DETROIT -

In an interesting hands-on approach to educating its dealer body, General Motors is bringing in close to 900 Buick and GMC dealers to tour a production facility and to test-drive new models from the two brands.

The dealers, who are paying their own way, are coming to Michigan in three waves of about 300 dealers each. They will test-drive vehicles at GM’s Milford Proving Ground and tour the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant where the automaker builds the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. They will also attend the annual business meeting.

These waves started Tuesday.

“We have never brought our dealers this close to our business. This program was created to give them a unique behind-the-scenes look,” shared GM’s U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC sales and service Brian Sweeney.

“We want to empower our dealers to take what they learned here and share their experience with their customers and dealerships,” he added.

Offering some dealer commentary, Bobby Cavender, of Cavender Buick GMC in San Antonio, noted: “This is a great time to be a Buick and GMC dealer. GM dealers are excited about the future and the next generation of vehicles.”

Discussing the test-drives in more detail, GM noted that dealers are getting to take such vehicles as the 2011 Buick LaCrosse, 2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo, 2011 GMC Sierra HD and 2011 GMC Acadia Denali for spins.

GM tests for vehicle performance, capabilities, ride and handling at its four test tracks. Dealers get to try out a competitor’s model during each test-drive, as well.

What GM said was quite popular for the dealers was driving on “autocross” course testing to see how well the Regal CXL Turbo handles when going very fast. Also a favorite among the dealers was scaling a 7-percent hill with a 10,000-pound trailer in tow while driving 2011 Sierra 3500HD. They got to compare that to doing the same task with a 2011 Ford F-350 Diesel and the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 Diesel.

Meanwhile, dealers got to check out the stamping plant body shop and general assembly operations while on the plant tour. The facility recently began building the 2011 Acadia Denali. GM also noted that its plant is a Gold Certified Leader in Energy and Environmental Design, the “first and only” manufacturing facility to do so.

“You can see there’s a real focus on the quality of the products and a real pride in what they are putting out,” said Brad Brotherton of Brotherton, Cadillac, Buick, GMC in Renton, Wash., following his tour of the plant.