2017 Yukon Denali on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM tells NHTSA pickup truck electronic glitch is 'inconsequential'

General Motors has been enduring some serious problems with recalls recently, and it is hoping to avoid launching another major safety campaign. 200,921 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups are under the microscope due to a rare problem with their instruments, an issue GM calls calls "inconsequential to motor vehicle safety." The Detroit-based automaker believes that the glitch is so minor that it has filed a petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asking the government safety watchdog for permission to pass on recalling the vehicles.
The fault at issue can occasionally cause the instrument cluster to reset when drivers use the steering wheel controls to browse songs from an external media device connected to the truck's USB ports. If a song's title information exceeds 2,000 bytes, according to The Detroit News, then the instrument panel can reset, which in turn causes the gauges, shift position indicator and cruise control telltale to turn off briefly. When rebooting, other instrument panel lights may briefly illuminate without their functions actually being activated. GM claims that if this does happen, the instrument display lights go out for about 1.5 seconds and the bulb check lasts a further five seconds. However, this snafu has no actual affect on the truck's operation. The glitch is present in trucks built between January 29, 2013, and October 28, 2013.

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.    

GM’s Charlie Wilson was right: Stronger regulations can help U.S. automakers

Charlie Wilson had been the president and CEO of General Motors before being nominated to become secretary of defense by Dwight Eisenhower. During his Senate confirmation hearings, he controversially said, "For years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa." And he was right. While car companies aren't necessarily the most progressive when it comes to things that might have the slightest possibility of political blowback, General Motors should be credited for doing something absolutely forthright in this regard with its announcement that it wants the federal U.S. government not to squash the California Air Resources Board's emissions requirements but to actually create a 50-state "National Zero Emissions Vehicle" program that, in the words of Mark Reuss, executive vice president and president, Global Product Group and Cadillac, "will drive the scale and infrastructure investments needed to allow the U.S. to lead the way to a zero emission future." Filing comments to the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks is one thing. But a graphic the company developed for this announcement — shown above — is something else entirely, something that is absolutely credible, creative and clever. There is a photo of a Chevrolet Bolt EV driving along a highway, which seems to be in Marin County (based on the blurred San Francisco skyline in the background). Text on the photo states: "It's Time for American Leadership in Zero Emissions Vehicles." It seems to say, in effect, "If we want to make America great again, then we're going to do it by leading in technology, not by retreating behind weakened regulations." General Motors understands that the auto market is globally competitive, and if U.S.-based companies are going to be in the game, then they'd better be able to out-innovate the companies based elsewhere, where emissions and economy standards are not being weakened. What's good for our country ... Related Video: