It's been a rough year for General Motors. A really rough year.
In the wake of dozens of recalled vehicles, at least the American automaker had a positive announcement on Tuesday: Dealers have ordered so many 2015 GM pickup trucks that an extra production shift will be needed to accommodate the orders.
The redesigned 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon will be manufactured in a third production shift at the Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri to keep up with market demand, Edmunds.com reported.
The extra shift will boost the Wentzville workforce by about 750 jobs, GM said.
Orders for the pickups far surpassed GM's projections, with dealers ordering almost 30,000 Colorados, several times what the automaker had expected.
The most common versions of both pickups are expected to get fuel mileage rated at 3 to 5 gallons better than competing models, according to GM. The new trucks recently began production and are expected at dealerships later this month or in October.
GM announced pricing for the sibling 2015 GMC Canyon and the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado models last month. Both midsize pickup models were last built in August 2012 and were not offered in either of the last two years.
The new Canyon starts at $21,880, which includes $925 in destination fees, while the Chevrolet Colorado is priced at $20,995 with $895 for shipping.
The updated Colorado and Canyon are intended for consumers who would like a smaller-sized truck but still want the lower price and better mileage of a full-size pickup.
"Not everyone needs full-size capability, but they still deserve strength and true truck attributes that come in larger models," Tony DiSalle, vice president of GMC marketing, said in a statement.
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