2006 Gmc Sierra 1500 on 2040-cars

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2021 GMC Yukon Denali First Drive | Finally living up to the Denali reputation

For most of its existence, the GMC Yukon has been a virtually identical twin to the Chevy Tahoe. It would have some exterior differences, maybe a couple of different features, but aside from the badging, you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish the two. That also applied to the supposedly more luxurious Denali trim level. This new generation of Yukon mostly continues the trend, but now the Denali stands out more. It gets a unique interior designed to bridge the gap between the Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, and includes high-end features such as the Yukon's otherwise optional 6.2-liter V8 and magnetic suspension with air springs. All of this combined lets the 2021 GMC Yukon Denali live up to its luxurious reputation. It's easily the version to get if your bank account allows. It really is the interior that makes the biggest difference. The entire dashboard and door panels are exclusive to not only the Yukon, but the Denali trim level specifically. The dash design is more squared-off and truck-like, but itÂ’s offset by the use of some excellent materials. Large portions of the dash are wrapped in leather with stitching. ThereÂ’s also a large panel of matte-finish open-pore wood, available in multiple colors, on the passenger side. Some metal trim and nicely textured knobs adorn the center stack. The doors get this wood and leather, too. The center console features some attractive, stylized stitching as an extra adornment. The result is a place that feels high-quality and luxurious, but not in a garish or flashy way. Sort of a utilitarian luxury, which fits the look and character of the Yukon Denali. There are aspects of the interior that are shared with other Yukons and Tahoes, though. You get the same slightly odd but perfectly usable push-button shifter, the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 15-inch head-up display, dual 12.6-inch backseat screens, and the same amount of interior space. These are all good things. The infotainment system is responsive and easy to use, while also offering the same advanced trailering camera system that so impressed in the Chevy Silverado HD. The head-up display is also large and legible, and fortunately not cluttered with too much distracting information. The best part, however, is the amount of space.

GM recalls half-million full-size SUVs to address seatbelt issue

GM is recalling its redesigned full-size SUV models to address improperly riveted mounts securing the third-row seatbelts that may fail in the event of an accident. The population includes the 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, 2021-2022 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, and 2021-2022 model year GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, for a total of 484,155 vehicles. "Operators at the supplier’s manufacturing plant may have not properly followed manufacturing processes and inadvertently missed the rivet forming operation," GM said in its defect report to NHTSA. "In certain of these vehicles, the rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seatbelt buckle assembly may not have been properly formed during the manufacturing process. If the third-row seatbelt assembly is not properly riveted, it may not properly restrain occupants in a crash, increasing the risk of injury." Fortunately, the fix is relatively simple. GM service technicians will inspect the rivets on the rear seatbelt buckle assemblies and replace the entire unit if the rivets are not to spec. Dealer notifications have already been distributed; owners should receive notice start in September. Related video: Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Ownership Safety SUV

2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Interior Driveway Test | Still lagging behind

GM has caught nothing but grief for the interiors of its full-size pickups since they were redesigned. Some of it is about perspective. Ram blew everybody away with the new 1500’s interior, but it's not like the Ford F-150 is embarrassed by it. Chevy and GMC are. Even a top-shelf Sierra Denali doesnÂ’t live up to the luxurious environment its price tag would promise.  The trim of Sierra we're testing is an AT4, though. ThatÂ’s the light off-roading version of the Sierra thatÂ’s mechanically the same as the Silverado Trail Boss we recently reviewed. Looking at the interior from a pure functionality standpoint, the Sierra is perfectly fine at performing its truck duties. The seats are wide, flat and comfortable. It has huge armrests on both sides so you can stretch out as much as your truck stretches the boundaries of the road (seriously, this thing is huge). All the buttons in the center stack are well-labeled, easily found and big enough to stab away at without hitting the wrong one. It even has a volume and tuning knob. Yeehaw!  But look at the design. And the styling, or lack thereof. ItÂ’s plain and lacking in imagination. The whole center stack is just one big slab of black plastic, and the only splashes of color or style to distinguish it visually are bits of silver surrounding knobs and bits of gray surrounding air vents. That's certainly not enough to make it attractive. There are token pieces of "wood" inserted on Denali models, but they're almost hidden away along the center console and doors.  The screen looks as if itÂ’s scrunched into the top of the stack due to the vents curving in on both sides, making it look smaller than its perfectly acceptable 8-inch size. That just makes it more obvious that GM doesn't offer something to challenge the gigantic 12-inch optional screen on the Ram 1500. Not good, because size does matter when it comes to trucks, even if it's measured in a touchscreen's inches rather than engine displacement. LetÂ’s not discount how good all of the tech is in the Sierra 1500, though. GMÂ’s infotainment software that runs on the screen is glitch-free and runs like lightning through screens and menus. The performance is impressive, and of course both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on board.