Next-Gen MyLink System Debuts in 2014 Chevrolet Impala

LOS ANGELES – When the 2014 Chevrolet Impala goes on sale next spring, it will do much more than reinvent the brand’s flagship sedan. It will be the first with Chevrolet’s next-generation MyLink infotainment system, designed to be easy to use, highly customizable and capable of linking up to 10 devices.

The system represents Chevrolet’s first use of natural language voice recognition that allows customers to safely place calls, enter destinations, browse media, play music and control other functions simply by telling the vehicle what to do. There are no key phrases to remember and no need to look at a screen. In addition to the touch screen, MyLink also can be operated via large, clearly labeled knobs or through integrated steering wheel controls.

Another first for Chevrolet is that the system can store up to 60 favorites including radio stations (AM/FM/XM), contacts, destinations, music and other media – a convenient feature, for example, for those who travel to the same destination regularly and want to save locations such as hotels and restaurants.

Even the graphic treatment of the instrument cluster and integrated stack can be customized to one of four distinct personalities, depending on who’s behind the wheel – Contemporary, Edge, Velocity and Main Street.

“MyLink in the new Impala provides our customers with a total driver experience,” said Nina Mital, next-generation MyLink program manager. “With the natural voice recognition, it’s like having a conversation with your vehicle.”

The system is designed to accommodate new features and enhancements, Mital said. The next-generation MyLink system also will be used in other 2014 model year Chevrolets including upcoming full-size trucks and SUVs and the Corvette.

Unlike previous systems, both the instrument cluster and the integrated center stack are configurable, giving the customer the ability to display infotainment controls in direct view if desired, without ever having to view the center screen. A microphone above the driver helps ensure voice commands are heard.

On the Impala’s standard 4.2-inch high-resolution LCD screen or available eight-inch screen, customers will immediately notice the layout resembles a smartphone or tablet, with intuitive, easy-to-read icons. On the eight-inch screen, customers can fling through lists, swipe and click and drag just as they would on a tablet.

Those with compatible smartphones can pair them with MyLink using Bluetooth or a USB connection. This gives customers the ability to play passengers’ music or other media through the vehicle’s speakers.

Another new feature allows customers whose Impalas are equipped with available embedded navigation to enter destinations in a single step, without having to enter the state, city, street number and street name in successive efforts. City-by-city weather reports are also provided.
Customer preferences were studied globally during the next-gen MyLink development process. “We received a lot of good customer feedback and we used it to make enhancements to the system,” said Mital.

Even OnStar accessibility expands. Besides the venerable Blue button, customers can access OnStar via the screen display.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala includes six months of OnStar’s premium Directions and Connections service. OnStar brings added safety, security and connectivity to these vehicles, including services such as Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostics and Roadside Assistance.

Most smartphone owners can also download the RemoteLink Mobile App, which allows OnStar subscribers to control and manage certain vehicle functions from their phone. For more information on OnStar’s services, visit onstar.com.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Chevrolet Spark and Sonic Drive with Siri

LOS ANGELES – Early next year, the Chevrolet Spark (1LT, 2LT) and Sonic LTZ and RS will integrate Siri, the intelligent assistant that helps get things done just by asking. Chevrolet made the announcement today at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.
Through the cars’ standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, customers with a compatible iPhone* running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. To further minimize distraction, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with an Eyes Free mode that enables users to interact with their iPhone using nothing more than their voice while keeping the device’s screen from lighting up.
Owners simply connect their iPhone with the MyLink radio via Bluetooth, pair with the system, and use the steering wheel voice activation button to begin and end sessions with Siri in Eyes Free mode.

In the Spark and Sonic RS, owners can use Siri in Eyes Free mode to:

• Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone
• Play songs in the iTunes library, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
• Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
• Access Calendar and add appointments
• Minimize distraction even more by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays
• While in Eyes Free mode, Siri will not provide answers to complex questions that require displaying a web page.

“It says a lot about our commitment to small-car customers that Chevrolet has announced that Siri Eyes Free capability will be available in the Spark and Sonic well before the luxury brands,” said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director for small cars. “Safe, easy, reliable and portable connectivity is a top priority for our customers, and Siri complements MyLink’s existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience.”
Both the Spark and the Sonic also come with six months of OnStar’s premium Directions and Connections service. OnStar brings added safety, security and connectivity to these vehicles, including services such as Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostics and Roadside Assistance.
Most smartphone owners can also download the RemoteLink Mobile App, which allows OnStar subscribers to control and manage certain vehicle functions from their phone. For more information on OnStar’s services, visit onstar.com.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Chevrolet Announces Pricing for the 2014 Impala

DETROIT – The all-new 2014 Impala, Chevrolet’s flagship sedan, will go on sale this spring with a starting price of $27,535, including an $810 destination charge.

Impala was America’s best-selling full-size sedan in 2011, with sales of more than 171,000, which made it one of the 10 best-selling cars in the United States

“We’ll build on the success the Impala nameplate has generated over its history,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet marketing. “We’ve added sophisticated design features, more technology and safety equipment, while conserving Impala’s current strengths like spaciousness and comfort.”

Chevrolet’s latest MyLink radio debuts in the 2014 Impala. The in-vehicle entertainment system adds an eight-inch color display screen that is customizable. The system also adopts natural voice recognition – a first for Chevy.

The 2014 Impala has several new features, including Adaptive Cruise Control and crash-avoidance technologies like Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Side Blind Zone Alert. Ten standard airbags are included as well – among the most in the segment.

Three direct-injection engine choices will be available to customers: a 3.6L V-6, a newly designed 2.5L four-cylinder and a 2.4L four-cylinder with fuel-saving eAssist technology that is estimated to deliver 35 mpg. All engines are matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The 2014 Impala will be offered in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels.

The 3.6L, 305-horsepower-engine will come to market first, with a starting price of $30,760 for the LT and $36,580 for the LTZ, including destination charges.

The 2.5L engine is priced as follows: $27,535 for the LS; $29,785 for the LT; $34,555 for the LTZ.
Pricing for the 2.4L engine with eAssist will be announced later.

The new Impala will be built in the Oshawa, Ontario, and Detroit-Hamtramck, Mich., assembly plants.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette is all About the Aero

http://youtu.be/w-CQhimRXyU

DETROIT – The precisely sculpted design of the all-new 2014 Corvette delivers more than just stunning good looks – every line, vent, inlet and surface has been optimized for performance.

“The all-new Corvette integrates more high-performance aerodynamic features than ever before, many taken directly from Corvette Racing,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. “For example, the front grill and radiator flow paths reduce lift, improving vehicle stability at high speeds by keeping the car pressed to the pavement. In addition, functional vents increase track capability by channeling air to the brakes, as well as heat exchangers for the transmission and differential.”
 
To develop the aerodynamic package, engineers started with data gleaned from years of on-track, high-speed performance from the Corvette Racing program – the most successful program ever in the American Le Mans Series and the 2012 GT Class champion. These techniques were applied to the production car using some of the industry’s most advanced computer-aided modeling programs to predict and track airflow over, under and through the new Corvette’s body.

“Its sculpted design excites in all the ways that a Corvette has for six decades, with elements carefully shaped in the wind tunnel to increase airflow potential and improve cooling for a system that is as efficient as possible,” said Kirk Bennion, Corvette exterior design manager. “It’s said that form follows function, but in the case of the aerodynamic 2014 Corvette, form and function work cohesively to produce beautiful purpose.”

Chevrolet will introduce the 2014 Corvette on Sunday, January 13, 2013. For more information and video content, please visit www.one13thirteen.com. Enthusiasts can join the conversation about the next-generation Corvette, as well as keep track of new announcements on Facebook (facebook.com/corvette) and Twitter @Chevrolet(#Corvette). Fans that follow the #one13thirteen hashtag on Twitter can look forward to exclusive updates.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

GM Plans 500,000 Vehicles with Electrification by 2017

DETROIT – General Motors will have up to 500,000 vehicles on the road with some form of electrification by 2017 with a focus on plug-in technology, the company’s top product development executive said Wednesday.
“The plug-in offers a unique opportunity to change the way people commute,” Mary Barra, senior vice president of Global Product Development told media attending the GM Electrification Experience in San Francisco. “Plug-based solutions will play a significant role in our technology portfolio going forward.”

The plug-in Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle, introduced in 2010, has become more than a statement for GM in the electric vehicle space, Barra said by satellite from Detroit.

“What started out as a technology proof point… has turned into a real-world starting point to push EV technology further and faster than we thought possible five years ago,” she said. “The unique propulsion technology pioneered in the Volt – the same technology that will be featured in the Cadillac ELR – will be a core piece of our electrification strategy going forward.”

Learning from the Volt is being liberally applied to the Chevrolet Spark EV, which will go on sale next year in the certain U.S. markets and South Korea with other markets to be announced soon.
“We’ll meet requirements set by certain regulatory agencies, but we’re not building the Spark EV to check a regulatory box,” Barra said.

GM is on track to sell more than 50,000 vehicles this year with electrification – between the Volt and eAssist light electrification technology on the Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Malibu. The 2014 Chevrolet Impala also will offer an eAssist model when he debuts next year.

“Our commitment to eAssist is unwavering,” Barra said. “In fact, our future portfolio calls for eAssist to be on hundreds of thousands of GM vehicles annually by 2017.”
General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Chevrolet to Debut Spark EV at LA Auto Show

DETROIT – Chevrolet will unveil the plug-in electric version of the brand’s popular new Spark mini car at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month. The Spark EV is one of 13 new or significantly redesigned products that Chevrolet will be launching in 2013.

Chevrolet will also showcase the expanded functionality of an advanced version of MyLink, which will be available first in the all-new 2014 Impala full-size sedan.

“Chevrolet continues to build on the momentum of eight consecutive quarters of record global sales with the introduction of more new products, features and technologies that are designed to offer consumers exceptional functionality, comfort and convenience,” said, Chris Perry, vice president of Global Chevrolet Marketing.

“The Spark EV and next-generation of MyLink demonstrate Chevrolet’s commitment to delivering the advanced technologies that today’s consumers will be eager to adopt and truly value,” Perry said.
The Spark has won over U.S. consumers with its expressive design, roomy interior and MyLink connectivity. In its first three months on sale, the Spark has delivered strong results, particularly in the Los Angeles market. Building on that success, the plug-in electric version of the Spark EV will offer consumers the same package that has made the gasoline-powered model so popular while delivering the technology and performance of pure electric power.

MyLink currently offers consumers easy-to-use in-vehicle connectivity. With the launch of the 2014 Impala, MyLink adds new levels of personalization and more seamless smartphone integration.
In addition to the Spark EV, other Chevrolet vehicles on display at the LA Auto Show include the all-new Impala, Malibu Turbo mid-size sedan, Sonic RS small car, Traverse full-size crossover and Camaro Hot Wheels® Edition.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Chevrolet’s Mini Car Saves Drivers Time and Money

DETROIT – The 2013 Chevrolet Spark mini car comes up big when it comes to regularly scheduled maintenance, saving owners time and money, which could help ease some of the target consumer’s resistance to new car ownership.

Designed specifically with next-generation urbanites in mind, engineers recognized these individuals are more likely than previous generations to delay major life events, such as the first automobile purchase because of uncertainty over the overall cost of vehicle ownership.

According to a research by Chevrolet and MTV Scratch, more than one in four of next-generation customers said owning a vehicle that is easier and less expensive to maintain is very important.
The Spark, which has a suggested retail starting price of $12,995 – more than $3,100 less than its nearest competitor, the Scion iQ – can save owners time and money.

For example, Chevrolet engineers designed the Spark’s engine timing chain to require no scheduled maintenance (unlike timing belts), and electronic power steering and transmission fluid to last the life of the vehicle.

“The Spark will appeal to young urban buyers who are always on the go,” said Jim Federico, executive chief engineer, General Motors Small Cars. “The Spark is perfect for these urban lifestyles because it is not only easy and fun to drive but also easy to own.”

Spark owners can go up to 100,000 miles before replacing spark plugs. That is 36,000 miles more than the Fiat 500 and 70,000 more than the Smart fortwo.

With Chevrolet’s advanced oil life system, oil and filter changes are recommended around 7,500 miles or when the Oil Life Monitor system alerts the driver for an oil change. At a participating Chevrolet Certified Service provider, an oil change with the gas saver bundle will cost $29.95. Over the average 150,000 mile life of the vehicle, Spark owners will save approximately $900, compared with vehicles that recommend oil changes every 3,000 miles.

Over the life of the car, the Spark’s maintenance requirements will save owners time and money with:

• Transmission fluid that lasts for the life of the vehicle
• Power steering fluid that lasts for the life of the vehicle
• Engine timing chain that requires no regular maintenance
• Spark plugs that can last up to 100,000 miles

The Spark is the only mini car on the market covered by a five-year/100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and a six-year/100,000-mile rust-through limited warranty.

When it is time for maintenance, the Spark will tell you what it needs. Thanks to OnStar, which is standard for six months, Spark owners can receive monthly vehicle diagnostics emails systems, including the state of fluid levels and tire pressure.

Launched in Korea in 2009 and now available in almost every country in the world, the Spark has sold more than 600,000 vehicles globally, and is gaining momentum with American drivers.
The Spark is the only car in the segment to offer five doors and an available seven-inch touch screen Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system.

For more information on the 2013 Chevy Spark, visit www.chevrolet.com/Spark
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.