Nonsmoker, Dual Pwr Seats, 2nd Row Buckets, 3rd Row Seats, Nice! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Pics Aplenty: Meet the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra [w/poll]

Today was a pretty big day for General Motors, debuting the all-new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickup trucks ahead of their official showcase at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. And now that the dust has settled at GM's big reveal event, we've had a chance to snap dozens of photos of the new pickup pair from every angle.
We already told you the important bits earlier today (click here in case you missed it), but let's recap. Under the hood are three new engines - a 4.3-liter V6, 5.3-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8 (you know, a version of the small-block that'll also be found under the hood of the C7 Corvette), all mated to six-speed automatic transmissions. The 2014 model year marks the return of the Z71 off-road package with Rancho shocks, front tow hooks and beefier underbody protection. Inside, there's a host of new technology and a greater focus on better quality and refinement.
Some of the nitty-gritty specifics (like engine output numbers and fuel economy) have yet to be revealed, and since we haven't driven the finished products yet, it's hard to say how these trucks will fare against rivals like the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150. For now, we can only judge these two books by their covers, and while we do like the designs of the new trucks, we Autoblog staffers are torn on exactly which one looks best.

Watch GM's new pickup crash its way to five-star NHTSA ratings

General Motors has just scored a big win with its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, acing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration New Car Assessment Program. The two full-size trucks had already netted a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in their crew-cab variants, but the new testing certifies them as five-star trucks in both regular and double-cab bodystyles, so GM's trucks offer top ratings across the board.
"Our incredibly capable trucks have been engineered to be some of the safest," Gay Kent, GM's general director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness said. "We've designed the vehicle structure, strategically placed high-strength steel and developed the occupant restraint system to achieve high levels of safety performance."
The scores mark the Silverado and Sierra as the first pickups to net five-star scores since NHTSA beefed up their testing regime in 2011, a nice feather in GM's cap as it continues to slug out the pickup truck wars with crosstown rivals Ford and Ram.

2021 GMC Yukon configurator now open for play-money builds

The 2021 GMC Yukon configurator is open for real and imaginary business. It's missing a number of important options, though, like the AT4 trim and the Premium Capability Package that installs the Air Ride Adaptive Suspension, so the configurator is best suited for practice runs at the moment. Playing our usual game, we started with a livery build in base SLT 2WD trim for an airport shuttle to compare to the livery 2021 Tahoe we built a few days ago. Same as with the Chevy, the GMC offers nine exterior colors. Opposite to the Chevy, the GMC makes you pay for every color except Summit White. Our Onyx Black selection added $195, five colors cost $495, Cayenne Red Tintcoat costs $695, and the super gonzo White Frost Tricoat runs $1,095. We plumped for the SLT Luxury package's driver assistance and convenience features like memory settings for the front passengers, powered seating for the second row, a split third row, the Rear Seat Media Package, and a console lockbox. What began as $59,095 after destination — $4,000 more than the 2021 Tahoe — ended at $64,445, just $2,165 more than our livery Tahoe because the Yukon packages more kit.   The amounts add up a lot quicker at the top end. Our regional rep with a fat bonus check started with a $72,295 Yukon Denali 4WD in the $495 Pearl Beige Metallic with a Teak and Light Shade interior. The $6,500 Denali Premium Package normally costs $500 more, and who can resist a sale? At about 9% of MSRP, it's not a negligible option, but it includes the $1,780 Advanced Technology Package, the $1,500 panoramic sunroof, and a set of 22-inch wheels that are normally $2,995. Since the bonus was big enough to replace the two-year-old jet skis in the garage, our rep added the $465 Max Trailering Package and that automatically appends the ProGrade Trailering features. Put in the Rear Seat Media Package to occupy the kids, locking armrest storage to protect stuff from the kids, and hook up a set of illuminated GMC badges for $535 to wow oncoming vehicles, and the total comes to $83,320. That's more than $10,000 in options without the least effort. However, there aren't any big-money options left to add except a $1,499 rooftop tent.     GM Authority wrote about the package combinations necessary to unlock the Air Ride Adaptive Suspension on the AT4 or Denali trims. Summed up, the check boxes add $3,410 to the price of an AT4, $3,755 to the price of a 2WD Denali, and $6,015 to the price of a 4WD Denali.