General Motors Debuts 'XFE' Pickups With Improved Fuel Economy

[91 s-10baja]

I am so embarrased.



http://www.pickuptrucks.com/html/new...l-economy.html

General Motors Debuts 'XFE' Pickups With Improved Fuel Economy
By: Mike Levine Posted: 08-12-08 01:42 ET Updated: 08-12-08 08:22 ET
© 2008 PickupTrucks.com

Page: [1]

What do you get if you take the hybrid out of hybrid truck? In General Motors' case, you get GM's new XFE -- Xtra Fuel Economy -- full-size pickups that share much of their hardware and running gear with their hybrid siblings, except the two-mode gas-electric powertrain.

The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado XFE and GMC Sierra XFE promise fuel economy ratings of 15/21 mpg city/highway versus 21/22 mpg city/highway for GM's 2009 two-mode hybrids and 14/20 mpg city/highway for comparable non-XFE half-ton pickups. That's an improvement of roughly 5% to 6% over the non-XFE trucks.

[E. Haskell]

embarrassed?

[91 s-10baja]

Originally Posted by E. Haskell

embarrassed?

Completely.
Now while I, or 'we' as fans of this corp. applaud the increase in mileage, I honestly don't think the outside will be so kind. Why give it it's own moniker? People are going to change those tires anyway, most truck owners do. And where does that leave them? Again, they need to focus on 'XFE'ing their cars, or simply XFE everything w/o the badge. I just have a feeling the outside world willl clown the general for this. Watch.

[domij]

I agree with you 100%. The only reason I can think of why the marketers did this was for two reasons: in case gas prices keep dropping and stabilize, and also to generate sales. I personally think just drop this across the board and be done with it (make all the models with this rating).

[Ming]

I'm with S-10 Baja on this.

The XFE treatment should have been reserved for vehicles like the Colorado/Canyon, if it was going to be used on trucks at all.

But then I think we've established over the years that GM wants to sell certain vehicles more than others.

XFE could have then spread, at a later date, to these gas guzzlers, once the image of XFE was established.

Instead, GM just flushed the potential of XFE down the toilet by slapping the badges on 15MPG trucks and SUVs.

[E. Haskell]

As I posted in the other thread...

Silverado/Sierra XFE:

15/21


Tundra:

4.0L = 15/19
4.7L = 14/17
5.7L = 14/18

Tacoma

4.0L = 16/20

F150

4.6L = 14/19
5.4L = 13/17

Ranger

4.0L = 15/20

Titan

5.7L = 12/17

Frontier

4.0L = 15/20

GM took a truck that was already full efficient and made it even more efficient. Sure, those that like to pick on GM will find something to complain about, but they'll do that no matter what GM does.

[Ming]

Sure, those that like to pick on GM will find something to complain about, but they'll do that no matter what GM does.

Gimme a break. "Some people" will excuse anything that GM does, and ignore the fact that GM could have (and still may choose to) make a wiser decision on where to put those XFE emblems --- on cars that make the XFE emblem stand for real fuel efficiency. Not that magical 1MPG on the highway over a Toyota truck.

That is, if they weren't so concerned with pushing their most profitable vehicles just to stay afloat. I can't blame them for that.

Toyota's big trucks are rapidly becoming a joke. This is not about GM competing with Toyota. Except in the new truck and SUV ads we're sure to see, touting this difference. This is about GM selling more big trucks for their bottom line, and damn the resulting image consequences that keep so many people away from their cars.

I don't LIKE to pick on GM.

This kind of stuff just makes me mad because GM keeps denying me reasons to send my co-workers and friends away from Toyota and Honda "fuel efficient, Japanese cars".

More XFE CARS would have made my day, and I would have been willing to overlook these trucks. Instead we get more of what we've come to expect from GM.

Maybe GM will give me reason to cheer yet. But we can see where their priorities are.

[likearock00]

Way to go GM- now people will flock to the hybrids and pay the huge stickers because......oh, wait. Damnit!!

[E. Haskell]

Originally Posted by Ming

Gimme a break. "Some people" will excuse anything that GM does, and ignore the fact that GM could have (and still may choose to) make a wiser decision on where to put those XFE emblems --- on cars that make the XFE emblem stand for real fuel efficiency. Not that magical 1MPG on the highway over a Toyota truck.

1 mpg? I see 3-4 mpg better - i.e. 17% better fuel economy. 20%+ better than others. Like it or not, trucks still make up a very substantial piece of market.

Also, don't act like GM has totally ignored cars.

Cobalt XFE - 25/37 (class leading)
Malibu/Aura - 22/33 (class leading)
Malibu/Aura hybrids - 24/32 - now 26/34
Cobalt SS - 22/30 (class leading)
Corvette - 16/26 (class leading)
G5 XFE - 25/37 (class leading)
Sol/Sky GXP - 19/28 (much better than S2000 while making more power)

They've also improved the fuel economy on the Aveo and Impala.

GM's cars are almost at the point where they can go head-to-head with anything on the market when it comes to gas mileage.

[RamJet502]

Maybe GM isn't paying attention, but people don't buy trucks for gas mileage.

Things the Silverado/Sierra could use:
1. Solid front axles
2. A higher quality limited slip differential in the rear
3. 6.2L V8 available in every truck
4. 6 speed transmissions

[91 s-10baja]

Originally Posted by likearock00

Way to go GM- now people will flock to the hybrids and pay the huge stickers because......oh, wait. Damnit!!

Hybrids are DOA w/ the XFE

[Buick61]

Maybe this thread should merge with this one: http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...-models-67947/

[E. Haskell]

Originally Posted by E. Haskell

Cobalt XFE - 25/37 (class leading)
Malibu/Aura - 22/33 (class leading)
Malibu/Aura hybrids - 24/32 - now 26/34
Cobalt SS - 22/30 (class leading)
Corvette - 16/26 (class leading)
G5 XFE - 25/37 (class leading)
Sol/Sky GXP - 19/28 (much better than S2000 while making more power)

They've also improved the fuel economy on the Aveo and Impala.

GM's cars are almost at the point where they can go head-to-head with anything on the market when it comes to gas mileage.

I forgot to mention the HHR. It went from 21/30 to 22/32...not bad for that type of car.

Matrix 2.4L = 21/28
HHR 2.2L = 22/32....2.0L turbo = 21/29

[likearock00]

Originally Posted by RamJet502

Maybe GM isn't paying attention, but people don't buy trucks for gas mileage.

Things the Silverado/Sierra could use:
1. Solid front axles
2. A higher quality limited slip differential in the rear
3. 6.2L V8 available in every truck
4. 6 speed transmissions

Yeah, that'll move like 2 of them off the lots. Got any more great ideas? If people aren't concerned about fuel efficiency, why can't they move them even with huge rebates and 0% interest rates?

You must have been hiding in your bomb shelter when gas prices started to rise.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by E. Haskell

GM's cars are almost at the point where they can go head-to-head with anything on the market when it comes to gas mileage.

You know it's good when Chevy recently scored better than Suzuki for average fuel economy on its vehicles, though I don't know if they had to split out Chevy's trucks to accomplish that.

Suzuki has some serious work to do in bringing the kinds of cars it is famous for everywhere else to the US market. Too long have they chased the SUV craze and not done enough to bring their most fuel efficient cars here.