GMC, the truck and utility vehicle division of General Motors, is using glue to bind the 2017 Arcadia together instead of the traditional rivets or welds. So why is GMC resorting to using glue? To begin with the company is using aerospace-grade adhesives. Aircraft grade adhesives are far superior to anything you can buy off the self at your local Kwiki-Mart. Jaguar have been using this technique for years as have Aston Martin. A bonded structure is far more stiffer than a welded structure and by discarding the rivets and weld techniques not only is production time reduced but the overall net weight is also reduced. As a result of switching to a bonded steel structure GMC have managed to reduce the weight of the 2017 Arcadia by 317kg without having to make large scale changes. In addition GMC haven’t used light weight materials such as carbon fibre, however the new bonded structure means GMC can use thinner steel. As a result the 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine powering Arcadia has seen an increase in mpg from 18mpg to 23mpg. A small difference yes but it marks the beginning of more efficient gas guzzlers. The US government wants car makers to reach an average of 54mpg by 2025, that will be much tougher to implement on America’s thirst for SUVs in general.