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2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali gets Super Cruise and an upgraded interior

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 is getting Super Cruise! Exclamation point required, because this is exciting news. Cadillac has been the sole owner of Super Cruise at GM from the start, and though we knew it was coming to the Hummer EV, we didn't know a fast-selling full-size pickup would be getting the technology. GMC says it will launch Super Cruise on the 1500 Denali, which is the most expensive and luxurious trim of the Sierra. It’s scheduled to arrive for the 2022 model year, but GMC qualifies that by saying “late model year 2022.” That means itÂ’s probably coming right toward the end, with 2023 scheduled as the first full year of Super Cruise in the Sierra 1500. GM also claims that the version of Super Cruise coming to the Sierra is capable of towing. Yes, hands-free towing, folks. WeÂ’re a little antsy, too. The tech is the same as the newest generation of Super Cruise coming in the Cadillac CT5 and CT4. ItÂ’s an improved version with more capability than the first-gen system that won AutoblogÂ’s Technology of the Year award a couple of years ago. Questions still remain to be answered, though. GM hasnÂ’t said anything about what it will cost on the Sierra 1500. WeÂ’re also left in the dark when it comes to other Sierra 1500 trim levels; and what about the Silverado 1500? It makes sense that GM would give the Sierra Super Cruise first, but itÂ’s certainly compatible with the Chevy version of the truck now, too. As for other GMC products, GM is quiet on when theyÂ’ll be blessed with Super Cruise. The redesigned Yukon would be the most obvious candidate being the flagship product, but GM says the program timing worked out best to launch on the 2022 Sierra, not the Yukon. ItÂ’s likely that the SUV will be updated with the system in the near future. Besides Super Cruise, GMCÂ’s photo also reveals that the 2022 Sierra is getting a fully digital instrument cluster. ItÂ’s surely an optional item, but could very well be standard on Denali. GM has flipped the speedometer and tachometer to opposite sides, but their digital versions still have that straight-edged GMC look to them. You can see the Super Cruise graphic in the center, and all the gauges are dropped down to the bottom of the display. But wait, thereÂ’s more. The photo also shows the beginnings of a totally new interior design, different from both the current Sierra, standard Yukon and Yukon Denali interiors. ItÂ’s immediately and obviously different everywhere we look.

GMC Terrain headlight recall fix is a sticker

This GMC Terrain recall over a headlight issue has gone from fascinating to absurd. It started when GMC discovered the headlights on the 2010-2017 Terrain were out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). A pinpoint of low-beam light was being reflected off the high-beam reflector. This bounced a tiny sliver of bright light up into the trees and the sky beside the road, not into oncoming traffic. GMC did the right thing, reporting the noncompliance to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Because the sliver of light was coming from the low beams and was four times brighter than the maximum allowable low beam brightness, the NHTSA told GMC to recall 740,581 units of the SUV. GMC asked for an exemption, admitting the bright spot could cause glare while noting the errant beam didn't affect other road users. The automaker hadn't received any complaints, only a comment from one owner saying the lights put a bright spot in the trees on the other side of the road. The NHTSA denied the request. GMC began notifying owners in April that they'd need to come in for a fix once a fix had been developed. That's the fascinating part. The absurd part, which Tire Meets Road uncovered, is that the fix is a "Headlamp Applique Kit." Which is a piece of frosted tape applied to the outside of the headlight that lets low-beam light through and tamps down any potential glare from the caroming beam. Notice that the parallelogram of frosted tape matches the L-shaped frosted area along the inside of the headlight housing. That portion was already a feature of the lamp, as can be seen in our 2016 Terrain Denali Quick Spin. The repair needs a trip to the dealer for a tech to place a positioning template over the headlight and put the applique kit in the proper spot. GM's instruction kit says the whole thing should take 0.2 of an hour, or 12 minutes—about the time it it would take to get checked into and out of the dealership service department. Owners aren't impressed, some calling the fix unnecessary and ridiculous, and the tape should make it clear that GMC feels the same way. Some owners have said they're going to skip the recall. Those drivers will find that just as GMC couldn't escape the legal ramifications, neither can they. Local motor vehicle bureaus keep track of recall compliance.

GM readying aluminum-body fullsize pickups

Ford's extensive use of aluminum in its 2015 F-150 is a big deal. A really big deal. Big enough, in fact, that General Motors is reportedly changing its fullsize pickup strategy. According to The Wall Street Journal, The General has locked in partnerships with Alcoa Inc. and Novelis Inc. - companies that will supply aluminum for the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks.
"Ford's introduction of the 2015 F-150 pickup truck was a game changer, and it's the first, not the last, conversion of this type," Novelis spokesperson Charles Belbin told the Journal. The switch to aluminum has allowed Ford to shave roughly 700 pounds off its fullsize truck's curb weight. And while official mileage ratings have not been announced, the weight loss should go a long way for improving efficiency, especially when combined other efficiency-minded improvements including better aerodynamics and new, turbocharged V6 engines.
Of course, aluminum-bodied cars are nothing new. But extensive use of aluminum in a major, best-selling product like the Ford F-150 is expected to kick off widespread use of this weight-saving material as availability rises and cost decreases. The WSJ reports that GM had originally explored the idea of moving to aluminum pickups back in 2008, but abandoned the idea due to cost concerns amid economic woes.