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GM exploring ways to raise half-ton Duramax diesel tow rating

Lots of truck owners cheered when GM announced fuel economy numbers for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado with the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel inline-six. Even after Ram let loose its EPA mileage ratings for the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the Chevy oil-burner still took the trophy. The victory was years in the making, GM engineers spending an entire four-year development cycle refining the LM2 Duramax to increase mileage. The tradeoff, as well all know by now, is towing; the Duramax in half-ton duty pulls a maximum 9,300 pounds in the Silverado. Rivals across town can do more, the Ford F-150 PowerStroke rated at 11,500, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel game to pull 12,560. GM engineer John Barta told Muscle Cars & Trucks that more hauling chops could be on the way, explaining, "We’re actually looking at upgrading some of the materials around (the engine bay) to see if we can maybe raise our tow rating." Engine bay materials are at issue due to thermal complexities underhood. John Barta, GM's assistant chief engineer of diesel engine controls, said the Duramax's inline-six configuration allowed engineers to get emissions hardware like the combined selective catalytic reduction, diesel oxidation catalysts, and diesel particulate filter unit closer to the engine, where it heats up quicker, getting emissions down quicker. But that filter puts another heat source in those confines, enforcing a cap on the tow rating to keep the engine and other systems from overheating. "If you look under the hood," he said, "youÂ’ll see a significant amount of silver ‘moon tapeÂ’ around to make sure things arenÂ’t getting overheatedÂ… if we were to go up in higher towing, which we can, we start impacting the possibility of deteriorating some of the components.” There isn't much space for more grille, so swapping for a better grade of "moon tape" or a different kind of material could reduce engine bay heat, extracting a higher tow rating in the process.  It's important to note a point Barta's been making for months about the Duramax figures, though. "Even though itÂ’s nice to brag about big numbers, in reality, light duty customers are not towing that large with their trucks," and, "We do know that (95 percent) of our light duty customers donÂ’t tow over 9,000 pounds." On our First Drive of the 2020 Silverado diesel we called out the tow rating, but emphasized that the Chevy and GMC have more important challenges to overcome.

GM recalls 740,000 vehicles over daytime running light issue

General Motors is recalling over 740,000 vehicles due to a daytime running light issue that causes all of the affected cars to run afoul of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Vehicles affected by this recall are spread across many of GM’s brands. Models include the 2020-2023 Cadillac CT4 and CT5, 2021-2023 Buick Envision, 2022-2023 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, 2022-2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe and 2022-2023 GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL. GM says that the daytime running lights may remain on in these cars when the headlights are activated. This is a problem, because FMVSS rules require that the daytime running lights deactivate once the headlights turn on. If the DRLs remain on, GM says that could result in additional glare, thereby increasing the risk of an accident. The cause of this failure to deactivate the DRLs comes from body control module software that “under a combination of certain pre-conditions, could fail to deactivate the DRLs,” according to GM. Other GM vehicles were tested, but due to a difference in software or hardware, they remain unaffected. If this is reminding you of another recent GM recall, youÂ’d be right, as GM recalled another 340,000 vehicles for the same issue last month. After that original issue was found within GM, the company began looking into its other cars to determine if the population was larger than originally thought. GM found the additional vehicles included in todayÂ’s recall have the problem. The fix will either be via an over-the-air update or it will require you to bring the vehicle into a dealer for a software update, depending on which vehicle you have. Owner notification letters letting folks know what is necessary are currently scheduled to go out on January 23, 2023. Related video: Cadillac Escalade Infotainment Review

GMC Canyon AT4 OVRLANDX concept previews potential Bison-like model

GMC is signaling a move into serious off-road territory with this Canyon AT4 OVRLANDX concept. As its name suggest, this one-off was put together as a demonstration of what an overland-style GMC midsizer could potentially look like, but a glance beneath the surface reveals the bones of what we expect to be the forthcoming Canyon AT4X.  While "AT4" has been trickling down through the GMC lineup for the past few model years, AT4X kicks the basic off-road formula up a notch, a la Chevrolet's Colorado ZR2, which gains extra underbody protection, locking front and rear differentials and Multimatic's phenomenal DSSV dampers.  GMC Canyon AT4 OVRLANDX Off-Road Concept View 23 Photos OVRLANDX takes that to the next level, borrowing (and building upon) cues from the even-more-rugged ZR2 Bison, including rocker panel guards, cast-iron control arms, a custom front bumper with an integrated winch, built-in front recovery points, wheel arch trim with integrated LED task lighting, and guy lines for protecting the windshield from low-hanging branches. The custom rear bumper is even from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), with whom Chevy partnered to produce the Bison's unique exterior bits. Does that seem like a wink and nod to you? “We wanted to showcase GMC Canyon with this concept and punctuate GMCÂ’s commitment to premium, off-road capable vehicles,” said Buick & GMC Global Vice President Duncan Aldred. "Consumer reaction to this conceptÂ’s design will help us further serve the growing market of buyers leading authentic outdoor lifestyles." This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. To that end, they threw a few more goodies at the concept. In a way, the roof-mounted tent, awning, cooler and kitchenette are just there to disguise the fact that GMC will likely build a production pickup with much these same specs when the new model debuts for the 2023 or 2024 model year – or perhaps even sooner. While this concept is built around GM's existing 3.6-liter V6 powertrain, the redesigned Canyon is expected to be offered with just one engine: a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder lifted from the Silverado and Sierra pickups.  Rumors have pointed to a GMC variant of the Colorado ZR2 since the midsize pickup adopted the AT4 branding for its off-road variant.