Chevy Introduces Map of Vacation Spots as Spring Moves in on Tucson

As the days of spring are upon us here at Orielly Chevy in Tucson, the customers coming to visit us are looking for vehicles that will be ideal for them to travel in. It could be Disneyland in California, the Golden Gate Bridge, or Mount Rushmore in South Dakota: there is an abundance of great things to see in the United States when you hit the open road. After you have secured a lease or purchased an excellent new 2018 vehicle for the trip, sometimes the route in question needs a bit of extra attention to detail. The excitement of thrill-laden amusement parks, pro sporting events, museums full of learning experiences, and legendary landmarks such as the Liberty Bell always stir a sense of American pride.

Chevy recently enlisted the expertise of very accomplished data scientist Randy Olson to help travelers make the most of their plans, while on the hunt for the best route to take through every single state. When we conducted a survey related to travel and which items rank high with parents, first-time destinations, and locations that stood out from the crowd-ranked highest as must-haves for family road trips. Providing destination directions for U.S. Landmarks such as the legendary Grand Canyon and beautiful Portland Head Light in Maine, the data on this map provides users with an efficient route between destinations, also paving the way for drivers to enjoy the locations without doing a large amount of backtracking.

The unique design of the map allows anyone viewing it to hit the road in confidence with any location as a starting point, and pick exactly how much or how little they want to drive every day. Chevy is the only brand in existence to earn a J.D. Power Dependability Award for cars, trucks, and SUV's three years in a row, solidifying our brand's promise to make sure you are safe during all stages of your trip. The national survey commissioned by Chevy found that parents will usually have on board for the ride an average of 6.6 mobile devices for streaming, music, games, and navigation. The Chevy Equinox, Traverse, and Trax all have first-rate technology options, to assure that all passengers on board stay connected with a 4G LTE Wi-fi signal.

One of the coolest aspects of this partnership with one of the U.S.'s most intelligent navigation gurus was created with those in mind who are looking to take trips on the shorter side. You may have your sights set on the Northeast where lobsters and lighthouses are commonplace, or the West Coast, where you can see the great vacations spots like Huntington Beach. If you have just secured a lease or made a new purchase from us here at Orielly Chevy, one of the best trips we could recommend is to Rocky Mountain National Park: located about 75 miles northwest of Denver, the views of the Continental Divide are breathtaking. Mountains, alpine lakes, and some of the most diverse wildlife in the world are all here on location, as well as mountain tundra and wooded forests. Just check out this map here, and gain some insight as to where you want your next Chevy-inspired All-American adventure to take place!

O'Rielly Eco-watch Spotlight: Chevy Bolt EV Production Slated to Increase

As the warmer months of Spring loom pleasantly around the corner for all of us here at O'Rielly Chevy of Tuscon, we are all closely watching how different automakers worldwide are pledging in their own ways to give aid to the state of the global environment. During the annual CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, GM Ceo Mary Barry made the announcement that due to the increase in global demand, Chevy Bolt EV production is slated to be drastically ramped up. The job will take place at the Orion Assembly plant north of Detroit, and the ultimate goal is to build around 30,000 units annually.

One issue that has been prominently in the spotlight as of late has been the grave importance regarding the need to remove barriers that exist in consumers accepting the presence of electronic vehicles on the road. The service and sales staff right here at O'Rielly Chevy believes that the energy industry, as well as various other stakeholders, should partner with auto manufacturers to develop a healthy infrastructure for charging, that will drive consumer confidence to be able to use their EV's in all types of locations. During the last fiscal year, Chevy proudly announced a detailed expansion of electric car plans, and slated among them are 2 new electric vehicles based on the EV bolt platform within the next year and a half. There will also be 18 more within the next 5 years, a period of unprecedented growth!

The base LT trim for the Bolt offers you 17-inch alloy wheels, HID headlights, a rearview camera, single-zone automatic climate control, keyless start/entry, an 8.0-inch re-configurable display, and Chevy's MyLink infotainment system, accompanied by a 10.2-inch touchscreen. We can show you all of the details of the Premiere Trim level here at O'Rielly as well: this is where you snag leather upholstery, a 360-degree view camera system, heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, heated front and rear seats, blind spot warning, rear parking sensors, and rear-cross traffic alert.

During the very crucial IIHS testing, last year's Bolt EV received the score of “good” on every single crash text, except for the headlight category, as well as the “Superior” rating on the front crash prevention test. Successfully avoiding a 12 as well as 25 – MPH collision, this also lead to the Bolt then being honored with the Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for the entire year. Behind the 60/40 split-folding rear seats, you'll find 16.9 cubic feet of cargo space, and when folded all of the ways down, offer up to 56.6 cubic feet. U.S. News claimed in its car blog this month that the 2018 Bolt has “zippy performance and a spacious interior”, and praised it for long range, quick charging time, and high power ratings.

When you come check this and all the other great vehicles at O'Rielly Chevy out, we can show you how it's a front-running and cutting-edge model, that boasts the claim to one of the longest ranges available for electric cars on the market today. At 238 total miles, it's easy to rejuvenate the battery power overnight, by using the available 240-volt charger. You'll have the potential to save hundreds of dollars on expensive fuel, and we are all excited about the rising level of production for the nation's most sophisticated and reliable option for an all-purpose electric car!

2018 Chevy Silverado's Evolving Over the Century: Trucks.com Historical Highlights

Last week, Trucks.com highlighted the many different features of the 2018 Chevy Silverado, and documented a slice of its very rich history. The Chevy brand's very first pickup debuted back in 1918, and professional curator Leslie Kendall of Los Angeles's Petersen Automotive Museum claimed last week that the differences between past and present models were “night and day”. During the month of March here at Orielly Chevy in Tucson, we have all been remembering a very important date in our brand's history: it was one hundred years ago this January that the 490 Light Delivery Model was introduced. Basically a stripped-out passenger car of sorts that replaced its body with a pickup bed and added stronger springs, it was well-appreciated for its ability to cart crops.

This very first truck model was powered by a 4-cylinder engine, that at the time produced just 24 horsepower. Within the truck realm, there are many vast contrasts between the present and past, and the current Silverado model is quite the remarkable advancement. It is a very sturdy-and-able 5,300-lb truck that can comfortably seat five, and has the outstanding ability to tow six tons. It now has a much more able power source: the 5.3-liter V8, that produces 355 horsepower. The top-selling vehicle in the Chevy portfolio, it accounted for 585,000 vehicles sold during 2018 alone. Ranked solidly in the second-place position among all passenger vehicles, it is a far cry from the now very-primitive seeming original 490 from 1918.

Last December, the Texas Motor Speedway was the site for the Chevy Truck Centennial Event, where loyal customers were invited to thoroughly test the towing capabilities of new trucks, and try their hand at climbing steep inclines with the new off-road Colorado ZR2. Many who were in attendance have owned more than one Chevy Truck during their lifetime, and have always held in very high regard the brand's level of dependability, and very rugged toughness.

One incredibly loyal Silverado owner from Round Rock, Texas claimed adamantly that “if he won any other truck in a lottery, he would sell it and buy a Chevy”. The vibrant large touchscreen, full leather interior, and standard WiFi connection are all an intense departure from the interiors of historic trucks such as the 490, and it is amazing to think that just a bench seat was the interior of that very early model.

The modern breed of pickups are among the most well-appointed vehicles that exist on the road, and the raising the bar on luxury and technology options have greatly assisted in the drastic shift in consumer preference. What was once a penchant for small passenger cars has now developed into a desire for light and larger trucks, and the Silverado really ups the ante while filling the bill. Car and Driver claimed over this last year that “after 100 years of building pickups, Chevy's formula is near perfect”, and gave the Silverado very high praise for its confident stature and track record.

Every single model now has a backup camera, to give you the ultimate in protection every day when you head down the road. The eAssist Package is now optional on the LTZ, and not just the LT Trim as before. Make sure you check out the off-road package during a test drive with us here at West Chevy: this offers up features like body-color grille surround, headlamp bezel, and 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. The Centennial Edition includes front and rear heritage bowtie emblems, a 100-year door badge, spray-in bedliner with heritage bowtie emblem, accessory floor liners with heritage bowtie emblems, 22-inch painted wheels with chrome inserts, and chrome tow hooks. If the Colorado is the model that best meets your needs, you can add all of these features to it as well: a Centennial edition is too great of a milestone to let stand alone!

2018 Chevy Impala Slated by Autoblog as “Among the Best on the Road”

Consistently dominating as a very recognizable and solid presence in the auto market, the Chevy Impala has a very longstanding history, dating all the way back to 1958. There is now a V6 available in the base model, and its many features were thoroughly revamped for the 2014 release. The Impala LT was then fitted with the addition of new leather seats, and the premier and LT trim levels saw the addition of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. During the 2014 refresh, the Impala really had a sense of resurrecting itself, and doing away with lines that were a bit dreary and under confines. With a now-chiseled appearance, the Impala evokes more confidence, even with its high dose of practicality.

This year's model has the bragging rights to being the best-equipped Impala ever, and there are 10 airbags installed to ensure the best in protection for all on board. Other front-running safety features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, and lane-departure warning are staples of the new Impala as well, to put current technology to its highest use regarding your protection. The Impala also earned a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who work hard daily to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce the economic toll of road crashes.

The LT trim level is the second up the ladder, and is where you really get to experience the one-of-a-kind appeal and functionality that the new Impala offers. It is still a 4-cylinder, with the valuable addition of MyLink infotainment, cloth and leatherette upholstery, extremely comfortable power lumbar for the front passenger, Bluetooth audio and phone, dual-zone automatic climate control, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The month of March is a fantastic time to experience a test drive in the New Impala at Orielly Chevy, and check out how the Premium trim level greatly increases the comfort factor. The V6 engine becomes part of the package, and you can also obtain perforated leather-upholstered seats, heated front seats, a powered passenger seat, 19-inch wheels, rear parking sensors, and pushbutton start.

Once they were on the road and administering a thorough test drive, the Autoblog team rated the Impala as an “athletic-quality performer”, and claimed that it had an excellent balance of ride comfort with handling. Hailed for its accuracy and quickness, the belt-driven electric power steering has no sluggishness in its response, and provides a light and easy sense of handling on the road. In the balance category, the Autoblog team rated the Impala as greater than the Toyota Avalon, Hyundai Azura, and Ford Taurus.

Completing the 0-60 run in just 6.8 seconds, the V6 Impala offers up a very robust sense of power, without the grunt and flex that some of the competitors have. As spring is rapidly approaching in Tucson, paying heed to Autoblog's advice and making the decision to purchase a new Impala is sure to inspire and move you. We can guarantee many exhilarating drives in your very near feature, whether the rear seats are occupied or not!

Consumer Reports Praises 2018 Chevy Trax for Being “Young at Heart, Economical”

As the promise of Spring bears down on Tucson residents, there are many fun events for singles, families, and groups to look forward to. These are a perfect opportunity to load all of your friends up in the SUV, and enjoy some well-earned down time! Poets Pedal was recently rescheduled to March 5, where you can round up a group of your best friends for a bike ride: the starting point is at Dragoon Brewing Company on W. Grant Road. One very good creative outlet for the little ones is at the Joel D. Valdez Library: “Tinker Tuesdays” give everyone the chance to produce something brilliant, and unleash their inner budding artist.

When you are loading up the entire clan to go participate in an event like this, the subcompact SUV is one of the best options to get there with a sense of fuel efficiency, without sacrificing any valuable elements in the style department. The 2018 Trax is Chevy's answer to the very versatile slot for a quality SUV, situated directly beneath the Equinox. Consumer Reports has long been a well-trusted authority regarding telling customers how cars handle during testing, and balancing out the pros and cons of any new car purchase.

When they test drove the Trax, this intelligent and long-standing publication praised it for its very wide appeal, while at the same time being a prime vehicle choice for the truly young at heart. The very agile and precise handling during drive time rivals many other vehicles that are front-runners in the same category, and it is able to achieve this even after undergoing a fair amount of sacrifice of sorts during the design process for high fuel efficiency. U.S. News and World Report gave the Trax high marks for its remarkable turning radius, supportive seats, and on-a-dime precise maneuverability.

Customers in Tucson that show up to Orielly Chevy looking for a fitting new vehicle often have one very important item in their “necessary” category, and that is the presence of Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Entries in the stiff competition such as the Mazda CX – 3 do not have this useful and high-tech amenity on their feature list as the Trax does. The staff at Consumer Reports were heavily impressed with the head and legroom available in the Trax, and you'll be able to seat five during your next long jaunt.

Cargo space is a big factor when those searching for a new car are looking over important features. The Trax offers 19 cubic feet for you to fill up, and it is suitable for any vacation luggage, a cooler for the lake, or chairs for long and leisurely family gatherings. Two USB ports are on board for charging, and a MyLink infotainment system with 7-inch touchscreen is also situated on board, to assure that your passengers are able to keep up on any weather changes, or find directions for the journey's next segment. Come check out the subcompact SUV that Car and Driver deems a “Roomy Runabout”, and prepare your family for a sensational Tucson spring!

2018 Chevy Traverse RS Offers Unique Styling, Proves Rewards of Thinking Big

As the winter months continue to progress here at Orielly Chevy in Tucson, many of our blog readers may be trying to picture our daily regimen. They may think that we are huddling around the meeting table trying to keep warm, swapping snow shoveling duties, and perhaps having too much time on our hands. While this is a funny way to think of the situation, it is actually quite far from the truth! The winter is a time when we focus on offering new financing options, admire new models as they arrive at the lot, and are preparing to embark on test drives for those deciding which vehicle is their best choice.

One of the front-running contenders loaded with features is the brand new Chevy Traverse RS. Bringing to the table a full product lineup positioned to be competition across the entire SUV segment, the street-inspired look is eye-catching, and a more connected vehicle for every lifestyle is presented. Delivering excellent turbocharged performance and aggressive new styling, the Traverse RS injects a high dose of thrilling-to-drive charm into the existing midsize SUV category. With a concept based on the redesigned 2018 Traverse, the RS provides 98.2 cubic feet of cargo room, more in the way of tech options than the previous model, and an enhanced list of safety features, offering the optimum in protection for you and your passengers.

Reaping the benefits of thinking big, the Traverse has a wheelbase that's two inches longer than its predecessor, and provides more headroom and legroom for the second-and third-row riders – this is impressive, considering that the last version boasted one of the most spacious cabins in its class. One feature that really places the RS in a position to stand out from the crowd is the new black grille, accompanied by black window trim, roof nails, and bowtie emblems, as well as a 20-inch aluminum wheel set featuring a dark Android hue.

Whenever a model possesses a “first” in terms of a new production trait, a very appealing image is created that sets it aside from the others in the lineup. The crossover SUV category is understandably popular, as many families and young professionals flock to the designs that are the most practical for them. The RS is the very first model in the Traverse family that offers turbocharged performance, which is the key to its high-spirited and very powerful-off-the-line driving experience.

The direct-injected Ecotec 2.0-liter turbo engine does a great job of completing the task of torque and horsepower generation, resulting in 257 hp and 295 lb-foot stats respectively. The design team has successfully wrapped the 2018 Traverse in sheet metal, which results in a more square-off look. 351 pounds of weight has been shed on the Traverse, which effectively brought it down to the level of knowingly fierce competitors such as the Toyota Highlander and the Pilot. Come pay us a visit to check out other monumental features such as keyless entry, which can be a real lifesaver if you are running late on a harried morning. There is also plenty to rave about as far as safety features are concerned: the 360-degree camera on board will assure that everyone in the area is out of harm's way in the event of a rapid backup!

2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 Dismantles Ford GT's Long-Standing Track Record

Right here in Tucson, we are lucky enough to have plenty of racing excitement: The Tucson Speedway just completed their “Chilly Willy 150”, as well as their January Awards Banquet. It can make for a very exciting and high-octane family outing, time to clear one's head, or just simply a scheduled free day for you to enjoy the roar of engines, and thrill of close-cut corners. Back East where the weather may not be quite as favorable this time of year, the Virginia International Speedway has long been a proving grounds for those who are experts in navigating the track at breakneck speed.

The location for action-packed events such as the Pirelli World Challenge, MotoAmerica Championship of Virginia, and Grassroots Motorsports Magazine's Hyperfest Tire Rack Car Challenge, this is a prime East Coast anchor for thrilling family fun. Last year, the Ford GT supercar set a new record for a production car lap here, and this year, our champion contending 2019 Corvette ZR1 left that record in the dust! While out on the track doing what he always does best, Chevy test driver Jim Mero nailed down a time of 2:37.25 for the 4.1-mile circuit. This was completed with the 755-hp 6.2-liter supercharged V8, and was a razor-sharp 1.37 seconds quicker than the GT's previously held record.

Both the Chevy and Ford cars were of showroom spec grade, minus any unique enhancements in the performance realm. Our show-stealing ZR1 was equipped with the extra addition of the ZTK Performance Package, adding the boost of summer-only tires, a track-focused tune of the suspension, and a downforce-producing aero kit. We have also heard many rumors at the office and on various auto blogs that GM could be working on a mid-engine supercar to replace the Corvette next year. Some out there are wondering if the iconic 'Vette may have reached the limits of performance with a design and use of the front engine, and there could be many different types of developments that spurn an entirely new, track dominating and superior machine.

Road and Track proclaimed last year that the ZR1 is definitely “the fastest street car GM has ever made”, and that is the well-versed and proven “True King of the Hill”. At first glance, it is difficult to miss the two very gaping openings in front of the cover: they are here to work overtime in the task of extruding hot air that seeps out of the engine bay. The ZR1's new pushrod V8 sports a 52-percent larger supercharger than the LT4 currently enlisted by the Z06, and the claimed top speed is around 201 miles per hour.

Any driver with hours of logged track experience will immediately notice the difference in handling, in part due to the grip and top-tier quality of the 355 section rear tires. All of us here at Orielly Chevy are beyond excited to see the sheer speed and domination factor of the 2019 Corvette ZR1: Feel free to come down and test drive current models, and explore the options of high-dose automotive freedom available to you!