2019 Chevy Silverado turbocharged 4 cylinder engine

When Chevrolet’s all-new 2019 Silverado 1500 full-size pickup goes on sale this fall it will be available in a wider array of trims, each with its own distinct personality. The 2019 Silverado’s eight variants range from the bare-bones, aptly-named Work Truck to the fully-equipped, luxury-dappled High Country.

2019 Chevy Silverado turbocharged 4 cylinder engine RST front view Two lifted, off-road-oriented models will be in the mix and the Custom Trail Boss and LT Trail Boss are sure to be popular. The version that’s aiming to gain some street cred for Chevy’s best-seller, however, is the new 2019 Silverado RST.

Chevrolet has long offered RS (Rally Sport) trim on its car models from time to time, and even on its SUVs as of late, but this is the first Rally Sport “Truck” (RST). So equipped, the new Chevy Silverado RST is all about making a visual street performance statement. A monochromatic paint scheme with a body-color grille, front and rear bumpers, and side mirrors set the tone, and the RST lights the scene with standard LED headlamps, tail lamps and fog lamps.

The most intriguing thing about the new Silverado RST (and the LT trim on which it is based), however, is the standard engine Chevy is using: a turbocharged 4-cylinder.

Turbo four in a full-size truck?

Last January, Chevrolet unveiled the lighter, roomier, and considerably more aggressive-looking 2019 Silverado to the world but engine details were skimpy. That changed at a recent powertrain drive event at General Motors’ proving grounds in Michigan where engineers rolled out several 2019 Silverados writers could test against their 2018 counterparts.

The company was coy about what was under the Silverado’s hood. Chevrolet had previously announced that a Duramax 3.0-liter inline-six turbodiesel was coming but one press of the engine start button dispelled the notion that it was equipped with the new oil-burner. Initial acceleration response was similar to a V8 engine but there was no familiar V8 rumble. The engine also felt more enthusiastic in response to throttle inputs, and out on the road course this particular Silverado felt lighter on its feet, less nose-heavy over the track’s vertical swells and decidedly athletic.

2019 Chevy Silverado turbocharged 4 cylinder engine RST front quarter viewChevy could keep the secret no longer, and reporters in attendance were told that 2019 Silverados in LT and RST trim will come standard with a new double-overhead-cam, gas-fueled, turbocharged 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine bolted to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The new turbo four will replace the carryover 285-hp 4.3-liter V6 in these versions of the Silverado.

With 310 peak horsepower and a robust 348 lb.-ft. of peak torque on hand between 1,500 rpm and 4,000 rpm, the new 2.7-liter 4-cylinder would seem to have the goods. But a 4-cylinder in a full-size truck? All I can say is my test drive made me a believer.

Folks with memories of laggy 4-cylinder engines in relatively heavy (5,000 pounds or so) vehicles need to revise their expectations. GM’s new 2.7-liter turbo four is a high-tech piece of engineering, featuring variable valve timing and lift. It also uses a twin-scroll single turbocharger with separate chambers (or volutes) that leverage the exhaust pulses of the engine to more quickly spool up the turbine wheel, especially at low engine speeds, reducing turbocharger response lag to a vague memory.

There are several other new features on the DOHC 2.7-liter’s spec sheet – an electric turbo wastegate, electric water pump, integral exhaust manifold forged-steel connecting rods, and an offset crankshaft come to mind – but variable valve lift is a GM first (until the next-gen Corvette comes along) and is especially noteworthy under the hood of a truck. There are three valve-lift profiles: low-lift for everyday efficiency, high-lift for max power, and an Active Fuel Management (AFM) mode that shuts down two cylinders under low-load conditions for maximum fuel economy.

The new 2.7-liter turbo 4-cylinder will run on regular unleaded fuel. GM will release EPA mileage estimates later this year.

Available 5.3-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management

Chevrolet also debuts a new 5.3-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) for the 2019 Silverado. It is an option for the LT and RST trim levels, and the company allowed short drives in trucks equipped with this engine choice.

As was true in 2018, the 2019 5.3-liter V8 is rated to make 355 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft. of torque. DFM, GM’s new cylinder deactivation system, is engineered to improve the V8’s fuel economy. It works by idling as many as seven of the engine’s eight cylinders when they’re not necessary to deliver the power requested by the driver to maintain performance.

If this sounds familiar, you’re right. Since 2005, the Silverado’s V8 has been available with Active Fuel Management (AFM), a more basic cylinder deactivation system capable of idling four of the eight cylinders under cruising, coasting and low-load conditions. While AFM worked as advertised, fuel-economy benefits were minimal and extra astute drivers could hear the slightly sour note in the exhaust and feel the incrementally coarser engine character when the V8 was in V4 mode.

The beauty of the new DFM system is in how seamless it is. DFM evaluates the driver’s request for torque 80 times per second and responds with 17 different fractions or deactivation modes. If it weren’t for a dash-top digital readout device engineers hooked up for this driving exercise, which showed me the cylinders that were deactivated at any given time, I’d have had no clue there was so much going on behind the scenes. The 5.3-liter was smooth in operation, crisply responsive to throttle inputs, and as quiet as ever – even as the improvised display changed faster than a NYSE ticker.

Additionally, even though Chevy imposed a 60 mph top speed limit on my driving, the V8-powered 2019 truck felt a little livelier from the get go than did the 2018. That was probably more a function of the diet the 2019 model underwent, saving a few hundred pounds by switching from steel to aluminum for the doors, hood and tailgate.

Ultimately, what you need to know is with this more comprehensive DFM system, the 2019 5.3-liter V8 is in some form of cylinder deactivation more often than the 2018 engine was with AFM – about 9 percent more in GM testing. And that, in theory, saves more fuel.

Official EPA fuel-economy estimates will be announced closer to the truck’s on-sale date this fall.

Full-size trucks meet cyber punk

2019 Chevy Silverado turbocharged 4 cylinder engine RST rear view

With a surprisingly lively standard 2.7-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, this might be the most common view motorists will have of the sporty-looking 2019 Silverado RST.

(CHEVROLET)

Advanced engine tech is finally filtering into the full-size truck universe. The F-150 made its move a few years back with its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and this year Ram will roll out eTorque mild-hybrid versions of its 3.6-liter V6 and 5.7-liter Hemi V8.

Now it’s GM’s turn.

With the huge profits automakers are enjoying in this segment – the average full-size pickup sells in the $40,000 range today – there’s significant margin available to fund such projects. Tougher upcoming fuel-economy standards or not, the expectations of full-size truck buyers have changed, and big, old pickups with simple mechanicals will soon be a thing of the past.

Thanks for reading about the 2019 Chevy Silverado turbocharged 4 cylinder engine and the RST Silverado edition.

2019 Chevy Silverado turbocharged 4 cylinder engine RST driver front quarter view

View Source:   Daily News Autos.

Tech review: Chevrolet can help you keep tabs on your teen drivers

teen-driver-traverse-ron-westphal-chevrolet-aurora-ilApparently, summer is a dangerous time to be a teen driver.

According to AAA, that’s when most teen driving fatalities occur.

We have also entered the time of year when we start to see stories about children left in hot cars.

It’s good to see technology in new vehicles that directly addresses these issues.

I spent the last week driving the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse AWD Premier, and its passenger safety technology was impressive.

Teen driver

The Traverse was delivered with the teen driver feature enabled, which includes a number of features designed to help teens learn safe driving habits.

The teen driver settings are tied to key fobs, so when Mom and Dad use their keys, everything is normal, but when the teen key fob is used, there are restrictions.

When teen drivers start the vehicle, they’re greeted with a message that the audio system is muted until all front-seat passengers’ seat belts are fastened. Parents can also set a limit on the audio system’s volume.

Safety features like side blind zone alert, forward collision alert and forward automatic braking are enabled.

Teens can be limited to driving no faster than 85 miles per hour, and parents can set audible and visual warnings to appear when the vehicle drives over a preselected speed. My Traverse was set to nag me when I drove over 65 miles per hour.

The teen driver safety features are easy to set, and all of the teen driver preferences are protected by a PIN you can set yourself.

Once you enter the PIN, you’ll have full control over the teen driver settings, and you’ll get to see a report card.

The report card tells you how far the car has driven, the maximum speed driven, how many overspeed warnings were displayed, how many times the throttle was wide open, how many forward collision alerts were displayed, how many times the forward collision avoidance braking was invoked, plus a few other statistics.

The report card page can be reset, like a trip odometer.

The teen driver’s combination of safety features can’t be overridden.

When the driver delivered my Traverse, he went over all the teen driver features, including showing me how to set up a fob with the teen driver restrictions. I drove with the restrictions on for two days, then disabled it before we took the Traverse on a highway trip.

Rear seat reminder

As great as the teen driver feature is, I was more impressed by the rear seat reminder that is designed to monitor and alert the driver when anything is left in the back seats. It prompts you to check the back seat when you turn off the car.

If you open either of the rear doors before or during your trip, you’ll see and hear a reminder to check the rear seat.

I travel with a computer bag that I put on the back seat. I was glad to get the rear seat reminder to take it with me when I got out of the car.

Cameras

As of this year, all passenger vehicles sold in the United States are required to have backup cameras. Every time I drive a newer vehicle, I’m reminded of how much I wish my older Honda Fit had one.

The Traverse has cameras on all sides that can show the view as you back up as well as when you’re moving forward (at very slow speeds). You can turn on the camera views from the touch screen.

The side cameras are used in concert with the front and back cameras to stitch together a 360-degree bird’s-eye view from your vehicle. This was incredibly helpful in parking the Traverse, which is a big SUV.

I never had to open a door to see whether I was over the lines of a parking spot.

Also, the Traverse has a video screen inside the rearview mirror that can show you the view from the back camera even when you’re driving forward.

Driving assist

The Traverse is not a self-driving car, but it does have features that will make you realize we are not that far away.

The Traverse AWD Premier includes forward collision alert with automatic braking, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, which will physically steer the vehicle back toward the center of the lane if you drift over the line.

There are cameras behind the rearview mirror that look for lane lines. When the lines are detected, you’ll see a small icon on your dashboard to tell you that lane keep assist is working.

I tried it on the highway with no other cars around. I set the wheel to drift just a bit to the right, and as the wheels approached the lane line, the steering gently moved the car back toward the center of the lane.

A warning (with beeping) appeared on the dash after a few seconds, asking me to resume steering, which I did.

The Traverse can also tell you how far you are from the car in front of you while you drive.

Entertainment system

The Traverse’s OnStar entertainment system is robust. It includes AM/FM/SiriusXM and Bluetooth so you can stream music from your phone.

There is a wireless phone charger in front of the shifter on the console.

If you connect your phone with a cable (iPhone or Android), you’ll have the option of using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. These modes will put your phone’s apps up on the 8-inch touch screen. Music sounded great through the Bose 10-speaker sound system

The Traverse has a USB port for every seat, and the second row of seating also has a 110-volt AC plug to power your gadgets. I was surprised that the Traverse didn’t have any rear seat entertainment screens, but perhaps phones and iPads have made those unnecessary.

The vehicle had 4G LTE, which includes a Wi-Fi hotspot if you subscribe.

The LTE connectivity brings a slew of cool features to the Traverse for users of the myChevrolet app. Owners can start and stop the engine remotely, lock and unlock the doors remotely and send addresses to the navigation system, as well as access Wi-Fi settings and set parking location reminders.

About the Traverse

The 2018 Traverse AWD Premier has an base price of $47,350, but with options like a sunroof and all-weather floor mats for all three seating rows, the sticker price of the vehicle I tested was $50,065.

It seats seven passengers very comfortably, and all of the rear seats fold down for carrying a lot of cargo.

The Traverse is powered by a 3.6L V-6 with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The first two rows of seats are heated, and the front seats are also air-conditioned. That was my favorite feature of all.

Thanks for reading about  Chevy teen drivers and the Chevrolet Traverse.

View Source:

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/business/technology/tech-review-chevrolet-can-help-you-keep-tabs-on-your/article_78121f04-b347-5cb9-8f0b-e83af300ebad.html

Ron Westphal Chevrolet Memorial Day Sales Event

Ron Westphal Chevrolet’s Sales Department will be OPEN on Monday Memorial Day from 9 am to 5 pm.

GM is offering $750 Additional Memorial Day Cash Back on select models.

Ron Westphal Chevrolet Memorial Day Sales Event equinox 2018 Equinox for only $99/mo.*

2018 Silverado 0% x 72 mo + $2,000 cash back, lease specials, huge rebates and more*

 2018 Chevrolet Traverse offers room for up to 8 adults with unprecedented incentives ending 5.31.18.

Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 to arrange your V.I.P. demonstration drive.  It’s fast, free and easy.  Your desired Chevy will be cleaned, gassed and waiting for your inspection and demonstration drive so you won’t waste your time waiting around.  And, you have no obligation to purchase.  So why not give V.I.P. a try?

 

 

*Low mileage 24 month lease.  $1,834 down plus tax, license and fees with approved credit.  Includes conquest.  Select model.  See dealer for details.  Ends 5.31.18.

*Silverado see dealer for complete program details.  May not be compatible with some other programs.

Mid-engined corvette

Mid-engined corvette

Just another prototype caught in the wild…mid engine corvette?

For as much as Chevy is keeping quiet about the mid-engined C8 Corvette to the public, it’s hard to deny the car is coming when we’ve spotted countless test mules out on the road. The automaker even gave dealers a brief peek of the car last month. This video is further proof development is ongoing, though we’re uncertain when plans to reveal it.

Research the Chevrolet Corvette

When Chevy gave dealers a peek, the user who dished all the details about what little he saw. He noted the Lotus-like hood and ZR1-like front bumper cover. That’s all he really said because that’s all he saw. From the photos and videos we’ve seen, the front is distinctly Corvette, while the rear end is wide – to fit the engine, naturally.

Just another prototype caught in the wild.

Mid-engined corvette

Now, what engine will lurk back there is up for debate. Rumors suggest a biturbo 4.2-liter V8 being the main powertrain, which is different from the same engine planned for the CT6 V-Sport that produces 550 horsepower (410 kilowatts) and 627 pound-feet (850 Newton-meters) of torque. In the mid-engined Corvette, the 4.2-liter mill should produce 650 hp. There are also rumors of a biturbo 5.5-liter with a maximum horsepower of 850 hp.

Rumors of a mid-engined Corvette are not new. Some go back decades with magazines hinting that we’d see one in just a few years. Twenty years later, and we’re still waiting, but it finally feels we’ll get the long-awaited mid-engined Corvette.

Looking for your very own muscle car?  Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 or shop our website anytime.

Colorado zr2

colorado-zr2

There are very few people out there that need a 2018 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. There is, however, a long list of people who lust over the truck, wishing the world would give them a reason to have to own it. It’s an understandable conundrum and a well-deserved sentiment for a midsize truck that can conquer nearly all the terrain a full-size Ford F-150 Raptor can.

  • Looking for your own Colorado ZR2?  Shop online or call our customer care team at 630-898-9630 today.

Despite its F-150 Raptor-like abilities, right now, the Colorado ZR2 competes mainly against the Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road. Soon, the Ford Ranger Raptor will come to market, setting the Colorado ZR2 firmly in its sights.

To bulk up the Colorado ZR2 for rough riding, Chevrolet, an arm of General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM), has added off-road specific appearance elements and equipment to their Colorado Z71. The tester I drove around for a week also came equipped with a Cajun Red paint job ($495), an upgraded engine ($3,500), off-road lights ($1,195), sport bar ($1,145), spare tire ($615), Bose audio system ($500), navigation ($495), chrome recovery hooks ($200), and trailer hitch ball ($35), which was added to the base price of $45,495 to give the truck an overall cost of $50,960 including $995 in destination and delivery charges.

The Chevrolet design aesthetic is prominent in and out of the truck, making the Colorado ZR2 instantly recognizable as being a member of the bowtie’s family. With its brutish face forward, the mandible-less truck stands out because of its prominent skid plate and height- it sits two inches higher on the road than your average Colorado. Its track is 3.5-inches wider than the traditional model. The handsome bulk of the Colorado remains the same in the ZR2, translating well into this more capable variant.

Under the hood of my tester was the optional 2.9-liter turbodiesel engine that is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. A 3.6-liter V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic comes standard. The truck is well served by the diesel powertrain, offering sufficient horsepower and torque for tasks both mundane and adventurous.

Capability, stability, and control are helped by the truck’s Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve damaping technology, which are also used in the Aston Martin One-77, 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Mercedes-AMG GT, 2017 Ford GT, and 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE. The result is a smooth ride, on or off-road. The truck handles a succession of speedbump-high obstacles at mid-speed quite handedly and without causing too much jostling, the same as it handles most potholes on city streets. On steep slopes, both upward and downward, the truck behaves brilliant.

Like many trucks these days, the Colorado ZR2 is quite agile. Whether you’re off-roading or dodging slower cars on the highway, the truck has the ability to pull it off with ease.

The two-inch suspension lift does make a difference when cornering, not in that the truck feels unstable, but it serves as a gentle reminder that you do have to mind your manners.

The Colorado ZR2 is big enough with the crew cab and short box to be capable of hauling around a weekend warrior’s worth of yard supplies from the local hardware store (about 10 bags of mulch and a couple trays of flowers).

The Colorado ZR2 does not lack modern conveniences, coming with OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot, Teen Driver, leather appointed power adjustable heated front seats with lumbar support, an 8-inch touch screen display, wireless device charging, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel all standard.

Let’s be honest, not everyone needs a Colorado ZR2. However, it is an attractive proposition for buyers who don’t want the robustness of a full-size truck but do want much of the capability. You might not need it, but you probably want it and if you get it, be prepared to pay a premium.

Source:  https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2018/05/15/automotive-minute-2018-chevrolet-zr2-is-the-slab.html

MY CLASSIC CAR: Marty’s Waugh’s ’66 Chevrolet Impala SS

 

chevrolet impala ss ron westphal chevrolet Aurora IL

R&L: When and how did you acquire the car?

Looking for your own classic ride?  Visit our website to find your ultimate dream car.  Or, call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 to arrange your V.I.P. appointment.

Source: MY CLASSIC CAR: Marty’s Waugh’s ’66 Chevrolet Impala SS | Galleries | statesville.com

One year with the Chevrolet Bolt EV: Takeaways from my immersion into all-electric driving

bolt ev Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, ILJust over a year ago, I finally realized my long-time dream to purchase an affordable all-electric car with over 200 miles of range. Now that I’ve got a full year and around 8,500 miles of road behind…

Just over a year ago, I finally realized my long-time dream to purchase an affordable all-electric car with over 200 miles of range. Now that I’ve got a full year and around 8,500 miles of road behind me in the Bolt EV, let’s check in on the good, the bad, and the awesome.

Looking for your own EV?  Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 or visit our showroom.  Select your perfect electric vehicle on our website day or night. 

One year into owning the Bolt EV as our family’s only vehicle, we are loving, it. It is peppy, smart, and comfortable. Plugging in at home has given us back so much time that used to be wasted waiting in line and filling up at gas stations. We have only had “range anxiety” once, when I was intentionally pushing the car to its limits (we’ll get into the details of that a little later). So far there have been zero mechanical issues or problems with the car. We exclusively use one-pedal driving, which took no time at all to get used to, and now just feels like the “natural” way to drive. Added bonus: since we almost never hit the brake pedal (except in reverse), the brake pads will likely last a very long time.

Much to my surprise and dismay, a year after our purchase the Chevy Bolt EV is stillthe only sub-$40,000 electric car with over 200 miles of range that you can buy and drive home today. I had expected the Tesla Model 3 to meet those criteria by now, but they’re still only shipping the tricked out models with prices in excess of $50,000. I also really thought that the new Nissan Leaf would be packing a 60kWh battery similar to the Bolt EV, giving it a similar range, but Nissan only increased the size of the Leaf’s battery to 40kWh, giving it a range boost from around 105 miles to 150 miles.

Going the distance

The subject of range is a good place to start. We took a number of long-ish trips over the last year that would not be possible in most other “mass market” electric cars, including trips from our home in Everett to Leavenworth (203 miles round trip), Vancouver, WA (195 miles one-way), Port Orchard (110 miles round trip), and La Conner, (95 miles round trip). The Bolt EV performed flawlessly every time, giving us reasonable range estimates and inspiring full confidence that we would have no problem making it to our destination.

Of course, I had to push the car to its limit at least once. On our way back from visiting my parents in Vancouver for Thanksgiving we decided it would be fun to strap a ridiculously large Christmas tree to the top of the Bolt EV. I knew that having what was essentially a huge fractal sail strapped to the roof would destroy our efficiency, but even still, I underestimated just how severe the hit would be.

bolt ev side view Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL

We made it to our planned charging stop at the Chevy dealer in Olympia—barely. Starting with a full charge at my parents’ house, we burned through 58 kWh of the battery’s 60 kWh capacity in just 109 miles. Unfortunately, the supposed DC Fast Charger (DCFC) at the dealership was not up to full DCFC specs, and barely pumped out more amps than my Level 2 home charger. We got nowhere near the theoretical “90 miles of range in about 30 minutes of charge” that the Bolt EV is capable of on a true DCFC station. After two hours at the charger we finally had enough in the battery to make the remaining 90 mile drive home.

Fortunately, that was both the first and the last time so far that I have used any public charger for my Bolt EV, because its range has proven to be more than enough for 99 percent of the trips we take, even in the winter when the cold weather pushed the maximum range a little below 200 miles.

One frequent objection that people seem to have about electric cars is that they aren’t sufficient for road trips. I concede that point. There were two times this year that we went on road trips beyond the capability of the Bolt EV—a 570-mile one-day round trip drive to Walla Walla, and 2,000-mile 4-day round trip to Visalia, California. In total we spent about $156 to rent cars for those two trips.bolt ev jump start Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL

Fuel cost comparison

How did our fuel costs compare to our old gas-powered car? Our previous car was a relatively fuel-efficient 2001 Saturn SL2 that averaged around thirty miles per gallon (despite having over 200,000 miles on it). Using monthly average Seattle-area gas price data from EIA.gov, my calculations show that if we had continued driving the Saturn, we would have spent $863 to travel the same 8,700 miles that we put on our Bolt EV in its first year. Meanwhile, our actual cost of the electricity that we put into the Bolt EV was almost exactly $300. So we saved $563 in fuel alone ($407 if you subtract the rental car expenses for the road trips), plus the cost of around three oil changes and whatever other maintenance our old gas-burner would have needed.

A less fuel-efficient gas-powered car that averages around twenty miles per gallon would have cost around $1,300 in gasoline, for a savings of $1,000.

bolt ev parking lot Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL The tax savings

Speaking of savings, as of right now there is still a pretty big federal income tax incentive available if you purchase most EVs. I’m the type of person who prefers to file my taxes as early as possible, so you can imagine my frustration when the IRS delayed publishing the 2017 tax year version of the EV tax credit form (Form 8936) multiple times. They eventually released it in late February and I was finally able to file my taxes. We received that sweet $7,500 EV credit in late March.

It’s also worth mentioning here that if you live in Washington State, the incentive that exempts the first $30,000 of the purchase price of an EV from sales tax is set to expire at the end of this month, so if you’re thinking about buying an EV soon you may want to do it now while you can still save up to $3,000 in Washington State sales tax.

The little things

Here are some of the cool little features that we’ve noticed in our first year of Bolt EV ownership:

  • The parking brake sets itself when you shift into park if you’re stopped on a steep enough a hill.
  • The volume displays on the screen closest to where you’re setting the volume—if you use the buttons on the back of the steering wheel, it displays on the driver’s screen, but if you use the center console knob, it displays on the center screen.
  • When you turn on the rear window washer a small jet also washes the rear cameras.
  • The on-screen guide on the reverse camera turns as you turn the wheel, which makes perfect parking ridiculously easy.
  • The HVAC fans turn down automatically when you make a call or talk to Google via Android Auto (or Siri via Apple CarPlay).
  • The stereo has a setting to increase volume automatically when you go faster, accommodating for road noise at high speeds.
  • You can still provide a jump start to ICE cars in need (I actually did this once).
  • The rear view mirror camera is super rad (and has a brightness adjustment button on the back).
  • Cruise control stays “on” even when you turn off the car (why do so many cars reset cruise to “off” every time you get back in the car?!?).
  • Safety feature – In “L” mode the car creeps forward if your seat belt is not buckled, making it immediately obvious that you’re still in gear if you’re about to try to get out. Also, as soon as you open the door the car will auto-shift into park.
  • While plugged in to charge, you can use the app or the key fob to precondition the heat in the winter without depleting any battery.
  • Parking brake auto-releases when you hit the accelerator, and auto-sets if you’re creeping forward down a hill in “L” mode with your foot completely off the pedal.
  • Android Auto is super useful and after a software update is now (mostly) full-screen (previously it did not fill the width of the screen). You can jump to Android Auto by holding the “Home” button for a few seconds.

There are also a few complaints, but they are all very minor:

  • The headlights are a little too bright for other drivers.
  • One time we experienced a software glitch that disabled all the steering wheel buttons (cruise control, on-screen menu selection, volume). It fixed itself on the next drive.
  • The stereo flips back to FM radio every time you turn on the car.
  • The window control rockers have an “automatic down” mode for all four windows but, but only the driver’s window has automatic up.
  • The way the My Chevrolet smartphone app calculates efficiency is stupid (they divide your miles driven by the entire amount of electricity you’ve put into the car, not just what you’ve actually used).

While the Bolt EV is great the way it comes, there were a couple of aftermarket add-ons we opted for:

  • $180 – Full-coverage all-weather floor mats from WeatherTech
  • $378 – Yakima roof rack system, which consists of the LP19 landing pads, Skyline Towers, 50″ CoreBars, and SKS Lock Cores

The verdict

As mentioned earlier, if you want to drive home today in a relatively affordable all-electric car with over 200 miles of range per charge, the Bolt EV is still your only choice. But just because Chevrolet is taking home a default victory in this category doesn’t mean that the Bolt EV is not a worthy competitor. I’ve been seeing more and more of them on the road lately, so the word must be getting around. In retrospect, I’m glad we bought the Bolt EV, and I’m looking forward to driving it for many more years to come.

Source: One year with the Chevrolet Bolt EV: Takeaways from my immersion into all-electric driving

2019 Chevrolet Suburban Adds 6.2-Liter V-8 Option – Motor Trend

2019 chevrolet suburban rst ron westphal chevroletThe 2019 Chevrolet Suburban RST with the Performance Package boasts a 6.2-liter V-8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Read more here.

After bringing the RST Performance Package to the Tahoe last spring, Chevrolet is now giving Suburban buyers the same option. Instead of the standard 5.3-liter V-8 that makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban RST with the Performance Package boasts a 6.2-liter V-8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The direct-injection engine features active fuel management and continuously variable valve timing.

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These Suburbans also feature a 10-speed automatic transmission rather than the standard six-speed. Magnetic ride control, optional on the regular Suburban, features a performance calibration for improved body control on all Performance package models.

A performance dual side-exit exhaust system is available, designed by aftermarket exhaust company Borla. This feature improves exhaust flow by 28 percent, Chevrolet says. Buyers can also choose Brembo brakes with red six-piston, fixed aluminum calipers and larger 410 x 32mm Duralife rotors. The automaker says the performance brakes offer an 84-percent increase in brake pad area and a 42-percent increase in rotor area for improved system thermal capacity.

The Performance Package is based on the regular Suburban RST that came out last year. These models receive 22-inch wheels wrapped in Bridgestone P285/45R22 tires. Visual upgrades include black accents on the grille, mirror caps, roof rails, window trim, and Chevy bowties.

Chevrolet hasn’t announced how much the 6.2-liter Suburban will cost when it arrives this summer. But the same package on the Tahoe goes for $2,720. When we tested that model, it was able to hit 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds, ahead of a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 4WD Z71 we ran at 7.9 seconds.

Source: 2019 Chevrolet Suburban Adds 6.2-Liter V-8 Option – Motor Trend