Hasta La Gadget!

This week the 2014 Buick LaCrosse has been shown for the first time at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, complete with a suite of design and technology innovations you’ll do well to adore. This vehicle has been designed from start to finish to be a luxurious ride, starting with a new interior design that continues the success of this long-lasting sedan line and bringing with it a set of advanced safety and in-car connectivity technologies. There’s also a special Ultra Luxury Interior Package you’ll want to take a look at if you want to go above the fold.

With this full-size LaCrosse you’ll be working with Buick’s next-generation integration of IntelliLink, their infotainment system for entertainment and voice-activated control of your vehicle. You’ll have a newly upgraded, even more intuitive than in past iterations, user interface and control, complete with natural voice recognition – speak as you normally would! This vehicle also works with a collection of camera-based safety features including:

• Side Blind Zone Alert
• Lane Change Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• Forward Collision Alert
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Automatic Collision Preparation

These features each work with GM’s patented Safety Alert Seat – that’s a vibration from the seat from the direction of a potential crash threat. Quite helpful when you need more than a half-moment’s notice of impending doom.

This vehicle has been enhanced with some fabulous new design cues both inside and out, starting with new front and rear styling – signature wing-shaped LED daytime running lamps as well as LED wraparound tail lamps are in place to, as they say, “complement [the 2014 LaCrosse’] sculpted exterior design.” Inside you’ll find new seats, a redesigned central instrument panel and console, and enhanced materials used throughout.

The Ultra Luxury Interior Package is one you may be lusting after. Included is a sangria seating color, ebony accents, all work semi-aniline leather (both seats and trim), with Shadow Tamo Ash wood decor. This package’s semi-aniline leather covers the seats, console armrest, door armrests, and is complemented with a bit of synthetic suede in both the headliner and door pillars. This color and material combination is exclusive to the LaCrosse and this Ultra Luxury package.

The Buick 2014 LaCrosse is being offered in front-wheel-drive as well as all-wheel-drive models and will have two powertrain options available. The first is a 2.4L engine with eAssist light electrification technology. The second is a 3.6L engine with direct-injected V-6. Both models are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and both will have Adaptive Cruise Control available as well. With Adaptive Cruise Control, the system is able to sense traffic in front of the vehicle and adjust vehicle speed in real time, stopping the vehicle when traffic is especially heavy, and accelerating when traffic becomes light once again.

The details will continue here on SlashGear as we see more of the 2014 Buick LaCrosse at the New York International Auto Show 2013. We’ll be seeing more IntelliLink, more of the innards and surroundings of this and other Buick vehicles – and whatever else you’d like us to check out! Have a peek at our Car Hub for more information, and stick to the New York Auto Show 2013 tag portal as well!

Buick 2014 LaCrosse official with IntelliLink and Ultra Luxury options is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

A fault which could see Buick and Cadillac cars switch unexpectedly to Sport transmission mode has forced General Motors to recall almost 34,000 sedans and crossovers, the automaker has revealed. The software glitch, affecting the 2013 Buick LaCrosse and 2013 Cadillac SRX, will inconvenience drivers in the US, Canada, Mexico, China, and the Middle East, and require a swift reprogramming in order to fix it.

That attention will require a trip back to the dealership, and can’t be done remotely. General Motors says that 26,582 of the impacted cars are located in the US, though insists that it’s yet to hear of an injury or a crash caused by the problem.

Exactly what the cause of the software issue is, GM hasn’t said, only that it identified the fault while testing a 2014 engineering model. However, the end-result is clear: during driving, the auto gearbox can unexpectedly flick over from manual mode and into Sport mode, something which could increase the risk of a crash.

That’s because Sport mode has the side effect of “removing any transmission-related engine braking effect” GM explains [pdf link], so that taking your foot off the gas doesn’t allow the car to naturally slow itself. General Motors expects to kick off the recall on March 28, and owners of affected vehicles should speak to their local dealership to arrange a fix. There’s more information

GM recalls 33,700 cars over gearbox glitch danger is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Chevrolet officially unveiled the 2014 Corvette Convertible at the Geneva Motor Show this week. We obviously already saw the regular fastback version of the car when it was initially unveiled back in January, but now we finally get to see the car with its top down, ready for some summer driving on California’s Highway 1.

Chevrolet says that the convertible features “an all-new, fully electronic” top that can be lowered and raised using the car’s key fob, meaning you don’t actually have to be in the car to activate it. The top can also be opened or closed while driving as well, at speeds of up to 30 mph. Who knows what would happen at faster speeds, but we wouldn’t dare to test it out.

Of course, unlike other expensive convertibles, the 2014 Corvette convertible comes with a soft top rather than a retractable hard top, and this has been a Corvette staple for many years, so it makes sense that Chevrolet is wanting to stick with tradition. However there are a few changes to the car besides just the top being chopped off, although they’re rather minor.

The side vents located by the rear wheels are gone from the convertible version, apparently so that the car can make room to store the top, which features a hard tonneau cover to protect the top when it’s down. And sadly, the convertible loses the awesome fastback style of the 2014 Corvette coupe, but we suppose that’s a tradeoff when you want the wind in your hair.

Chevrolet officially unveils 2014 Corvette Convertible is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala has an interesting new valet mode that allows users to shield their personal items and personal information from unknown users. This could be a big deal for a lot of people considering many automobiles save your phone book to internal storage allowing you to dial using your voice while driving. The special valet mode in the new Impala uses the cars available eight-inch center stack display as an interactive touchscreen.

That interactive touchscreen doubles as a PIN-activated retractable faceplate over a secure storage bin that is large enough to hold various personal items. That means if you don’t want to take your wallet or iPod into a restaurant with you, you can enter a key code, open the bin, and hide your personal items from prying eyes. Users will only be able to access the items stored behind the faceplate if they have the PIN number.

Not only will entering the security PIN number lock the bin holding your personal items, it also secures any personal data the cars infotainment system contains. That means all of your addresses and contacts stored in the Chevrolet MyLink system will also remain PIN-protected. The system uses a four-digit code likened to a hotel safe.

Chevrolet says that creating the storage space behind the system faceplate was accomplished by moving the MyLink electronics to another location the vehicle. This created space behind the faceplate to act as a storage bin. The Chevrolet MyLink system in the Impala also offers four different skins to change the look and style to suit different drivers. The 2014 Impala will go into production this spring and will initially be offered with a 3.6-liter V6 engine with pricing starting at $30,760.

[via GM]

2014 Chevrolet Impala secures your info and your stuff with a PIN-activated faceplate is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Chevrolet has made great efforts to use new technology in its cars. And in a bid to reduce weight in the Corvette, the company has announced it will be using a lightweight shape memory alloy wire to replace motorized components used to open and close a hatch release vent. So what exactly does this lightweight shape memory alloy wire do? Basically it’s a wire made from copper-aluminum-nickel or nickel-titanium.  The wire’s chemistry allows it to change its shape when subjected to heat, electric current or pressure. The smart bit is that the wire remembers its original shape and goes back to its original form when deactivated. (more…)

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