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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.

Frustrated GM investors ask what more Mary Barra can do

DETROIT — General Motors Co Chief Executive Mary Barra has transformed the No. 1 U.S. automaker in her almost five years in charge, but that is still not enough to satisfy investors. Ahead of third-quarter results due on Oct. 31, GM shares are trading about 6 percent below the $33 per share price at which they launched in 2010 in a post-bankruptcy initial public offering. The Detroit carmaker's stock is down 22 percent since Barra took over in January 2014. After hitting an all-time high of $46.48 on Oct. 24, 2017, the shares have declined 33 percent. In the same period, the Standard & Poor's 500 index has climbed 7.8 percent. Several shareholders contacted by Reuters said GM could face a third major action by activist shareholders in less than four years if the share price does not improve. "I've been expecting it," said John Levin, chairman of Levin Capital Strategies. "It just seems a tempting morsel to somebody." Levin's firm owns more than seven million GM shares. Barra has guided the company through the settlement of a federal criminal probe of a mishandled safety recall, sold off money-losing European operations, and returned $25 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks from 2012 through 2017. GM declined to comment for this story, but the company's executives privately express frustration with the market's reluctance to see it as anything more than a manufacturer tied mainly to auto market sales cycles. GM's profitable North American truck and SUV business and its money-making China operations are valued at just $14 billion, excluding the value of GM's stake in its $14.6 billion Cruise automated vehicle business and its cash reserves from its $44 billion market capitalization. The recent slump in the Chinese market, GM's largest, and plateauing U.S. demand are ratcheting up the pressure. GM is one of the few global automakers without a founding family or a government to serve as a bulwark against corporate raiders. In 2015, a group led by investor Harry Wilson pressed GM to launch a $5 billion share buyback, and commit to what is now an $18 billion ceiling on the level of cash the company would hold. In 2017, GM fended off a call by hedge fund manager David Einhorn to split its common stock shares into two classes. Einhorn, whose firm still owned more than 21 million shares at the end of June, declined to comment about GM's stock price. Other investors said there were no clear alternatives to Barra's approach.

Next-gen Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra may use carbon fiber

It's been generally accepted that the next generation of full-size GM trucks will use some sort of strong, lightweight material for the beds while retaining steel for the cab. While aluminum seems like the most obvious choice, according to Automotive News, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra will incorporate both aluminum and carbon fiber in their beds. The publication cites sources from within GM, though it seems the introduction of this comparatively exotic material mix is still a few years off. While carbon fiber is both stronger and lighter than steel and aluminum, it takes significantly more time and money to produce, essentially relegating the material to small-volume cars. The main benefit for trucks is the resulting reduction in weight to improve fuel economy without sacrificing the tough, rugged capabilities truck buyers expect. The Ford F-150 made the switch to aluminum for the 2015 model year and it's proved highly successful. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before the competition followed suit. Automotive News says that the next-gen trucks will launch with aluminum beds and that it will take a couple of years before we'll see any carbon fiber incorporated into the design. Even then, only look for the composite material on higher-trim models, with a trickle down to lower-spec trucks possible further in the future. In 2011, GM announced it was working with Japan-based Teijin Limited on a carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic. There's a good chance that material's introduction will be on trucks. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Plants/Manufacturing Rumormill Chevrolet GM GMC Truck