GM's putting big trucks on hold as fuel-economy rules reshape the future landscape of big pickups and SUVs, the Wall Street Journal reports this morning.

The company is in the midst of a sweeping re-examination of its product lineup as it tries to eke out more miles per gallon per vehicle, and to come up with a product solution to the rise in gas prices that has slammed truck sales for the past year.

A spokesman told the Journal that the company's "whole product portfolio" is under review, and that the company is looking around its global empire for ways to bring more fuel-efficient cars to the U.S. sooner. The most immediate impact could be on GM's full-size truck and SUV program, which includes vehicles from the Chevrolet Silverado to the GMC Sierra and Cadillac Escalade. Those vehicles were supposed to be replaced in 2012, but the Journal says that date will be pushed back.

In recent weeks, GM has said it would introduce new compact cars with fuel-efficient engines, bring out a new generation of the Chevrolet Aveo, and put its HUMMER brand under strategic review. On top of that, the paper adds, GM is toying with the idea of canceling a future HUMMER SUV and with shutting down another brand.

What's your plan for GM--how can it boost fuel economy across the board? Tell them in a comment below.

General Motors says its new incentives offered to members of the military are the best from any automaker.

GM's program is good for active-duty military and the reserves from all branches of the service, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and National Guard. It also applies to all GM brands: Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Saab, GMC, HUMMER, Saturn, and Pontiac.

Alas, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is exempt from the deal. You can assume the new Corvette ZR1 will be as well.

GM had offered a $500 discount to the military. The new program is in combination with some other GM programs, so the savings add up for some vehicles: a Buick Enclave could cost $2,200 less, while a GMC Sierra could come at a $4,200 discount for military men and women.

"The GM Military Discount Program is just one more way we can say thank you to millions of active and reserve military personnel struggling to balance the needs of their families against their service to their country," said Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman and ex-military himself.

More details are available at GM's special Web site. GM's also mounting a tour of some bases across the country to show off its latest trucks and cars, and is encouraging service members to sign up for a sweepstakes at the site to win a new Pontiac G8 GT or a trip to the Super Bowl or Daytona 500.

The news wasn't all good at this morning's GM shareholders' meeting in Wilmington, Delaware--four plants are closing as GM grinds down its roster of full-size trucks and SUVs--but CEO Rick Wagoner did confirm what's been circulating in Detroit this week, regarding a new Chevrolet compact vehicle and a replacement for the Chevrolet Aveo.

The brand-new vehicle will be a 2011 arrival, Wagoner indicated at this morning's annual meeting. The vehicle will be assembled in GM's plant in Lordstown, Ohio, and will sport a new 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that some sources say could produce more than 120 horsepower. GM promises the new car will set safety and design benchmarks for the class, and that production will start in mid-2010.

Wagoner said the new car will boost fuel economy from today's compacts by about 9 mpg. The engine will be produced in Flint, Michigan.

Wagoner, however, declined to say whether the new vehicle would displace the Chevrolet Cobalt, which is also assembled in the Lordstown plant. Today's Cobalt gets up to 24/33 mpg with a 2.0-liter four. Since the Cobalt is more than four years old, it's assumed the new car will take its place in the Chevy lineup, and possibly its name as well.

Automotive News reports that the new vehicle will also appear under different nameplates at Pontiac, Saturn, Opel, and Daewoo.

The plants closing, by the way, include truck plants in Silao, Mexico; Oshawa, Ontario; Janesville, Wisconsin; and Moraine, Ohio.

The other new vehicle confirmed by Wagoner this morning will replace the current Chevrolet Aveo, which just placed last in a comparison test by Consumer Reports magazine. It's expected that the Aveo replacement will continue to be sourced from South Korea.

Wagoner's still on the air now; I'll bring you more details on new vehicles and Chevy's latest plans for the Volt plug-in hybrid later today.

As long as I've written about cars and the auto industry (about a dozen years), GM has been on the verge of a comeback in the compact- to mid-size sedan segment. Quite a few different, highly heralded models have come out during this time, that I like to call “comeback kids” — the Oldsmobile Intrigue, Chevrolet Impala, Saturn L-Series, Pontiac G6, and most recently, the Saturn Aura are the ones that most readily come to mind. These are all models that, when new, were surrounded by marketing halos, critical acclaim, and lots of general hoopla at the local dealership. But by the time I found my way into these vehicles for a test drive, I have to admit that (except for the Intrigue) I ended up feeling a little underwhelmed. And a year or so later, the buzz is gone and everyone’s back to bowing to the import stalwarts. It has to breed some cynicism whether you're in Detroit, Manhattan, or Orange County.

The last Malibu, introduced for the 2004 model year, was the first one built on GM’s premium Epsilon architecture, shared with cars like the Saab 9-3 and Opel Vectra (and later the G6 and Aura), and it was a big improvement over the model that preceded it, especially in terms of ride, handling, and solidity. But that model was still a bit behind in refinement, its interior appointments were dull compared with the competition, and its styling was the odd one out in my opinion, in a very undesirable way (except for the distinctive shape of the now-discontinued Maxx model, which had lots of untapped potential but was effectively killed by poor marketing).

I just spent a week a new Malibu LTZ, the top-of-the-line model in the range, mine with a sticker price around $28k. That seemed expensive at first glance, but it does come with just about every option and accessory that entry-level luxury models might have — such as automatic climate control, heated power front seats, leather upholstery, a remote starter system, power heated outside mirrors, and power-adjustable pedals. Ours was even optioned with a 110-volt rear power outlet and retractable rear sunshade.

Most notably, though, the LTZ comes with a 3.6-liter DOHC (!) V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters aside the steering wheel. A four-cylinder model that may better fit your car and fuel budgets is available starting at $19,995. Gone is the coarse and outdated (but surprisingly economical) pushrod V-6 and four-speed automatic, long a mainstay in GM’s front-drivers.

The Malibu’s new appearance as a complete turnaround from the last-gen model, thankfully. Its styling in back is especially attractive, building more on the Impala’s styling details than the model that preceded it. But I didn’t expect such a revolution inside — I was completely wowed by the interior, which has gone from the back of the pack to one of the best. For the first time, all the trim seems to match, all the materials feel of high quality, and the swoopy, wrap-around, ‘split-cockpit’ design of the instrument panel in particular lends a very premium feel. GM has almost always done switchgear well, but it all fits together here in a cohesive package.

Seating space is surprisingly roomy in back as well as in the driver’s seat, with plenty of headroom. And GM fixed the power seats that we complained about in previous generations — tall folks can now tilt the lower cushions back for good thigh support without driving in a reclined, arms-outstretched position.

The Malibu’s V-6 makes 252 horsepower and 251 lb-ft — that’s slightly less power but slightly more torque than the rival Accord and Camry V-6s, but all three are now comparable. The different real-world feel of the Malibu really comes down to transmission behavior; the new six-speed auto has been programmed to almost lug the engine (to help save fuel) at cruising speeds, sometimes under 1500 rpm, but the engine is so flexible that it stays very smooth. There’s a little bit of tranny hesitation if you press down on the throttle at anything but to the floor, but when you really ask for it the transmission finds the right cog and a rush of high-rev power is delivered.

Powertrain refinement is impressive, as we’ve come to expect from this engine, but the sound levels in the cabin are what’s downright astonishing. Thanks to an acoustic windshield and a host of other improvements, the Malibu feels hushed and vaultlike, more like an expensive German sedan, at a steady 75-mph cruise, with no wind or road noise. The steering keeps a good center on the highway, and although the suspension is a little on the firm side compared with some of the competition, the lack of vocalization of coarse surfaces makes a difference.

The feeling of isolation and heft (it’s a bit heavier than the competition) that makes the Malibu so enjoyable on the highway doesn’t go away on tight city streets or curvy lanes, where you want a little more ‘tossability,’ and that’s our only real complaint, other than severely restricted rearward vision when parking.

Patriots might also enjoy hearing that the Malibu is an American thoroughbred. The engine and transmission originate in the U.S., it’s assembled in Kansas, and our window sticker indicated 85 percent U.S./Canadian content.

I’m thrilled to not be underwhelmed this time. The days of Chevy being a full step behind the import brands (at least with mid-size sedans) are over, and buzz aside, the Malibu is looking like a real comeback kid.

During the last several months, photos have surfaced of a GM crossover identified as the Cadillac BRX. As it turns out, those photos were actually of the next-generation Chevy Equinox. Last week we caught the “real” BRX for the first time, and today we have more photos of an actual 2010 Cadillac BRX prototype.

Riding on GM's new TE (Theta-Epsilon) chassis, this new, smaller Caddy will start production in May of 2009 at the Ramos Arizpe plant. The General will look to build about 75,000 units annually. Codenamed GMT166, Cadillac will share the TE platform with Saab for the 9-4x (GMT168) that starts production in the fall of 2009.

Powertrain choices will surely include the 300-hp, direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 found in the CTS. A 2.0-liter turbodiesel variant is also in the works, however, it remains to be seen whether that model will be sold in U.S.

Through the camouflage on this BRX prototype, we can see the production grill will follow the Provoq concept almost exactly, while the rear camouflage attempts to hide the true roofline - but we can tell the production greenhouse will swoop downward in the rear just as it does on the Provoq. Quite honestly, we don't see many differences from the concept at all. It seems as if the tailfin taillights of the concept may even find their way to production.

Two things we did not see on the concept, but do see on the prototype, are the dual exhaust outlets integrated into the bumper. While shooting, we also noticed that the BRX will feature the same pop-up navigation screen found in the CTS sedan.--Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Company