GM rolls out 17 new vehicles

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, behind the Chevrolet Volt, waves to GM employees at the North American International Auto Show on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009 in Detroit.

Tom Krisher

ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT–General Motors Corp. turned its opening news conference at the Detroit auto show into a pep rally touting the health of the company and its products, unveiling plans Sunday to build a 40-mile-per-U.S.-gallon (5.9 L/100 km) minicar for the U.S. market and a Cadillac concept car powered by electricity like the Chevrolet Volt.

The Chevrolet Spark subcompact was called the Beat when GM unveiled the front-wheel-drive three-door hatchback as a concept car in 2007, powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged gasoline engine. It's about the size of a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris and is set to go on sale in Europe next year and in the U.S. in 2011.

GM also announced that the Chevrolet Orlando seven-passenger crossover vehicle will go on sale in North America in 2011.

The company ended its showcase of 17 new and upcoming vehicles at the North American International Auto Show with a surprise: the Cadillac Converj concept car, which is designed to go 65 km on electric power alone after being recharged from a standard wall outlet. A small gasoline engine would extend the range to hundreds of miles.

It's the same powertrain technology GM is using in the Chevrolet Volt, a much-anticipated extended range vehicle that is set to go on sale next year.

Several hundred GM employees, dealers and retirees gathered inside the convention centre for the unveilings, cheering and waving signs that said "Here to Stay" as they flanked the vehicles driving through the show floor.

GM chief executive Rick Wagoner told the crowd the vehicles are smaller, smarter and more fuel efficient, with "enough towing capacity" to pull GM out of its current troubles.

The government granted the struggling automaker $13.4 billion (U.S.) in federal loans in December so the company could stay in business, and GM wants to show off innovations to demonstrate to people that the loans were a good investment.

"We've made tremendous progress in the past several years of making cars and trucks that consumers really want to buy," Wagoner said.

GM also is showing off new versions of the Buick LaCrosse sedan, and the Chevrolet Equinox and Cadillac SRX crossover SUVs at the show. Those new 2010 models are set to go on sale later this year.

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