Mid-Cycle GM Vehicle Updates Postponed Until 2021

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A mid-cycle update for the Chevrolet Equinox has been delayed until the 2022 model year
_{Photo: Chevrolet}

Due to fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, mid-cycle updates have been postponed for several GM models.

According to The Detroit News, General Motors has told its suppliers to halt work on parts and tooling for vehicles that were in line for 2020 calendar year/2021 model year updates.

Vehicles covered by GM’s directive to suppliers include:

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 truck
The GMC Sierra 1500 truck
The Chevrolet Traverse SUV
The Chevrolet Equinox SUV
The GMC Terrain SUV
The Chevrolet Bolt EV
The Chevrolet Camaro sports car
A new variant of the Chevrolet Corvette sports car

These models will now be updated for the 2021 calendar year/2022 model year instead.

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The Chevrolet Traverse won’t receive a mid-cycle update until next year
_{Photo: Chevrolet}

Although GM has postponed mid-cycle updates, it’s still planning to push forward with many of its other projects. For now, the following initiatives won’t be affected:

The new generation of Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon full-size SUVs
The Chevrolet Bolt EUV
The GMC Hummer pickup
The Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV
The self-driving Cruise Origin car
The Ultium battery program

GM’s production delays are yet another example of the COVID-19 pandemic’s wide-ranging consequences for the auto industry. Pushing back mid-cycle updates is a way for GM to save money at a time when dramatically fewer customers are shopping for vehicles.

Due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing recommendations in many states, vehicle sales have plunged, and it’s unclear when they will pick up again. Automakers have suspended production at their assembly plants for safety reasons — and in some cases have even shifted toward making masks and ventilators. GM has also accessed an extra $16 billion in revolving credit to make sure it has enough cash on hand to cover what are expected to be significant losses.

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Caleb Cook

A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.