Yukon and Sierra celebrate centennial with Heritage editions

GMC will bring the 2012 Yukon, Yukon XL and Sierra Heritage Editions to the New York Auto Show in April, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the GMC brand — which appeared for the first time at the 1912 New York Auto Show.
Exterior door badges feature the original GMC logo that appeared on the 1912 lineup, which included -gas- and electric-powered trucks.

Available in White Diamond, Onyx Black or exclusive Heritage Blue, the Heritage Editions will be available on Sierra 1500 Crew Cab, Yukon and Yukon XL models in SLT trim.

Differentiating content differs on each, with such goodies as embroidered mats and headrests, beefier wheels, and equipment packages. U.S. pricing ranges from $1,820 to $2,645.

GMC was formed in 192 when the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, Reliance, and Randolph merged. If GMC were a stand-alone manufacturer, it would be the 10th-largest automaker in the U.S. for total vehicle sales in 2011.

BMW recalls 1.3 million cars

One of the world's largest automakers issued a major recall this week, in response to potential safety concerns.

Germany-based BMW, the world's largest luxury carmaker, said this week it would recall more than 1.3 million vehicles in one of its largest such recalls in years. The automaker said the recall would affect certain models of its 5- and 6-series cars that were manufactured between 2003 and 2010.

BMW has faced mounting competition from other luxury automakers over the past few years as it sought to maintain its dominance in the global auto market. The company said it issued the recall because in rare cases, a batter cable covering the trunk was incorrectly installed in certain vehicle models. The defect could potentially prevent affected cars from starting, while it may also spark a fire in other models, the company said.

The luxury carmaker has improved supply chain management over the past year in an effort to improve reliability and quality. The Associated Press reports the company plans to notify owners by letter and will pay for the repairs, which should only take roughly 30 minutes.

Jaguar poised to pounce on crossover market and battle BMW 3 Series

Luxury Crossovers: it’s what the cool kids are doing these days. BMW has its sporty X6, Audi has the critically acclaimed Q5, Porsche has the ever so sleek and sexy Cayenne, and even Volvo has entered in all the smaller-sized sport utility shenanigans with its stylish XC 60. Feeling left out on the proverbial playground is longtime British luxury automaker Jaguar, but that’s about to change.
Now before the inevitable cries of disapproval come barreling out, a crossover Jag makes total sense from a business perspective. Sister brand Land Rover has had amazing critical success with the Range Rover Evoque, which was named Top Gear’s Car of the Year for 2011 and 2012 SUV of the Year by Motor Trend. So it’s not at all surprising that — in an effort to stay relevant  and competitive — Jaguar wants to follow suit with a luxury crossover of its own.
Speaking earlier this month to Autocar at the Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar global brand direction Adrian Hallmark is said to have all but confirmed the company’s focus on seven “significant” new products over the next two years, including a new crossover that is rumored to borrow major underpinnings of the Evoque (you can see Autocar’s rendering of what they think the new crossover will look like above).
While nothing has been officially confirmed, given that parent company Tata Motors recently announced it would double annual investment in Jaguar gives a good indication that the British automaker may now have the creative and financial freedom to expand its auto portfolio in a substantial way. Earlier rumors suggested Jaguar was working on a fully-fledged SUV, but those rumors have amounted to very little and are looking increasingly unlikely. Instead, it looks like Jaguar will focus its attention on the aforementioned crossover as well as a rumored smaller sedan designed to compete with the BMW 3 Series.
Whatever the case may be, something new may be cooking in Jaguar’s automotive kitchen. Whether it finds success with an Evoque-like crossover, or a direct competitor to BMW’s 3 Series, remains to be seen, but if done right, it could very well have a hit on its hands.