service where traditional cellular service might not, perfect for accessing the Internet on that long trip down desolate roads.

The Wi-Fi connection has a range of 30 feet outside the vehicle, so the entertainment can continue even during roadside stops.

If the entertainment goes low-tech, an acoustic-laminated windshield and inlaid doors with triple seals reduce wind and exterior noise in the cabin, making conversations less of a shouting match.

Long road trips require lots of gear. With a maximum 121.1 cubic feet of cargo space available with the second- and third-row seats folded down, two passengers can pack enough for days on the road. If the traveling party is larger, the Suburban offers ample seating configurations, including a folding second row, and 60/40 split rear row.

The Suburban has class-leading fuel economy of 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, with a 31-gallon fuel tank.

Its comprehensive safety systems include available Adaptive Cruise Control to ensure the Suburban doesn’t get too close to a vehicle traveling in front of it. Front Automatic Braking automatically applies the brake if it gets too close to another vehicle while under the driver’s control. Side Blind Zone and Lane Change Alert make sure the driver knows what’s coming down the Suburban’s side, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert warns the driver if a car is crossing behind the vehicle while backing out of a parking space.

The all-new Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe went on sale earlier this year. Sales are up 14 percent year-over-year through May, with many customers opting for the top-of-the-line level LTZ trim package.

Source: http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Jun/0624-suburban.html

Customers choose Equinox for versatility, efficiency and value | AllAmerican Chevrolet of Slaton

Versatility and value are helping make compact crossovers and SUVs among the hottest vehicles in the country. Chevrolet is helping meet the demand with its strongest lineup in history, including the Equinox and – early next year – the new Trax.

“Compact crossovers and SUVs make sense for so many consumers,” said Steve Majoros, marketing director, Chevrolet. “Suited to adapt to whatever life throws at them, our customers want a vehicle that can do – and go – anywhere, and they want it with expressive design and fuel efficiency.

“It’s a tall order and it’s why Equinox sales have risen nearly every year since we introduced the original in 2006,” he said. “Next year, the Trax will provide this same flexibility in a smaller footprint.”

Equinox retail sales in June were up 11 percent from June 2013. Chevrolet has sold nearly 1.5 million Equinoxes since the first generation was introduced in 2005. A second generation was released for the 2010 model year.

The popularity of Equinox has helped Chevrolet grow its share of the segment from 7 percent to more than 10 percent in the past eight years.

Market shift

Overall, demand for compact crossovers and SUVs has nearly doubled since 2008, from 10 percent to 18 percent of the market, according to AutoTrader.com.

“Sales of crossovers of all sorts have been growing significantly in recent years, but the growth in sales of smaller crossovers and SUVs has been nothing short of phenomenal,” said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for AutoTrader.com. “It’s easy to see why, with the segment being so versatile to meet the needs of a wide variety of car buyers. They can carry people, serve as a substitute truck or haul bigger cargo while still driving like a car.”

According to AutoTrader.com’s research, crossovers and small SUVs are the only growing segments within the SUV market and, for the first time, outpace two other segments that have experienced consistent growth in the past eight years – compact and midsize sedans.

“I call my Chevy Equinox my ‘multi-tool’ of vehicles,” said Gail Haffey of Beverly Hills, Mich. “It fits my family’s needs perfectly, from traveling to our summer cottage, to flipping down the seats to haul cargo and supplies from the garden shop, to my daily commute to work. Plus, the fuel economy is great, so I get versatility and value in one package.”

The Equinox seats five, offers a maximum cargo capacity of 63.7 cubic feet and a maximum towing rating of 3,500 pounds (3.6L V-6 models) and an EPA-rated 32 mpg highway (2.4L FWD models).

Both the Equinox and GMC Terrain with available forward collision alert technology received 2014 Top Safety Pick+ ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the only midsize SUVs of nine evaluated to earn Good ratings in the Institute’s small overlap front crash test.

For 2015, Chevrolet brings OnStar 4G LTE capabilities to Equinox and Trax. Combined with standard Chevrolet MyLink, these technologies accommodate customers’ increasingly connected lifestyles with a more reliable connection during road trips, connectivity for up to seven devices, and range of up to 50 feet outside the vehicle.

Making Trax

The Chevrolet Trax small SUV – a customer favorite in the global markets where it’s already being sold, arrives in the U.S. early next year. Part of another fast-growing segment, Trax sales have grown from just over 3,000 in 2006 to more than 90,000 last year.

Trax will offer eight different seating arrangements with 60/40 split rear seats and a fold-flat front passenger seat, as well as more than 48 cubic feet of cargo space and a standard turbocharged engine. Both Equinox and Trax are available with all-wheel drive.

Changing gears

Sales of small SUVs have evolved along with consumers’ changing driving, spending and lifestyle habits. They’ve gone from being “second” vehicles in a household to replacing older vehicles.

Once inside the small and compact SUV segments, buyers are extremely loyal, with more than a quarter of them coming from other small and compact SUVs.

“We work hard to deliver the versatility and value our customers expect in our Equinox, and having been doing so for eight years since the vehicle launched,” said Majoros.  

Source: http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Jul/0708-small-crossovers.html    

Impala and Traverse Among KBB.com 12 Best Family Cars of 2014

Impala and Traverse Among KBB.com 12 Best Family Cars of 2014

Two Chevrolet winners cited as minivan alternatives

2014-02-14

DETROIT – In a quest to find the vehicles best suited for families, Kelley Blue Book editors collaborated with real families to test an array of vehicles including anything from sedans to minivans.
Two Chevrolets made their way into KBB.com’s 12 Best Family Cars of 2014 recommended list, the Chevrolet Impala four-door sedan and the Traverse midsize SUV.
“We designed the Chevrolet Impala and Traverse precisely to offer a wide suite of useful family-friendly features,” said Russ Clark, Chevrolet director of marketing. “It is good to see that KBB.com and the customers they surveyed agree.”
Nominees were chosen specifically for excellence in safety, comfort, driving performance, room for child seats, cargo space, rear-seat entertainment and other family-friendly features.
The KBB.com expert editors started with 21 vehicles top-ranked in their Expert Ratings in various family-friendly categories and enlisted the help of several families to thoroughly test these family haulers. KBB.com editors then recorded the results and feedback to select the winners.
“We were surprised at the number of sedans that made the Best Family Cars list this year,” Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. “Once upon a time before minivans and SUVs, sedans were the primary family car of choice, and this year’s list proves the modern sedan still makes a fine family car.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.