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Spy photos suggest more rugged GMC Sierra HD AT4X is on the way

Ford has the Super Duty Tremor. Ram has the Power Wagon. GM doesn't yet have a really serious heavy duty pickup off-roader, but these spy shots suggest that may be changing. They show a GMC Sierra HD with plenty of height, chunky tires and a prominent skid plate. We suspect it may be an AT4X trim, to slot above the somewhat trail-oriented AT4 already on sale. Despite the heavy camouflage on each end, we can see right away that this GMC has a new front bumper that's turned up at each end, likely to leave some space for getting tires up to obstacles. There doesn't appear to be the air dam that shows up on all other Sierra HD models, either. Under the front end is a very prominent skid plate. Other interesting aspects include the tires. They appear to be the same model of Goodyear Wranglers used on the Chevy Silverado 1500 ZR2, and not the ones currently in use on the Sierra HD AT4. Also, this extra rugged Sierra features a huge exhaust tip, which seems to confirm the Duramax turbodiesel V8 will be available, probably as an option over the gas V8. This is noteworthy since the Ram Power Wagon is only available with a gas engine. Of course the Ford Super Duty Tremor is available with both gas and diesel engines. The regular Sierra 1500 AT4X was only just revealed last October for the 2022 model year. So we would expect that this heavy duty version would make an appearance for either the 2023 or 2024 model year of the model. It could accompany a light refresh of the truck, again similar to the lighter duty model. We expect it will also feature some additional suspension and drivetrain upgrades to help it compete with the Ford and Ram off-roaders. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Safety group pans GM’s new Marketplace in-dash shopping

When it comes to our cars, is the Internet of Things a godsend? Or a hidden menace that will create more problems than it will solve? On the same day General Motors announced it will equip newer-model cars with its in-dash Marketplace e-commerce app, a prominent safety group was shooting it down. National Safety Council President Deborah Hersman tells Bloomberg the technology will only contribute to distracted driving and hurt efforts to stem the tide of rising auto fatalities, which grew 5.6 percent to more than 37,000 in the U.S. in 2016. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted driving was responsible for 3,477 fatalities and 391,000 injuries in 2015, the most recent year for which it has data. "There's nothing about this that's safe," Hersman told Bloomberg. "If this is why they want WiFi in the car, we're going to see fatality numbers go up even higher than they are now." Marketplace, developed with IBM, will allow drivers — or more often, one hopes, their passengers — to order coffee or food, find gas stations and reserve hotel rooms from their dashboard screens. The technology is set to be uploaded automatically to nearly 1.9 million GM vehicles model-year 2017 and later that are equipped with WiFi hotspots and compatible systems. By the end of 2018, about 4 million Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles will be equipped with Marketplace. The app will debut with a limited number of participating retailers, including TGI Fridays, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Starbucks, with more likely to join later. Online retail giant Amazon is also partnering with automakers such as Ford to bring e-commerce capabilities inside the car through its Alexa personal assistant. While convenience is nice, one other thing is becoming clear as the IoT wedges its way into our cars: It's taking aim at some decidedly first-world problems.Related Video: Image Credit: GM Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Infotainment in-car entertainment marketplace e-commerce

Chevrolet considering midsize crossover to slot between Traverse and Equinox

Crossovers are the new hotness, and automakers are looking to cash in by offering a size and shape for every customer. With Chevrolet's debut of the new 2018 Traverse in Detroit, which grew ever so slightly compared to the first-generation model, there is now a midsize-crossover-sized hole between the three-row Traverse and the compact Equinox. When asked about that obvious space, a Chevrolet spokesperson told us the company is looking into the possibility of expanding its crossover lineup. It should be a relatively simple thing to do, since all it would take is reskinning and rechristening the GMC Acadia with a bow tie, and we all know how much GM loves platform sharing. Although they're now different sizes, the new Acadia and Traverse still use the same platform; the Acadia is now on a short-wheelbase version of the C1XX while the Traverse uses long-wheelbase C1XX parts. A short-wheelbase Chevy built on the C1XX likely would be differentiated visually from both the Acadia and the larger Traverse. It may seem like flooding the lineup with more and more models would cannibalize sales of existing ones, but Chevrolet said it would rather have customers stay within the brand rather than going to another automaker. There have been whispers that some form of the Blazer name (possibly TrailBlazer) may make a return on a midsizer, but if it does don't expect an old-school body-on-frame SUV like the old one. In the end, if Chevy builds it, customers will come. Related Video: