2017 Chevy Malibu Hybrid

The mileage king of the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu lineup is the Hybrid model, a mid-size gas/electric sedan that borrows some of its energy components from the electric Volt and Bolt.

2017 Chevy Malibu Hybrid

The mileage king of the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu lineup is the Hybrid model, a mid-size gas/electric sedan that borrows some of its energy components from the Volt and Bolt electric vehicles. As a result, the 2017 Malibu Hybrid will take you an amazing 49 miles down the highway on a single gallon of gasoline.

Ron Westphal Chevrolet (in Aurora IL near Naperville) stocks a large selection of brand new and late-model Chevrolet Malibu models. Visit our website or call our Customer Care Team today.

The Malibu Hybrid uses a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and electric motors for its power. The combination results in a total of 182 horsepower and sends 277 lb.-ft. of torque to the front wheels. You won’t win red light races in this car, but if you buy one that’s probably not what you had in mind anyway.

However, while the others are stopped for gas, you’ll drive right by the station with a big smile on your face.

An 80-cell 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack supplies power to the hybrid system and can power the Malibu Hybrid up to about 55 miles per hour on electricity alone. The gas engine automatically kicks in at higher speeds or when the driver calls for more power.

One day during my week with the Malibu Hybrid, I drove from Denham Springs to the Santa Maria subdivision. The odometer showed the round trip was about 46 miles, but the “distance to empty” reading was only about five miles less at the end of the trip than the start. That’s because the car stores energy that is generated when coasting or braking.

I drove the car with an eye towards fuel economy instead of my normal way, which generally does not have an eye towards fuel economy unless I’m almost out of gas. I was amazed at the fuel efficiency of this mid-sized sedan. And much of this efficiency is attributable to its sharing technology with the Volt.

In addition to the drive unit, the Malibu Hybrid also share’s the 2016 Volt’s blended regenerative braking system, which provides maximum kinetic energy recovery during braking and coasting. The energy is stored in the battery for use later.

On the road, the Malibu Hybrid is comfortable and roomy. Our Jet Black test car absorbed potholes without fuss, and it had the necessary power from its gas and electric motors to get around slower vehicles on two-lane roads.

Inside the cabin, the 8-way power front seats were well bolstered and comfortable. There’s still some hard plastic in this car, but materials were soft in the right spots. Keyless start is standard, although it takes a little getting used to when you push the start button and only the electrical system silently boots up. The engine doesn’t come on until it’s needed.

Graphics on the 7-inch diagonal touchscreen were crisp and clear, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on the base audio system for 2017.

The driver has the ability to switch between display screens, one of which is an energy meter. This function allows the driver to see what source is supplying vehicle power: the battery, the engine or both. The screen also shows when regenerative braking is active. It’s more than just a really cool feature that I enjoyed using, it’s a good tool to help drivers become more fuel efficient.

A new Teen Driver feature is also standard equipment. This feature allows parents to set driving controls, review junior’s driving habits and encourage safe driving.

Finally, the 2017 Chevy Malibu Hybrid is also a safe car, winning a 5-star safety rating from the government. The hybrid version of the Malibu hasn’t been rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but the regular 2017 Malibu is a “Top Safety Pick Plus,” which is the agency’s highest rating.

Thanks for reading about the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid. We hope to see you soon.

Source: 2017 Chevy Malibu Hybrid | Cars | theadvocate.com

Silverado 2500 can tow 18,100 pounds and do it with finesse

Silverado 2500 can tow 18,100 pounds

Unlike most people in developed countries, Americans often use pickups like cars. The vehicles that Europeans and Japanese choose for commuting, shuttling their children and grabbing groceries could park in the bed of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD. Then again, this Chevy is more of a leviathan than most pickups. This grown-up Tonka toy and its General Motors twin, the GMC Sierra 2500 HD, are the closest many drivers will get to operating heavy machinery.

Looking for your own heave machinery? Call Ron Westphal Chevrolet now at 630-898-9630 or visit our website and get your own HD Silverado.

For those not overly familiar with pickups, the Ford F150s, Chevy Silverados and Rams we see most often are 1500s. These are solid trucks that carry wallboard and tow motorbikes when they aren’t doing family duty. Hauling the clan in a 2500 series is like cutting butter with a chain saw. Excess is fun — until you need finesse. Spoiler alert: This Silverado actually has some.

Ford and Ram also make 2500s (3500s, too, but let’s not go there today). Pickups are all about numbers and bragging rights. The 2500s are serious work rigs that, in the Silverado’s case, can tow up to 18,100 pounds. Its maximum payload is 3,534 pounds. That’s about 500 pounds more than the weight of a Toyota Prius.

Did you know that trucks in this class are not rated by the Environmental Protection Agency? The 2500 HD I drove was equipped with the revised 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V-8. I saw 17 miles per gallon, a stellar number considering Silverado’s 7,300-pound weight.

That engine, rated at 445 horsepower and a jaw-dropping 910 pound-feet of torque, is paired exclusively with a six-speed Allison transmission. The column-mounted shift lever often slides straight into “low” rather than “drive,” so pay attention. The small manual shift buttons on the arm are a bit awkward to use. Steering wheel paddles could be useful here.

Like many diesel engines, the Chevy’s uses urea fluid to keep the engine emissions in check. The tank requires an occasional refill of the urea, though that’s as easy as topping off windshield wiper fluid. But the tank does impinge on the front passenger’s work boots a bit. (A Seattle law firm specializing in automotive class action lawsuits has accused GM of programming an emissions cheat, a case similar to one against Volkswagen. GM denies the accusation. The government has not stepped in at this time.)

You can choose between rear- and four-wheel drive. There’s a towing mode, including a trailer-sway control that pulses the Silverado’s brakes to help stabilize the load. Adjustments can be made to the trailer brakes, and an engine brake setting helps save the physical brakes when lugging heavy cargo down steep mountain roads. Just like the big rigs.

Thanks for reading this. You may also like this: http://westphalchevyblog.com/index.php/2017/04/28/2017-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-4×4-diesel-tested-review-car-and-driver/

Silverado 2500 can tow 18,100 pounds

Read More at the Source: Silverado 2500 can tow 18,100 pounds and do it with finesse

Corvette Factory Closing to Visitors Until Late 2018

Can’t have the tourists taking any Snapchats with the mid-engined C8.

If “Take a tour of the Chevy Corvette factory in Bowling Green” is one of the items on your summertime bucket list this year, you might want to fast-track those plans for that trip down Kentucky way. Starting this June, General Motors will be closing the Corvette factory to the public for a year and a half.

Want a new Corvette now? Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 or visit us online.

The National Corvette Museum’s Katie Frassinelli told the Bowling Green Daily News the tours are being shut down in order to give the facility a chance to conduct extensive changes to the factory.

The Bowling Green, KY factory will offer its final tours on Friday, June 16th.

While General Motors officials reportedly refused to discuss future plans during an April 28th conversation at the Corvette Museum, even a drunken monkey would be liable to draw a connection between the planned plant closure and the forthcoming mid-engined C8-generation Corvette. That future Chevy has been spied repeatedly over the last year, clad in thick layers of camouflage that still can’t disguise the new model’s engine layout.

Thanks for reading about Corvette Factory Closing

Read More from Source: Corvette Factory Closing to Visitors

How Smartslide Seats Works: Video 2018 Chevy Traverse

Salesperson Mike Logue discusses the new SmartSlide seating on the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. It’s easy to use and allows you to move the seat up without having to remove an empty child seat. With the seat moved forward, you have ample access to the third row split bench.

If you have any questions or concerns, call Mike Logue or our customer care team at 630-898-9630. If you prefer, visit us online at http://www.WestphalChevy.com.

You might also enjoy this video about the 2018 Traverse Redline Edition. http://westphalchevyblog.com/index.php/2017/07/24/video-2018-chevy-traverse-redline-series-exterior-ron-westphal-chevrolet/

Ron Westphal Chevrolet is a family-owned dealership located in Aurora near Naperville, Plainfield and Oswego.

Thanks for watching How Smartslide Seats Works: Video 2018 Chevy Traverse

How it Works: 2018 Traverse Traction Mode Select

Salesperson Mike Logue gives us a brief video explanation of how easy it is to use the all new traction mode select in the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse.

If you would like to experience this feature in person, feel free to drop by our dealership anytime or call our customer care team at 630-898-9630 to set up a V.I.P. appointment.

If you want to shop online, visit our website at www.westphalchevy.com. Ron Westphal Chevrolet has a large selection of brand new and pre-owned Chevrolet Traverse and SUV models to choose from, in stock and available for immediate delivery.

Thanks for watching How it Works: 2018 Traverse Traction Mode Select!

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Sets Camaro Lap Record At The Nürburgring

Officially, the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is the fastest Camaro around the Nürburgring. With a lap time of 7:16.04, this track-day car is in good company on the leaderboard.

The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE can’t be called a muscle car. It’s got so much rework going into its aerodynamics, suspension setup and construction that the car is more of a track-day machine than a raw muscle car built for straight-line blasts.

Looking for your own muscle car? Visit Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL to test drive the Chevrolet Camaro. Or, call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630. Drop by our website too!

And to prove that the ZL1 1LE is something that the Europeans, the Japanese and the Italians should be scared of, Chevrolet unleashed their track monster on the Nürburgring. The car didn’t disappoint at all. Posting a lap time of 7:16.04, the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is now the fastest Camaro around the Green Hell. That’s 13 seconds faster than the Camaro ZL1.

The lap time places the Chevy at the 14^th spot on the Nürburgring’s Top 100 leaderboard. The Camaro ZL1 is at seat number 36 and the spots between those two are populated with the likes of the Nissan GT-R, the Ferrari 488 GTB, McLaren MP4-12C, Porsches and the Chevy Corvette ZR1 among other fast cars.

So how does the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE turn out to be much faster around the German track when its 650 hp L4 supercharged V8 powerplant is more or less the same as the one found under the regular ZL1? To begin with, the aero kit is not for endowing the ZL1 1LE with menacing looks. Everything from that massive rear wing to the front dive planes work to create downforce strong enough to keep the car glued to the road and the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R summer-only tires do the rest. The Multimatic DSSV suspension is far superior to the Magnetic Ride Control setup found in the standard ZL1 and is better for the role of a track-day car. It’s also lighter than the ZL1 by 27 kg.

Chevrolet has released the onboard video of the lap and the driver toils a lot throughout the run since the car has a 6-speed manual transmission (Thank you, Chevy!) The driver’s right arm is extremely busy as seen in the clip. Err… that didn’t sound right, did it?

Source: 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Sets Camaro Lap Record At The Nürburgring

Video 2018 Chevy Traverse Redline Series Exterior Ron Westphal Chevrolet

Watch this home-made You Tube Video of the 2018 Chevy Traverse Redline Series Exterior at Ron Westphal Chevrolet.

Hello! If you would like to see the all new 2018 Chevy Traverse in person, feel free to visit the Ron Westphal Chevrolet showroom weekdays 9-9 and Saturdays 9-6. If you have any questions or concerns our Customer Care Team can be reached at 630-898-9630. We also have a website at http://www.WestphalChevy.com that’s open 24 hours a day.

Detailed Video 2018 Chevy Traverse High Country Interior Jet:Loft Brown Leather

Thanks for watching

Detailed Video 2018 Chevy Traverse High Country Interior Jet:Loft Brown Leather

If you have any questions, concerns or just want to chat…please call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630. Our sales department is open from 9-9 Monday through Friday and from 9-6 on Saturdays. Want to see more 2018 Traverse models? Visit our website anytime!

2015 Toyota Sienna for sale at Ron Westphal Chevrolet Video

2018 Chevrolet Equinox Video Review

2018 Chevrolet Equinox Video Review.

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked, “What’s your favorite car?” I could buy that car. Even if it were an exotic.

Looking for a 2018 Equinox? Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 or select your perfect Crossover on our website at www.WestphalChevy.com.

Truth be told, the vehicles that get my professional admiration are the everyday ones, the dependable workhorses that shuttle our children hither and yon, the cars that become part of the family. It’s easy to love performance machines or luxury vehicles with fur-lined glove boxes (not a thing, but you get the gist). But the car geek in me admires budget-restrained engineering teams who create affordable cars that are truly desirable. That’s a black art.

The all-new third generation Chevrolet Equinox crossover is more proof that under Mary Barra, General Motors has found its footing. The Equinox takes care of five people, does the chores, doesn’t drink to excess and looks good.

In the brutal automotive business, the compact crossover market is the most fiercely competitive. It includes not only the Equinox but also the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Kia Sportage, Volkswagen Tiguan and Hyundai Tucson. The Equinox is critical to General Motors. Chevrolet moved 242,195 of them in the United States in 2016, which was second in volume only to the Silverado pickup truck. The 2018 model will probably sell quicker because it’s a far better vehicle.

Here’s why. The Equinox is more than four inches shorter now but retains the same interior space. The 400 pounds it has shed may exceed the weight of the young family who drives it. Let’s buy a round for the engineers.

The Equinox’s breezy design language, which also graces the Cruze, Malibu and Volt, could be used by Lexus in a parallel universe. One reason the second generation overstayed its welcome is that the original design for the third generation was so unloved in consumer clinics that it was scrapped. Good to know the Chevrolet team understands that ugly is forever once it’s on the road.

Friends and neighbors fawned over the Premier model’s cabin with stitched elements on the instrument panel. Owners will be staring at it for years in bad traffic, so glad it’s handsome. Budget plastics are placed below the center console where they’re seldom seen or touched. (It’s how wise product planners cut costs.) The center console is roomy enough to fit a single-lens reflex camera. G.M.’s touch-screen user interface, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, is simple to use.

A base price of $24,525 will give pause to price-sensitive internet shoppers. Climbing to $33,975, my top trim Premier tester lacked available all-wheel drive and a panoramic sunroof. And adaptive cruise control is not even listed as an option. To be fair, the price includes vented front seats, a heated steering wheel and a surround-view camera system that some competitors

don’t offer. Generous pricing margins may allow Chevy dealers plenty of negotiation room. Get in there and haggle hard.

Considering the comfort and refinement, the effort may be worth it. The Equinox shines by delivering a polished and quiet dynamic verging on luxury brand levels. If the roads to soccer or Little League practice are rough, this suspension smooths the bumps. It’s respectable in the curves, too, without challenging the Mazda CX-5’s cornering chops.

Chevy’s supportive seats impressed my backside (though that’s a personal thing). A bonus: Set off the lane-keeping assist system and the driver’s cushion vibrates discreetly, with no tattletale chimes. It’s a marriage-saving feature first found in Cadillacs.

The standard engine is a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder providing 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. That’s hooked up to a 6-speed transmission that aggressively holds low ratios for fuel efficiency. This standard power plant is smooth with acceleration in the middle of the pack. The CR-V is a little quicker and efficient. The Environmental Protection Agency rated the average fuel economy of a front-drive Equinox at 28 miles per gallon versus the Honda’s at 30. A comparable RAV4 scores 25.

Any performance and efficiency deficiencies can be rectified in spades with two engine options. There’s a 2-liter turbo gasoline engine with 252 horsepower and a nine-speed transmission for Speed Racer. Scrooge McDuck may be interested in the four-cylinder turbo diesel paired to a six-speed that’s expected to return 40 miles per gallon.

The Equinox’s automatic engine start-stop system is smooth enough to forget about in many situations. Good thing because it can’t be turned off. Unlike the automatic all-wheel drive systems used by others, the Equinox requires drivers to enable it manually. (There’s a prompt to push the button when conditions warrant.)

Automatic emergency braking is standard on the RAV4, the 2018 Nissan Rogue and most CR-Vs. That safety tech is part of a $1,900 package on the Equinox and only available on the top Premier model.

The back seat no longer slides fore and aft (eliminated because some second-generation owners never knew it did). The space is generous with a raised seat cushion offering significant thigh support for adults and superior visibility for children. The back also sports two USB ports, a 12-volt socket and a 115-volt three-prong outlet, so there’s nothing that can’t be charged.

The days of Japan Inc. clearly outgunning Detroit & Co. on every level are gone. While my left brain admires the overachieving Honda CR-V, my right brain gives the nod to the comfortable, refined and stylish Equinox. Both engineering teams performed the black magic needed to make a mainstream car appealing. I won’t be around to nag you to test drive. So experience at least three vehicles before writing that big check. A tip? The Equinox is worth a look.

Thanks for reading/watching the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Video Review. This is Tom Voelk’s last Driven column for The Times. His reviews will continue to appear on the YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/DrivenCarReviews.