General Motors Provides Comprehensive Updates for 2009 Products

For model year 2009, General Motors has decided to offer a barrage of

improvements across its domestic brands.

One

feature that's been missing from GM's offering, from a technological

standpoint, is Bluetooth connectivity for cell phones. For the longest

time, GM offered handsfree calling via OnStar, however, this required

that owners be connected to the service and would require the purchase

of minutes. Now, General Motors will add Bluetooth practically across

the board, so you won't need to be a Cadillac owner to indulge in

handsfree dialing. Up until now, only one GM vehicle was offered with

Bluetooth, Cadillac's range-topping sedan, the STS.

The

Lambda platform may only be a year old, but these fast-selling large

crossovers have been a hit. The major upgrade for '09 is a mild

increase in

performance and economy thanks to the adaptation of

gasoline direct injection; horsepower increases to 290. The 3.6 VVT DI

first debuted on the Chevrolet Traverse at this year's Chicago Auto

Show.

Six is the number of speeds that

most GM vehicles will have in their automatic transmission starting

next year. In addition to those vehicles equipped with the 3.6-liter

engine and the 6.2-liter OHV V8, GM will be offering a six-speed

automatic on a variety of four-cylinder cars including the Malibu, Aura

and G6. Most vehicles based on the GMT900 platform, including the

half-ton pickup trucks (Sierra 1500/Silverado 1500), Avalanche, Yukon

XL and Suburban will gain two speeds, improving performance and

acceleration.