2024 Gmc Sierra 2500 At4 Pickup 4d 6 1/2 Ft on 2040-cars

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The UAW's 'record contract' hinges on pensions, battery plants

DETROIT - After nearly four weeks of disruptive strikes and hard bargaining, the United Auto Workers and the Detroit Three automakers have edged closer to a deal that could offer record-setting wage gains for nearly 150,000 U.S. workers. General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellantis have all agreed to raise base wages by between 20% and 23% over a four-year deal, according to union and company statements. Ford and Stellantis have agreed to reinstate cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA. The companies have offered to boost pay for temporary workers and give them a faster path to full-time, full-wage status. All three have proposed slashing the time it takes a new hire to get to the top UAW pay rate. The progress in contract talks follows the first-ever simultaneous strike by the UAW against Detroit's Big Three automakers. The union began the strike on Sept. 15 in hopes of forcing a better deal from each major automaker. But coming close to a deal is not the same thing as reaching a deal. Big obstacles remain on at least two major UAW demands: restoring the retirement security provided by pre-2007 defined benefit pension plans, and covering present and future joint- venture electric vehicle battery plants under the union's master contracts with the automakers. On retirement, none of the automakers has agreed to restore pre-2007 defined-benefit pension plans for workers hired after 2007. Doing so could force the automakers to again burden their balance sheets with multibillion-dollar liabilities. GM and the former Chrysler unloaded most of those liabilities in their 2009 bankruptcies. The union and automakers have explored an approach to providing more income security by offering annuities as an investment option in their company-sponsored 401(k) savings plans, people familiar with the discussions said. Stellantis referred to an annuity option as part of a more generous 401(k) proposal on Sept. 22. Annuities or similar instruments could give UAW retirees assurance of fixed, predictable payouts less dependent on stock market ups and downs, experts said. Recent changes in federal law have removed obstacles to including annuities as a feature of corporate 401(k) plans, said Olivia Mitchell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and an expert on pensions and retirement. "Retirees want a way to be assured they won't run out of money," Mitchell said.

Should heavy-duty pickup trucks have window stickers with fuel mileage estimates?

If you were to stroll into your nearest Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, or Ram dealership, you'd find a bunch of pickup trucks. Most of those would have proper window stickers labeled with things like base prices, options prices, location of manufacture, and, crucially, fuel economy estimates. But you'd also run across a number of heavy-duty trucks with no such fuel mileage data from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA doesn't require automakers to publish the valuable miles-per-gallon measurement for vehicles with gross weight ratings that exceed 8,500 pounds. That makes it difficult for consumers to compare behemoths powered by turbocharged diesel engines – between one another, and between smaller, gasoline-fueled trucks. Consumer Reports doesn't think it should be this way, and it's spearheading an effort (PDF link) to get the government to require manufacturers to publish fuel economy estimates. In its own testing, CR found that heavy-duty pickups powered by Ford's Power Stroke, GM's Duramax, and FCA's Cummins diesel engines (which doesn't include the Ram's EcoDiesel) get worse fuel mileage than their lighter-duty gas-powered siblings. We're not so sure HD-truck buyers are unaware of this fact – big diesels don't really come into their own until big loads are placed in their beds or attached to their trailer hitches. Under heavy workloads, the diesel trucks will almost certainly return greater efficiency than a similar gas-powered truck. What's more, HD trucks with lumbering diesels in general make the driver feel more confident while towing due to greater torque at low engine RPM than gas trucks. They also offer greater max-weight limits. Still, we agree EPA fuel mileage estimates should be offered for heavy-duty pickups. And we think the comparisons provided by Consumer Reports might be interesting to potential buyers. Click here to see the results of CR's tests, and let us know what you think using the poll below. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty: First Drive View 22 Photos News Source: Consumer Reports Government/Legal Green Read This Chevrolet Ford GMC Nissan RAM Fuel Efficiency Truck Commercial Vehicles Diesel Vehicles poll gmc sierra hd chevy silverado hd

Will GMC enter the subcompact crossover segment after all?

GMC last year categorically ruled out launching a subcompact crossover positioned below the Terrain, but the decade-old rumor refuses to die. The on-again, off-again model is back on track for production, according to a recent report. Citing anonymous sources, enthusiast website GM Authority claims the soft-roader is closer than ever to receiving the proverbial green light for production. It hasn't been approved yet, so development work hasn't started. What it will look like if it receives a thumbs-up from executives is up in the air, but GMC can take several paths into this lucrative (and increasingly popular) segment of America's new-car market. Chevrolet has two fighters in the ring: the Trailblazer and the Trax. GMC could feasibly choose one, put it in a brand-specific wrapper, and call it a day. It could also design its entry from scratch, though this option would take longer and cost significantly more. Either way, the model will allegedly be called Granite or Graphyte, and it will be positioned below the Terrain in terms of size and price, meaning it would likely start above $20,000. In 2019, GMC explained it ruled out expanding its range towards the bottom to position itself as a premium brand. It wanted to focus on high-profit models, like the Sierra and the Canyon, but the crossover's ever-increasing popularity may have proven too alluring to resist. Besides, small and premium aren't mutually exclusive, and downsizing would help the brand increase its annual sales. If you're experiencing deja vu, it's likely because we've heard murmurs about a city-friendly GMC since the Granite concept (pictured) made its debut during the 2010 edition of the Detroit Auto Show. It was approved for production that year, approved again in 2011 (tentatively on a Cruze platform), and abruptly canceled in 2012. GMC hasn't commented on the report, so we'll need to be patient to find out if it's accurate — and how it would differentiate its entry-level crossover from Buick's. In the meantime, the company is putting the final touches on the electric Hummer, which will be offered as a pickup and as an SUV, and it's about to unveil the 2022 Sierra. Featured Gallery GMC Granite Concept Rumormill GMC Crossover