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GM planning to put its fullsize pickups on a big diet, too

General Motors is just coming off a complete redesign of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra for 2014, but in the US fullsize truck market, there is no rest for the weary. According to Reuters, plans are already unfurling for both trucks to drop pounds from their curb weight over the next few years, but this will unlikely be able to keep pace with the 700-pound diet targeted for the next-generation Ford F-150, a truck expected to debut late next year.
The biggest weight reduction for these trucks might not be available until the next full redesign, which will likely happen around 2019, but the article says that smaller updates could shave pounds in the meantime. Two examples given include an "aluminum-intensive" version of the Silverado that could shed 250 pounds and debut around the same time as the lighter-weight, aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford, and there is also talk of reducing weight for driveline components such as axles and driveshafts. These changes are all part of an attempt to meet strict new fuel economy standards coming in 2017, targets which will get even tougher in 2025.

GMC moved the headlights down on the 2024 Sierra EV to prevent glare

There are a lot of things that are different between the 2024 GMC Sierra EV’s design and the gasoline Sierra pickup, but one we noticed right away was the headlight placement. On GMÂ’s full-size gasoline trucks, the headlights are about as far up the front fascia as they can be. In the Sierra EV, theyÂ’re positioned significantly further down and into the lower bumper below the grille. Why are we highlighting this particular aspect of the design? Well, unless you only ever drive massive, high-riding trucks, youÂ’re probably very accustomed to being frequently blinded by them on the road these days. In describing the Sierra EVÂ’s headlight placement, designers told us they intentionally put the lights further down to improve matters. We pulled Phil Kucera, a GMC design manager, aside to ask him about the change. “It tends to be a better spot where itÂ’s not glaring in other peopleÂ’s eyes, right, the lower you get,” Kucera says. Beyond blinding others, putting the headlights lower on the face of the truck improves headlight performance for the driver, too. “Typically the lower the better, because thatÂ’s where theyÂ’re going to be on the road, so thereÂ’s less to reflect off of in fog or rain,” Kucera explained. “If you get them up at a certain height, theyÂ’re going to be reflecting certain things like snow, rain or things like that in your eyes.” 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 View 13 Photos Of course, youÂ’ll notice on the Sierra EV that the daytime running lights (DRLs) are still big and bold in the upper part of the front end. These lights are around for decor, though, and act as pieces of design rather than a functional way to see at night. In other words, theyÂ’re lights, but theyÂ’re not going to dazzle oncoming traffic or cause glare for the driver like a headlight pointed down the road will.  Moving those lights further down in the front should hopefully be a net positive for other drivers coming across the Sierra EV and for drivers of the truck themselves. How the lights are aimed plays just as much a role in how other drivers perceive oncoming lights, though, so weÂ’ll have to wait and see the real-world performance on this one.  WeÂ’ll also note that moving the actual headlights further down the front end doesnÂ’t take anything away from the design of the Sierra EV. It still features a strong, upright stance that the world is accustomed to seeing from new trucks these days. ItÂ’s no surprise, but GM agrees.

GM recalls nearly 340,000 large SUVs to fix daytime running lights

General Motors has initiated a recall campaign for more than 338,000 of its large SUVs to address a potential defect in the onboard computer software that controls the daytime running lights. In some cases, the DRLs may remain on even when the headlights are enabled, which creates additional glare for oncoming drivers at night and fails to comply with federal regulations for headlight performance.  "GM determined that the body control module (BCM) software in these vehicles, under a combination of certain pre-conditions, may fail to deactivate the DRLs when the headlamps are on," GM's recall report said. "A regulatory assessment was conducted to evaluate whether the condition presented a potential noncompliance with the DRL activation requirements in S7.10.5, Table I-a. of FMVSS 108. On October 27, 2022, GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a recall for potential noncompliance with this standard." GM says the recall covers the 2021 model year GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and 2021 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. The company says all models produced within that operating window include the improperly programmed body control module, meaning all vehicles within the recall population may exhibit the problem. The issue was discovered by a GM engineer during validation testing in August, prompting a deeper investigation and eventually leading to the recall itself.   The module's software can be updated by GM dealers, so it should be a quick fix for customers. Notifications will be mailed to owners in December.  Related video: Recalls Cadillac Chevrolet GMC Ownership Safety SUV Luxury