Windows As Entertainment

GM Designing Interactive Windows

We've heard of tv screens in cars and of course infotainment, but GM is looking to take that concept to the next level: they are turning windows into interactive displays.  

Toyota first showed a demo video of this concept about 6 months ago, but it looks like GM's Research and Development department are entering the arena as well.  

The basic concept is that your windows would display interactive animations, images, etc.  You'd swipe and control it with your finger.  Basically, it's a sci-fi movie in the ilk of Tom Cruise's Minority Report come to life.  

Check out a video demo of it:

"Advanced windows that are capable of responding to vehicle speed and location could augment real-world views with interactive enhancements to provide entertainment and educational value," Tom Seder, GM R&D lab group manager for human-machine interface said.

So far the team has developed 4 apps that would "bcapable of stimulating awareness, nurturing curiosity, and encouraging a stronger connection with the world outside the vehicle," GM said.

Very cool.  Probably very far off, but we can't wait to see it if/when it does come to be.  In the mean time, check our own GM stores in East Aurora, Orchard Park and Hamburg! 

For Buffalo, By Buffalo

Chevy Girls Buffalo To Showcase Local Talent 

Ever read a product review and wonder how it will affect you personally?  Sure someone likes a propane grill in San Diego, but how will it work in YOUR personal setting?

Well, Chevy is about to solve that problem with it's Buffalo Chevy girls campaign.  

Chevy has chosen 3 local bloggers to drive Chevy Cruzes around Buffalo and report back on their experiences.  They'll have weekly blogs along with videos, plus they've created the Twitter hashtags #chevygirls and #chevyfun to follow along. 

For a brief explanation of Twitter hashtags, click here

That's not all.  As the campaign runs, anyone who takes a Chevy Cruze test drive will get a free gift certificate to SpaFinder.com.  At SpaFinder, you can find the nearest spa to you and enjoy yourself, courtesy of Chevy.  

You can learn about the program and the bloggers at the following spots:

http://www.facebook.com/buffalochevygirls

http://buffalochevygirls.com/  

The Best Interior Designs

Ward's Unveils Their Top Auto Interiors

Never underestimate the appeal of a good car interior.  Comfort, ambience, functionality.  All important things that can make a good ride better.  Kia stepped their interior game up

Since we all love a good ranked list, Ward's recently put in hours of research to discover which cars have the best interiors.  We're focused on 5 today.  Take a look:

Chevy Cruze

We've covered the Cruze extensively, and Ward's just drives our point home even further.  "Soft-touch surfaces, high-grade plastics, properly bolstered leather-appointed seats and great attention to noise reduction make the Cruze a wonderful value at $22,910."

Dodge Charger

Ward's said it as well as we could, "in any interior color, the Charger would look stunning, with its 1-piece matte-finish metallic trim and sporty gauges lending an eye-catching flourish to the dashboard."

Honda Odyssey

The only minivan on the list, and why not?  

"Perfectly suited to cast an air of calm over any road trip with multiple children under the age of 6, the Odyssey impresses with premium features such as 2-tier storage bins in the front doors, a “cool box” refrigerator below the center stack and a third row that is comfortable for adults and easily accessible."The Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit

"The boldly stitched deep-grain tan leather seats instantly conjure images of a highly crafted saddle from the wild west. The rich material carries over seamlessly to the instrument panel and door trim, making this V-8-powered SUV the ultimate comfort-mobile for the Rubicon Trail."

Kia Optima EX

"With the new Optima, the auto maker demonstrates its uncanny ability to connect with midsize buyers in the U.S.  Finely finished with perforated leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, navigation, premium audio and heated and cooled front seats, the Optima is an impressive package." 

So there you have it.  If you have any other suggestions for the list, let us know.  Enjoy! 

Save Green and Go Green

Chevy Cruze Bringing Fuel Efficiency Without High Costs To Buffalo

The newly designed shuttered fascias on the Chevy Cruze

The Chevy Cruze is here.  Why do you want it?  Well plenty of reasons.  Lets let the reviews speak for theselves:

-"The Cruze will surpass the standard gas, non-hybrid offerings on the market today," said Business Week. 

-"This is where Chevy needs to be," Joe Wiesenfelder of Cars.com.

 -"The Chevy Cruze hits or even exceeds the mark on the all-important interior quality factor, while adding to the package with fuel economy, safety, a great ride and an incredible look"- Autoguide.com

Those reviews are just a handful.  Scour the internet, its tough to find a negative word about the Cruze.  Aside from the design and comfort, the name of the game is fuel economy. 

The Cruze is estimated to get 40 mpg, thanks in part to a very simple redesign. The new car will feature a lowered fascia, or front bumper and grill area, with a shutter look. This marks the first Chevy car with such a feature.

An electric motor is connected to the fascia shutters, which close automatically at 37 mph and reopen at 34 mph. When closed, there is a 0.016 improvement in the coefficient of drag, said Mike Dankowksi, Cruze product manager.  The Cruze is intended to eventually replace the Chevy Cobalt. 

"We looked at every single possibility of squeezing out the last tenth of a mile per gallon," Danowski said. 

In February, Chevrolet announced the addition of a third shift at their Lordstown, OH plant that will add 1,200 workers to support a smooth, fast and flawless ramp-up of Cruze production. More than $350 million has been invested to re-tool the plant and add new, state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.

“This investment helps secure the best possible manufacturing footprint to react to market demand and deliver vehicles faster to our customers,”said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president Chevrolet marketing. “We believe Cruze is the right car at the right time for American consumers.”

On Thursday, the West Herr team will be heading to the Chevy Plant in Lordstown.  We'll get a plant tour and the day will end with us driving a Cruze home!  Stay tuned to our blog, our website, our Facebook page and our Twitter page for updates. 

The Chevy Mark of Excellence

Buffalo Chevrolet Dealer Earns Manufacturer Award

GM Rich Wilkinson (left) accepting the award!West Herr Chevrolet of Orchard Park is proud to announce they've won their 6^th consecutive Chevrolet “Mark of Excellence” Award.  This prestigious Award is won by less than 1% of Chevrolet Dealers Nationally and combines Overall Sales and Customer Satisfaction scores for criteria.  

“This award is so important to us because it shows the commitment to the customer, not just volume," said store GM Rich Wilkinson.  "You truly have to be focused on the most important thing, the experience of the clients before, during and after the sale.” 

Nationally, Chevrolet awarded fewer Mark of Excellence awards this year by raising the criteria to qualify.  West Herr is proud to continue the tradition and uphold the Chevrolet values.  

”This award is great for every employee in the store both Sales and Service, it shows we are all focused on the same thing and the team is very proud of what it represents," Wilkinson said. 

Wilkinson and other West Herr team members will be heading to Ohio next week to check out the all new Chevy Cruze.  We've posted a few timesabout all the new exciting stuff the Cruze will offer.

So what are you waiting for?  Get down to West Herr Chevy in Orchard Park today and see what all the buzz is about!

Buffalo Chevy Dealer: A Video Blog

West Herr Chevrolet of Orchard Park Welcomes Western New Yorkers

There are many reasons West Herr is proud to be a Chevrolet dealer in Buffalo.  For one, the eco friendly Chevy Cruze is getting closer, as we discussed a few days ago on the West Herr blog.  Today we've got a video tour of West Herr Chevy in Orchard Park.  Rich Wilkinson, our GM, gives you a look both in and outside the dealership.  He'll show you where to go for whatever you need. 

Saturn owners will be happy to know that Chevy OP is one of the few authorized Saturn service providers in Western New York, along with our West Herr Used Car center.  FInd out more with this video:

Hope you enjoyed our video tour.  For more information visit ChevyOP.com for more information. 

GM Looking To Future With New Investments

Automaker Repays Loan Money Ahead Of Schedule 

General Motors Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre announced yesterday that GM has made its final payment of $5.8 billion back to the US Treasury and Export Development Canada.  This payment means GM has fully repaid the loan ahead of schedule. 

"GM's ability to pay back the loans ahead of schedule is a sign that our plan is working, and that we are on the right track," said Whitacre. "We still have much hard work ahead of us, but we are making progress toward our vision of designing, building, and selling the world's best vehicles.

Whitcare made the announcement yesterday in Kansas City, KS at a conference which also unveiled GM's plan to invest $257 million in their Fairfax, Kansas, and Detroit Hamtramck assembly centers. Both plants will produce the award winning Chevy Malibu, ensuring that Chevrolet meets market demand for this popular mid-size sedan.

"More customers are buying vehicles like the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick LaCrosse we build here in Fairfax," said Whitacre.

GM sales are on the rise across the board.  Sales for GM's four brands are up 36 percent through March versus the same period in 2009. 

In the first three months of this year, GM's U.S. dealers delivered more than 49,000 Malibus and 14,000 LaCrosses, representing a 58 percent increase over the same period last year.

In response to this strong demand, Fairfax in February added a third shift of approximately 1,050 jobs, bringing total employment at the plant to more than 3,800.

West Herr's GM locations are experiencing numbers in line with the national trends.  With the new Malbu cars coming out, it's also a fine time to be a Buffalo Chevy Dealer.  For more information on GM and Chevy in the Buffalo area visit:

Orchard Park Chevrolet

Chevy Hamburg

West Herr GM

Car Safety Event This Weekend in Buffalo

West Herr To Give Western New Yorkers Free Child Seat Safety Checks

West Herr Chevrolet of Hamburg, in conjunction with The New York State Troopers, is helping to put a spotlight on the importance of child passenger safety.

West Herr will host a child passenger safety inspection event on Saturday April 24, 2010 at our dealership located at 5025 Southwestern Blvd in Hamburg NY.

From 10 AM through 1 PM trained staff and technicians will inspect each child seat to ensure that the seat has not been recalled because of a safety defect, is the right size for the child using it and is installed correctly. Staff can also answer questions and direct parents to the correct information resources. Hot dogs and refreshments will be served.

Research shows that the majority of child seats are not being used correctly. Furthermore, there are nearly 20 million at-risk children between the ages of four and eight who are not properly secured in booster seats while riding in automobiles. These children have outgrown their safety seats and are often using adult safety belts that are too large for their small bodies. Children in this age group (generally 40-80 pounds and less than 4’9”) should be properly restrained in booster seats, as they have generally outgrown child safety seats.

As members of the community, the entire team at West Herr Chevrolet of Hamburg takes great pride in seeing our children and those in our community grow up, which is why we are committed to child passenger safety.

Interested parents can call us at 716-649-7800 for more information.

Dean Lucas
General Manager
West Herr Chevrolet of Hamburg
716-649-7800

Chevy Cruze To Roll Out As Safest Car In Class

New Chevy Car Offers Safety and Fuel-Efficiency

 The Chevy Cruze is already looking to conquer fuel efficicency, as reported here on the West Herr WNY Auto blog last month.  In addition, the Cruze will feature new standard safety features that will make it the safest car in it's class. An interior shot of the 2011 Chevy Cruze

The Cruze will arrive in Buffalo in the third quarter this year.  West Herr Chevrolet of Hamburg and Orchard Park are excited to be your Buffalo Chevy Cruze dealer. 

“To benefit our customers, we went way beyond requirements to exceed government safety mandates,” said Chuck Russell, vehicle line director.   We are very confident of the safety performance of the Cruze and believe it will prove to be one of the safest vehicles in the segment."

The newest safety feature highlights include:

• Ten standard air bags – the most in the segment – including frontal, head curtain side air bags, front and outboard rear-seat side-impact air bags and new knee air bags
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control and anti-lock brakes
• Collapsible pedal system, which allows the pedals to detach during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries
• OnStar with Automatic Crash Response.

The Onstar Automatic Crash Response and Injury Severity features offer some of the most revolutionary safety technology available.  The new Onstar features sensors that can assess damages to the car and alert responders as to the severity of the crash. 

The Cruse is already on sale in some European countries, and early safety ratings are excellent.  The Cruze earned the top rating of five stars in European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) testing. According to EuroNCAP, the Cruze scored 79 points out of 100, making it one of the safest models in the passenger car class. The Cruze is the first passenger car to receive maximum scores in both tests since EuroNCAP began providing crash test ratings in 1997.

For more information on the Cruze's release in Western New York, visit West Herr's Chevy locations online at orchardparkchevrolet.com or chevyhamburg.com.