1983 Gmc Sierra 1 Ton on 2040-cars

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GM announces net 220 job increase as Trump visits Michigan

GM announced today that about 900 jobs would be added (or, importantly, retained) ahead of President Trump's arrival in Michigan, where he is expected to discuss his plan to roll back fuel economy standards. The timing of the announcement is almost certainly not coincidental, as appending it to a Trump visit gives it a higher profile and dovetails with the President's jobs agenda. It's less likely the decision itself was made for those reasons, but the free PR boost is a nice bonus. As for those 900 jobs themselves, they aren't all new jobs. The only net gain is approximately 220 jobs at the Romulus Powertrain Plant, which produces the 10-speed automatic transmission that's proliferating through the company's lineup. The 180 jobs at Flint Assembly and 500 jobs at Lansing Delta Township are retained jobs – that is to say, spots the company found for workers who would otherwise have been laid off. By the way, the Flint jobs will help with production of heavy-duty pickups, and the Lansing jobs are to produce the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. Finding jobs for manufacturing workers in the auto sector, whether new or retained, is admirable. No matter how GM couches it, the company has created or retained a total of 7,000 jobs this year, and its total reinvestment in US production is around $1 billion. But these decisions are business ones, not political ones – timing the announcements to make them seem inspired by economic policy, or the political situation, is simply smart PR. Related Video: Image Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images Celebrities Government/Legal Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GMC

5 things we love about the 2019 GMC Sierra AT4

NEW YORK — The 2019 GMC Sierra AT4 proves that GM's upmarket truck and SUV brand is getting serious about offering rough-and-tumble capability to rival the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Ram 1500 and Nissan Titan. Until the Sierra AT4 rolled onstage at a media event in lower Manhattan, prior to this year's New York Auto Show, the GMC brand had been more focused on luxury touches like fancy chrome wheels and posh interiors — no surprise, considering the upscale SLT and Denali trim levels account for the vast majority of GMC sales. So now GMC wants to get muddy and adventurous? Well, yes and no. The AT4 adds hardware that'll take truck buyers off the beaten path, though this GMC isn't anywhere close to being a Spartan, no-frills work truck. To better explain, let's look at five key features we love about the 2019 GMC Sierra AT4: More than stickers and chrome The Sierra AT4 isn't a cynical marketing ploy, there is some true all-terrain toughness built into this pickup truck. A factory-installed lift kit raises the AT4 by two inches, while Rancho monotube shocks, a locking rear differential, a two-speed transfer case and standard all-wheel drive prove this GMC can dare to venture off paved surfaces — though you might risk getting mud and muck on the truck's handsome 18- or 20-inch alloy wheels. Power and economy The Sierra AT4 comes standard with a 5.3-liter V8 coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission. In the standard Sierra 1500, this engine produces 355 horsepower. GMC didn't mention engine specs here in New York, though it's possible the AT4 might get a small power bump. This engine should be plenty for most truck buyers, though GMC offers two tempting alternatives. These include a turbo-diesel 3.0-liter inline-six, along with a 6.2-liter V8. Both motors are paired to stop-start fuel-saving systems, along with a new 10-speed automatic transmission. Carbon fiber cool factor The GMC Sierra's available carbon-fiber cargo bed, called CarbonPro in GMC-speak, trims 62 pounds of weight, as compared to a traditional all-steel bed. This slick feature uses carbon composites for interior panels and, judging from GMC's videos of burly bricks and huge hammers being thrown into a CarbonPro cargo bed, it should prove more than up to the task of ... well, having someone throw bricks and hammers into the cargo area.

2021 GMC Canyon AT4 will offer an Off-Road Performance Edition Package

In March 2018, GMC announced the 2019 Sierra 1500 AT4, the alphanumeric finale denoting heightened ridge height and off-road capability. In December of that year, GMC took the AT4 further, creating an Off-Road Performance Package that boosted horsepower and torque, and re-soled the 18-inch machined rims in Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac Mud Terrains. History will repeat itself in 2020, one truck size category down. GMC unveiled the Canyon AT4 (pictured) in Vail, Colorado, earlier this month, and now GM Authority reports that a Canyon AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition Package is on the way later this year.  The Canyon AT4, which replaces the Canyon All Terrain, upgrades the standard truck with all the erstwhile All Terrain kit like tuned suspension, Advanced Hill Descent Control, transfer case skid plate, automatic locking rear differential, and 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires on 17-inch aluminum wheels. Design tweaks include the new, bolder front fascia and red recovery hooks. The Canyon AT4 Off-Road Performance Package goes a different route than on the Sierra, improving ruggedness instead of engine output. GMA says the suite includes front and middle performance skid plates, rocker protection, a spray-on bedliner, performance exhaust tip, and 17-inch gloss black aluminum wheels in favor of the Dark Argent Metallic units. A front leveling kit removes the factory rake. This variant will wear a black AT4 badge as opposed to the regular red and chrome AT4 denominator. Inside, we'll guess the AT4's Kalahari stitching and embroidered headrests stay in the game. They'll be joined by all-weather mats. Since GMC hasn't announced the upfit, we don't have pictures or pricing. Tallying up what individual options we could on the 2020 Canyon All Terrain came to $1,970, but that doesn't reflect pricing for next year's new AT4 trim, nor does it include components like the front leveling kit or gloss black wheels. GM Authority said production should begin in June or July, so we can look forward to info closer to summer. Related Video: