December 6, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• The Body Shop Bake Sale will be Monday, Dec. 8 and held at column S-21. All proceeds will go to leveling gifts for Adopt-A-Child. Thanks in advance for your support of this great program. And speaking of that, please return your child’s gifts to the communications office no later than next Friday, Dec. 12. And remember to put the child information sheet with the gifts so we know who gets what (as always, do not wrap the gifts). This year over 160 children were adopted, an all-time high. Because of your generosity, many children will now have a great Christmas that otherwise would not. Thanks again!
• Friday, Dec. 12 is also the deadline for turning in resolutions for the upcoming National Negotiations in 2015. Forms are available from your committee person or at the Union Hall and you can return them to same. All resolutions (except duplicates) will be submitted for negotiations.
• FYI – to whom it may concern; the apprentice orientation letters have been mailed.
• The annual Chassis Christmas Party will be Friday, Dec. 19 at Maggie Malones after first shift. There will be free food, drink specials, prizes and live music as well as a visit from Santa! All are welcome so come and join us for an evening of fun and holiday cheer. For more info contact Susan Daniel (Picou) at column F-43 of the engine line.
• As you may remember, our van sales dipped again last month, but this is certainly not a function of a lack of orders. Here are the segment results for full-sized vans:
2014 2013 Change Share
GM 5194 7311 - 29% 24.5%
Ford Transit 4851 --- --- 22.9%
Ford Econoline 4151 10,145 - 59.1% 19.6%
Ram Promaster 3290 828 +297% 15.5%
Mercedes Sprinter 2532 2010 +26% 12.0%
Nissan NV 1141 990 +15.3% 5.4%
And here’s a look at midsize truck sales for November:
2014 2013 Change Share
Toyota Tacoma 13,018 12,601 + 3.3% 56.4%
Nissan Frontier 6,332 6,003 + 5.5% 27.4%
Chevy Colorado 2,336 --- --- 10.1%
GMC Canyon 854 --- --- 3.7%
Honda Ridgeline 535 1,353 - 60.5% 2.3%
• We’re still basking in the glow of Motor Trend’s unanimous decision to recognize the Colorado as the 2015 Truck of the Year. Editor-in-chief Ed Loh has stood defiant in the face of criticism that the Ford F150 should’ve gotten the award instead (it finished 3rd behind the Transit van). Scott Burgess, Motor Trend’s Detroit editor and one of the judges, weighed in with this:
It’s rare for any vehicle to get unanimous approval from Motor Trend editors. But the Chevrolet Colorado did just that winning the 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year in a landslide. For me, it wasn’t the nicely loaded Colorado Crew Cab Z71 that convinced me to vote for the Colorado. That’s a great pickup, riding high on those bouncy Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain tires with a promise of off-road hoopties. It was the least assuming truck out of the 10 vehicles we drove, tested, loaded and unloaded for nearly a week in Arizona. A very basic, extended cab Chevy work truck with a price tag of $23,300.
First, that’s something you rarely hear anymore: A pickup costing less than an addition to your house. This little truck is downright affordable. But it never felt cheap. Many editors noted the interior comfort, the quiet ride and how it seemed the right size for the right price at the right time.
In the Motor Trend story, I note the Texasification of pickups. It’s been an ongoing issue as fullsize pickups continue to grow larger– often out performing heavy-duty pickups from two decades ago. They are truly testaments to engineering capability. (Full disclosure, at one point, we drove the Colorado next to a ‘90s Chevy S-10 and were blown away at how big the Colorado looked.) But the world is not just one giant construction site or open country where someone needs to wrap chains around a rock and pull it somewhere. There are city streets to traverse, suburban neighborhoods to cruise down, Home Depot parking lots to squeeze into and fullsize pickups can be challenging in tight spaces. Fitting one in your garage can be a hassle if not a physical impossibility. Every time I got out of a fullsize truck and jumped into the Colorado, it was much easier to drive. In fact, it is downright fun with sharp steering feel, nice acceleration and a nimbleness that big rigs inherently don’t possess.
Of course, Truck of the Year testing is not a direct head-to-head comparison. The Colorado did not beat the Ford F-150 or the GMC HD 2500 in a showdown. In fact, if you’re looking to buy a fullsize pickup, the choices are nearly limitless with fantastic pickups from Ram, Ford and GM. But the Colorado did outperform everyone against the testing regiment Motor Trend has in place.
Really, the Colorado is a big test for Chevrolet and consumers. The midsize pickup segment has been shrinking for decades. American pickup makers, Ford, GM and Ram have all said in the past that little trucks never made sense because their price point is too low, they steal business from the more profitable fullsize trucks and why would a person buy a midsize truck when they could get a fullsize truck for the same price.
My answer has always been: Because some people want a smaller truck. And make no mistake, the Colorado is the best midsize pickup in its class. Furthermore, the Colorado doesn’t pretend to be a midsize Silverado. It doesn’t tow as much, carry as much or weigh as much. It’s not supposed to. True pickup guys may grumble, but this pickup wasn’t made for them.
Designers took a lot of care to make sure they weren’t creating a baby Silverado. Instead, they designed an aggressive looking pickup and gave it all of those cool Silverado features such as the bumper step, cargo management system and plush interior. A smaller pickup means it will have a lot more versatility than its bigger counterparts. This is truly a lifestyle vehicle that could handle daily commutes without emptying the tank; weekend camping trips and the occasional run to the hardware store. You may not want to build a new house with this truck, but you can certainly fix the one you live in with it. Sure, a bigger rig can do many of those things, but downsizing one’s life can certainly include the vehicle you choose to keep in your driveway. Particularly this one, as it takes up a little less space, uses a little less gas and leaves a few more dollars in your wallet than its bigger counterparts.
So congratulations to the Chevrolet Colorado for winning Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year honors for 2015. To the engineers, designers, factory workers and executives who brought new life to a midsize pickup, it’s a well-deserved award for your tireless dedication and work.
Every judge agrees, and that doesn’t happen often.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
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