2014 Gmc Sierra 1500 on 2040-cars

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GM able to add diesel to half-ton pickups if market demands it

A few years ago, the trend in half-ton pickup trucks was ultra-luxurious trims, often with the words "limited" or "platinum" tacked on after the model name. That was well and good, but we like this latest fad a lot more - diesel engines. First, Ram came to bat with a 3.0-liter, V6 turbodiesel for the 1500, then Nissan announced that the next-generation Titan would be getting an eight-cylinder Cummins diesel.
Now, word is coming in from AutoGuide that General Motors can, if it so chooses, drop a diesel engine into its light-duty trucks. The plot thickens, though, as it turns out that said diesel would be the same one Ram is using for its truck. According to AG, that engine comes from VM Motori, which GM owns a sizable chunk of. Therefore, GM can snag the 3.0-liter, V6 diesel for its trucks just as easily, if not more easily, than Ram.
If it's so easy for the Detroit-based manufacturer to access the engines, why not offer the a diesel-powered Sierra and Silverado from the start, then? According to GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson, The General doesn't seem so confident in a diesel pickup outside of its HD offerings. According to Wilkinson, the cost-benefit ratio doesn't line up for customers, thanks to both the impact on the truck's sticker price and the higher price of diesel, in general (the national average for a gallon of diesel is 43 cents more than a gallon of 87-octane unleaded).

Next-gen GMC Terrain teased looking chiseled in AT4 trim

The next-generation GMC Terrain is coming soon, as GMC just dropped its first teaser of the redesigned compact crossover. It makes sense that GMC is re-doing the Terrain now, as its Bowtie-badged equivalent, the Chevrolet Equinox, was just completely redesigned, too. GMC teased the new Terrain in its most rugged AT4 trim, and the look sure is a bold one from this partial front-end view. From the headlights to the upright grille and chiseled hood, this Terrain is looking more Yukon- and truck-like than ever before. Expect the AT4 version seen here to mirror the Equinox Activ trim from an equipment perspective by adding all-terrain tires wrapping smaller-diameter wheels for a legit boost off-road. It may also feature a unique front bumper for improved approach angle. As for the interior, spy photos have shown that it will differ significantly from its Chevy cousin. Those photos show a tall, vertically-oriented screen that takes its cues from the GMC Acadia. There isn’t much in the way of details provided by GMC, but the company does let on that the new Terrain – this will be its third generation – will have a “bolder, more assertive design” throughout the vehicle. Based on the Equinox, we're expecting it to get the same turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 175 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel and front-wheel drivetrains will likely be offered as well. A full reveal isnÂ’t planned until “later this year,” leading us to believe this Terrain will be a 2025 model year vehicle just like the Equinox is. ItÂ’s also scheduled to launch after the refreshed Yukon, which GMC says is coming along later this year, too. Related video:

Sunday Drive: Spying an automotive future of performance

I spy, with my little eye ... the future of the automotive world here in the United States. That pretty much sums up this week's Sunday Drive, in which we pull out the most popular stories on Autoblog of the previous week and try to draw some sort of conclusion as to what binds them all together. This week, it's spy shots, starting with one of the biggest and baddest muscle cars the world has ever seen: the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. The Hellish coupe gets a new hood for 2019 with dual scoops, but that's about the only meaningful change for the new model year. No matter. As long as it's packing 700-plus horsepower under those two hood scoops, all will be right with the world. Moving on, we take keep the performance angle but move it from the street to the dirt with a new version of the Chevy Colorado ZR2 that we think is probably called the Bison. We think it'll keep the high-tech suspension bits of the regular ZR2, but add expedition gear that may include a snorkel and a winch. Which, if true, is pretty dang cool. Keeping the truck theme is the 2019 GMC Sierra. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the trim level in which the truck was spied, and that's what makes this specific example interesting. Base-model trucks almost never get much attention, but they sell in droves to workers who need an honest-to-goodness truck for work or play and don't care about bells, whistles, or massive chrome badges. And finally we have the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, which is on fire on the sales floor right now. But those are all V6-powered Wranglers flying off the showroom floor. Soon, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine option will become available, and now we know that it will return up to 23 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway. That makes it the most fuel efficient Wrangler that Jeep has ever sold. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week for all the automotive news that's fit to publish. 2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat with twin-scoop hood spied with no camouflage Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison caught testing 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 spied in base trim level 2018 Jeep Wrangler four-cylinder fuel economy revealed Spy Photos Chevrolet Dodge GMC Jeep Truck Coupe SUV Off-Road Vehicles Performance dodge challenger srt hellcat sunday drive