1995 Monster Suburban. 502 Bigblock V8 on 2040-cars

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2024 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X makes Duramax diesel standard

Changes are afoot for the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 lineup. The one ringing the biggest bells for the off-roading crowd is the engine swap headed to the AT4X trim. Right now, if you want an AT4X you've got Hobson's choice of engines: The 6.2-liter EcoTec V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Next year, the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel inline-six that's standard equipment on the AT4 and Denali Ultimate trims becomes the standard engine on the AT4X. The oil-burner makes 305 hp and 495 lb-ft., sent through the same ten-speed automatic the 6.2 V8 is yoked to. GM said around 20% of buyers have checked the Duramax box when buying a Sierra 1500 since the automaker released the upgraded engine for the 2023 model year — it's also offered on the SLE, Elevation, SLT, and Denali trims. The percentage should grow thanks to the diesel's low-speed grunt being one of the best "force multipliers" when traipsing over and through particularly challenging corners of the woods. The 6.2-liter will take the exhaust note crown over the diesel after the introduction of an active exhaust system with a Sport mode exclusively for the 6.2. Assuming no more changes to engine lineups before the 2024 Sierra arrives, the SLT, AT4, Denali, Denali Ultimate, and AT4X will have access to the active exhaust option.   GM Authority says the Duramax is getting another maximal friend in 2024, too. The 2.7-liter Turbo High-Output four-cylinder makes 310 hp and 430 lb-ft and is standard equipment on the entry-level Pro trim. the SLE, and Elevation trims will be renamed "TurboMax," which sounds like an Autobot, and that's not a bad thing. GM applied to trademark the name in January. The new moniker is headed to the Chevrolet Silverado as well, and we'd bet on exterior badging to let the world know.  Elsewhere around the Sierra, there will be two new exterior colors, Downpour Metallic and Thunderstorm Gray, mixable and matchable with two new aluminum wheel designs. And between those wheels, power retractable steps will be available for the Denali, Denali Ultimate, AT4 and AT4X trims. We'll be waiting to see how the steps differ from the GMC MultiPro Power Steps available now for $1,195.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

We talk Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, and we bought Suburbans! | Autoblog Podcast #703

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and News Editor Joel Stocksdale. It's a truck-heavy podcast as it starts with Korzeniewski and Stocksdale talking about the '90s GMC Suburbans they both bought this year. After that, the editors shift to discussing the compact trucks of the moment, the 2022 Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. Then there's a detour to the Lexus UX 200. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. They wrap up the show with a discussion of highlights from this year's SEMA show from electric conversions to massive crate engines. And of course, they spend someone else's money, this time with very interesting criteria. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #703 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Google - Subscribe to The Autoblog Podcast in Google Podcasts Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown What we're driving: 1990s Chevy Suburbans  2022 Ford Maverick 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz 2022 Lexus UX 200 SEMA 2021 Highlights Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Huge, pricey trucks haul jobs and profits for the Detroit Three

DECATUR, Texas — Mickey McMaster is on his 12th pickup truck. The 61-year old farm equipment dealer in Decatur, Texas, two weeks ago treated himself to a 2019 GMC Denali for around $69,000 — a reward for long hours at work. "For me this is the Cadillac of trucks, it's a real luxury vehicle," McMaster said. "I've worked my way up to afford a truck like this and it shows that I've earned it." McMaster is the kind of customer General Motors Co is banking on as it plans to add 1,000 jobs at a plant in Flint, Michigan that will build a new generation of its largest pickups. Demand from Texas and other heartland states for big pick-ups is providing a lifeline to many workers the No. 1 U.S. automaker is laying off at plants elsewhere. The Detroit Three automakers and thousands of their U.S. workers are counting on customers like McMaster to keep buying bigger and more luxurious pickup trucks even if overall U.S. vehicle demand weakens this year, as most analysts predict. At Flint, GM will build a new generation of its heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierras, including luxury models that are some of the most profitable vehicles on the planet. GM, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Ram division own the segment and are each doubling down with new or redesigned models launching this year. Sales of heavy-duty pickups in the United States have grown to more than 600,000 vehicles a year, up more than 20 percent since 2013, according to industry data. Prices for luxury models can easily top $70,000. GM on Tuesday celebrated the launch of a new generation of heavy-duty GMC and Chevrolet pickups at the assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, that is now building all such trucks for the company. At the same time that GM is laying off thousands of U.S. workers and planning to shutter five North American factories, Flint is hiring. The plant runs on three daily shifts, six days a week. As the new model's assembly system ramps up, the plant's capacity will increase by more than 25 percent, plant manager Mike Perez told Reuters. The Flint plant plans to add 1,000 workers, more than half of the 1,500 factory workers who have asked to transfer from plants GM has targeted for shutdown as part of CEO Mary Barra's restructuring plan. "We're bringing in 50 to 100 people every week," said Perez. Workers last week were still finishing the job of retooling the Flint factory to build the new heavy-duty trucks as part of a $1.5 billion investment project.