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GMC's electric, 1,000-horsepower Hummer SUV makes a surprise appearance

We knew the GMC Hummer pickup would spawn an SUV, but we didn't expect to see it so soon. It quietly appeared in a marketing presentation about electric cars that General Motors streamed online in November 2020. The camera never focused on the SUV, there was always an executive sitting in front of it, but we see enough to tell it's closely related to its pickup sibling. Both battery-powered off-roaders are nearly identical from the tip of the front bumper to the edge of the rear doors. The SUV's overhang is a little bit shorter than the pickup's, though there's presumably space for a third row of seats. Its rear end doesn't appear in the presentation. Nothing suggests GMC made major powertrain changes to the SUV, so it's likely identical to the truck underneath the sheetmetal. Range-topping models will receive three motors zapped into motion by a 24-module Ultium battery pack. Motorists will have 1,000 horsepower and approximately 350 miles of driving range to play with. GMC plans to start building the Hummer pickup in late 2021, and the SUV might not enter production until early 2022. We expect pricing will initially start above $100,000, but more affordable variants will gradually join the lineup during the first half of the 2020s. When it lands, the off-roader will compete directly against the Rivian R1S. General Motors will invest $27 billion into electric and autonomous cars by 2023. Its portfolio of EVs will also include a Silverado-sized pickup, a crossover based on the Bolt, and a high-end Cadillac crossover named Lyriq. "We want to be number one in EVs in North America," affirmed company boss Mary Barra.

GM's Ultium EV platform finally shows up in Q3 sales numbers

General Motors has heralded its Ultium battery-electric platform as the future of its passenger car and truck lineup, but for the first two years of its existence, its impact on the marketplace has been virtually nonexistent. Well, that finally changed in the third quarter of 2023, and while the cars based on this architecture don't represent anywhere near the volume of GM's broader combustion portfolio, we're reaching a point where Ultium products are finally in view (and in the hands) of real-world shoppers. At this point, five U.S.-market Ultium models are in production: the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer & Silverado EV, and BrightDrop Zevo 600. If you're not familiar with that last one, that's OK; it's a commercial product that you likely won't see on the road for some time. Together, these four combined for 4,257 sales in the third quarter alone — up from 2,663 for the entire first half of the year. While that may not seem like a significant uptick when viewed from altitude, the quarter-to-quarter numbers paint a clearer picture.  Let's toss out the stragglers first. The Chevy Blazer EV, and Silverado EV for example, are barely in production. GM delivered 19 Blazers and 18 Silverados in the third quarter and that's the entirety of their production runs so far. Likewise, GM's BrightDrop Zevo 600 delivery van effectively exists apart from the consumer marketplace, so its contribution of just 35 units can be set aside too. That leaves us the two you've heard of: the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq — models with high sticker prices and long reservation queues.  Through the second quarter (remember, we're talking six months here), GMC sold 49 Hummer EVs. No typo. In the three months that made up the third quarter, GM moved 1,167 of them. Not only is that a dramatic improvement over the first half, but it's more Hummers than GMC sold in the entirety of 2022 (854). Lyriq's improvement was less eye-popping on paper, but after moving just 122 total units in 2022 and 2,013 of them in the first half of 2023, Cadillac managed to up that figure to 3,018 units in the third quarter alone.  GM is betting its short-term EV future on the Ultium platform, so these trends need to continue if that's going to be a profitable wager.

2021 GMC Yukon Denali adds another extra-luxe accessories bundle

For the 2018 GMC Yukon Denali, GMC added a Denali Ultimate Package that combined every option already available with some 22-inch Midnight Silver rims. In 2020, GMC expanded build options for the Terrain with a Denali Premium Package, lumping together a couple of a la carte packages as an exclusive mix of features. The 2020 Yukon Denali configurator includes a lightweight Denali Premium Package, too, but for 2021 GM Authority reports the top-tier choices will expand to include an entry-level Denali Deluxe Package along with the Denali Premium and Ultimate options. The Deluxe Package checks the boxes for the Advanced Technology Package, Advanced Security Package, and the Rear Seat Media System. The long list of tech roped in with that trio includes adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, rear camera mirror and washer, interior movement sensors, glass break sensors, dual 12.6-inch rear seat-mounted screens, two HDMI ports, and wireless projection capability. The exterior showpiece is a quartet of 22-inch bright machined aluminum wheels with premium paint, affixed with wheel locks. Go with those rims and the Denali Deluxe Package costs $5,750, opting for a different set of wheels can drop the price to $3,775. On top of that, choosing the right combination of options to go with the Deluxe Package can lower the price another $500. The Denali Premium Package includes almost everything above, only omitting the Rear Seat Media Package. In place of the screens for back-seaters, the bundle installs a powered panoramic sunroof and power-retractable assist steps with perimeter lighting. Purchased with the 22-inch wheels, this assortment runs $7,000, or $5,025 with a different set of wheels. Here again, the right combination of additional packages can save $500. The Denali Ultimate Package combines everything in the bundles above, plus the Max Trailering Package that gets GMC's ProGrade Trailering System and high-capacity engine cooling. The price is $10,460 on a rear-wheel drive Yukon Denali, $11,255 on the four-wheel drive models. Choosing a different wheel only saves $1,000 in this case, and there's no extra discount available. The 2021 Yukon is expected to enter production next month at GM's Arlington Plant in Texas, Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.