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GM reintroduces Tripower name in the worst way possible

The story of General Motors' use of the Tripower moniker begins way back in 1957, when Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudsen, then General Manager of GM's Pontiac division, directed his engineers to inject more performance into his brand's line of V8-powered automobiles. Fuel injection was an option, but hot rodders flocked instead to Tri-Power (marketed way back when with a hyphen), which grafted a trio of two-barrel Rochester carburetors onto a single intake manifold. A legend was born. And that legend was born of performance. At idle and when full power wasn't required, Pontiac's Tri-Power system used just the middle carburetor, which helped make the setup easier to tune. Depending on the year and model, either a vacuum system or a mechanical linkage opened up the two outer carbs, thereby switching from two barrels to six, and allowing the engine to take in more fuel and air. And it was an easy marketing win – six barrels is better than four barrels, right? Because performance! So, when news filtered in that GM has resurrected the Tripower name, those of us who grew up attending classic car shows and wrenching on old Pontiacs did a double-take. And then we all collectively sighed. Turns out that today's Tripower refers to a trio of fuel-saving measures that include cylinder deactivation, active thermal management, and intake valve lift control, according to Automotive News. And, at least for now, it applies to GM's line of fullsize trucks powered by a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. We're all for saving fuel whenever possible. And we have zero say in how any automaker chooses to market its products and technologies. But, we'll offer our two cents anyway: Relaunching a storied name from the past is fine. Relaunching a storied name from the past while completely overlooking the reasons the name got famous in the first place is only going to irritate the people who remember the name in the first place. Couldn't they just call this new technology package something else? Related Video: News Source: Automotive NewsImage Credit: Getty Green Marketing/Advertising Chevrolet GM Pontiac Automotive History Truck chevrolet silverado

Next Chevy Silverado could get this built-in tailgate step

General Motors just received patent approval for a tailgate step in a pickup bed. And given the timing, don't be surprised if you see this on the upcoming 2019 Silverado pickup (not the mention its GMC Sierra twin), expected to arrive in late 2018. According to the patent, granted in December of last year, the whole mechanism is housed in the tailgate assemble. The magic happens when a portion of the top half of the tailgate swings down and a step folds out. There's also a handle that locks into position to help climb up into the bed. As trucks get bigger and taller over the years, it gets harder and harder to access the cargo bed. Ford's solution with the 2009 F-150 was a step that slides out from the end of the tailgate. Back then, Chevy made an ill-advised ad highlighting the feature for Ford. And while Howie Long mocked the F-150's "man step" Ford saw almost a third of its trucks with the option in the first year. The GM design seems to improve on Ford's idea as it appears to be wider and has a back to the lower step. That is, you don't have to worry about stepping through the ladder-rung design as on the F-150. Ford's tailgate step later spread to the F Super Duty, and other cargo access assists have proliferated through the truck world. On the most recent redesign, the Chevrolet Silverado took a trick from the Avalanche and added cutouts to the corners of the rear bumper that act as a foothold. Ford also offers a deployable side step, Chevrolet has running boards that scoot rearward with a kick of the boot, and Ram offers fixed wheel-to-wheel side rails. Nissan is in on the game too, with an optional folding step that tucks under the rear bumper. We don't expect Chevrolet to comment on when or if we'll see this feature in the showrooms. But given that engineers are already hard at work on the next Silverado and the timing of this patent lines right up with the new truck's development cycle, we'll be disappointed if this patent stays in the file cabinet. Related Video:

2022 Chevy Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade up another $1,600

The 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the 2022 GMC Yukon and the 2022 Cadillac Escalade have all gone up by $1,600. The GM profit and loss department added $1,500 to the MSRP for each of the full-sized SUVs and $100 to their destination charges, that destination fee now $1,795 for each vehicle. It's not an inconsequential bump; however, considering where the trucks were priced at launch, and everything that's happened since, the latest retail prices don't seem that bad. Take the Suburban — in February 2020, Chevrolet practically carried over pricing for the truck with a revamped interior and independent rear suspension, starting it at $50,295 after destination. After this latest increase, the 2022 Tahoe LS in two-wheel drive costs $55,590, after destination.  The delta between the 2021 Suburban at launch in March 2020 and the current model is a little grander compared to the Tahoe, like the SUV itself. Back then, it started at $52,295, the same price as the outgoing model. After this third price increase in the past year, the 2022 Suburban LS in 2WD starts at $61,290 after destination. GM Authority says the 2023 Tahoe and Suburban are reportedly headed down production lines in the middle of July. The biggest addition to both models will be the availability of Super Cruise, which is already available on the sister SUV, the Cadillac Escalade. The hands-free driving assistance feature can only be optioned on the Premier and High Country trims. It costs $2,500 to put Super Cruise on the Escalade. GM hasn't divulged the feature's price yet for the Chevy twins; that's likely to come when the automaker announces 2023 Tahoe and Suburban MSRPs, so beware of more potential price increases. After that, there's a heavy refresh planned for the 2024 model year, including a new instrument panel design that looks like it replaces the current gauge cluster with a large, freestanding screen.  The Yukon's entry-level price goes up to $57,590 for the SLE trim turning the rear axle.   The Cadillac Escalade's second MSRP bump takes it to $81,235 for the Luxury 600 trim in 2WD, and $84,235 for the extended ESV model in the same trim. The price creep hasn't stopped Escalades from pulling off dealer lots almost as soon as they're delivered, sales for the first quarter of the year totaling 10,505 units, trouncing domestic and foreign competition. Related video: