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GM's redesigned full-size 2021 SUVs face delay over coronavirus

As General Motors works to conserve cash for the coronavirus pandemic, the automaker reportedly told suppliers that it is postponing development of several future vehicles. The situation may cause GM to delay the launch of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Suburban SUVs, which had been planned to roll out in April. The original launch plan for the redesigned full-size SUVs, which are some of the most profitable vehicles produced by GM, had called for production of the current models to end at its plant in Arlington, Texas, this week. After a retooling process, the redesigned SUVs were slated to begin production late in the month of April. In an email to suppliers viewed by Reuters and confirmed as authentic by GM, the automaker also said it was suspending development work on six future vehicle programs, including updates of the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Cadillac XT4, Bolt EV, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GM said preproduction work on those programs would be pushed back to calendar year 2021, with most of the updated vehicles scheduled to be launched as 2022 models. According to the Detroit News, work has also been paused on the Chevy Camaro and a future version of the Corvette that has yet to be unveiled and wasn't planned for production during the 2020 calendar year. Last week, the automaker told employees and suppliers it was delaying work on some future vehicles while pushing ahead with near-term models such as its redesigned full-size SUVs and the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Bolt EUV and Cruise Origin, as well as its new Ultium battery system. A GM spokesman who spoke with Reuters reiterated on Monday what the automaker had said last week — that the situation with its U.S. plants was "fluid" and that the automaker would "continue to evaluate" whether and when to reopen those plants on a week-by-week basis, with "employee safety" guiding that decision. GM said previously that it was closing most of its U.S. plants indefinitely. In its Monday email, GM asked suppliers to stop work on all pre-production tooling and pre-production parts manufacturing, but also not to dispose of any tooling or materials. GM told Reuters it had solicited volunteers from its workforce to finish the build-out of the current SUVs on a single shift in Arlington.

GMC talking to dealers about possible Jeep Wrangler competitors

With respect to the team at GMC, it's pretty much fair to say the manufacturer prospers on a lineup of nothing more than gussied up Chevrolets. The brand's successes aside, GMC can be boiled down thusly – the Sierra is a Silverado, the Terrain an Equinox, the Canyon a Colorado and the Acadia is a Traverse, albeit with sometimes dressier duds. Strictly speaking, it's not that simple – Acadia and Terrain have siblings beyond the Bowtie – but the brand is remarkable for its lack of distinctive models. That could change, though, as The Wall Street Journal is claiming General Motors has broached the idea of a building a GMC-badged competitor to the Jeep Wrangler during a meeting with dealers. WSJ claims the new off-roader would "borrow cues and capability" from the defunct Hummer brand. That, of course, could mean many, many different things. While the original Hummer, the H1, was an exceptionally capable vehicle off-road, the H2 and H3 weren't nearly as single minded. It's unclear if a Hummer-inspired, off-road-ready GMC would lean more towards the former than the latter. According to WSJ's report, the GMC Jeep appears to be in the very, very early planning stages, with one unnamed source saying the idea was "being kicked around real hard." GM is still courting dealers for feedback, while it refused the Journal's request for comment. What are your thoughts? Is a Wrangler competitor long overdue for GM? Do you think GMC is the best brand to introduce such a model? Have your say in Comments. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4X4 View 12 Photos News Source: The Wall Street JournalImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL GM GMC SUV Off-Road Vehicles

Chevrolet Silverado reportedly getting the GMC Sierra's MultiPro tailgate

GMC reinvented the pickup tailgate when it added a six-way option named MultiPro to the current-generation Sierra it introduced in 2019. It kept this clever feature to itself as a way to differentiate the Sierra from the Chevrolet Silverado, but a recent report claims it will begin sharing it in the not-too-distant future. Enthusiast website GM Authority learned from anonymous sources familiar with Chevrolet's product plans that the Silverado will soon receive its own version of the MultiPro tailgate. It will be called either MultiFlex or Multi-Flex, a name Chevrolet has already trademarked, and it was initially scheduled to make its debut for the 2021 model year. Its arrival might be delayed until the 2022 model year due to the coronavirus pandemic, however. Chevrolet's Silverado and GMC's Sierra are nearly identical under the sheet metal, so adding the latter's six-way tailgate to the former will be a relatively straightforward and cost-effective process. Interestingly, GM Authority wrote engineers could add a seventh function to the tailgate, though it didn't reveal what they have in store. It's also not sure whether both trucks will get the new feature, or if it will exclusively be offered on the Chevrolet. 2022 will bring major updates to the Silverado and the Sierra, potentially including — as we've previously reported — an independent rear suspension. Interior upgrades will allegedly be part of the mid-cycle changes, too, but we still don't know if the Silverado will receive the tough carbon fiber cargo box available in the Sierra. In the meantime, motorists in the market for a Sierra will temporarily have fewer options to choose from. GMC has asked its dealers to stop taking orders for the regular- and double-cab variants of the truck, according to a separate report from GM Authority. Putting the slower-selling regular- and double-cab trucks on hiatus will allow dealers to build up their inventory of crew-cabs, which sell far better and are in relatively short supply. These restrictions will remain in effect until the 2021 model year, which starts on September 14 for double- and crew-cab models and on September 21 for regular-cab trucks. All three body styles will be available in 2021. Related Video: