2013 Gmc Savana 1500 7 Passenger Majestic Ssx Hightop Conversion Van on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GMC talking to dealers about possible Jeep Wrangler competitors

With respect to the team at GMC, it's pretty much fair to say the manufacturer prospers on a lineup of nothing more than gussied up Chevrolets. The brand's successes aside, GMC can be boiled down thusly – the Sierra is a Silverado, the Terrain an Equinox, the Canyon a Colorado and the Acadia is a Traverse, albeit with sometimes dressier duds. Strictly speaking, it's not that simple – Acadia and Terrain have siblings beyond the Bowtie – but the brand is remarkable for its lack of distinctive models. That could change, though, as The Wall Street Journal is claiming General Motors has broached the idea of a building a GMC-badged competitor to the Jeep Wrangler during a meeting with dealers. WSJ claims the new off-roader would "borrow cues and capability" from the defunct Hummer brand. That, of course, could mean many, many different things. While the original Hummer, the H1, was an exceptionally capable vehicle off-road, the H2 and H3 weren't nearly as single minded. It's unclear if a Hummer-inspired, off-road-ready GMC would lean more towards the former than the latter. According to WSJ's report, the GMC Jeep appears to be in the very, very early planning stages, with one unnamed source saying the idea was "being kicked around real hard." GM is still courting dealers for feedback, while it refused the Journal's request for comment. What are your thoughts? Is a Wrangler competitor long overdue for GM? Do you think GMC is the best brand to introduce such a model? Have your say in Comments. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4X4 View 12 Photos News Source: The Wall Street JournalImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL GM GMC SUV Off-Road Vehicles

Why 2015 is going to be a huge year for trucks

Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn took center stage to introduce the 2016 Titan last week at the Detroit Auto Show. He spoke of the truck's new features, impressive Cummins V8 diesel engine and the extensive amount of time and money required to build a modern, competitive pickup truck. "We have done all of this because we see opportunity – an opportunity in the unmet needs of today's American truck customers," Ghosn said. He was speaking about the Titan, but his thoughts echo the industry's mindset: When it comes to trucks, find an opportunity and attack. Even with CAFE regulations looming and fickle consumer preferences, investing in trucks is a no-brainer for automakers. Some consumers will always need a truck for their job or lifestyle. And some people will always want one, whether they need it or not. With that in mind, here are four reasons why the pickup-truck sector is more important than ever and poised for growth in 2015. View 24 Photos The Nissan Titan Is Back Okay, it never left, but the Titan hadn't been redesigned since its launch in 2003, and Nissan sold more NV200s than Titans in 2014. It's an understatement to say the truck was languishing. That all changes with the 2016 model. The Titan will come in two variants, a traditional fullsize competitor and the Titan XD. The XD will lead the market launch, and it arrives late this year. It's pitched as a "whitespace" offering, Nissan sales and marketing vice president Fred Diaz said. The idea is to offer something in the general size and price range of a fullsize truck, but also have some of the capability of a heavy-duty truck. The XD uses a fully boxed ladder frame, the chassis design from Nissan's commercial division, and the wheelbase is about 20 inches longer than other Titan models. The XD, which Nissan is calling the flagship of the line, will be the only model with the 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8. It produces 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, while being able to tow 12,000 pounds. V6 and V8 gasoline models will also be offered on the Titan XD and the standard, non-XD model. When production ramps up, the Titan will be sold with several cabs, beds and trims. New features include trailer sway control, an integrated trailer brake controller, more storage options in the cabin and even laminated front and rear side glass to reduce outside noise. All of this has given Nissan fresh confidence in an area where it admittedly has been lacking. "We can compete," Diaz told Autoblog.

2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV teased on 35-inch tires

Last month, Chevrolet Performance teased the 2024 Colorado ZR2 Bison, which will be the ultimate hardcore off-road variant for that model developed in collaboration with American Expeditionary Vehicles (AEV). Since that camouflaged preview appeared, we've welcomed debuts of the competition, the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor and 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. Bookending a solid month of 4x4 delights, GMC teased the coming 2024 Canyon AT4X AEV. We can look at this as the GMC version of the Colorado ZR2 Bison, the Canyon's new-for-2024 AT4X trim given an additional boost in spec and capability. This isn't the truck's first flirt with the public. During media drives for the 2024 Sierra HD AT4X, one of the new heavy duty rigs showed up to the site pulling a trailer bearing a covered pickup. The mid-size form factor, 35-inch tires, and appearance at a GMC event were clues enough to the pickup's identity.  The official preview is proof of what we've been expecting. The revised front fascia wears a high-clearance bumper. Don't expect that winch to be included; the red hook in the tease is a digital add-on. You can expect the winch opening, boron steel underbody skid plating, and Multimatic dampers. The standard AT4X got a three-inch lift over the non-hardcore Canyon variants, in part thanks to being fitted with 33-inch tires. The 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT 315/70 17 tires on the AT4X AEV are thought to help provide 11 inches of ground clearance. Beefier wishbones and hydraulic bump stops help protect owners who want to test limits. Reports by folks who walked around the covered truck predict a set of beadlock-capable AEV Salta wheels like the kind sold with the full-size Sierra AT4X AEV Edition. The cover couldn't hide the sport rack in the bed nor the bed-mounted spare tire carrier. Those, like the winch, are likely options that add to the price. Don't be surprised if engine output is unchanged. The 2.7-liter H.O. turbocharged four-cylinder makes 310 horsepower and 430-pound feet of torque. We'll never complain about more, but that's plenty for a truck envisioned as a low-speed obstacle crosser.  All GMC is saying for now is, "An even more off-road capable Canyon is coming." It debuts on July 6. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.