Articles by Joshua Dowling

These performance SUVs are twins under the skin - but one is driven by diesel and the other use petrol power.

Australian designers played a starring role in the Motown showcase, with Holden building two concept cars — a limousine for Buick and an electric car for Chevrolet — and a Ford Australia designer penning a reborn GT40 supercar.But in a cruel twist, none of them has any real significance to Australian car buyers.On that score, the show car that could create the most waves Down Under was Hyundai's Santa Cruz ute — or pick-up as the Americans call them.The Santa Cruz is the forerunner to a Hyundai ute that will look to take a slice of the booming Australian ute market, which accounts for one in six new vehicle sales.Elsewhere at the show, it was all glitz and glamour, with Honda revealing a new NSX supercar and Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen unveiling sporty SUVs.Here are CarsGuide's show highlights.After more than three years of very public development work, including a disastrous fire at the Nurburgring, the born-again Honda NSX is ready to roll.Almost exactly 25 years after the birth of the original NSX, the new hybrid supercar has broken cover and is being fast-tracked to Australia.Some of the final detail is missing, including power and performance figures, but the NSX has a twin-turbocharged V6 engine, a double-clutch gearbox and twin electric motors to boost acceleration.The output is believed to be more than 400kW and the engine, which is set north-south behind the two-seater cabin, is believed to be 3.5-litres in capacity.The car has a body that combines lightweight alloys with carbon fibre, a step on from the original all-alloy NSX that was pitched against Ferrari in the 1990s.The price is likely to be more than $250,000 in Australia, but despite the price tag, there is considerable interest in the car in Australia.NSX deliveries in the US will begin later this year, pointing to an on-sale date in Australia in the first half of 2016. Less than 250 of the originals were sold down under, although it was a massive hit with car enthusiasts.Ford's latest Ferrari fighter, the new GT supercar, was designed by Australian Todd Willing, who was seconded from Ford Australia two years ago to work on the top secret project.He has since returned to Ford's design studios in Broadmeadows, where he is now the head of design for Ford in the Asia-Pacific region. How long he stays there is anyone's guess, as the GT40 is an impressive boast on a CV. At Detroit, the chief engineer for the Corvette, Tadje Juechter, the head of Jaguar design Ian Callum and former Volvo chief designer Peter Horbury all queued with the masses to get a closer look at the car.The Ford GT has special significance to Ford, having one the Le Mans 24-hour race four consecutive times from 1966 to 1969.In a controversial move, the latest iteration of the GT40 comes with a twin-turbo V6 rather than a V8, but Ford says it makes more power than its predecessor without burning as much fuel.There are no plans to sell the new Ford GT supercar in Australia because it will not be built in right-hand-drive.The Chevrolet Bolt concept car, which was built in Port Melbourne, can travel 320km on battery power alone and is expected to cost just $US30,000 when it eventually goes on sale.The vehicle was also unveiled by a former Holden boss, Alan Batey, who now runs Chevrolet.Mr Batey would not say when the Chevrolet Bolt would go into production but indications are that it will."We're going to gauge the reaction from today … but we're pretty convinced this is the right vehicle at the right time," said Mr Batey.It may not make it to Australia, though.Just 132 electric cars were sold here last year and Holden is unlikely to take the second generation Volt plug-in hybrid because of slow sales.The Santa Cruz pick-up was Hyundai's hero and it's clearly headed for production, with a timeline that could put it into Australian showrooms within three years (see separate story on page 8).Based on the next-generation ix35 SUV, the Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept was styled at Hyundai's design centre in Los Angeles and is aimed in the US at the 20-something "millenials" who are the second-biggest group of car buyers.The Santa Cruz is a four-door five-seater that's smaller than mainstream American pick-ups, which have become true trucks.It has "clamshell" doors and an expandable tray bed, with Tonka-style centre-lock wheels that won't make production.Hyundai says the Santa Cruz is for people who don't need a full-size truck. The company says "towing, payload and ground clearance were not primary goals".The SUV rush continues apace, with Volkswagen taking the covers off yet another softroader concept.This one is a pointer to a seven-seater that in size and philosophy will fit somewhere between the baby Tiguan and the family-sized Touareg. The show car had a plug-in hybrid system (a 3.6-litre V6 paired with two electric motors) but the showroom version is expected to be much more conventional.It is due to go into production in late 2016 ahead of a 2017 showroom arrival.So far it's not confirmed for Australia but Volkswagen locally has expressed interest in the vehicle.The only Chinese car maker at the Detroit show is also coming to Australia.The world debut of the GS4, a compact SUV, is proof that Guangzhou Automobile Group has aspirations beyond China. An Australian import deal for GAC is believed to be in the works at Auto Distributors AsiaPacific, a company established by Ateco boss Neville Crichton and the former head of Fiat Chrysler Australia, Clyde Campbell.Crichton was the first to bring Chinese cars to Australia, with Great Wall and Chery, and has been looking for extra brands to distribute.The big stumbling block at the moment is that GAC's cars are only built in left-hand drive.

While mainstream brands Ford and Honda wowed the crowds with fire-breathing supercars, the top end of town was more about whetting appetites of buyers in the huge and lucrative US market with production-ready models.The Alfa Romeo 4C is already a sellout in Australia, with 180 hands up for just 120 coupes.Now the demand is certain to jump even higher with the unveiling of a 4C Spider.The open-air 4C is more of a targa car than a full-on convertible, because the mid-engined layout puts the powerplant where the roof would normally fold away.The 4C is already the most charismatic car of the current Alfa generation, with a carbon-fibre chassis, gorgeous shrink-wrapped body, and turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol engine that makes 177kW and 350Nm of torque.The Spider keeps with the lightweight promise of the coupe, weighing in at less than 900 kilograms.The car is expected to arrive in Australia in the first quarter of next year.The new Q7 was the focus of the Audi stand and it was a technological tour-de-force.The show car had a new 10-inch computer tablet that can be used by back-seat passengers to control the radio and to watch their trip progress on the navigation system, much like a passenger jet.There's also an advanced radar and camera system that enables the Audi Q7 to accelerate, brake and steer itself automatically in stop-start traffic up to 60km/h.And the technical wizardry doesn't end there. The new Q7 can reverse a trailer into position using cameras and radar via a touch pad in the centre console.The new Audi Q7 is due in Australian showrooms later this year priced at about $100,000.There are no details on the engine and no concrete plans for production, but the Buick Avenir — French for "the future" —turned heads both in Detroit and Melbourne.A joint effort between Holden's styling studios in Port Melbourne and General Motors' design centres in Detroit, the car was built here and shipped to the US just before Christmas.It was unveiled by former Holden boss, and the current president of GM North America, Mark Reuss.For now, the Buick Avenir is just motor show tease, but Holden insiders say the striking limousine will likely be made in China and sold globally.It may also come to Australia as the eventual replacement for the Holden Caprice.The German sports car maker unveiled new versions of the 911 Targa and Cayenne SUV.To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Targa (half coupe, half convertible) model, Porsche has launched an all-wheel drive GTS version. Power is boosted by 22kW over the Targa 4S to 316kW, enabling a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.3 seconds.The Cayenne Turbo S betters that time by 0.2 of a second.Both models will go on sale in Australia in the second quarter of this year. The 911 Targa GTS will start at $305,300 and the Cayenne Turbo S will sell from $284,700.Toyota's luxury brand Lexus whipped the covers off the long awaited high-performance version of its mid-size limousine, the GS. Called the GS F it is powered by a high-revving 5.0-litre V8.The only problem is, while the peak power of 348kW is reasonably impressive, that only kicks in at close to 7300rpm and torque — the grunt that gets you moving — is a more modest 527Nm. A $45,000 Holden Commodore SS has more (530Nm). Expect it in Australian showrooms late in 2015 or early 2016 priced beyond your pay grade.A concept with more curves and contours than Kim Kardashian previews Infiniti's take on a 2+2 sports coupe.The Q60 concept will morph into the production car by 2016, powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine.The steer-by wire system already seen on the Q50 is also used here, along with Infiniti's Intuition system, which can store details on audio, airconditioning and seat position preferences for up to four drivers.When it finally arrives in Australia the road-going car will be expected to compete with Audi's swoopy A5 and the BMW 4 Series.There's no news on prices but the current Q60 starts at $63,990.A new heavyweight contender has joined the ranks of crossover coupes.The GLE Coupe is a curvy high-riding four-door SUV that will compete with BMW's X6.Two versions were at the Detroit show this week, the full-on 63 AMG and the (slightly) less aggressive GLE 450 Sport, with a diesel-powered 350d and GLE 400 to follow.The X6 was originally the answer to a question that no-one had asked, but has become a big global sales success.The newcomers are part of a wholesale overhaul of Mercedes-Benz's wagon range in 2015 that includes the replacement for the mid-sized GLK SUV and the new GLA Shooting Brake.There is no talk yet of prices, but the GLE Coupe is certain to have a starting price beyond $100,000 when it arrives here in the third quarter of this year.A new group of 6 Series "halo" cars took the spotlight for BMW in Detroit as the German company celebrated its fourth straight year of sales growth with more than two million deliveries in 2014.There are only minor changes to the M6, 650i coupe and Gran Coupe but global marketing boss Ian Roberston says the trio will be part of a global focus on growth."These are clearly the sportiest and most luxurious 6-Series vehicle we have ever built. We are launching a lot of new products again," he says.

Former Holden boss Mike Devereux has responded to claims by a senior General Motors executive that he was in favour of closing Holden's car factory – even though he spent more than a year publicly lobbying to save it.In Detroit yesterday the head of GM international operations Stefan Jacoby told Australian media it was the right decision to close the loss-making Elizabeth car factory and that Mr Devereux supported the decision.But in a statement to News Corp Australia today Mr Devereux said: "As I said at the time, we tried every possible way to make the numbers stack up on domestic manufacturing in Australia. But in the end, we could not. I said this at the time of the decision. As much as everyone regrets the impact this decision has on individuals, it was the right decision."Mike knew the sensible thing to do would be close manufacturingA high ranking Holden insider has told News Corp Australia: "From a business perspective Mike (Devereux) knew the sensible thing to do would be close manufacturing. But Mike's a fighter and Holden got under his skin. He would not have been like that if he didn't genuinely want to make it work."Mr Jacoby also issued a statement adding that GM and Holden "left no stone unturned" in trying to continue manufacturing in Australia."However it became clear that manufacturing in Australia could not be viable ongoing for our company, as well as the other domestic manufacturers," said Mr Jacoby.Australia over many years had "liberalised trade with other countries and the cost of production could no longer be offset" he said."This was a tough decision and one taken only when we had exhausted all other options," said Mr Jacoby. "In the end, it was clear that this was the only decision we could take to build a sustainable future for Holden."Holden will become solely an importer of vehicles once its car factory closesThe Holden car assembly line in Elizabeth and engine plant in Port Melbourne are due to shut by the end of 2017, putting approximately 1400 factory workers out of a job.It will follow the closure of Ford's Broadmeadows car assembly line and Geelong engine and stamping plant in October 2016.Japanese car giant Toyota will close its Camry car factory in Altona, on the outskirts of Melbourne, about the same time as Holden.As with Ford and Toyota, Holden will become solely an importer of vehicles once its car factory closes.

Australia is better off without manufacturing and government incentives are no way to form a business, says Stefan Jacoby, the international General Motors executive who announced the closure of the Holden factory.In another startling revelation Mr Jacoby also claims Mike Devereux, the Holden boss who fought to save Holden's assembly line for two years and pushed for an increase of more than $200 million in government funding, was in fact in favour of the shut down.Speaking to Australian media in Detroit, Mr Jacoby was asked, with the benefit of hindsight, did General Motors make the right decision to close the Elizabeth facility."I think so," said Mr Jacoby. "You have identified me as the one who made the call for stepping out of manufacturing in Australia. Yes, I am the guy who made finally this decision and presented this to the board.It doesn't make sense to produce cars locally"But I am of the strong opinion that this was the right thing for Australia and this was the best thing for Holden overall," said Mr Jacoby, even though 1400 Holden factory workers will be out of a job within the next three years.Mr Jacoby said the reduction of import tariffs and the Federal Government's decision to sign more Free Trade Agreements signaled the end for Holden's factory in Elizabeth in South Australia and the engine plant in Port Melbourne.When asked if he disagreed with Mike Devereux's public push to save the factory and secure an increase in government funding, Mr Jacoby said: "I didn't know about that … I didn't think he was a supporter of local manufacturing. I think Mike was supporting me in the decision to make the call actually to step out."Mr Devereux was unavailable for comment as this article was prepared. But Mr Jacoby said the decision to close the Holden production line was inevitable."The decision was not made based on government policy. With or without government incentives, it doesn't pencil," he said. "Even if you add all the (government) incentives … it doesn't make sense to produce (cars locally)."Mr Jacoby said it was wrong to base a business decision on government incentives alone."You cannot make that business case," said Mr Jacoby. "That's the wrong decision."The Holden name will stayMr Jacoby added: "It was not a coincidence that our friends from Toyota followed (with a factory shutdown announcement) more or less two months later"."Do you think they just (said) ‘Holden made this decision, now we have to make a decision as well'. No they had this in their pocket as well."Mr Jacoby said it was important to be transparent with Holden workers, dealers and customers.Holden research shows many Australians believe Holden dealerships are also closing when in fact the Holden name will stay and will instead become solely a vehicle importer."I think I have underestimated the uncertainty of our consumers and maybe from the very beginning we should have made more efforts to clarify that the decision to wind down our manufacturing has nothing to do with our presence as well," said Mr Jacoby."The major concern of our customers is our commitment to stay in Australia. We have not communicated strong enough. Holden is an iconic brand and would be stupid to give this up."Meanwhile Holden is still without a boss after Gerry Dorizas left suddenly four months ago -- after barely six months in the job. Mr Jacoby confirmed that Mr Dorizas resigned for "personal reasons" but the two agreed to an "exit package".The president of General Motors, Dan Ammann, says Holden will appoint its sixth boss in six years by the end of March."We will pick the best person for the job," said Mr Ammann. "We are keenly aware of (the high turnover) … our goal is for that not to continue."When asked if the new boss of Holden will be an Australian for the first time in 25 years, Mr Ammann said: "We've been moving more in the direction across the company of having local managers. There is a lot of reasons why that's a good thing. But at the same time we will find the best possible person we think can run the business for the long term."The last Australian to run Holden was the late John Bagshaw, between 1987 and 1990.

The iconic Chevrolet Corvette sports car is heading for Holden showrooms to become the brand’s hero car once manufacturing comes to an end in 2017.The boss of General Motors’ international division, Stefan Jacoby -- the man who in December 2013 made the tough call to close the Elizabeth assembly line -- told Australian media in Detroit that Holden will have a "halo model" after the V8 Commodore dies.Mr Jacoby stopped short of confirming which car it will be, but there are only two V8 performance vehicles in the GM line-up that could possibly fit: the new Chevrolet Camaro or the next version of the Corvette.RELATED: How we broke the Corvette story two years agoHowever the Corvette is tipped to be the favourite given that the new Camaro has not been developed for right-hand-drive, whereas the timing of the Corvette’s model change over works in Australia’s favour. The other option, the Cadillac V8, will not fit a steering wheel on the right-hand-side of the car because the engine is such a tight fit.“We will bring a true sports car to Australia for the brand Holden,” said Mr Jacoby. “It will be something which fulfills the requirement of a true Holden sports car.”Beyond that, Mr Jacoby was coy about giving any further details other than it will be a V8 and arrive in 2018.This means that although V8 versions of the homegrown Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore may be reaching the end of the road forever, both will be replaced by iconic US muscle cars.Ford is due to release the Mustang at the end of this year priced from $50,000 while the Corvette is not due in Australia showrooms until 2018, the year after the Holden factory closes in Elizabeth.There is one catch however. The flagship version of the Corvette will likely have a price close to $100,000 -- the same as a current HSV GTS sedan -- by the time exchange rates and shipping costs are taken into account.Nevertheless, the news will be a relief to rev heads because Holden was facing a future without a V8.The next Commodore is a front-wheel-drive fleet sedan from Germany with a choice of four-cylinder or V6 power -- just like the Toyota Camry.At the unveiling of the current Chevrolet Corvette in Detroit in January 2013, the then boss of General Motors Dan Akerson told News Corp Australia the sports-car would be made in right-hand-drive and would be coming to Australia “soon”.But less than 24 hours later his second-in-command Tim Lee, at the time the head of GM’s international operations, said: “I have no idea what said but we have no plan to put a right-hand-drive under that bonnet. The Corvette is a Chevrolet, it’s not a Holden, it never will be, next question.”When Mr Lee was asked how two senior executives with intimate knowledge of the company could make such a faux-pas about the Corvette, Mr Lee said: “I recognise what my boss said, I recognise what said, I am telling you as the operating guy in charge there is no plan. I respect my boss, I love my boss. But I think he was giving you an exhortation.”When pressed again on how such a senior colleague could get such key facts wrong during a media presentation, Mr Lee said during a roundtable interview: “We can spend the entire 20 minutes talking about this. This is a non-story from my point of view. You can write what you want to write, I really don’t give a shit. But it is not in the mainstream plan.”Mr Lee then repeated his earlier comments: “Currently there is no engineering execution, there is no plan. If the CEO said tomorrow that he wants us to do that it would take us years. Don’t go back and sell that story.”At the Corvette unveiling, when asked if the new model would be made in right-hand drive, the boss of General Motors Dan Akerson told News Corp Australia “yes”. When asked when, he replied “soon”.The chief engineer of the new Corvette, Tadje Juechter, then said: “We want the Corvette to come to Australia. I get letters from Australia all the time. Our primary competition sells left- and right-hand-drive, so that’s what we want to do. Our plan is to make this a truly global car.“But I would say timetable is a little faster than what you’re probably thinking. It’ll be years away .”

Ford has taken the covers off its latest Ferrari fighter, the new GT supercar -- and in a move that will be sure to shock North Americans, the iconic vehicle was designed by an Australian.Todd Willing, a softly spoken man from Hobart who previously worked on the Ford Territory family SUV, has been working for Ford Australia for the past 12 years.But he was posted to Detroit two years ago to work on the top secret project, and has since returned to Ford’s design studios in Broadmeadows, where he is now the head of Ford's Asia-Pacific design team.The new GT supercar was so classified that only the top level of Ford management in Detroit knew about it, and Willing wasn’t even able to tell his wife, family or friends what he was doing at work.“It’s every designer’s dream to work on a car like this,” a beaming Willing told News Corp Australia at the Detroit motor show overnight. “This is a once-in-a-career opportunity.”The Ford GT is an impressive car to have on Willing’s design resume because it has a special significance to Ford.The original Ford GT40 won the LeMans 24-hour race four consecutive times from 1966 to 1969 after a bitter battle with Ferrari, which had won the previous six years in a row.The 1966 event was the first European race victory by an American car manufacturer since 1921; Henry Ford himself was there to witness the momentous win.Ford built a modern version of the GT between 2004 and 2006 but it was axed earlier than planned because only 4000 of the 4500 it forecast had actually sold.For the latest Ford GT, Willing led a team of just six designers who worked on the car over the past 14 months.In a controversial move Ford has fitted a twin-turbo V6 rather than a V8, but Ford says it makes more power (600 horsepower) than its predecessor without burning as much fuel.Willing has seen the car being tested on Ford’s proving ground but is yet to get behind the wheel.“There’s been a lot of talk about the sound of the engine, not being a V8, but I can tell you it sounds fantastic,” said Willing. “The world is moving towards smaller engines. This proves they can still be fun.”Willing  hopes to test the new GT at one of Ford’s top secret facilities in the US later this year. Unfortunately that will be the only chance he will get to drive his creation as there are no plans to sell the new Ford GT supercar in Australia because it will not be built in right-hand-drive.“It’s a global car but left-hand-drive only,” Ford’s head of global vehicle development, Raj Nair, told News Corp Australia.Willing was born and bred in Hobart, Tasmania, but he studied industrial design at Monash University in Melbourne.The Ford GT joins two other cars at the 2015 Detroit motor show designed by Australians, marking an important transition for the local car industry.Australia may no longer be making cars after 2017 but it will still be critical in design and engineering of global vehicles.Ford Australia already employs more designers and engineers than it does factory workers and the company is looking to expand.General Motors unveiled two concept cars in Detroit this year that were in fact styled and built by Holden in Port Melbourne.

The Chevrolet Bolt is General Motors' first pure electric vehicle since the failed EV1 of the 1990s. Now look who's reviving the electric car.

The term “back seat driver” will take on a new meaning when the new Audi Q7 SUV arrives in Australian showrooms later this year.A new 10-inch computer tablet designed by the German car maker can be used by back-seat passengers to control the radio, air-conditioning or set a destination on the navigation system.It also means kids may finally have an answer to the question: "are we there yet"? With their own tablet, they will know!The same car also has an advanced radar and camera system that enables the Audi Q7 to accelerate, brake and steer itself automatically in stop-start traffic up to 60 km/h, to take the grind out of daily driving.Meanwhile, dads will soon have no excuse when it comes to reversing a trailer into position.Using the car’s electric power steering and the rear-view radar and camera, the new Audi Q7 can position a trailer exactly where the driver pinpoints it using the touch pad in the centre console.The only problem is that all this comes with a stiff asking price. The new Audi Q7 is due in Australian showrooms later this year priced about $100,000 and replaces the current eight-year-old model.Making its public debut at this week's Detroit motor show, Audi revealed some of the new technology within.“If the new Audi Q7 is used as a tow vehicle, the trailer assistant steers the trailer backwards in precisely the direction indicated by the driver using the rotary pushbutton of the (cabin control system). The system also manages turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction, stabilizes the trailer-tow vehicle unit when driving backwards in a straight line and when the steering wheel is turned too far warns if the trailer could hit the rear of the vehicle.”As for taking the headache of out peak hour traffic, Audi says: “The adaptive cruise control system accelerates and brakes to keep the Q7 at the desired distance from the vehicle ahead. It displays the distance when it is deactivated. (When equipped with the optional stop-and-go system) it also takes over the steering on developed highways if traffic congested and not moving faster than 60 km/h.”Audi lane-keeping technology uses a camera and small steering interventions to help the vehicle in a lane. If the driver is distracted and does not notice a stopped car ahead, as with a number of other vehicles since 2009, the automatic emergency braking will be activated and narrowly avoid a crash at speeds below 30km/h.

Holden designers have stolen the spotlight at the Detroit motor show before the curtains have officially been lifted.A brand-new Buick concept car was unveiled at a preview event on the eve of North America’s largest autoshow on Sunday evening in the US, about 11am Monday Australian Eastern Standard Time.A finishing touch: the car was unveiled by former Holden boss Mark Reuss.The Buick Avenir -- French for “the future” -- was a joint effort design between Holden’s styling studios in Port Melbourne and General Motors’ design centres in Detroit.However, Holden built the car by hand before it was airfreighted to the US just before Christmas. “Australia is really good at some of the bigger luxury cars,” said Mr Reuss.“The car was built in Australia at Holden, in their shops, and the interior and the exterior was a joint effort between (Australian and US) studios.”For now, though, the Buick Avenir is just motor show tease. The company wouldn’t say what type of engine is under “the hood” but Mr Reuss did confirm it was rear-wheel-drive, like the current Holden Caprice luxury sedan. “We don’t have any production plans for it right now … we want to see what people think,” said Reuss.However, Holden insiders have told News Corp Australia that the Buick Avenir will likely be made in China and sold globally.It may also come to Australia as the eventual replacement for the Holden Caprice, once the Elizabeth car factory falls silent in late 2017.If the Avenir goes into production it will become only the second Chinese-made global vehicle designed in Australia; the first was the Ford Everest SUV unveiled late last year.The Buick Avenir will not reverse GM’s decision to close the Holden factory but it does underline Australia’s transformation into a design and engineering hub, rather than a manufacturing hub, for the automotive industry.For example, Ford Australia now employs more designers and engineers than it does factory workers.GM executives would not speculate where the Buick Avenir might be built but the chairman and the president of GM’s joint venture in China, SAIC, were present at the unveiling.Furthermore, of the 1.2 million Buicks sold globally last year -- a record for the 111-year-old brand -- 920,000 were made in China.The unveiling of the Buick Avenir in Detroit solves one mystery. When Holden announced its factory shutdown there was speculation the next Commodore may come from China.However, what is now apparent is that Holden designers were working on the Chinese version of this new luxury Buick.Instead, the next generation Holden Commodore will now be sourced from Opel in Germany, coming full circle from the 1978 original, which was based on a German sedan at the time.Buick may have a stale image overseas but it is enjoying a resurgence in the US; the fifth year of growth in 2014, up 11 per cent on the previous year. It is also now GM’s second biggest global brand behind Chevrolet.