KARL Chevrolet HUMMER

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake rocked the capital city of Port-au-Prince in Haiti and instantly this poverty stricken and desolate land became the center of much of the world’s media attention.  It is sad that it takes an epic event like this to shine a light on one of the neediest countries on our earth, but this is reality.

While the public outpouring of support, both thoughts and prayers as well as financially, is a sign of the true goodwill in all of us, I’d like to take a moment in the midst of this crisis to point out how critical charitable giving is on a year round basis.  Whether its home or abroad, in our backyard or around the globe, there are always needs far greater than any of our own at any moment in time.  As Americans, as members of the human race, we each need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we do enough for others.  And we need to ask this question every day; not just when the media shines a bright light on the latest natural disaster or epic event.

Why?  Because without constant vigilance, the truly needy only become more disadvantaged over time.  They need us.  Not just in times of crisis; but each and every day.

Allow me to share a story that may give the idea of charitable giving a new meaning.

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UPDATE: Due to the inclimate weather, the “Hope Lights Lives” Luminary Lighting Scheduled for December 13th has been postponed. The lighting will take place next Sunday, December 20th.

Nothing signifies HOPE more than a single illuminated candle – unless of course there are thousands of illuminated candles! KARL Chevrolet is proud to once again serve as the New Canaan distribution center for the 2009 “Hope Lights Lives” Luminary Campaign. Tomorrow evening, December 13, 2009 at 5:00pm, neighborhoods throughout lower Fairfield County will be illuminated by literally thousands of white luminaries in what has become one of the areas most visible and unique fundraisers.

This year’s campaign promises to be the most expansive yet, as dozens of additional neighborhoods in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Rowayton, Stamford, Weston and Wilton have already pledged their support by agreeing to set out luminaries on the lighting night. Here at KARL, we distributed almost 600 luminary kits containing a dozen candles each. That’s almost 7,200 luminaries that will light up neighborhoods all around New Canaan tomorrow night. Mark your calendar and take a ride – early Sunday evening will certainly provide some beautiful sites around the area.

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 1,000 professionals and trained volunteers work together to provide a wide range of responsive, innovative programs. Through our five Centers of Excellence, more than 17,000 children, adults, families and communities receive the care, encouragement and resources needed to realize their potential. The annual lighting of luminaries signifies area neighbors HOPE for a bright future for all those seeking assistance from Family Centers.

Photo (from L-R): Stephanie Radman, Carolyn Escherich, Ned Thunem (volunteer from NCHS S.L.O.Bs), and Steve Karl all assist in the effort at KARL Chevrolet in New Canaan to help distribute Luminary Kits fof the 2009 “HOPE Lights Lives” campaign to benefit the Family Centers organization. 

THE 2011 CRUZE: CHEVROLET UNVEILS U.S. VERSION OF THE POPULAR, FUEL-EFFICIENT GLOBAL COMPACT SEDAN

• 2011 Chevrolet Cruze at a Glance:
• Popular global car refined for America
• Expected segment-best fuel economy – up to 40 mpg highway – with new family of small-displacement engines, including Ecotec 1.4L I-4 turbo
• Progressive design with exceptional levels of refinement, quietness and build quality
• More spacious interior and greater cargo room than Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla
• Ten standard air bags help make it one of the safest cars in its class
• Built at Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant
• On sale in third quarter of 2010
• Five-year/100,000-mile powertain warranty – the best coverage in America

LOS ANGELES – Chevrolet unveils the U.S. production version of the 2011 Cruze compact sedan at the L.A. Auto Show on Dec. 2. It is a global car refined for America, delivering many segment-leading features and details that challenge preconceived notions about what a compact car can be in North America.

The Cruze also affirms Chevrolet’s commitment to building refined, fuel-efficient vehicles, with new, small-displacement four-cylinder engines. It is expected to deliver segment-leading fuel economy with a new Ecotec 1.4L I-4 turbo with variable valve timing – including up to 40 mpg on the highway with a high-efficiency model. read more »

We frequently hear the question “How safe is this car?” from customers as they look at a new or pre-owned vehicle. Here in New Canaan, and all over the metro New York area, safety is very important to our clients as we are frequently talking about the family’s primary transportation. When asked, we will frequently refer to various government crash tests, independent insurance studies and other data that shows GM building some of the safest vehicles on the market today.

But just how safe are today’s cars vs. the ones many of us grew up with? Many times debates can rage for hours when comparing an athlete who played fifty years ago to one playing today. In almost every instance, you can never get a definitive answer, as you are talking about two different eras and there is no realistic way to make an actual comparison other than a bunch of statistics. Well, I am about to share something truly amazing!

The National Institute for Highway Safety (NTHSA) recently celebrated their 50th year of conducting crash tests to determine the relative safety of vehicles. Normally, these tests are used to compare the results of various models against one another, but on the occasion of their 50th Anniversary, NTHSA decided to do something special. Since Chevrolet is the NUMBER ONE selling brand of cars and has completed more successful crash tests than any other manufacturer, NTHSA decided to crash test a 1959 Chevy Impala along with a 2009 Chevy Malibu. The resulting video is a must see! NTHSA Crash Test Video on YouTube.

The video speaks for itself - today’s vehicles, while smaller, more fuel efficient, and lighter weight, are actually far safer than cars of the past. The moral of the story: Never take vehicle safety for granted!

The time is drawing near when we will find out which U.S. markets will be the first to see Chevy VOLT deliveries.  Tomorrow, December 2^nd, at the opening of the LA Auto Show, GM has said they will announce the initial retail markets for the Chevy VOLT in November 2010.

For several years, we have been anticipating the arrival of the Chevy VOLT – the first mass-produced Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV for short).  Unlike a pure Electric Vehicle which is limited by the range of its batteries, the Chevy VOLT is an Electric Vehicle with a small gasoline engine that acts as an onboard generator that can recharge the batteries when they get low.  Thus, you will be able to drive the VOLT for approximately 40 miles on a charge, and if you go further than that, the generator kicks in and begins charging the battery. 

Yesterday, Lyle Dennis, founder and editor of the website GM-VOLT.com, got his first drive in a VOLT while in charge sustaining mode.  It was an exciting day for Lyle and he shares his experience with us at GM-Volt.com - take the time to read his comments!

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November 16th-December 22nd
Karl Chevrolet Hummer New Canaan

Karl Chevrolet Hummer once again will be a sponsor for Toys for Tots with the U.S. Marines collecting toys for children ages 6 months to 13 yrs old. It’s hard to think of a child waking up Christmas morning with no presents even one or two can bring such a happy smile to a child’s face.. read more »