2008 Texas Edition Crew Cab Bedliner 5.3 V8 Boards Tow Pkg Sle Gmc Sierra 69k on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Autoblog Podcast #343

George Kennedy from Boldride.com, BMW i3, NACTOY long list, Bentley SUV
Episode #343 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth and Steven Ewing are joined by George Kennedy, Autoblog alum and Editor-in-Chief of Boldride.com. Topics include the unveiling of the BMW i3, the 2014 North American Car and Truck of the Year long list, and the green-lighted Bentley SUV. As always, we start with what's in the garage, but then answer some of your questions before diving into the week's news. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #343:

2022 GMC Sierra Preview | GM's 'premium truck' is actually now premium

Pros: Quiet and torque-rich Duramax diesel; big touchscreen on most trims; great trailering tech; versatile MultiPro tailgate Cons: Worse ride than most rivals; AT4X priced like a Raptor but doesn't go like a Raptor The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 is GM’s upmarket half-ton pickup, with a supposed emphasis placed on interior quality and materials rather than bare-bones durability. Supposedly, at least. In reality, the most recent generation hardly lived up to that promise as it showed few upgrades over its Chevy Silverado sibling, which itself possessed a ho-hum, not-really-trying interior clearly overshadowed by Ram and Ford that at least match it in most other respects. It was particularly noticeable when comparing top trim levels. GMC's supposedly premium entry, and especially the Denali, just didn't cut it. That changes in a huge way for 2022. First, thereÂ’s not just one new and massively improved interior, there are two. The SLE, Elevation and SLT once again share their interior design with the Silverado, but that includes a more visually appealing design, better materials, smarter storage and a significant technology upgrade thanks to the standard 13.4-inch touchscreen running the user-friendly Android Automotive OS. The AT4 and Denali trim levels, including the new AT4X and Denali Ultimate, step things up even further with a different dash design and upgraded interior materials. The Ultimate definitely lives up to its name with a characterful and, yes, premium vibe that stands tall against the best of Ford and Ram. Other welcome updates include the option of Super Cruise on top trim levels and a massively more powerful base turbo four-cylinder engine (it produces more torque than the 5.3-liter V8!). Effectively, the 2022 GMC Sierra is now the truck it shouldÂ’ve been since the beginning of this current generation and definitely worth a look – especially if youÂ’re in the market for a premium truck. Now, a bit of housekeeping. While the massively updated model shown here is officially the 2022 GMC Sierra, thereÂ’s a chance you could come across something called the "2022 Sierra Limited.” That was just last year's truck with the 2022 model year stapled to it. There are many reasons for this, but suffice it to say, if you see a Â’22 Sierra Denali with the ugly robot-face dashboard (below right), youÂ’re looking at a Limited. Also, the availability of Super Cruise and other features have been hampered by supply shortages.

GM announces six new recalls, covering 3.5 million vehicles

General Motors has just initiated another crushingly large recall, this time affecting some 3.36 million vehicles built between 2000 and 2014 and sold in the US, Canada and Mexico. Once again, the issue surrounds the cars' ignition switches, which can be kicked out of the run position if they're carrying extra weight or if they experience a "jarring" event. In this particular case, though, GM will modify the keys, rather than the ignition itself.
A four-by-six-millimeter hole will be drilled into the key, which will more safely accommodate the weight of the key ring. As is usually the case, the work will be done free of charge. The recalled vehicles include the 2000 to 2005 Cadillac Deville, 2004 to 2005 Buick Regal LS and GS, 2004 to 2011 Cadillac DTS, 2005 to 2009 Buick Lacrosse, 2006 to 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 2006 to 2011 Buick Lucerne and 2006 to 2014 Chevrolet Impala. Only the Impala is still in production, and even then, it's only sold to fleet companies.
According to an official statement from GM, there have been eight crashes and six injuries due to this latest issue. As if this isn't a dire enough blow for GM, the company has announced five smaller recalls, covering 165,000 vehicles.