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GM profits threatened by glut of pickups

Automotive News reports that General Motors may slash production or ramp up discounts in order to deal with an oversupply of pickup trucks. GM currently has more than double the standard supply of pickups, and the vehicles are threatening to dampen the automaker's profits for 2013. Typically, automakers try to sustain a 60- to 75-day supply of vehicles, but GM is currently loaded with a 139-day supply, as of last month. At the end of November, the automaker was sitting on 245,853 units.
The manufacturer says that it will adjust production accordingly before laying any incentives on the profitable pickups. Even so, there's some concern that the inventory swell could hurt the roll-out of the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GM actually began slowly stepping back production in August, but it's clear the company will take further action as it heads toward the end of the year and into the next. Analysts predict the automaker could reduce pickup manufacturing by nearly half in the first quarter of 2013.
That still may not be enough to keep GM from laying extra cash on the Silverado and GMC Sierra. While the company's incentive spending was down in November compared to the same month in 2011, both the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 saw double-digit percentage increases in sales last month while the Silverado and Sierra numbers slid compared to a year prior. Incentive spending could help move more trucks and add some balance to the GM inventory surge.

2022 GMC Sierra Denali caught towing in new spy photos

The GMC Sierra 1500 was just redesigned for the 2019 model year, but the hyper-competitive half-ton segment will see an updated Denali offering for 2022 and, as we can see from these spy photos, GMC is already testing prototypes.  There's quite a bit covered up on this particular example, leading us to believe the Sierra Denali's refresh will be on the heavy side. We're not surprised, as GM's usually comfortable position within the full-size segment has been eroded over the past few years, largely due to intrusion into the luxury market on the part of both Ford and Ram.  From these shots, we can tell the Sierra Denali will get at least one new grille (if not several of them), new headlights, new bumpers, new bed sides, new tail lights and perhaps even an updated tailgate, though we expect that will matter more on trucks not equipped with the MultiPro multi-function tailgate option, which tends to take up a lot of stylistic real estate.  As comprehensive as that may sound, it's nothing compared to what GMC has in store for the Denali's upgraded interior. Super Cruise — GM's highway semi-self-driving suite — will headline the updates. This is big news for two reasons. For starters, Super Cruise has thus far been relegated only to Cadillac, so the Denali will likely be among the first outside of that model line to offer it. GM also claims that the version of Super Cruise coming to the Sierra is capable of towing. Yes, hands-free towing. Besides Super Cruise the 2022 Sierra is getting a fully digital instrument cluster as part of what appears to be a fairly comprehensive interior redesign, different from both the current Sierra, standard Yukon and Yukon Denali interiors.  Related Video:

NHTSA upgrades probe into 1.7 million GM vehicles over wiper failures

WASHINGTON — The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday it is upgrading an investigation into 1.7 million General Motors vehicles for windshield wiper failures. The auto safety agency opened the probe in November 2018 to see if GM needed to expand a 2016 recall of 2013 model year Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs to cover additional vehicles. The engineering analysis probe covers 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. NHTSA could demand a recall after it completes the probe. NHTSA said it has reviewed 1,900 complaints and reports related to the issue in the 1.7 million vehicles. NHTSA said it has seen elevated failure rates in the 1.7 million vehicles, even though GM said the recalled vehicles have "double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate." GM said it will "fully cooperate to support their investigation. We do not believe these windshield washer systems are defective." The wiper failures that prompted the 2016 recall were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the ball joint. GM said it was installing an improved windshield wiper motor and transmission assembly and relocating a drain hole at the base of the windshield. Related Video: