Month: September 2021

Chevrolet Trailblazer History

2022 Chevy Trailblazer for sale Ron Westphal Chevrolet Chevrolet Trailblazer History
2022 Chevy Trailblazer for sale Ron Westphal Chevrolet Chevrolet Trailblazer History

Chevrolet Trailblazer History

The Chevrolet Trailblazer or TrailBlazer is a mid-size SUV produced by Chevrolet, a division of General Motors. The nameplate was first used in North America from 2001 to 2008, when it was replaced by the Traverse crossover SUV in 2009.  The complete Chevrolet Trailblazer History has yet to be written but here’s what we know so far.

Looking for a new 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer?  Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 for inbound and in-stock inventory updates.  Or, visit our website 24/7.

The TrailBlazer name was first introduced for the 1999 model year as an upscale trim level of the compact 4-door Chevrolet S-10 Blazer. It offered additional features on top of the previously top-of-the-line Chevrolet S-10 Blazer LT trim level, including an A/M-F/M stereo with single-disc CD player and optional remote cassette player, OnStar, color-keyed front and rear bumpers, side cladding, and front grille, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise control, upgraded alloy wheels, a full-size spare tire and wheel, and upgraded cloth seating surfaces with power front bucket seats.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer 2001-2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer History
The Chevrolet Trailblazer 2001-2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer History

The first generation 2002–2005 TrailBlazer is based on a truck platform called GMT360, with all models having four-wheel-drive layout as an option with both automatic engagement and the more traditional “2 High”, “4 High” and “4 Low” gearings, except the SS model which features an all-wheel-drive system.

2001-2008 Traiblazer EXT Chevrolet Trailblazer History
2001-2008 Traiblazer EXT Chevrolet Trailblazer History

The TrailBlazer was also available as a 3-row, 7-passenger EXT version. This vehicle was 410 mm (16 in) longer and had a higher roofline to allow easier access to the third row of seats. This roof was disguised by standard roof racks.

The TrailBlazer was discontinued in 2009 with only 22,287 yearly American sales at that time.

The All-New Chevrolet Trailblazer makes history.

The All-New, redesigned Trailblazer made its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2019, and sales began in early 2020 as a 2021 model year vehicle. There are five trim levels available: L, LS, LT, Activ and RS. The latter two came standard with dual exhaust and top of the line features.  The Activ and RS models also feature a two-tone roof.

Sales were so brisk for this new crossover that it was the fastest selling vehicle in America early 2020 – selling within 48 hours of arriving on dealer’s lots – on average.

This new Trailblazer is equipped with standard Chevrolet Infotainment 3 touchscreen infotainment system with an AM/FM stereo radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, Bluetooth for hands-free calling and wireless stereo audio streaming, USB and auxiliary inputs, and a rearview backup camera system, as well as either a four-speaker or six-speaker audio system, OnStar with 4G LTE Wi-Fi capabilities, and either a seven-inch or eight-inch touchscreen display. Up-level Trailblazer models offer Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, a Bose premium audio system with an amplifier, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and HD Radio. GPS navigation is also offered as an optional feature on up-level trims of the Trailblazer.

Thanks for reading about Chevrolet Trailblazer History.  For more view sources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Trailblazer_(crossover) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Trailblazer_(SUV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GM Defense contract sells Suburbans for over 13 million

GM will build ten of the heavy-duty Suburbans for Diplomatic Security.

GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, was recently awarded a contract to develop next-generation SUVs for the government’s fleet.

Looking for a new Suburban?  Visit the Ron Westphal Chevrolet website or drop by our showroom.  You can always call our Customer Care Team at 630-8987-9630 to see which Suburbans are inbound and when they are arriving.  FYI – all OUR new Suburbans are LESS than 3.6 million.

This specific contract was awarded by the US Department of State, and the vehicles will be built to support the Diplomatic Security Service. Diplomatic Security is a federal law enforcement agency charged with securing diplomatic assets and personnel. In 2020, GM Defense also got the contract to build the army’s new infantry squad vehicle based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. That particular contract was more extensive and, at the time of writing, valued at $213.4 million. The eventual goal was 2,065 vehicles.

The total value of the new contract is worth $36.4 million, which GM Defense will use to build ten heavy-duty Chevrolet Suburban models over the next two years. That works out to roughly $3.6 million per Suburban.

Why so much for a Suburban, which costs around $52,000 from the showroom floor? While it may look like a Suburban with police lights, there’s a lot more going on that the eye can’t see.

GM will use heavy-duty parts developed for its full-size pickup trucks to upgrade these Suburbans for government use. These parts include body panels, engines, interior components, and brakes. The HD Suburban will also be built on a unique body-on-frame chassis, which will cater to the needs of the Diplomatic Security Service. It’s sort of like the President’s car, but not quite as extreme.

According to GM Defense, it will use advanced manufacturing techniques to reduce the overall cost of the program. These techniques will also help them with future customer demands in this niche low-volume section.

For more view source:  https://carbuzz.com/news/government-dropping-36-4-million-onheavy-duty-chevy-suburbans?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=carbuzz-facebook&utm_content=post

Chevrolet Equinox for sale at Ron Westphal Chevrolet

Did you know that the Chevrolet Equinox offers nearly 64 cubic feet of storage with the split-bench back seat folded down?  That’s 900 2-liter bottles of soda-pop!  Am I figuring that right?  It sure sounds like a lot of soda!

Plenty of room, a smooth, quiet ride, and fun-to-drive.  We’ve got brand new 2021 Chevy Equinox in stock along with 2021 demo models with 6,500 miles or less.  Or, you can save even more and select one of our GM Certified pre-owned Equinox that we have in stock right now!

Are you looking for a Chevrolet Equinox for sale?

How about this sparkling clean 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT?

Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 for in-stock and in-bound inventory updates.

Visit our website 24/7 

GM Certified 2019 Chevy Equinox for sale
GM Certified 2019 Chevy Equinox for sale at Ron Westphal Chevrolet in beautiful Aurora/Oswego, IL.

If you are looking for a Chevrolet Equinox for sale we can put you on our waiting list if you are looking for something specific.  Or, let us place an order for a brand new 2022 model.

Thanks for reading about Chevrolet Equinox for sale at Ron Westphal Chevrolet.

General Motors Chip Shortage Update

General Motors Chip Shortage Update

General Motors Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson is expecting its chip supply to even out in 2022 as suppliers work to catch up with an uptick demand.

We have new Silverado trucks in stock.  Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 for inbound inventory updates.  Or, visit our website.

General Motors Chip Shortage Update
Chevrolet Bolt EV and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles are assembled Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at the General Motors Orion plant in Orion Township, Michigan. (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for Chevrolet)

According to Reuters, Jacobson told investors in a conference call this week the automaker expects a “more stable year” in 2022 with regard to chip supply. GM has been among the hardest-hit automakers amid the semiconductor pinch, trimming its global production output by 777,928 vehicles through the first eight months of 2021. Some GM plants, like the Fairfax Assembly site in Kansas, have been offline since February due to a shortage of chips, leaving thousands of hourly employees out of work.

General Motors Chip Shortage UpdateGM has managed to mitigate the effects of the chip shortage by prioritizing profitable, hot-selling products like the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and full-size SUVs like the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. Despite its best efforts, the automaker has still experienced some production setbacks at its truck plants. Last week, it paused production at its Fort Wayne Assembly plant in Indiana and Silao Assembly plant in Mexico, which are expected to come back online on September 13th.

General Motors Chip Shortage Update“Although the situation remains fluid, we’re focused on continuing to leverage every available semiconductor to build and ship our highest demand products,” GM’s U.S. vice president, Sales Operations, Kurt McNeil, said earlier this year.

Despite these setbacks, Jacobson said this week the automaker still expects to post a strong pre-tax profit of $11.5 billion to $13.5 billion this year, Reuters reports. The automaker posted earnings of $2.8 billion in Q2 2021 on $34.2 billion in revenue. It also saw its U.S. sales jump 40 percent year-over-year in Q2, with sales increasing at all four of its brands. Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra sales helped drive this increase, climbing by 36 percent as light-duty models posted strong segment share gains.

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Vehicle inventory shortages

Vehicle inventory shortages

From Automotive News:

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp. will slash global production again next month — by 330,000 units — as the pandemic and global shortage of automotive microchips continue to bite.

The total hit represents a 40 percent cutback from Toyota’s original October production plan.

  • Ron Westphal Chevy is not the only one with vehicle inventory shortages.  We are grateful we seem to be getting new vehicles in daily and look forward to being able to stock 400 or more vehicles again.  If you are looking for a new Chevy—> call our Customer Care Team at 1-630-898-9630 for a listing of our latest in-stock and inbound inventory.
Toyota Motomachi plant vehicle inventory shortages
Toyota Motomachi plant having vehicle inventory shortages

In announcing the reversal on Friday, Toyota said it will also take a bigger hit than expected in September. Toyota expects to lose another 70,000 units this month.

That adjustment comes on top of an August announcement, when Toyota warned it would lose 360,000 vehicles of output globally in September, including some 80,000 units in North America.

That brings September’s total loss to 430,000 vehicles.

Unlike in last month’s announcement, when Toyota kept its fiscal year global production target unchanged, Toyota said this time that it would lower its target to 9 million units for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. It had earlier planned to manufacture 9.3 million vehicles worldwide.

That total covers output only from Toyota and Lexus, not Daihatsu or Hino.

In October, Toyota said it would lose a total of 330,000 vehicles from its original plan of making 880,000 globally. Some 180,000 units will be lost at overseas factories, while Toyota’s domestic plants in Japan churn out 150,000 fewer for the month.

Toyota’s global procurement manager, Kazunari Kumakura, declined to give a regional breakdown for the overseas impact.

Kumakura blamed the slowdown on supply chain bottlenecks triggered by lingering lockdowns in southeast Asia, where factories are suspending operations amid continued outbreaks of COVID-19. He said the impact in Malaysia was the worst, but also cited Vietnam as a trouble spot.

A range of parts, including semiconductors and wire harnesses, are in short supply.

Kumakura said it was still too early to give an outlook for recovery.

“Operations are slowly recovering but it will still take time to produce finished parts,” Kumakura said. “We can’t say definitely when we will be able to see a rebound.”

In a statement, Toyota seemed to suggest business could normalize somewhat from November.

“Although the outlook for November and beyond is unclear, current demand remains very strong. As a result, the production plan for November and beyond assumes that the previous plan will be maintained,” it said, cautioning that things are still in flux. “We are continuing to assess expected production in October, and we will announce additional details in mid-September.”

Kumakura said Toyota will do all it can to make up the lost volume later in the fiscal year.

“As for our recovery plans, we have already planned for production at high levels for the second half of this fiscal year, so we will be working closely with our production department to work out details,” the Toyota procurement manager said. “We will likely consider introducing weekend shifts and revise operations. We will consider how much we can recover.”

Despite the dented production plan, CFO Kenta Kon said Toyota would keep its operating profit forecast unchanged for the current fiscal year. Toyota should be able to stabilize profits, despite making fewer cars, because of cost controls and a beneficial foreign exchange rate, he said.

Kon conceded that the production cutbacks could impact fiscal year revenue, but he said that the company was holding its revenue outlook steady for now.

Toyota had largely confounded the industry by ramping up output and notching record profits despite the pandemic-microchip double whammy. In the company’s fiscal first quarter ended June 30, the automaker reported all-time high quarterly operating profit as well as record fiscal first-quarter results for net income, revenue, and global retail sales. But it surprised last month by warning of big production reductions for September in virtually every major market.

Thanks for reading about vehicle inventory shortages.

Vehicle inventory shortages

For more please visit https://www.autonews.com/automakers-suppliers/toyota-cuts-production-again-shortage-chips-parts

The Truth About Vehicle Shortages

The Truth About Vehicle Shortages

The low car inventory across the U.S. is expected to last into 2022 as the global shortage of computer chips worsens yet again, the Associated Press reported.2021 Silverado microchip shortage

It’s Not Just Us

Nationwide, new vehicle inventory was down 72% compared to 2019.

The Delta variant of COVID-19 has hit chip factory employees in southeast Asia hard, forcing some plants to close and worsening the shortage.

GM has sent the Covid-19 vaccine and assistance to the chip factories in Malaysia but it is going to take time to get them back on track and producing chips at maximum capacity.

How can I get a new vehicle now?new 2021 Equinox microchip shortage

Visit our showroom or call our Customer Care Team.

We Can Help!2021 Traverse microchip shortages

We have many vehicles already built and in transit to us. Your perfect car, truck, or SUV may just be a few days away from our dealership.

You Call the ShotsNew 2021 Chevy Camaro Convertible microchip shortage

We can place a factory order just for you.

You pick the color and options and GM will build it to your specifications!*

Beat Your Neighbors

early bird gets the worm
The early bird gets the worm! Or, the new Chevy.

We can put you on a waiting list & contact you when the next model(s) are due in. After all, the early bird does get the worm, right?  Call us today at 630-898-9630.

Corvette E Ray Mystery Button

What is the Corvette E Ray Mystery Button ?

Just last week, we brought you coverage of an interesting button spotted inside the cabin of the up-and-coming hybrid Corvette E-Ray. At first, the purpose of this button was a mystery, but now, the symbol it displays has been identified, providing further insight into what the hybrid Corvette will offer.

Corvette E Ray mystery button

Thanks to a few eagle-eyed GM Authority readers, the mystery symbol on the button has been identified as the Regen on Demand symbol used previously with various electrified Chevy models, including the Chevy Volt, and the Chevy Bolt EV / Bolt EUV. The symbol includes a battery split with the bottom half in white and the top half in black, with an arrow pointing towards the middle.corvette secret button regen button

As such, we can surmise that the new hybrid Corvette E-Ray will likely feature regenerative braking technology and possibly one-pedal driving.

For those readers who may not know, GM’s Regenerative Braking technology is a system that essentially “captures” braking energy to recharge onboard batteries. This energy is typically wasted, but with Regenerative Braking, the vehicle is slowed using an electro-hydraulic setup that provides more electricity for forward motivation.

Corvette E Ray Regen Button

In addition to the Chevy Volt and Chevy Bolt EV / Bolt EUV (and now, the hybrid Corvette E-Ray), this system was also offered on the Cadillac ELR. Several levels of braking are offered provide increasing levels of battery regeneration. The highest levels will even allow for one-pedal driving, with the vehicle slowing as soon as the driver’s foot is removed from the throttle, all without stepping on the brake pedal.

Not only is this more convenient, but extra juice in the battery means more power when you want it.

As a reminder, the hybrid Corvette E-Ray is equipped with the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 LT2 gasoline engine, the same as the standard C8 Corvette Stingray. However, the E-Ray also comes with two front-mounted electric motors, making it all-wheel drive. Total output is expected to hit at about 600 horsepower.

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