2002 Gmc Sierra 1500 4.8l 4x4, 5 Speed Great Work Truck on 2040-cars

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GM will no longer remove parts from trucks to calculate curb weights

Following last week's mild uproar after it was discovered that Ford and General Motors were removing some optional parts from their pickups to lower the curb weight and consequently increase the maximum payload, GM has come out and committed to a base curb weight for its upcoming Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact trucks (although it has yet to publish them) and its current Silverado and Sierra. The company will do the same for its heavy duty offerings, although those numbers have not been finalized yet.
"This will make our curb weight and payload specs more consistent with those of most other truck makers, making it easier for customers to compare vehicles," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson told Autoblog in an emailed statement.
As GM notes - and as every manufacturer has noted since this story broke - customers still shouldn't take max payload ratings as gospel. Instead, they should refer to their truck's Tire and Load Label, like the one shown at the inset, which will offer detailed information on max payload, specific to their truck.

Chevy Colorado configurator goes live as GM touts fuel efficiency

While the news of today is destined to be dominated by a certain plucky Japanese roadster, props to Chevrolet and GMC for announcing its own significant bit of news about their newest pickup twins, the midsize Colorado and Canyon. The two GM-owned brands announced that the twins' 3.6-liter V6 will return up to 26 miles per gallon on the freeway.
To get such efficiency from the 305-horsepower mill, you'll need to live without four-wheel drive and be okay with a max city fuel economy of 18 mpg. The combined rating for the 2WD model sits at 21 mpg. Adding four-wheel drive drops the city and combined ratings by one mpg, while the highway rating dips from 26 to 24 mpg.
As for the twins' eagerly anticipated 2.8-liter diesel engine, it's destined for model year 2016, meaning we've got a ways to go before its efficiency and output are certified.

2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra debut all-new designs, three new engines

General Motors has finally dropped the curtain on the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and 2014 GMC Sierra. Both trucks have undergone substantial revisions with updated versions of the company's 4.3-liter V6, 5.3-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8 engines. In a shot across the bows of both Ford and Chrysler, GM says it won't use a V6 engine adapted from passenger car applications. Instead, it developed the 4.3-liter engine based on its proven truck-duty architecture.
All three mills will boast direct injection fuel systems as well as a new cylinder head design. Combined with a revised piston, the new engines feature a smaller combustion chamber with a compression ratio of 11:1 or higher depending on the application. Cylinder deactivation and continuously variable valve timing are all part of the recipe, and each engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with auto grade breaking. So far, no fuel economy or horsepower figures have been released, though GM says the new engines will best their predecessors in both areas.
Outside, the trucks feature a number of enhancements to reduce drag and wind noise, and GM claims both the Silverado and Sierra will offer buyers some of the quietest cabins in the class. Extended cab models now feature front-hinged rear doors to allow easier access to the back passenger area, and Crew Cab buyers can now select between a five-foot, eight-inch bed or a six-foot, six-inch bed. Buyers with a mind toward going off road will also rejoice in the return of the Z71 package, complete with Rancho shocks, front tow hooks and additional under-body protection.