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Chevy Cobalt

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Chevy Cobalt
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I, like so many people who have been following General Motors' fortunes for some time, am wondering what the company's long term plan of action is in the face of historic losses, plant closings, and unrelenting and widening competition. No, I am not talking about GM's global operations, rather I am talking about the North American fortunes of the world's largest automaker. Quite frankly, the North American market is currently unprofitable for the company while GM holds its own, even thrives, in many markets beyond our borders. The following are some suggestions to help "The General" not only get back on its feet again, but to halt the bleeding in North America.

File For Bankruptcy -- It is time to play hardball with recalcitrant unions and government authorities who don't understand that GM is playing on an uneven field. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai all build cars in the U.S. None of them are saddled by huge legacy costs, i.e. health and pension benefits, local tax burdens, etc. Yes, GM negotiated their contracts in good faith, however the market has changed tremendously over the past several decades and is wholly unfavorable to the way GM has been doing business since then. In addition, GM often operates at a disadvantage in foreign markets as local laws limit their ability to effectively sell their vehicles.

Quit Building Small Cars -- All small cars built by GM should no longer be built in the U.S. This includes the Saturn ION and Chevrolet Cobalt. Instead, GM should rely on imports. By tapping its relationship with Daewoo of South Korea, GM can bring in enough cheaply made models to remain competitive and to give consumers affordable transportation under the Saturn, Chevrolet, and Pontiac nameplates. Use factories in Canada and the U.S. to build larger cars and trucks only. GM has been successfully selling the Chevy Aveo, a Daewoo model, and can easily sell other models at competitive prices. This practice would be especially wise as cheaply priced Chinese cars begin to hit the North American market in 2007.

Shore Up The Divisions Unlike some who think that GM has too many divisions, I disagree. Better to clarify your existing divisions than to go through the costly and negative closing of existing divisions. The Oldsmobile termination was a huge financial drain on the company and ended up fueling hostility against the company. Therefore, this is what I propose for GM:

1. Cadillac - GM's luxury division is riding high and no changes need to be made. Keep producing distinguishable high quality luxury cars and Cadillac will continue to compete against the likes of Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, and Infiniti. Cadillac outsells Lincoln by more than 2 to 1 and the division performs well in all consumer quality and satisfaction surveys.

2. Buick - As the "near luxury" division for GM, Buick must create a viable alternative to Cadillac without sacrificing quality or confusing consumers. Bring back in a "halo" model like the Regal to show Buick's youthful side.

3. Pontiac - Unless the Firebird returns, Pontiac's performance image is gone for good. Pontiac needs this car and it must be different from the proposed Chevy Camaro. Besides Saab, Pontiac is the one division that needs the most work when it comes to reinventing itself.

4. Chevrolet - Keep up what you have, but rely on imports to fill the lower end of the market. Redo the Impala to help it compete successfully against the Chrysler 300, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord. Yes, bring back the Camaro!

5. Saturn - Moving in the right direction, Saturn should chiefly sell cars that are Opel inspired. Give the car a more European flair and the division will succeed. The Sky is a knock out and the Opel inspired Aura is a vast improvement over the old "L" Series model. Keep the strong dealer network in place and Saturn will compete successfully against Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and others.

6. Saab - GM's Swedish division is floundering and may be cut. Better yet, let the division sell upscale versions of Opel models and please do not throw out the Swedish touch: safety and durability. Unfortunately, GM hasn't been as kind to its Swedish company as Ford has been to its Volvo subsidiary.

7. GMC - Between Chevy and GMC, no manufacturer sells more passengers trucks then this division. Likely, nothing will change, but coming out with a more capable small pick up truck would go along way in helping GMC and Chevy. Also, redo the Equinox to be a real battler against the Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4.

8. Hummer - GM's niche division is the Hummer and little needs to be changed other than to add an H4, a compact Hummer. With the H4, give the division something to go with that can battle the Jeep Wrangler. Hummer will always be perceived as the company's gas guzzling company, but it is also profitable for the corporation.

Personally, I do not want the bankruptcy route to be exercised as I know that so many suppliers would be left out in the cold, jobs lost, and goodwill would take a hit for at least the short term. Still, aggressive action - even beyond plant closings and layoffs - must be considered otherwise GM will be relegated to operating as a second rate player in North America while pursuing its fortunes abroad. In my opinion, neglecting the profitable North American market would be a shame and very costly.

Copyright 2006 – Matt Keegan is The Auto Writer who writes on a variety of topics including, new cars, industry trends, auto parts and accessories, classic cars, and more. Matt invites you to purchase all of your replacement car parts right online to save yourself money and time.

Safety Before, During, and After for Chevy Vehicles

Traffic safety has been one of the top priorities of car manufacturers in designing and producing their mass market vehicles. Nowadays, it is common to find a long list of safety features on vehicles. While the most recognizable car brand in terms of safety is Volvo, other car manufacturers have also provided their consumers with the latest in safe vehicle technology.

General Motors’ division Chevrolet is one of these companies which offer a long list of safety features. The company’s safety features are divided into three parts namely before, during and after an accident.

Safety before an accident is composed of features which allow drivers to have total control of a vehicle to avoid accidents at all costs. One of the Chevrolet’s safety before features is the ABS or the anti-lock braking system. This feature is commonly found on new vehicles and almost all of Chevrolet’s auto models. The ABS reduces the risk of a wheel lockup on hard braking. This ensures that the driver would not lose control of the vehicle. This also reduces braking distance by allowing drivers to brake heavily without risking wheel lockup.

Vehicles equipped with ABS are the Chevy Aveo, Cobalt, Corvette, Impala, Malibu/Malibu Maxx and the Monte Carlo for cars. For SUVs, the Equinox, HHR, Suburban, Tahoe, and the TrailBlazer are all equipped with this safety feature. Trucks equipped with this are the Avalanche, Colorado, and the Silverado. These trucks can be equipped with aftermarket Chevrolet pickup pedal covers to make the vehicles not only safe but also aesthetically sound.

The ABS feature is also used to complement another safety feature which is the Traction Control System. This system reduces wheel spin especially on slippery road surfaces. This feature uses the same sensors used by the ABS to determine the power that the engine needs to deliver to a particular wheel. This feature is available on the Colorado and the Silverado Classic trucks. For cars, the Cobalt, Corvette, Impala, Malibu/Malibu Maxx and the Monte Carlo are all equipped with this safety feature. For vans, the Chevy Uplander is also equipped with traction control.

Another safety feature that allows drivers to avoid accident is the StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System. This system uses electronics to help drivers take control of the vehicle. It automatically adjusts the vehicle’s power output to complement the steering input of the driver. The feature’s sensor gathers data from the steering wheel’s position and how the vehicle actually reacts to it. If the onboard computer sensed that the driver is under steering or oversteering, it will correct it automatically by activating the brakes or adjusting the engine torque. Chevrolet auto models equipped with this feature are the Corvette for cars; the Equinox, Suburban, Tahoe, and the TrailBlazer for SUVs; the Avalanche, Silverado and the Silverado HD for tucks; and the Express and the Uplander for vans.

Aside from this, all Chevrolet vehicles are also equipped with daytime running lights. This feature makes vehicles visible even through fog and rain. This feature reduces the risk of traffic accidents caused by the inability to detect the vehicle’s presence by another driver.

Safety during accidents for Chevy vehicle occupants is ensured by a variety of safety features which includes the safety cage. The design of the frame is aimed to protect the occupants from front, rear, and side collisions. The cage which is made of reinforced steel is complemented by crush zones. These are areas which absorb the energy of an impact therefore reducing the impact on the occupants of the vehicle. The safety cage is used in the construction of all Chevrolet vehicles. The protection of the occupants is also ensured by the safety belts that come with every Chevrolet vehicle. It has been proven that seat belts are the most effective safety technology in protecting motorists in cases of crashes. Seat belts are complemented by airbags which also comes with every Chevrolet auto model.

Chevrolet offers a complete menu of airbags for their vehicles. These airbag systems are: front air bags (standard), dual-stage frontal air bags, side-impact air bags and head-curtain side-impact air bags. These safety features give Chevrolet auto models five-star frontal crash test ratings. These vehicles given the highest safety ratings are: the Aveo 5, Impala, Malibu Sedan, Malibu Maxx, Monte Carlo, Equinox, HHR, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Avalanche, Colorado 4-Door, Silverado 1500, Express 1500, and the Uplander.

The safety of Chevrolet vehicle occupants is ensured by OnStar. With this GPS-based feature, an activated airbag can be detected. An Advisor will then call the vehicle, if the driver or passenger is able to answer the call, the Advisor will then request for emergency assistance to be respond. Aside from this, OnStar also features remote door unlocking and vehicle diagnostics.

About the Author

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive.buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

'05 Chevy Cobalt almost feels like its going to stall when coming to a stop. Idle is low, around 500. ideas?

I have a 2005 Chevy Cobalt. When the car is warm and when I am coming to a stop, the idle goes down to 500 and engine almost feels like it's going to die. It picks back up to around 750 after that, but repeatedly drops to 500 then back up to 750. This has been an ongoing issue with the car for about 3 weeks now. Any idea as to what is causing this?

EGR is stuck or slow to close. take it to the dealer.

Pa. robbery trail might have begun in the area
ZANESVILLE -- Two men who had been living in Zanesville now are sitting in a Pennsylvania jail, accused of robbing a store and tying up two employees. Michael Burkhart, 25, of Quaker City, and Christopher Stone, 23, of Coshocton, were arrested not long after the clerks were tied up and robbed Sunday at the Beatty Market in Unity Township, Pa., authorities said.

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