Detroit News Online – Page 242 – I wish I had more to offer

GM's Barra: We have more products to build in U.S.

GM's Barra: We have more products to build in U.S.As General Motors Co. undergoes a restructuring that will indefinitely idle four U.S. plants this year, the Detroit automaker plans to build more cars in America, CEO Mary Barra said.
“We have more products coming that we will build in the United States,” Barra told reporters after an appearance Wednesday at Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.
Barra declined to comment further on GM's future product or manufacturing plans.
GM announced on Nov. 26 a sweeping workforce and manufacturing restructuring for 2019 that will include idling five plants in the United States and Canada, and cutting some 8,000 white collar jobs. That restructuring effort is expected to save some $2.5 billion this year, helping GM to achieve what it expects to be a modest increase in earnings.
GM is addressing an excess plant capacity issue at its Detroit-Hamtramck and Lordstown assembly plants by stopping work there later this year.
“We have other plants that are lower in capacity utilization that we would want to increase,” Barra said. “We need to make sure that we keep the capacity utilization up at other plants that we’re still working to improve.”
Less than a month after GM said it had 2,700 transfer opportunities for the 2,800 United Auto Workers employees affected by pending plant idlings, the Detroit automaker said Friday that 1,500 workers have volunteered to transfer and about 700 are already en route to new jobs in Michigan and Tennessee.
GM also is looking for ways to keep selling the Cadillac CT6 in the United States after the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, where the brand's halo vehicle is built, stops production this summer.
“We do have several opportunities,” Barra said at the Automotive News World Congress, held in conjunction with the Detroit auto show at GM's Renaissance Center headquarters.
She declined to comment on whether the CT6 could be built at one of GM's U.S. plants to avoid the cost of importing the vehicle from China.
GM President Mark Reuss told The Detroit News this week that importing the CT6 from China would not be the automaker's first choice.
As GM's $7,500 federal tax credit dwindles, Cadillac will lead GM's electrification push in the coming years. The luxury brand, which flashed a sneak peek of its first-ever fully electric vehicle ahead of the Detroit auto show Sunday, takes the baton from Chevrolet, which established an early-adopter EV following with its plug-in hybrid Volt, which will stop production later this year.
The new, electrified Cadillac will be built on GM's next-generation EV platform. Dubbed BEV3, the new electric-car architecture will be designed to accommodate multiple body styles as well as front-, rear- and all-wheel drive options.
nnaughton@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @NoraNaughton
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Chevrolet ad will stop airing after Ford, Toyota, Honda challenge

A new Chevrolet commercial claiming the General Motors Co. brand is more reliable than Ford, Honda and Toyota has stopped airing nationally and will stop appearing in local markets after those three competitors challenged the ad's comparison assertions, The Detroit News has learned.
Ford, Honda and Toyota confirmed they each challenged the 60-second TV spot, which aired in Metro Detroit during the North American International Auto Show. Its title: “Chevy Surprises Competitive Owners When It Comes To Reliability.”
A lawyer for one of the three automakers who challenged the ad sent an email to GM's legal counsel this month demanding that the automaker stop making the reliability comparison claims in its advertising campaign, according to sources familiar with the correspondence. GM was given until 5 p.m. Jan. 14 to respond to the demands.
In a verbal response, a lawyer for GM told a counterpart at one of the rival automakers that Chevrolet is moving in a different marketing direction as it ramps up its campaign for the new Silverado pickup trucks, the sources said. And the GM lawyer added thatthe ad already had stopped airing nationally, with plans to remove the commercial from local markets in the coming weeks, the sources said.
“Chevrolet stands by the reliability claim and the ad remains in the brand’s toolbox but we have decided to take it out of the regular rotation at this time to launch new Silverado creative,” Chevrolet said in an emailed statement to The News. “We have not altered our marketing campaign because of any concerns with the accuracy of our ad content.”
The ad is still posted on Chevrolet's YouTube page. Ford and Toyota, however, say GM told them that the ad would be pulled after the two automakers complained.
“Through discussions with GM, we were informed they decided to pull the ad,” said Toyota spokeswoman Karen Nielsen. Honda declined to comment beyond confirming its concerns.
Chevrolet has agreed to stop airing the advertisement altogether, though it is still appearing heavily in Metro Detroit, Ford spokesman Mike Levine said. “We’d like to see that happen immediately.”
The ad, which started airing this month, uses the “Real People” premise Chevrolet has used for more than three years to claim that a “recent nationwide survey” found Chevrolet to be a more reliable brand than Toyota, Honda and Ford — three of the bow-tie brand's biggest competitors.
The reliability claim in Chevrolet's commercial, which was scrutinized last week by Jalopnik, is based on a survey of 2015 model-year vehicles commissioned by Chevrolet and completed by Paris-based market research firm Ipsos Group S.A. Fine print at the bottom of Chevy's reliability ad directs viewers to ChevyReliability.com for more information on the survey.
That website redirects to a one-page document that says Ipsos surveyed owners of 2015 model-year Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac owners versus owners of “competitive brands.” The research firm sent 840,979 “non-sponsored” letters to targeted owners and received 48,679 completed surveys.
The definition of reliability, Chevrolet says in the document, “is the percentage of vehicle owners who reported they have not repaired or replaced any vehicle components in the past 12 months (excluding fluids, filters and those related to accident/collision).”
Consumer Reports, which surveys its readers every year for a reliability study, found in 2018 that Toyota was the second most-reliable brand after its sister brand, Lexus. Honda finished 15th and Ford finished 18th. All three brands were ahead of Chevrolet at 23rd.
But J.D. Power's 2018 dependability rankings, which are more similar to the study Chevy commissioned for its reliability ad in that it looks at 2015 model year vehicles, ranked Chevrolet above Toyota, Honda and Ford.
As Chevrolet's reliability ad comes off the air, the brand is rolling out a massive campaign for its all-new 2019 Silverado pick up truck, which debuted last year at the Detroit auto show.
nnaughton@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @NoraNaughton
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FCA to pilot car-sharing, subscription for Jeep owners

FCA to pilot car-sharing, subscription for Jeep ownersFiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is exploring new ways to boost sales of its money-minting Jeep brand through a three-month pilot with peer-to-peer car-sharing startup Turo and a trial subscription service for Jeep owners.
The automaker is recruiting owners to rent out their vehicles through Turo, which lists 350,000 models on its platform and pitches itself as a a way for motorists to offset their car payments. Fiat Chrysler also is partnering with Avis Budget Group Inc. on a three-month subscription service that will let owners swap their Jeeps for other vehicles, such as a Ram pickup or Dodge Challenger, said Tim Kuniskis, head of the Jeep brand in North America. Both pilots start next week in Boston and will be limited to the first 100 owners who register for each.
“All these people who are casually going, Is it for me or not for me?,’ I can then get them as potential prospects to sell them a brand-new Wrangler,” Kuniskis said in an interview at the Detroit auto show this week. “We’ll find out what’s good and what’s bad, what customers like and what they don’t like, and ultimately from that we’ll decide if we want to do this as something we promote to our dealerships at the time of sale.”
Mixed Success
Automakers and car dealers have been dabbling with flexible-ownership models, with mixed success. The goal is attracting younger consumers whose tastes have been shaped by the likes of Airbnb Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc.
General Motors Co. started a program last summer that lets owners rent out their GM vehicles using its car-sharing unit, Maven. GM’s Cadillac brand, BMW AG, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Porsche AG all have tried out subscription pilots, though Cadillac paused its program and BMW slashed the initial pricing of its subscriptions after Mercedes offered a lower rate.
The biggest stumbling blocks in figuring out the subscription model are pricing and delivery, Kuniskis said. Avis will supply the inventory for the pilot to spare local dealers the depreciation risk of holding the cars. Participants will be able to flip models as many as six times during the three-month period, two with delivery and the rest requiring them to pick up the vehicle themselves.
“We know all the pluses and minuses of subscription services, we’ve seen some challenges,” Kuniskis said. “Let’s step our toe in, let’s see if this is, No. 1, right for the brand. If it makes sense, let’s try it.”
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Kia to recall 68K vehicles for fuel pump fix

Kia to recall 68K vehicles for fuel pump fixDetroit – Kia says it will ignore the partial U.S. government shutdown and recall more than 68,000 vehicles to fix a fuel pipe problem that can cause engine fires. The problem stems from previous recall repairs due to engine failures.
The Korean automaker also says it will do a “product improvement campaign” to install sensors in 1.7 million U.S. vehicles that will alert drivers to possible engine failures and send the cars into a reduced-speed “limp” mode if problems are detected.
Kia confirmed the recall and improvement campaign in statements issued Wednesday after The Associated Press found in Canadian government records that the recall is being done in that country. Hyundai, a larger affiliate of Kia that uses the same engines and also has had failure problems, said it will take similar actions.
Both Hyundai and Kia have been dogged by fire and engine failure complaints from across the nation. They’re under investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees recalls. But the agency is mostly closed because of the shutdown.
NHTSA employees who do safety investigations and recall notifications are not at work. Under normal circumstances, the agency would have reviewed the Kia recall to make sure it was adequate and posted details on its website. It also would monitor notices to customers, and make sure customers could check to see if their vehicles are included.
Kia spokesman James Bell said the company is proceeding with the recall and improvement campaign regardless of government delays.
“Making our customers comfortable is vastly more important than making sure we’re following additional government processes right now,” he said. Kia sent letters to dealers around Jan. 10 notifying them of the recall, he said.
But a U.S. auto safety advocate called Kia’s measures inadequate and said the product improvement campaign should instead be a recall that is overseen by NHTSA.
A NHTSA spokeswoman said she could not comment due to the shutdown.
Hyundai and Kia started recalling 1.7 million vehicles in 2015 – about 618,000 of which are Kias – because manufacturing debris can restrict oil flow to connecting rod bearings. That can cause bearings in 2-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines to wear and fail and also lead to fires. The repair is an expensive engine block replacement.
Now Kia is acknowledging that the engine replacements “may not have been properly performed in all cases by Kia dealers,” according to a company statement issued Wednesday but dated Jan. 11. The high pressure fuel pipe may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly tightened while the engines were being replaced, the statement said. That can allow fuel to leak and hit hot engine parts, causing fires.
Kia is only doing the fix on 68,000 of its 618,000 vehicles. Bell said he would check to see why the rest aren’t being recalled.
The fuel injector pipe recall covers some 2011 through 2014 Optima cars, 2012 through 2014 Sorrento SUVs, and 2011 through 2013 Sportage SUVs, all with 2-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines.
The company says owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by letter.
Jason Levine, executive director of the nonprofit Center For Auto Safety, said Kia limited the latest recall to a relatively small number of vehicles without adequate explanation, raising more questions than answers. He said some consumers have complained of fires in vehicles that weren’t included in the engine repair recalls.
He also raised concerns about the government shutdown’s impact on NHTSA, which he said should be open to handle critical safety recalls.
“This is the exact scenario where you should have safety and enforcement people coming in and doing their jobs,” he said.
The last recall posted on NHTSA’s website was dated Dec. 19, three days before the shutdown began. The agency said it a statement that it “may recall furloughed employees if NHTSA becomes aware of information concerning suspended functions that involve imminent threats to the safety of human life or protection of property.”
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Ford looks to change minds with its first all-electric vehicle

Ford looks to change minds with its first all-electric vehicleDetroit — Ford Motor Co. is trailing plenty of competitors in the electric-vehicle market — and senior leaders at the Blue Oval said that might work in their favor when the company launches its first fully battery-powered vehicle next year.
“Our strategy is different,” Jim Farley, Ford president of global markets, said Tuesday at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit. “In a way we had the advantage of watching what happened the first time around. What customers have told us is 'Just give us the good stuff.'
“We're going to change a lot of people's minds.”
Ford global product chief Hau Thai-Tang went so far Tuesday as to say in a presentation to Wolfe Research that Ford's electric-vehicle business won't be a drain on profitability. Automakers have historically had trouble making money on EVs.
The automaker plans to launch in 2020 a battery-electric vehicle with a 300-mile-plus range. The vehicle is “Mustang-inspired.” Farley has said several times that essentially means it'll be a utility vehicle that goes fast.
The comments come days after Ford rolled out four all-new vehicles during the Detroit auto show, including the company's first-ever hybrid Explorer SUV. Ford is currently in the middle of a sweeping global restructuring as the Dearborn automaker readies for a new chapter in the automotive industry. Farley is responsible for several pieces of the changes.
Under CEO Jim Hackett, Ford's senior leadership is pushing to trim $25 billion in operating costs and spend $11 billion to shake up failing businesses in Europe, China and South America, and better position the automaker's North American business for continued profitability through the next decade.
Officials announced last week plans to revive its unprofitable European business by cutting salaried and hourly workers, ending production at plants in France and Germany, eliminating less-profitable vehicles like the C-Max from the lineup there, and possibly exiting a Russian joint venture.
Ford then on Tuesday announced it had entered an agreement with Germany's Volkswagen AG to partner on commercial vans and midsize pickup trucks to be sold outside of North America.The partnership is aimed at boosting Ford's European business, in part.
Meantime, the automaker enters 2019 with a full hopper of new vehicle announcements and launches planned. Ford's midsize Ranger returned to showrooms this month. The all-new Aviator is on the way. The automaker also plans to launch its redesigned Explorer, all-new Escape and new Super Duty this year ahead of continued launches in 2020, which will include the long-awaited Bronco.
ithibodeau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau
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Ford CEO Jim Hackett on the Ford-Volkswagen partnership

Original Article

The GAC Entranze EV concept debuts

The GAC Entranze EV concept debutsBuy PhotoThe Entranze electric concept vehicle from Chinese automaker GAC is revealed during the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center in Detroit on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
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The Entranze electric concept vehicle from Chinese automaker GAC is revealed during the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center in Detroit on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
Buy PhotoDancers perform before the reveal of the GAC Entranze concept.
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Dancers perform before the reveal of the GAC Entranze concept.
Buy PhotoThe wraps come off the Entranze.
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The wraps come off the Entranze.
Buy PhotoThe GAC Entranze EV concept vehicle drives onto the stage. The three-row vehicle can seat seven.
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The GAC Entranze EV concept vehicle drives onto the stage. The three-row vehicle can seat seven.
Buy PhotoThe GAC Entranze EV concept features large, see-through sliding doors.
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The GAC Entranze EV concept features large, see-through sliding doors.
Buy PhotoDesigners ditched traditional thinking and worked on the interior and exterior to create a coastal architecture-inspired flow that blurs the indoor and outdoors.
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Designers ditched traditional thinking and worked on the interior and exterior to create a coastal architecture-inspired flow that blurs the indoor and outdoors.
Buy PhotoAs a result, the Entranze features patio-inspired sliding glass doors and a panoramic roof.
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As a result, the Entranze features patio-inspired sliding glass doors and a panoramic roof.
Buy PhotoThe GAC Entranze concept vehicle is the first concept vehicle from GAC's North America design studio in California.
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The GAC Entranze concept vehicle is the first concept vehicle from GAC's North America design studio in California.
Buy PhotoFoldable rocker panels serve as steps and also as a bench for outdoor seating.
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Foldable rocker panels serve as steps and also as a bench for outdoor seating.
Buy PhotoMore than 90 percent of the vehicle's interior are made from environmentally sustainable materials such as cork.
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More than 90 percent of the vehicle's interior are made from environmentally sustainable materials such as cork.
Buy PhotoInside, a wave-inspired instrument panel in front of the first-row bench gives way to OLED screens on both sides instead of a single screen in the middle.
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Inside, a wave-inspired instrument panel in front of the first-row bench gives way to OLED screens on both sides instead of a single screen in the middle.
Buy PhotoAt a panel with media following the unveiling of its Engtranze EV, Guangzhou Automobile Group Motor Co. said it hopes to enter the U.S. market in the first half of 2020.
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At a panel with media following the unveiling of its Engtranze EV, Guangzhou Automobile Group Motor Co. said it hopes to enter the U.S. market in the first half of 2020.
Buy PhotoPontus Fontaeus, executive design director of the GAC advanced design department in Los Angeles, talks about the GAC Entranze EV concept vehicle during the introduction.
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Pontus Fontaeus, executive design director of the GAC advanced design department in Los Angeles, talks about the GAC Entranze EV concept vehicle during the introduction.
The GAC Entranze concept vehicle features patio-inspired sliding glass doors and a panoramic roof.
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The GAC Entranze concept vehicle features patio-inspired sliding glass doors and a panoramic roof.
The interior of the GAC Entranze concept vehicle.
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The interior of the GAC Entranze concept vehicle.
The steering wheel of the GAC Entranze concept vehicle.
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The steering wheel of the GAC Entranze concept vehicle.
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The Entranze electric concept vehicle from Chinese automaker GAC is revealed during the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center in Detroit on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.

Details on FCA's new plant coming soon

Details on FCA's new plant coming soonDetroit — Fiat Chrysler needs to add capacity to build new Jeeps, CEO Mike Manley said at the Detroit auto show Monday. The automaker is expected this month to announce details about where it will add that capacity.
The Detroit News reported in December that Fiat Chrysler had plans to convert the idled Mack Avenue Engine II plant in Detroit into an assembly plant as part of the automaker's plans to add two new three-row Jeep SUVs to its lineup.
Manley did not say Monday where the automaker would add capacity to build the vehicles. He said that two new three-row SUVs — expected to be a full-size a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a large SUV likely the Wagoneer — will “require additional (plant) capacity and expanded capacity.”
It's expected Mack II will build one of the SUVs, likely the Grand Cherokee.
“I’m going to be making an announcement probably in the next two weeks of exactly where those vehicles are going to go, the levels of investment and the jobs they will generate,” Manley said.
Sources told The Detroit News in December that a revived Mack II building a three-row Grand Cherokee would generate 400 jobs. The automaker would shuffle its workforce to fill the remaining jobs needed to run a new product line at that plant.
The Mack Avenue Engine II, which has been idled since 2012, is expected to be used to build the Grand Cherokee for model year 2021, multiple sources familiar with the plans told The News in December. The move could add as many as 400 new auto jobs in the city.
The renovated Mack II facility would be the first new auto assembly line to open in Detroit in 27 years, potentially cushioning the blow of General Motors Co.'s plans to stop production of four sedans at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant by June 1.
Fiat Chrysler needs to invest in a new assembly line to build the profitable SUVs that will raise cash to fund that future. Fiat Chrysler’s plant capacity utilization in November hit 92 percent in North America.
FCA's plans are the latest move by automakers before they begin to renegotiate their contracts with the United Auto Workers.
ithibodeau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau
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Infiniti's QX Inspiration Concept

Infiniti's QX Inspiration ConceptThe INFINITI QX Inspiration is a midsize SUV concept previewing the brand’s first fully electric vehicle.
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The INFINITI QX Inspiration is a midsize SUV concept previewing the brand’s first fully electric vehicle.
Buy PhotoKarim Habib, executive design director, Infiniti Motor Company, talks about the Infiniti QX Inspiration concept vehicle while waiting in vain for it to drive on stage, at Infiniti's press event at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center Monday. The QX Inspiration had technical issues and did not make it to the stage.
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Karim Habib, executive design director, Infiniti Motor Company, talks about the Infiniti QX Inspiration concept vehicle while waiting in vain for it to drive on stage, at Infiniti's press event at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center Monday. The QX Inspiration had technical issues and did not make it to the stage.
As a company with technological and powertrain innovation at its core, electrification is a natural next step for INFINITI.
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As a company with technological and powertrain innovation at its core, electrification is a natural next step for INFINITI.
The QX Inspiration design study previews the brand’s plan to launch a range of high-performance electrified vehicles that promise an engaging drive and deliver range confidence.
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The QX Inspiration design study previews the brand’s plan to launch a range of high-performance electrified vehicles that promise an engaging drive and deliver range confidence.
Infiniti's QX Inspiration Concept
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Infiniti's QX Inspiration Concept
Infiniti's QX Inspiration Concept
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Infiniti's QX Inspiration Concept
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The INFINITI QX Inspiration is a midsize SUV concept previewing the brand’s first fully electric vehicle.

GAC Motor delays U.S. entry until 2020

GAC Motor delays U.S. entry until 2020Detroit — GAC Motor has delayed its introduction to the U.S. market, the Chinese automaker's president Yu Jun said Monday.
At a panel with media following the unveiling of its electric vehicle concept SUV at the North American International Auto Show, Guangzhou Automobile Group Motor Co. said GAC hopes to enter the U.S. market in the first half of 2020.
Last year, the carmaker had said it hoped to start selling to Americans in the fourth quarter of 2019, but trade disputes between the U.S. and China have pushed back those plans, Jun said.
“There are a lot of challenges in this industry,” Jun said. “It is an uphill battle. … Our ultimate objective is to build the company into a world-class brand and globalized brand. We need to work toward that goal. We are technology- and innovative-driven. … We think American consumers will enjoy our products.”
The three-row, seven-seat concept vehicle GAC unveiled is called the Entranze EV. It is the first concept vehicle from GAC's North America design studio in California. Designers ditched traditional thinking and worked on the interior and exterior at the same to create a coastal architecture-inspired flow that blurs the indoor and outdoors.
As a result, the Entranze features patio-inspired sliding glass doors and a panoramic roof. Foldable rocker panels serve as steps and also as a bench for outdoor seating. More than 90 percent of the vehicle's interior component are made from environmentally sustainable materials such as cork.
A wave-inspired instrument panel in front of the three-seat first-row bench gives way to OLED screens on both sides instead of a single screen in the middle, though artificial-intelligence voice control seeks to minimize driver distraction.
Executive Design Director Pontus Fontaeus brought his experience working on Ferraris, Land Rovers and Volvos as well as commercial aircrafts. That is evidenced in the steering wheels with illuminated touch controls around its perimeter. The wheel also works with a heads-up information cluster and voice-command activation.
Another nods to aviation is the storage trolley that slides between the seats when needed.
GAC also is using its “Vision Unlimited” exhibition at the auto show for the first North American appearance of the brand's latest GM6 minivan and to show its new GS5 SUV, which are available in other countries.
Its remaining lineup includes the new GS4 crossover launched in early 2018, luxury SUV GS8, seven-seat minivan GM8, and electric compact crossover GE3.
“These vehicles showcase our commitment to bring U.S. customers our world-class products,” Yu Jun, GAC Motors' president, said at the show.
GAC operates in 16 countries. In 2018, it sold more than 535,000 cars globally, a 5.23 percent increase year over year.
Its first appearance at NAIAS was in 2013, and the company has held several global introductions on its stage here.
GAC Motor is preparing to open a new research and development center in March in Farmington Hills wit. It already has one in Silicon Valley in addition to its advanced design center in Los Angeles.
bnoble@detroitnews.com
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