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GM's Super Bowl ad puts Will Ferrell and EVs in Netflix shows

GM is kicking off the automotive Super Bowl commercial season with EVs and Will Ferrell. The ad highlights GM's new relationship with Netflix in which the automaker's many upcoming electric cars and trucks will appear. More specifically, the ad has Will Ferrell appearing in settings from major Netflix TV movies and shows such as "Army of the Dead" and "Squid Game," talking about how there's no reason not to have EVs there. And then he also appears with EVs in shows where they don't make sense, such as "Bridgerton" and "Stranger Things," but only to reassure people that Netflix won't be shoving new cars where they don't fit in. The GM lineup on display is pretty varied, with the GMC Sierra EV, Hummer EV, Chevy Blazer EV, and Cadillac Lyriq all making appearances. Most interesting is the Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss in the "Stranger Things" part. Chevy hasn't said much about it beyond a teaser and saying it'll be a late addition to the line. It looks pretty much like the truck in the teaser with the black plastic front fascia and fender flares. But it gets different wheels, Trail Boss badges on the rear pillars, and a gloss black roof like the RST trim. Related video: 2024 Chevy Silverado EV | 2022 Chicago Auto Show

2018 GMC Sierra Denali can help you tow without breaking a sweat

Towing a trailer once meant that only those who possessed certain knowledge would be able to go fishing, tow a race car or pull a camper safely. For me, it took four long years of practice working a job behind the wheel of a jacked-up Ford F-250, hauling tons upon tons of mowing equipment for my local parks department, to become proficient. Just how far things have come since then became evident after a recent trip to Utah with GMC, in which we used the half-ton Sierra Denali to tow a set of Polaris side-by-sides through the state. Modern safety technology and a suite of electronic aids make towing simple enough that anyone with a driver's license and something to haul can do it. This revelation came behind the leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel of GMC's outgoing 2018 Sierra Denali. Sitting in the plush, heated and cooled captain's chair, I could barely feel the 6,000 pounds I was towing behind me. Even GMC's smallest full-size truck engine, a 5.3-liter V8 generating 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, felt like overkill for what used to amount to a heavy load. With Utah's pristine landscape, the plush confines of the cabin and the uneventful nature of modern towing, mile after mile just streamed by at highway speeds without incident (or excitement). When we finally reached our destination a few hours later, one of GMC's representatives who had chosen to sit in the rear of the cab asked me what I thought about the drive. I pondered for a few minutes and answered with this: "Modern pickup trucks have removed nearly every skill-based variable once associated with towing. I could drive this truck and trailer confidently with just one finger." Consider the near overabundance of towing-assistance systems in the GMC Sierra Denali that I piloted through Utah. Let's start with the most basic of towing skills — something that's now been relegated to the annals of history: reversing a pickup to meet the trailer's hitch. Once upon a time, this required knowing a truck's dimensions and understanding proximity, as well as having a keen eye, a steady foot for both the gas and the brake and the patience to get it right. Now, though, pickups such as the Sierra Denali offer customers a trailer reverse camera system that helps the driver align truck to hitch with pinpoint accuracy.

2023 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 will get more expensive

GMC Sierra HD pickups are about to get more expensive again after recently becoming more expensive, according to GM Authority. In July, GMC and Buick raised the prices on certain vehicles in their lineups anywhere from $975 to $1,675 by making the previously optional OnStar a standard feature. Next year, every GMC and Buick model will adopt the upgrade. The big boy Sierra HD gets the biggest increase, being $1,500 for three years of OnStar and the Connected Services Plan plus another $175 for to be "OnStar & GMC Connected Services capable." GMA says the MSRPs for the entire 2023 Sierra HD range will be increased $1,000 on top of that. After doing the math, though, we suspect the increase could in fact be anywhere from about $800 to at least $1,100 after factoring for OnStar. The GMC configurator rings up a price of $43,670 for an entry-level Regular Cab Sierra HD Pro 2WD, GMA says next year's price will be $44,770. GMA didn't break out the next year's destination charge, it's possible GMC is adding $1,000 to the MSRP and $100 to destination. We'll find out when official pricing is announced. GMA's table shows a price of $49,795 for the least expensive SLE trim, whereas the current configurator indicates the truck can be had for $47,295 — a $2,500 difference. The SLE configurator doesn't show any charges for OnStar the way the Pro trim does. So it's possible that after backing out a potential $1,675 for OnStar, the gravy on top is just $825. Not that your wallet will care where how the potato is being sliced when the potato costs an additional $2,500 no matter what. The least dear 2022 Sierra 3500 starts at $43,195 going by the configurator. GMA says that model will command $45,970 next year, a $2,775 difference. As with the 2500 HD SLE, the configurator doesn't show the OnStar charges for the base 3500 Pro trim; subtracting the $1,675 takes us back to the $1,100 difference that appears to be at the heart of all of this. If all goes to plan, the 2023 Sierra HD will give way to a heavily refreshed 2024 model with interior upgrades cribbed from the Sierra 1500. Spy shots reveal a reconfigured instrument panel with a larger infotainment touchscreen of a likely 13.4 inches among the interior tweaks. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.