2014 Gmc Sierra 1500 Sle 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).

2020 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and GMC Yukon all spied with production lights

One of our spy photographers just caught a smattering of full-size GM SUVs out testing, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and GMC Yukon. Previous spy photos of the next-generation of these big GM SUVs have revealed that GM is going with an independent rear suspension design, and these shots confirm the news once again with our best look at the hardware yet. Check them out from the rear, lined up like ducks in a row to see the beefy control arms down there. This will undoubtedly give the big SUVs a more compliant ride, and should bring it back into touch with the refinement from the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The new bits we get to see with these shots are production headlights and taillights that are shaping up to look pretty neat. Most distinguishable are the GMC Yukon's LED DRLs. These look a lot like the C-shaped LEDs outlining the headlights on the Sierra, but they have an extra LED strip on top of the C. The parts of the taillights that we can see look significantly different than that found on the Sierra, showing GM is planning on having a great deal of differentiation there. We can sort of see through the mesh covering the grille to what appears to be a classic horizontal bar style front opening. Chevy is predictably dialing the crazy LED strip design back for the Tahoe and Suburban. The parts that are lit up look a whole lot like the headlight fixtures on the 2019 Silverado. That truck uses a stack of lights with the actual headlights separated from the DRLs. We can see the same thing going on here, with the headlight up top and curved LED DRL strip sitting below. It's tough to say if the designs are exactly alike, but we expect to see an extremely Silverado-esque look once all the camouflage comes off. Chevrolet's taillight design differs from its donor truck like the GMC, showing off a curved, vertical series of LEDs out back. Once production lights start popping up like this, we know the vehicle is moving closer to its end game. A reveal sometime later this year could be in the cards for GM's next batch of full-size SUVs. It certainly needs them quick, as Ford rockets ahead with increased Expedition production announced earlier this week.

2.0-liter turbo four reportedly returning to Chevrolet Equinox line-up for 2022

Chevrolet's popular Equinox crossover will enter the 2021 model year with comprehensive updates and a turbocharged, 1.5-liter four-cylinder as its only available engine. The 2.0-liter turbo four offered through 2020 is allegedly leaving the line-up, but it will be replaced for 2022 with a newer engine that produces slightly less power while returning better fuel economy, according to a recent report. Called LSY internally, the new 2.0-liter turbo four already powers the Cadillac XT4, among other models in the General Motors portfolio. Enthusiast website GM Authority learned it will deliver 237 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm. For context, the 2.0-liter available through 2020 (known as LTG) made 252 horses and 260 pound-feet of twist, and the 1.5-liter posts figures of 170 and 203, respectively. As a trade-off for the slight drop in horsepower and torque, the LSY is smoother, quieter and cleaner than the LTG it replaces. Transmission options remain unconfirmed, but the four-cylinder will likely shift through a nine-speed automatic. Front-wheel drive will come standard, and all-wheel drive will be offered at an extra cost. Chevrolet hasn't commented on the report; it hasn't even confirmed the Equinox is losing the LTG engine for 2021. If the rumor is accurate, details about the 2022 Equinox should be released during the first half of 2021. GM Authority added the GMC Terrain, which is closely related to the Equinox, will receive the new engine for 2022 as well. Both should have gotten it for 2021, but the on-going global pandemic delayed its launch. Related Video: