We already know that production of the 2014 GMC Sierra is well underway, and we already know the power output and torque rating for the engine, but there is more about this new pickup truck than power – yes we know this is a strange thing to say, but times have changed.

There are to be three cab sizes for the 2014 GMC Sierra, all of which will come with different bed lengths as well. One of which will be the Sierra Regular Cab, which has recently been in the wind tunnel for a photo opportunity as part of the new marketing campaign in the hope off showing off its improved aerodynamics.

It’s clear to see that the 2014 GMC Sierra improvements concentrate on fuel efficiency and quietness. Firstly the Regular Cab Z71 has a sharp design thanks to all the work done in the wind tunnel, and even though the bed is 6.5-feet in length, the fuel efficiency figures are far greater than the previous model. However, some of this can be attributed to the new engine as well.

To help reduce the noise, GMC has cut down on the amount of vibration and harshness from the previous Sierra, so the cab will be a much better place to be for the 2014 model.

Thanks to all that hard work in the wind tunnel I cannot help notice how much better looking the 2014 GMC Sierra is when compared to the new Silverado, but it’s a tough choice up against the 2014 RAM.

Thanks to Autoblog.

We cannot help admire the comeback that General Motors has made since filing for bankruptcy a few years ago, this was not only due to some clever management decisions, but also some well-timed vehicle releases as well, the latest being the 2014 Chevy Silverado.

The pickup is big business for GM, and the imminent 2014 Chevy Silverado release date as well as the GMC Sierra is certain to have a positive outcome for the company. Production for both vehicles is now well underway, and while it has started slow, the company will ramp up production in the not too distant future.

Sales of pickups have increased by at least 20 percent in the US, so GM is certainly taking advantage of this new trend, what a difference four years make. It could not be a better time for the launch of the 2014 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, and although the former will have the limelight for a while, it could be short-lived because of the impending F-Series, which is to get a totally new revamp.

General Motors understands that when it comes to selling their new Silverado they will need to rely on more than the vehicle itself, and so will need to be tactical. The way they plan to do this is by going after those who will want the new pickup more, and so more than half of its initial production is earmarked for dealers in Texas.

Autoblog has been hands on with the 2014 Chevy Silverado to see if GM has done a decent job with the latest version, and they were impressed with the refined driving dynamics as well as an unobtrusive cabin, which to them is more than enough to make the truck a hit. The 2014 Chevy Silverado price is another positive, as it is the same as the 2013 model, surely this will help increase sales?

Will you be getting the Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra, or will you hold out for the new Ford F-Series?

We’re only a few days into the second month of the year and there have already been several auto recalls, which does seem to be a little alarming. The latest is a fresh round of GM recalls, which consists of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Malibu and can cause a range of issues. There are said to be just over 8,500 units affected by this recall.

Those Chevrolet Malibu’s affected were built between December 6, 2011 and January 15, 2013. The reason behind the recall is due to the fact that several units could have been assembled incorrectly, such as not the right amount of torque applied when doing up bolts on the suspension. This could lead to several issues from just a minor noise being heard from losing control of the vehicle altogether.

This is a pretty new issue that was first noticed last December thanks to the GM test fleet – just glad it was noticed. It did not take them long to find the fault on the suspension cradle, although it’s worth noting that the assembly was from one of GM’s suppliers.

We’re still waiting for the NHTSA to announce an official recall, although this might not happen because it has only affected certain models and General Motors is already on top of the issue. We’re told that dealers will fix the problem with the Chevrolet Malibu free of charge, and from what we know should not take too long to rectify.

A total of 12 complaints have been received with concerns regarding the power window switches and other related parts, It has been reported that there have been a few fires or smoke inside select TrailBlazer models, thankfully there hasn’t been any injuries.

This is the same issue that has affected 830,000 Toyota Camry and RAV4 vehicles, it’s not as strange as you think because both companies sourced the parts from the same supplier and if NHTSA find a link then there is a fear that this could become a widespread recall.

From what we already know the Buick Rainier, GMC Envoy and the Saab 9-7X share the same power window switch, and while there is nothing owners of these vehicles can do for now, we would advise you to be extra vigilant and if there are any signs of smoke then you need to get in contact with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration right away.

It’s hard to say how long this investigation will go on for, but owners of the affected Chevrolet TrailBlazers will be waiting patiently for the verdict, as will we. If you do have any worries or experience issues with one of these models then contact your local dealer, but maybe you should consider disconnecting the battery first.

There seems to be some confusion as to who the issue is down to because we have heard a few people suggesting Toyota is to blame, but it’s too early to start pointing fingers. The best course of action is to wait until the inquiry is over before we make any assumptions, but it’s certainly worrying and just highlights the fact that vehicles of today are more about quantity and not quality.

Looking over some of the cases we were worried to learn that when a fire did occur the engine was off and the vehicle was left unattended, now could you imagine if you left the vehicle at the parking lot or in the garage where it could not only set another vehicle on fire but also your home while you are asleep?

We are sorry to be so harsh, but you have to consider how series this issue could be. Have you experienced any issue with your 2006-2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer?

According to The Wall Street Journal owners of the Chevrolet Volt will be offered loan cars by GM, while an investigation is carried out on the Volt regarding fires that have started after crash tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had carried out some crash testing on the Volt that resulted in sparks and fires.

GM believes these were caused by malfunctioning electronics rather than overheating chemicals from within the batteries. Mary Barra GMs product chief stated that engineers were currently working on ways to make the battery case stronger, and added “We’re looking at a handful of promising avenues” and is confident the Volt is safe.

Investigations began last week after two crash tests caused the electric cars battery to spark or catch fire. The NHTSA were doing the tests following an incident last spring where a Volt battery that was damaged in a crash test had caught fire 3 weeks later.

Both sides have said owners of the electric car shouldn’t be too concerned as the fires didn’t start on impact, and started a few days after. The latest tests the NHTSA ruptured the Volts coolant line and damaged the battery compartment, in an attempt to replicate the first accident to highlight the problem. With the first accident the fire started weeks later, but in the latest ones it started in a matter of days.

At the moment, the recall only affects car owners in US and Canada as a power steering fluid hose issue has targeted 11,915 Chevrolet Impalas according to a fresh release from the Associated Press this week.

The problem occurs when the power steering fluid hose gets too close to the catalytic converter contained inside the motor. The hose can melt, leading to a leak of fluid which is obviously a fire hazard that General Motors are unwilling to take a risk on.

Aside from the problem affecting almost 12,000 Impalas, GM has also issued a recall which affects 4,293 Buick LaCrosse due to a different issue. It has been discovered that the sedans are prone to a software defect which regulates the malfunctioning sensor contained on the vehicle. Unless the software is updated, the sensor can fail to handle the car properly, which in turn could lead to a crash.

The good news, is that no injuries or crashes have been reported according to General Motors, both for the Impalas and the LaCrosse models. If you currently own either of these models, you may think that the problems listed above do not warrant a recall, but considering what has happened to other car manufacturers most notably Toyota, you cannot blame General Motors for being over precautious.

Remember to be aware of production dates though before you worry about if you are affected or not. The Impala recall affects models that were produced between April 19, 2011, through July 29, 2011, while the LaCrosse models are being recalled with production dates of June 9, 2011, through July 2, 2011. If these dates apply to you, get in touch with us below. Tell us how you feel about General Motors’ latest recall.

In an article by Viknesh Vijayenthiran over on Motor Authority, he reports that the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette (C7) will offer better feedback and quality from new platform. With monthly rumors of the Chevrolet C7 Corvette by random sources and fans, you can occasionally get official information from inside General Motors.

The information we know already is that the Chevrolet C7 Corvette will arrive two years after the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette; this means that it will be a 2014 model that could be accessible in the latter part of 2013. With news that General Motors have announced a $131 million investment in the Kentucky Bowling Green plant, and a view from their North American boss, Mark Reuss who is saying the C7 will be “completely different”.

In addition, the General Motors design boss Ed Welburn view is that the new “Vette will get a split rear window along with some other vintage styles”, inspired by the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray. The overall dimensions of the car will probably stay the same but a thought that weight-conserving measures should be adapted. The quality of the interior is the engineer’s main concern, to show the inside of a $100,000 car to its fullest, with improvements to materials, layout and finish.

Do you feel that customer feedback will help any future updates? For more information, visit Motor Authority.com.

This recall is specifcally linked to 2,600 models in Canada, and is part of a bigger recall of 47,000 Cadillac SRX vehicles in the US, according to the Associated Press. Although General Motors has stated that no injuries have been reported yet, the problem is quite a serious one as the car maker confirms that the right-hand passenger air bag will not open in the event of a crash, if there is no passenger in the front seat.

As you can imagine, that is potentially a very serious issue, so it’s unsurprising for General Motors to issue this recall fairly swiftly. The problem goes deeper too, as it’s confirmed that the airbags in the 2011 Cadillac SRX contains a sensor which are apparently programmed to switch off if there is no passenger in the front seat. This is contrary to the user manual of the SRX which states that an airbag would open regardless.

Here’s the important part that you need to pay attention to, as the recall affects SRX models manufactured between Feb. 2, 2010 and April 29. If your model falls in between these dates, you will be contacted by General Motors soon to arrange a free servicing to fix the problem.

What your thoughts on this latest recall for General Motors? Are you surprised by the air bag malfunction?If you have an instant question for General Motors, you could try messaging them on their Twitter account here.

Akerson believes that if the government were to raise the tax on gas by a dollar a gallon, it will force people to stop using their vehicles as much. Now, we can see why he would propose such a thing, but we are a long way from the idea working. Being forced to pay more tax on gas will not reduce the number of vehicles on the road, all it will do is anger drivers.

Take the UK for instants, they pay just over $10 for a gallon of fuel and almost 80 percent of that is tax. They also have a congestion charge in London, so drivers have to pay £10 per day to drive into the city. Now we have not really seen a huge drop in the amount of cars on the road, they just seem to pay up.

Having said that, London does have a great transportation system, so those drivers who do not wish to pay the high gas prices or congestion charge can use public transport. However, this will not work in the U.S. as the country is so vast and in some places public transport is not that great.

The other issue here is the fact that the alternative fuel cars are just not there yet. OK, so we know that we have hybrid cars and electric vehicles, but they are a long way off from offering a practical solution. The idea of a car is not just commenting to work, which is the only real purpose of the Nissan Leaf for example.

Having said that, if you do want to save fuel then the best way at the moment is with the likes of the Toyota Prius or other hybrid models. The issue here is that this requires money, something that is hard to come by at the moment. This would mean that the average American driver would have to get a car loan to pay for the new vehicle. Now we are not that great at math, but it would take years to even see a return in your investment – if ever.

To conclude the only people who would benefit from a gas tax hike would the U.S. government, carmakers like GM and car loan companies – where does the environment figure in all this?

Do you agree with a GM’s gas tax proposal?

We already know that General Motors has being using such a system since the 90s in most of models that come with an air bag. That is all well and good, but drivers want to know what kind of information will be stored in the black boxes? The other worry is that other carmakers also have a similar system, but a standard is needed.

It is for this reason why the NHTSA wants to push through a standard system, so that they all collect the exact same data. This is something that has been used in F1 for a number of years now by the FIA, to see if a team has been doing anything that goes against the rules of the sport.

Wired says that it will be insurance companies law enforcement official and also automakers who will have access to the data on the black box, and here lies the problem. The device will be on at all times, so some drivers believe that it is an invasion of their privacy – even though they might already have one in their car.

Do you agree with the NHTSA that all new cars should be fitted with a black box?