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2023 Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon and Ford Maverick Tremor | Autoblog Podcast #741
Fri, Aug 5 2022In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. In the news, GM has revealed the 2023 Chevy Colorado and teased the 2023 GMC Canyon. The Chevy Silverado EV has surpassed 100,000 reservations. A new Mustang will be revealed in Detroit next month. Sebastian Vettel will retire from F1 following this season. Also, the 2023 Ford Maverick Tremor has been revealed. Our hosts talk about old muscle cars, and how they weren't as fast as we thought. We've been driving the Lexus LC500 Convertible and the turbocharged Mazda3 Hatchback. Jeremy just got home from driving a new electric UTV from Polaris. Finally, we reach into the mailbag to help a listener decide on a used van. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #741 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News 2023 Chevy Colorado revealed, with ZR2 and new Trail Boss 2023 GMC Canyon teased, debuts August 11 2024 Chevy Silverado EV passes 150,000 reservations New Ford Mustang will debut Sept. 14 at the Detroit Auto Show Sebastian Vettel will retire at end of 2022 F1 season 2023 Ford Maverick Tremor gets some real off-road chops Feature: Our old muscle cars aren't as fast as we thought they were Cars we're driving 2022 Lexus LC500 Convertible 2022 Mazda 3 turbo hatchback 2022 Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic electric UTV Spend My Money: Van edition 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:
2023 GMC Canyon debuts August 11
Wed, Aug 3 2022Chevrolet started GM's new-generation midsize truck party with the 2023 Colorado, now GMC's about to hit the stage with the 2023 Canyon. On August 11 at 11 a.m. Eastern time, we'll see what the new generation has done for the Colorado's upscale sibling. GMC teased us with a low angle of the coming Canyon in AT4X trim April. That revealed brawnier bits like big Goodyear Wrangler tires wrapped around 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, plastic wheel arch flares, and rock rails. The initial version of that trim will be called the AT4X with Edition 1 Package, the front view showing split headlights, a new grille, thin LEDs, and a brush bar like the unit sprouting from nose of the Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss. We're also told there will be a "higher and wider stance, which is factory lifted." The current AT4 trim gets raised one inch, and we have a feeling the AT4X will get around three inches on its tippy toes just like the Colorado ZR2. The rationalization of body styles into a single Crew Cab Short Box will make ease configurations and production. Sadly, the 2.8-liter Duramax four-cylinder diesel is all but certain to be a goner here as well. The 2.7-liter four-cylinder gas engine should slip in here as the sole engine choice in two or three outputs. There's no telling which trims will get which outputs standard, but the choices are a base tune with 237 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque, a middle turbocharged tune with 310 hp and 390 lb-ft, and a high-output turboed topper with 310 hp and 430 lb-ft.  The 2023 GMC Canyon AT4X with Edition 1 Package will be available to order on the same day the lineup is revealed, at which time we expect to find out what's included in the Edition 1 versions compared to the AT4X variant that will join the lineup for series production. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.
GM doubles miles open to its Super Cruise technology
Wed, Aug 3 2022DETROIT — General Motors said on Wednesday owners of certain vehicles equipped with its Super Cruise assisted driving system will now be able to use it on 400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads, doubling the current operating area as Tesla and other automakers race to deploy hands-free cruising technology. GM's Super Cruise system, like Tesla's Autopilot system, is a driver assistance system, and does not enable true autonomous driving. Spurred by Tesla's aggressive deployment of Autopilot, and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk's promises of a more advanced "Full Self Driving" system, GM, Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are racing to deploy competing partial automation technology in major markets. At the same time, safety regulators are showing concern that drivers do not understand that Autopilot and similar systems are not designed to take over driving in every circumstance. The GM system's sensors and software allow a motorist to cruise with hands off the wheel on highways that have been mapped in detail. But the driver is expected to stay alert and ready to take over the car. GM uses technology to monitor the driver, and Super Cruise will sound alarms or slow the car to a stop if it detects that a driver is not responding. Starting later this year, GM plans to enable vehicles equipped with Super Cruise and the company's latest vehicle electronic system to operate hands-free on major, undivided highways in the United States and Canada, as well as additional miles of divided, interstate highways. Currently, Super Cruise operates only on interstate, divided highways. The expansion, enabled by wider digital mapping, will allow owners of properly equipped GM vehicles to cruise hands-free on stretches of Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway in the U.S. West or the Trans-Canada highway in Western Canada, GM said. Many of the new roads GM has mapped are in rural, heartland states where GM pickup trucks are popular. GM plans to offer Super Cruise as an option on its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra large pickups later this year. GM has said previously it intends to offer Super Cruise as an option on 22 models by the end of 2023. Depending on the model, Super Cruise costs $2,200 to $2,500 to add as an option. (Reporting by Joe White in Detroit; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Related video: Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Super Cruise
GM threatens predatory dealers with order cancellations, non-transferrable warranties
Fri, Jul 29 2022General Motors will launch a second salvo against misbehaving dealerships next week with a new set of policies aimed at curbing predatory markup strategies. With the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06, GMC Hummer EV SUV and Cadillac Escalade-V about to head into production, GM is putting its foot down yet again. Dealers that attempt to circumvent GM's markup restrictions by dealing directly with brokers or other resellers could find themselves in a particularly nasty spot, as the company is threatening to withhold future allocations and end the transferability of warranties when dealers facilitate the reselling of vehicles within 12 months. While this may help curb some dealership chicanery, it's possible the real loser in such a deal could end up being the customer who unwittingly ends up with an un-warrantied vehicle. We suspect GM has accounted for that, but we'll have to wait until next week to find out exactly how these new policies will be enforced.
2023 GMC Hummer paint choices are out of this world
Mon, Jul 25 2022The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 came in one color: Interstellar White. Despite production issues potentially pushing Edition 1 builds into the 2023 model year, the Edition 1 will stick to being bathed in that single brilliant shade. GM Authority says it got access to the color palette on the way for the standard series Hummer EVs due next year that shows seven new galactic-themed choices on the way. Interstellar White carries on, joined by Void Black as the only no-cost colors. The others are: Afterburner Tintcoat, said to be an orange hue; Deep Aurora Metallic, said to be some kind of bronze; Meteorite Metallic, said to be a gray; Moonshot Green Matte, which we've seen on early shots of the Hummer EV SUV; Supernova Metallic, said to be dark blue; Tide Metallic, said to be a different shade of blue. GMA didn't get intel on pricing for the cost-extra colors; right now, the most expensive palette option for GMCs is White Frost Tintcoat for $1,095. However, the outlet believes Moonshot Green Metallic will be "extremely limited" and charge a super premium price. If that ends up being the case, it suggests GM has a thing about getting big green for special greens. Cadillac made Dark Emerald Frost a late option on the 2022 CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings and charged $3,925 for the matte paint job. The brand ended production of Dark Emerald Frost in January, making the color doubly exclusive since it was offered for less than a year at the same time as customer demand far exceeded the number of Blackwings available. Anyone wanting Moonshot on their Hummer should get in line early. The 2023 GMC Hummer EV will begin production later this year. Last month, GM raised prices for the coming model year by $6,250, and raised the destination fee to $1,995. For the moment, that makes the Hummer EV 2 start at $86,245, the EV 2X at $96,245, and the EV 3X at $106,245. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.
GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X: Can you sleep in it?
Sat, Jul 23 2022Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The recently introduced GMC Sierra AT4X is an impressive combination of off-roading and luxury. But can you sleep in it? Pickups are great for towing campers or as a platform upon which to build out overlanding rigs, but from the factory they usually aren’t as useful as SUVs to sleep in, considering half of the length of the vehicle is taken up by the bed. Let's see how the AT4X fares. Space The biggest thing to consider when it comes to camping in your car is whether or not there is enough space in it for you and possibly a partner to lay down comfortably. This is tough when it comes to pickup trucks, which are hampered by the fact that half (or more) of the length of the vehicle is taken up by the bed of the truck. Some trucks have added features like lie-flat seats that make sleeping in them a bit easier, though itÂ’s still not a perfect solution. Unfortunately the AT4X is not one of those trucks. While the seats do lay back quite a good amount, I wasnÂ’t able to get comfortable enough to rely on them for a good nightÂ’s rest. To the rear we go. If youÂ’re vertically challenged, you may be in luck, especially if you donÂ’t sleep stretched out. The Sierra 1500 is a wide truck, almost 7 feet wide in fact. The rear bench measures 56 inches in width, which isnÂ’t a great option for most adults unless you really like sleeping in the fetal position. ItÂ’ll do in a pinch but I wouldnÂ’t expect to get a great night's sleep again and again. Below the bench, which folds up and out of the way, is a relatively flat floor which can offer a bit more length. At 63” it still isnÂ’t enough for me to lie down with the doors closed, but it is much less cramped than spending the night on the bench. The subtle bump in the middle of the floor, which is much less severe than the ridges in the bed, can easily be remedied by an inflatable sleeping pad like the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT, or, even better, a cheap air mattress from Walmart. The Bed The bed of the AT4X seems like the most logical place to sleep. After all, it is named the bed for a reason right? If you have an inflatable mattress, then sure, but due to the ridges on the floor, a simple sleeping pad and sleeping bag will not be enough here. Additionally, the length of the bed leaves something to be desired.
2023 GMC Sierra AT4X could swipe a few parts from the AT4X AEV
Thu, Jul 21 2022GM recently expanded its collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles beyond the Bison herd with the 2023 GMC Sierra AT4X AEV. This Jimmy takes matters further than the standard AT4X by increasing ground clearance, approach and departure angle, and breakover angle, improvements made possible by new stamped steel bumpers and a set of 33-inch mud-terrain tires wrapping 18-inch AEV Salta wheels. GM Authority says the AT4X AEV won't be the only Sierra to get special parts, crediting sources for the news that the standard 2023 Sierra AT4X will get some of the equipment from the special trim. According to the report, at some point for the coming model year, the off-road-focused Sierra will bolt on the AEV's stamped steel front and rear bumpers, stamped steel front skid plate, and 33-inch Goodyear mud terrains. If this is true, it's an intriguing move; the equipment list is nearly everything found on the proper AEV model. Going by that list, the only bits left off would be four additional skid plates, wheels, gloss black door handles, gloss black tailgate accent, and AEV logos. Judging from the GMC retail website, the grille that debuted on the AT4X AEV will also be on the standard AT4X. GMC hasn't announced pricing for the 2023 range yet. The pickup will be carryover, but we would expect various well-known issues to increase the $78,300 price of the regular AT4X over the 2022 model. GMA believes "it's reasonable to assume" that a standard 2023 Sierra AT4X with some AEV parts would go up even more, whenever it hits the market — and this is on top of the Sierra's $1,500 price increase from making OnStar standard equipment. And after that, of course, the proper AT4X AEV would be more again.
U.S. Army purchases GMC Hummer EV for Light Recon Vehicle testing
Wed, Jul 20 2022The military has been analyzing alternative powertrains for a while, and working with GM vehicular products in that field for at least seven years. In 2016, we got a look at a rebodied Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain developed by GM and the US Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center. In 2017, the automaker created its GM Defense division, winning two contracts for conventionally powered trucks in 2020 and 2021. The Detroit Free Press reports that alt-energy is heavy in the frame, the Army having opened a bid for an electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (eLRV). Ten companies showed up with product for a demo last year, at least two of which were electric. The U.S. military's largest branch already purchased a single Canoo EV for testing, now it's also bought a new GMC Hummer EV. It's possible that the specific capabilities of an EV are responsible for the Army's quest. The branch canceled its previous LRV program in 2016 that intended to replace the Scout HMMWVs, which were purpose-built versions of the ubiquitous old Hummer. Military.com wrote that the parameters for that search were a rig that could "carry six soldiers, with a total payload 2,100 pounds. The vehicle must not exceed 11,669 pounds so it can be carried internally or sling-loaded by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The vehicle must be capable of mounting a weapon system, such as a 30mm cannon, which can engage targets accurately at a range of at least 1,000 meters." Last November, CNBC reported GM Defense was working on a Hummer EV-based military vehicle. Hummer being Hummer, it's likely GM began exploring the martial route once it greenlit the return of the brand. Last year, Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks told CNBC, "Electrifying the non-tactical fleet, that’s a no-brainer," but the search for an eLRV signals an eye on something more intense than shuttling troops. Breaking Defense reported in 2020 that the Army was "working with a non-profit consortium of more than 200 companies and universities developing clean transportation technologies, CALSTART." Task and Purpose said the Army's brief for eLRV missions was, "'enhanced mobility, lethality, protection, mission load capacity, and onboard power' for six soldiers to conduct both mounted and dismounted reconnaissance and surveillance missions for Infantry Brigade Combat Teams." That's not necessarily frontline service, but it's not necessarily a garrison shuttle, either.
2023 GMC Acadia prices reportedly up $1,700 thanks mostly to OnStar
Mon, Jul 18 2022Earlier this month, GM Authority reported that GM was making OnStar Connected Services mandatory across the GMC and Buick lineups. The inclusion would increase MSRPs by anywhere from $905 to $1,675, GM's rationale being a better customer experience over time. A spokesperson said, "This offering provides our owners with a full suite of OnStar and Connected Services for three years, providing them with more time to enjoy services such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services. By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience." Although some GMC models are already priced with OnStar included, seems the rollout is still in progress. GMA said it got pricing for the 2023 GMC Acadia, the three-row midsize SUV costing at least $1,700 more than in 2022. While $200 of that is a price bump, the remainder pays for Connected Services. The entry-level 2023 Acadia SLE in front-wheel drive is said to start at $37,895. Adding all-wheel drive adds the same $2,300 in 2023 that it does now. At the other end, the Denali AWD with the 3.6-liter V6 caps the range at $51,695. The Acadia has been spared the increases of so many other models, GM only lifting its price by around $200 since it announced pricing for the 2022 model last summer. The Acadia gets minor changes for the coming year. Three new colors are Sterling Metallic, Ultra Blue Metallic, and Volcanic Red Tintcoat, all of which are cost options. They replace Cayenne Red Tintcoat, Midnight Blue Metallic, and Satin Steel Metallic. The SLT, AT4, and Denali also get a revised steering wheel with audio and cruise controls.
GM, Pilot will build EVgo fast chargers at 500 truck stops across U.S.
Thu, Jul 14 2022All of our maps showing electric vehicle charging stations across the U.S. are going to need an update. Today, General Motors, Pilot and EVgo announced plans to work together on a nationwide DC fast charging network. The plan calls for 2,000 charging stalls that can deliver up to 350 kW to be installed at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers in the U.S. The goal is to have DC fast chargers available in 50-mile intervals across the country. The new charging stations will feature GM's "Ultium Charge 360" branding and "Pilot Flying J" logos but will not be limited to drivers of GM EVs. The plugs will use CCS connectors and be available to anyone. GM EV owners can take advantage of benefits, including the ability to make exclusive reservations, get discounts on charging costs and streamline the charging process with Plug and Charge and in-vehicle apps that can provide real-time charger availability. The first installation phase will take place in 2023, and "the bulk of the installations" should be completed by 2025, EVgo CEO Kathy Zoi said during a conference call with reporters announcing the plan. "We're gonna get going immediately and commence all of that engineering and planning stuff," she said. "We've got a pretty orderly plan." Pilot CEO Shameek Konar said the company expects the new EV charging stations to coexist with the current fuel infrastructure. "An average Pilot Flying J location is about 10 acres," Konar said. "This will be in addition to all of our gas pumps. The way I think about it is, this is a new source of energy that is going to coexist with gas for quite some time. We can debate how long, but we need to serve both groups of customers." Installing DC fast chargers at hundreds of Pilot's travel centers — aka truck stops — means there should be food, drinks, restrooms, WiFi and even showers available while you wait for an EV to charge. Pilot recently announced its “New Horizons” plan that will invest $1 billion in upgrading Pilot travel centers with more premium amenities, including expanded seating and lounge areas. While the exact amount of time it will take to charge an EV using these new stations will vary on the EV and its current state of charge, most EVs can refill from a low state of charge to around 80 percent in 20-30 minutes on a fast charger. The new stations are future-proofed to deliver up to 350 kW, a charge rate that few EVs today can handle.