GM said that the shift lever and transmission gear’s position may not match up, causing the vehicle to be put into the wrong gear, even though it says it’s the right gear.

Affected vehicles are all 2009 model year Buick Enclave; Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Malibu and Traverse; Pontiac G5 and G6; Saturn Aura and Outlook and GMC Acadia.

Only 75,000 of the potentially malfunctioning vehicles have been delivered to customers and the rest are on dealers lots. No injuries have been reported in connection with the recall.

The car is a crossover-SUV, a class of automobiles that hasn’t had the sales traction expected when they were initially released. GM is hoping that people who are more interested in fuel efficiency will be interested in these models because they’re big cars, but not as bad at guzzling gas as prior models.

The 2010 Equinox offers direct-injection engines. GM said the 2.4-liter, four-cylinder model is expected to get 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 21 mpg in the city — a 25% improvement over the previous model. A 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine increases horsepower from 182 to 255 and gets an estimated 25 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg in the city.

The current version of the Equinox, with its 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine, gets 24 mpg on the highway and up to 17 in the city, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

GM says the vehicle offers a number of new innovations that improve overall fuel efficiency, including an improved electronic power steering system. The car also features a direct injection engine, which the company plans on offering in 38 models by 2010. That contrasts to the mere 18 models using direct-injection engines in 2008.

The Chevrolet Cruze will be going on sale in Paris in Spring of 2009 and the car is an attempt by General Motors to launch a car line with global appeal.

On sale here next spring, the Cruze is the first of Chevrolet’s new wave of truly global products. Its four-door coupe-like profile raises the bar in terms of styling in the value compact car segment, while Chevrolet’s distinctive double-decker grille and concave shoulder line further illustrate the focus on styling.

Inside, Cruze features a driver-friendly twin-cockpit interior layout, with high quality materials and smart blue-backlit dials giving it an upmarket feel that buyers wouldn’t necessarily expect from a value brand.

The Irish specification could feature a range of 1.6 or 1.8-litre petrol engines, or a common-rail 2.0-litre diesel.

Chevrolet’s first entry into the European seven-seat compact MPV market, the Orlando promises rugged styling, dynamic ride and handling, a high quality interior and a practical seven-seat ‘theatre-style’ seating layout that offers fantastic levels of practicality.

The Chevrolet Cruze will be a legitimate attempt by GM to capture more of the European market. Europeans, much like people all over the world, are currently in the market for stylish but fuel efficient cars.

This could be the sign of things to come as the U.S. has one of its’ slowest years for selling automobiles. High gas prices and lack of consumer credit have made most motorists continue to drive the car they currently own.

Sales volume nationwide is thought to be the lowest this year since the early 1990s.