2500 Hd Gmc Sierra Extended Cab 4x4, 8.1l Vortec, With Brand Fx Utility Bed on 2040-cars

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GMC considers adding more vehicles to broaden product line

GMC is considering expanding its product portfolio in the next 10 years to allow it to reach more potential buyers and grow sales, a top executive said Monday. The small and midsize sport-utility-vehicle segments are two possibilities, said Duncan Aldred, GMC sales and marketing vice president. He also said GMC won't make a car, preferring to reinforce its reputation as a maker of trucks and SUVs. "There's plenty of opportunities even if we define ourselves as a we do as a truck and crossover brand," he said. He wouldn't comment on the possibility of adding a Jeep Wrangler-fighter, though rumors have swirled for months that GMC is considering a product to compete with the iconic off-roader. "I can't confirm that ... everything's on the table," he said. He also said that it's possible GMC could get a unique set of underpinnings – all of its vehicles share platforms that are also used by Chevrolet – but it's not needed to differentiate his brand. "I'm very happy sharing underpinnings and everything else," he said. "All of the good-performing automakers do that." Speaking to journalists at a roundtable at General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Aldred said GMC received an investment from GM that is double what the brand has historically spent to fund its growth plans. Advertising spending alone will increase 50 percent this year compared with 2014. The brand rolled out a new ad campaign on Monday, called "Precision," that will underscore attention-to-detail and the premium features of GMC vehicles. Two of the commercials have a sporting theme, and the third focuses on modern menswear. GMC called it a "contemporary interpretation" of the brand's traditional positioning, and it will also continue to use its long-running "Professional Grade" tagline. The premium positioning of the ads come as buyers are increasingly outfitting their trucks as near-luxury vehicles. The percentage of buyers opting for the top-end Denali trim has increased from 17 percent in the middle of 2014 to 21 percent now. The goal is to get Denali to make up 25 percent of GMC sales by the end of 2017, Aldred said. Spurred by the higher Denali take-rate, the brand's transaction prices leapt by $3,000 last year. "It's [Denali] really kind of this jewel in the crown," Aldred said. GMC sales increased 11.3 percent in 2014 to 501,853 units, making it GM's-second-best-selling brand behind Chevrolet.

General Motors designers sketch the GMC pickups of the future

It's been a busy few years for GMC's team of stylists. They penned a new look for the Yukon and the Yukon XL, and they gave the Sierra 1500 a nip-and-tuck that we'll discover in the coming months. Overhauling these hugely significant models hasn't stopped them from exploring how the firm's design language can evolve. General Motors Design posted two forward-thinking renderings on its official Instagram account that illustrate two ways to move GMC's design identity forward. Karan Moorjani, who works as an exterior designer for the company's autonomous and electric vehicle division, created a truck that breaks all ties with the Sierra. It's characterized by a tall front end with a wide grille and thin LED headlights, sculpted sides, and an unusually low cab. Generously-sized fender flares and tires suggest Moorjani envisioned it as a serious off-roader. Joe Boniface, a member of GMC's Strategic Advanced Design team, took a more realistic approach to moving the design language forward and away from sister company Chevrolet's. His rendering shows a Heavy Duty model with a Denali-branded grille that takes up most of the real estate on the front end and encompasses horizontal rows of LED daytime running lights. It wears less chrome than the current-generation Sierra HD. Nothing suggests either truck is currently on its way to production; General Motors Design regularly publishes sketches from the brand's stylists. Its fascinating Instagram account also shows a Cadillac off-roader, a battle-ready Chevrolet pickup, and a high-riding, open-top two-seater with General Motors emblems that looks like a race car for the Moon.  "Often, these works are not intended for production," a GM spokesperson told Autoblog. "Instead, designers create them to hone their creative skills, to try new shapes or themes, and sometimes simply for the fun of sketching something badass. The GM Design Instagram account was launched to share some of the most compelling, most badass works GM Designers produce." They're sketches created for the sake of sketching, but they give us a peek at the ideas floating around the minds of the men and women who will draw the next generation of General Motors products. Related Video:

Gladiators, Pilots, and Palisades, plus a couple boring crossovers | Autoblog Podcast #562

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. The duo discuss the leaked Jeep Gladiator, Ford's Baby Bronco, the Aston Martin DBX, and then touch on other reborn names like the Honda Pilot. They also discuss how boring crossovers have taken over as the family car of choice in the United States and debate the merits of turbocharged V6 engines versus the classic American V8. Finally, we spend your money.Autoblog Podcast #562 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Jeep Gladiator leaked Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot teased Aston Martin DBX Ford Baby Bronco leaked Boring crossovers Ford F-150 2.7-liter EcoBoost Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Podcasts LA Auto Show Aston Martin Ford GMC Honda Hyundai Jeep Truck Crossover SUV honda pilot jeep gladiator aston martin dbx hyundai palisade ford baby bronco