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2018 Chevrolet Traverse Priced | GM Authority

That’s $1,280 more than the outgoing, 2017 Traverse.

Chevrolet’s full-size crossover has a price tag ahead of its launch later this year. The base 2018 Chevrolet Traverse will start at $30,875, an increase of $1,280 over the outgoing, least expensive 2017 Traverse.

Want to get your 2018 Chevy Traverse order in early? Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 or visit our website at www.WestphalChevy.com.

The 2018 Traverse arrives on a stretched version of General Motors’ C1XX platform, which also underpins the 2018 Buick Enclave. While the base model keeps things relatively affordable—for a full-size crossover—ticking option boxes will cause the Traverse’s final price to climb past $50,000.

The base 2018 Traverse arrives with standard dual-zone climate control, cloth seats and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The Traverse LS starts at $32,995, while the LT trim is split into 1LT and 3LT variants.

The Traverse 1LT rings in at $35,495, while the 3LT starts to rack up the extras such as 20-inch wheels, a power liftgate, Bose audio, heated seats and a 360-degree camera system. The goodies come at a price of $42,095. Additionally, all-wheel drive can be added for an extra $3,800 to the LS, 1LT and 3LT trims.

The Premier model adds additional creature comforts such as heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel and LED headlights for $45,395. All-wheel drive is a $2,900 option for Premier models.

Finally, the range-topping Traverse High Country marks the first time buyers can take home a $50,000+ Traverse. For $52,995, the Traverse High Country includes everything found in the Premier, but adds a chrome grille, Chevy’s suite of active safety systems and includes all-wheel drive as standard.

No matter which 2018 Traverse, each is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine. However, it’s not the 3.6-liter LGX V6 found in many GM vehicles today. It’s actually GM’s old 3.6-liter LFX V6 with automatic start/stop added. In the 2018 Traverse—and 2018 Enclave—it’s assigned the LFY designation.
With the 2018 Traverse’s move slightly upmarket, with larger overall dimensions, it leaves a perfect space for a new mid-size Chevrolet crossover. That vehicle will likely arrive next year and carry the Blazer nameplate.

GM Recall Information | Chevy Recall Center | Chevrolet Recalls

GM Recall Information

If you would like to know additional information about your Chevrolet vehicle, call Ron Westphal Chevrolet’s Service Department at 630-898-9630.

If you prefer online interactions, GM provides information on this website for recalls announced on or after August 20, 1999. This information is available for vehicles in which repairs have not been completed. To check for recalls on your GM vehicle, enter your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) below.

Want to know if your GM vehicle is involved in a recall?

Visit: GM Recall Information | Chevy Recall Center | Chevrolet Recalls

2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 vs. 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R: The Forever War – Motor Trend

Between the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R, which will emerge the winner of this Head 2 Head comparison?

There ain’t nothing Shakespearean about it. The ponycar wars are no longer a Tempest in a teapot. Gone are the days when Camaros and Mustangs were straight-line beasts (at least in the eyes of their owners) and lacked any sort of handling or finesse.

Want to compare for yourself? Visit Ron Westphal Chevrolet in beautiful Aurora, IL near Plainfield, Naperville and Oswego. Or, call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 for the latest Camaro details. Drop by our website at www.WestphalChevy.com.

But what is past is prologue. These days, even the entry-level iterations offer up actual sporty good times. And the midgrade versions—Camaro SS and Mustang GT—can bloody the lip of Europe’s finest. For not a ton of coin, either. Then you have the even more potent and more track-focused stuff, the battle that has raged for 50 years. You need your biggest guns; you want to go into battle with your heaviest weapons. For team Camaro, that’s the ZL1. For the Ford Performance folks, it’s none other than the Shelby GT350R. These are extreme machines, in both monstrous function and opulent excrescence.

Is this the perfect comparison test? No. The naturally aspirated Shelby makes a healthy 526 horsepower from its lovably cacophonous 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V-8. Whereas the Camaro’s relatively subdued 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 produces a mighty 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque—which is over 200 more lb-ft of twisting force than the naturally aspirated Voodoo motor can manage (429 lb-ft). Comparing forced induction to natural aspiration is always a sticky wicket. Not quite apples to oranges—more like apples to pears. You can make cider from both, but there is a difference. At least both feature six-speed manual transmissions—the ZL1 is also available with a 10-speed automatic. Further complicating this test is that Chevy has announced the 1LE version of the ZL1—the nearly palindromic ZL1 1LE. One could argue that the Shelby GT350 is to the ZL1 as the GT350R is to the ZL1 1LE. But as Donald Rumsfeld so sagely said, “You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want.”

Source: 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 vs. 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R: The Forever War – Motor Trend

Cheap Can Be Fun, Too: Chevy Sonic named in KBB’s 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18k

Chevy Sonic named in KBB’s 10 Coolest New Cars

The cheapest car on this list, the Chevy Sonic is a solid choice for a first-time new-car owner. It’s roughly comparable to the Honda Fit, but can also be had as a sedan as well as a hatch. Either way, the styling is decidedly sporty, the equipment top-notch, and the value hard to match in any segment or at any price point.

Want to test drive a Chevy Sonic? Visit our dealership located in Aurora, IL or call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630. Or, visit us online anytime at www.WestphalChevy.com

Source: Cheap Can Be Fun, Too: Here’s KBB’s 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18k

Fleet of refreshed 2019 Chevy Camaros spied outside proving grounds – Autoblog

2019 Chevy Camaros spied

Look for a bump in power to complement the new looks.

The sixth-gen Camaro went on sale in 2015, with a steady progression of ever-more-powerful variations following in the intervening years. As wild and modern as the styling may be, everything becomes old hat after a while. It looks like Chevrolet agrees, with a whole slew of camo-covered Camaros slinking about outside of GM’s Milford Proving Grounds. It looks like Chevy brought out the entire box of crayons for the party.

Looking for a Camaro today? Visit Ron Westphal Chevy in Aurora, IL or visit us online.

A brief look shows us nearly every flavor of Camaro, from a base four-cylinder model all the way up to the 650 horsepower ZL1. The latter is the only one without any front covers, but it’s also the newest kid on the block. Details are few, though it looks like both front and rear fascias are being updated while the center section of the car looks to be unchanged. That’s par for the course with mid-cycle refreshes.

2019 Chevy Camaros spied at proving grounds

Look for updated lighting both front and rear to complement the revised styling. That said, don’t expect it to stray too far from the current car’s divisive looks. The past two Camaros have had very distinct styling, and Chevy is eager to keep it that way.

Changes are likely more than skin deep, with updated engines and transmissions making their way into the car. Engines should gain a slight bump in both power and fuel efficiency. Don’t rule out a Camaro with a DOHC V8 under the hood, possibly badged as Z/28. Look for the new 10-speed automatic to make its way into more models.

No word on when the new car will go on sale, but as this is a refresh and not a ground-up redesign, we could see the new model as soon as this fall. That would put the updated Camaro in showrooms in 2018.
Source: Fleet of refreshed 2019 Chevy Camaros spied outside proving grounds – Autoblog

Old vs. New Off-Road Technology: 2017 Chevy Colorado ZR2 vs. 1985 Chevy K10 Big Green (Video) – The Fast Lane Truck

Old vs. New Off-Road Technology: 2017 Chevy Colorado ZR2 vs. 1985 Chevy K10 Big Green.

What does 32 years of off-road technology progress at Chevrolet look like? We put the all-new 2017 Chevy Colorado ZR2 side-by-side with our 1985 Chevy K10 “Big Green” project truck.

Big Green is riding on a basic four-inch lift with blocks. It’s rough riding, but offers lots of ground clearance and great approach and departure angles. The classic 4×4 Chevy is rolling on 35-inch Mickey Thompson tires. It has a manually locking front hubs and lever-operated transfer case.

The Colorado ZR2 is packed full of latest technology. It’s wider and taller than a regular Colorado. It’s riding on 31-inch Goodyear Duratrac tires, and uses special position-sensitive spool valve shock absorbers. It also has electrically locking front and rear differentials.

Looking for a new or pre-owned Chevy Colorado? Visit our website or drop by our dealership in Aurora, IL.

10 things I like better on the new 2017 Chevy Bolt vs my 2013 Tesla Model S

10 things I like better on the new 2017 Chevy Bolt than my Tesla

I’ve had my 2017 Chevy Bolt for over a month now and have been pleasantly surprised about how much it has to offer. Like I really, really love this car even months after our review.

Looking for an electric vehicle? Visit Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora IL or drop by our website anytime.

I’ve had my 2017 Chevy Bolt for over a month now and have been pleasantly surprised about how much it has to offer. Like I really, really love this car even months after our review. While I still prefer my twice as expensive 2013 Tesla Model S overall, there are a number of areas where the Bolt beats the Tesla – and I mean the 2013 Model S but also in many cases Tesla’s new/upcoming models as well. Some of these things Tesla could choose to fix, but most are inherent design decisions.

Also I should note before y’all head to the comments that we love all EVs here at Electrek and before a Tesla vs. Bolt fight breaks out remember that we’re all on the same “Team EV” here.

Regenerative braking – The Bolt’s L mode is already stronger on regen that the Model S and with the left hand paddle that adds more regen, I can come to a complete stop in all but emergency braking situations without ever touching the actual brake. The Model S has fantastic regenerative braking but I need to use the brake way more often. I could see going weeks or months without ever touching the Bolt’s brake. I don’t think either car will ever need any brake work but the Bolt’s will certainly last longer and produce less brake dust.

4G LTE Hotspot in the car. Why? Because both my Tesla Model S and Chevy Bolt get way better signal than either of our phones and even a MiFi hotspot. The reason is because with a car, you can put seriously powerful antennas on the hotspot and get a signal even when phones and their compact circuitry are out of range. Could Tesla do this? Sure but billing software is a concern says CEO Elon Musk. Chevy/AT&T give me 3GB of data to start with a $20/month option which I’ll be tempted to buy when my free data runs out.

CarPlay/Android Auto. I’ve got a great set of apps and music on my smartphone and Carplay and Android Auto both work great for me. As good as Tesla’s version of Google Maps is and its OK voice and music, it is never going to get to Android or iOS level. Add the messaging options and other apps and the advantage is clearly with the Bolt, even with its half the Tesla-sized screen.

Size: The Tesla Model S and Model X are huge cars. They weigh a lot with their huge batteries and they take up every inch of a parking spot or a garage. Sure that space is nice to have on a long trip but lugging all of that car around day to day becomes a chore. The Bolt on the other hand with its “Micro Crossover” design is big on the inside with a bunch of headroom and cargo space but small on the outside. The amount of space in our garage we save with the Bolt, even over our old Prius, is substantial. When I just need to make a quick dash to the store? Bolt…every time.

Ride Height. Since we are comparing the Model S and the Bolt, it should be noted that you sit about a foot higher in the Chevy. That means you can see more of the road and adds visibility and some confidence in driving. The BMW-like surround cameras don’t hurt here either.

Getting in/out. That ride height also translates into making the car easier to get in and out. At “crossover” height, it is easy to kind of lean over into the seat and do the same getting out. On the Model S, you are getting much lower and have to climb out. For my parents who have some mobility issues, getting in and out of the Bolt is way easier than the Model S. Obviously, Tesla’s taller Model X and 3 may not have this “problem”.

Winter FWD vs RWD. Since we are comparing base models, Tesla’s is rear wheel drive (RWD) and the Bolt is front wheels drive (FWD). For driving pleasure, I’d take RWD any day of the week but when it is snowy outside, FWD definitely feels a lot safer especially into slippery turns. Give the advantage to the Bolt in the winter, unless of course you want AWD, which in electric car world, is still a Tesla exclusive.

Perceived pretentiousness factor – reduced. My wife doesn’t like taking the Tesla to work because she doesn’t want to have a better car than her boss. Even though we got ours when Teslas were selling for $49,000, people think you are driving a $100,000 car (and frankly it is exotic enough to warrant that). But that’s not great when you want to blend in. The Bolt looks and acts like a (hot) hatchback which is standard fare in these parts.

Charging can be better…sometimes. In our garage like many, the power is toward the back and that means the Bolt’s front based charger is easier to get to. When doing public charging stations, I don’t need to back in nor do I need a Tesla->J1772 adapter. Oh, and there happen to be some Chademo/CSS combo stations at the ski resort we frequent near Bennington/Manchester Vermont. We had to buy the $450 Chademo adapter for the Tesla to use these (which are overpriced, flawed NRG EVGO stations that need to be restarted every 30 mins). Overall however, Tesla’s Supercharger network is the best in the business by many order of magnitudes. I really hope that in the near future, every EV can use every charging station.

More range per kWh. Both cars have 60kWh batteries but I can easily get 240 miles out of the Bolt. Even when the Model S was new, I didn’t get 210 miles because it is a much bigger car. Now, 4.5 years later, I get in the high 190s – which is a very small degradation for a car that has 50K miles and lots of DC charging under its belt. However, our trip to the Vermont mountains is about 180 miles which means the Bolt will make it without issue while the Tesla will likely need to charge along the way to be safe.

Source: 10 things I like better on the new 2017 Chevy Bolt vs my 2013 Tesla Model S

Nascar Chevrolet’s R07 engine hits 10-year anniversary mark

This weekend’s running of the Monster Energy All-Star Race is an anniversary for Chevrolet and many of the teams aligned with the automaker.

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Ten years ago, Chevrolet scored its first victory with the R07 engine, a new piece designed to replace the outdated, although still formidable, SB2.

Kevin Harvick, driving the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, won the event, known then as the Nextel All-Star Challenge, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Success in a points-paying event wasn’t far behind — the first points win for a team using the R07 came a week later when former Hendrick Motorsports driver Casey Mears captured the Coca-Cola 600 at CMS.

Chevrolet teams won 23 races the previous year, the first season of a five-year title run for Jimmie Johnson. In ’07, with teams transitioning to the R07, eight of the manufacturer’s 26 wins came with the new engine under the hood.

“We had two things occurring in the 2007 season; Chevrolet had new engine hardware approved in the R07 and the second was we were rolling out the Car of Tomorrow,” Doug Duchardt, general manger for HMS, told NASCAR.com. “So as the season began we started thinking about how we wanted to combine those two. We knew the R07 had more power potential so we focused on getting those engines into the previous car, the non-COT races, because those were more intermediate races.”

The COT debuted that year at Bristol and was run on all tracks under 1 mile, as well as Darlington (1.366 mile), road course races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, and the fall stop at Talladega.

“We felt like that while there was an advantage obviously to have more power, that if you were at a Richmond or Bristol or Martinsville, that’s not as big as say Charlotte,” Duchardt said. “So at the beginning of the year we focused on getting that rolled out for the intermediate tracks.

“As we started running them and saw the potential in the engine, we thought it was going to take longer to roll out. But the thing I remember is … when we first started running them everyone knew what the potential gain was. We put the carrot out there to the engine shop of, ‘We’d like to have this rolled across all of our programs by the 600.’ We thought it was a stretch to get there. And when we put that vision out there, that goal, it was amazing how everyone focused on that and worked to achieve it.”

With Toyota teams arriving on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level that season, other OEMs had been given new parameters on which to build their engines to keep a level playing field.

“It was really just a matter of seeing the writing on the wall, the limitations of the architecture of the SB2 and knowing that we were going to have to keep up with something that had more capability that really drove us in that direction,” said Pat Suhy, Chevrolet Racing NASCAR group manager.

“We didn’t just look at them and say, ‘Oh crap!’ We knew architecturally that the SB2 was challenged. And we had evolved designs of a small block before Toyota showed up. But them showing up with their part is what I think kind of forced NASCAR’s hand, if you will, to let the other OEMs do significant architectural changes to our stuff in order not to be left behind.”

Heading into Saturday night’s race (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR), the R07 has powered drivers to 156 victories in NASCAR’s elite division.

That first victory, Suhy said, was “huge.”

“Because there’s always buyer’s remorse, right? You get this new engine and, ‘Man, it’s got to be at least as (good as) the old one. I hope it’s better.’ We had a few teething pains at the very beginning. Getting the first win under your belt, it’s like with anything, you breathe a sigh of relief and say, ‘Good, now we can get on.’ Not question if it’s as good; let’s make it better now.”

Likewise, getting the win in the 600 the following weekend, Duchardt said, was special.

“I always say the engine guys have it a little easier because we had a real simple and accurate way to measure the performance of the engine, and it’s on the dynamometer,” he said. “So we could understand the power, the torque, the fuel efficiency of the engine. So we knew by every measure that this was as good or better in every aspect. If you weren’t having success with it, it wasn’t because it was an inferior product to your previous one, it was because of other reasons.

“Once we saw that it was a better product than the SB2, then we had confidence in it moving forward. The fact that we won that race was just icing on the cake.

“I think it was Casey’s only win so that was really special, it was the National Guard car, Memorial Day … If you add all that in and the work to be ready for it, it was a special day all around.”

Source: Chevrolet’s R07 engine hits 10-year anniversary mark | Official Site Of NASCAR

The C6 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Looks Better With Every Passing Day

Not a day goes by that the C6 Corvette Z06 does not go from good looking to better looking to even more better looking. What a clear, simple visualization of a sports car ideal.

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I always admire the Z06, mostly because I am a five-foot-nine dude who looks absolutely and spectacularly ridiculous seated in a big Corvette. I can’t own one. I can drive them, if it’s at night. They’re not my size or my vibe, and are consequently off limits. I leave Corvette ownership to the bigger and brasher humans of this planet.

This does mean I spend a lot of time thinking about Corvettes and staring at them. All of this thinking and staring has led me to the above conclusion: the C6 Z06 is aging really, wonderfully, joyously well.

It’s hard to grasp in pictures just how low and wide they are in person. These Z06s are 3.3 inches wider (thanks to carbon fiber fenders) than the ordinary Corvette on which they’re based. The effect completely transforms the look of the car from retiring, Florida-hogging grandpa to lunging, road-sniffing attack dog.

There’s a little snout on the car, breathing in a little extra air for the 7.0 liter small block under the hood.

Source: The C6 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Looks Better With Every Passing Day

Is Corvette being re-designed?

The Final Chevy SS Was Built Today

Final Chevy SS Was Built Today.

Naturally, it’s a manual.

It’s a sad day in the world of sport sedans. We knew this day was coming, but that doesn’t make it less painful. Today the last Chevrolet SS sedan rolled off the line in Elizabeth, South Australia.

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And boy, is the last one a beauty. It’s black with the aging, but lovely LS3 6.2-liter V-8 that comes with every SS and a six-speed manual transmission. Upon the request of whoever ordered it (likely someone from GM) it was signed by the Holden crew who built it.

Ordering for the SS ended in February and there’s no plan for a next generation or a successor. Like most Holden captive imports that GM has brought to the States, it was never intended to be a high-volume seller. Outside of NASCAR, Chevy didn’t really advertise the SS.

We only got a grand total of 12,953 SS sedans in the US and 7,305 Caprice PPV police cars which, like the SS, is based on the Holden Commodore. That’s less than half as many of the 41,000 Pontiac G8s (based on the previous generation Commodore) we got in its 3-model-year run.

To add insult to injury, the Australian plant where the Commodore and SS were built is being shut down this October. That makes it very unlikely that we’ll ever get a Holden-based GM product in the US ever again.

It’s hard to pin the death of the SS on any one factor. You can’t really blame sales numbers because it was such a low-volume car and I believe GM when they say it was never intended to be a big seller. But if that’s the case, then why bother bringing it over here at all?

Source: The Final Chevy SS Was Built Today – The Drive