2006 Gmc Envoy Xl Sle Sport Utility 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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GM phasing out light-duty 1500-series vans

In the market for a fullsize van but don't need a heavy-duty model? You're in the minority, and you're also out of luck. That's because there are barely any more fullsize vans on the market with gross vehicle weight rating of less than 8,500 pounds, the threshold that separates light- and heavy-duty vans.
According to PickupTrucks.com, neither the Ford E-Series, Ram ProMaster, nor Mercedes-Benz Sprinter are available in light-duty versions. Few of the Ford Transit configurations are, either, and now General Motors is discontinuing production of the 1500-series Chevy Express and GMC Savana.
Apparently light-duty versions accounted for just 23 percent of Express sales and only 7 percent of Savanas. Add to that the fact that these 1500 versions were the only ones using the old generation of engines and suspension, and that the Wentzville plant near St. Louis, Missouri, is trying to make room for the next Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, and the fate of the light-duty GM van was sealed.

2022 GMC Yukon AT4 to offer 6.2-liter V8

A year ago, GM said it was considering making its 6.2-liter V8 available outside the flagship trims of its full-sized SUV trio of Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and GMC Yukon. There has been a year of gnashing teeth on GM forums since the automaker decided to meditate on the issue, but GM Authority reports The General has finally made the call — the 2022 Yukon AT4 will offer the 6.2-liter. This follows last week's news that three 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban trims would also add the 6.2-liter as an option. With the Yukon Denali already in the 6.2-liter camp, only the Yukon SLE and SLT will be left out. Those latter two levels will continue to offer the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel as the optional engine, which the AT4 trim cannot take advantage of because the AT4's front fascia and skid plate interfere with the diesel's plumbing. The 5.3-liter V8 that's the standard engine makes 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. The 6.2-liter makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. As has been pointed out, the 5.3-liter can tow 200 pounds more than the 6.2, but fuel economy is a wash — the 5.3 only gains 1 mpg in the city over the 6.2. This is a pure power play. For the moment, it looks like Yukon AT4 buyers won't need to do anything other than check a box to get the 6.2-liter. That's the opposite of what some Tahoe and Suburban buyers will face when trying to get the 6.2-liter for their rigs; outside of the Premier trim, Chevy put the engine behind a paywall of option packages. Since GMC hasn't revealed pricing for the 2022 lineup yet, we don't know what the surcharge will be for the big engine. The GMC Sierra AT4 pickup charges $2,195 to go from the 5.3 to the 6.2, so that's probably in the ballpark. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

GMC wants to target Jeep with compact crossover

GMC execs might consider adding a Jeep competitor to the range, but rather than new rumors of a Wrangler-fighter, this time the Professional Grade brand could go after the Renegade. Division boss Duncan Aldred would like to broaden the brand's lineup with a subcompact crossover. "I keep telling everyone, 'How can General Motors' truck brand not be in the fastest-growing segment in the industry, an SUV segment," he said to Automotive News but wouldn't confirm whether the model was under development. General Motors already offers small crossovers like the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore, but the CUV segment in general continues to drive auto sales in the US. Adding a similarly sized GMC to the mix might increase the automaker's volume by appealing to different customers. "A GMC buyer is very different from a Buick buyer. This is like comparing the Fiat 500X to the Jeep Renegade. They are very similar but appeal to different people," Dave Sullivan, Product Analysis Manager at AutoPacific, told Autoblog. Aldred started the speculation about a Wrangler-fighting model in an interview in late 2014, and the company reportedly even raised the idea of an offroad-focused vehicle to dealers to see how they reacted. The development process was only in the very early planning stages, but the brand considered using Hummer for a little of the new product's inspiration. Aldred later suggested to journalists the possibility of adding a compact or midsize SUV to the GMC range in the next 10 years to appeal to more buyers. He didn't comment directly on the possibility of the Wrangler-challenger at the time beyond saying: "I can't confirm that ... everything's on the table." Related Video: