2024 Gmc Sierra 2500 At4 on 2040-cars

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Despite strong profits, GM still fighting flat market share

Looking at the progress General Motors has made since it entered bankruptcy, it's easy to forget that the company still has a long way to go before it's the juggernaut it once was. A recent report from Reuters points out that, while GM is making money, it isn't making any gains in terms of US market share. Quite the opposite, really. Consider this factoid: In 1963, nearly half of the cars sold in the United States were from Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC or Pontiac. Now, the company's US market share is stagnant at 17.9 percent. That same number is half of just Chevy's 1963 market share. This is all despite GM going on a binge replacing or updating its models. "Market share increases are not instantaneous," Mark Reuss told Reuters at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. "We've got a lot of baggage. Don't underestimate what people though of us, or these brands, through these hardships and 30 years." The reasons for the stagnant market share are numerous. Reuters points out that retooling of factories and a focus on limiting incentives are both good things for profit, but not necessarily for market share. There's also the troubling turnover of the brand's marketing department. These issues don't change the fact that Chevrolet has lost 1.4 percent of its market share in two years, and that Cadillac - arguably GM's most improved brand overall - has lost 1.2 percent in the same period. Part of that can be blamed on GM's avoidance of fleet sales in favor of more profitable customer sales. "Our focus has really been on retail and that's where we've got the growth," said Alan Batey, GM's interim global marketing boss. "We want to grow GM and that means growing market share and profits, but it's not at all costs," Reuss said. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: paul bica - Flickr CC 2.0 Earnings/Financials Buick Cadillac GM GMC sales profits

The 2021 F-150 elevates Ford's bed game

The new 2021 Ford F-150 is ushering in a new era of pickup capability, but there's more to it than the introduction of the PowerBoost hybrid. While that new powertrain is certainly the truck's headlining element, the supporting electrical architecture enables a level of utility that hasn't been offered in past consumer half-tons. The true party trick is Ford's new "Pro Power Onboard" feature, which is essentially a built-in generator that provides juice for the 2021 F-150's rather robust in-bed power station. This system is available even on gasoline-engine models, but its utility is maximized with the electrified powertrain. ICE models equipped with the option max out at 2.0 kilowatts, while the PowerBoost hybrid can be had with either a 2.4- or a whopping 7.2-kilowatt inverter.  The idea here is that the F-150 can essentially stand in for a high-output portable generator. In a worksite example provided by Ford, a PowerBoost model with the 7.2-kW upgrade and a single tank of fuel could provide 32 hours of power for an 1,800-watt compound miter saw, a 1,000W circular saw, a 1,200W battery charger, a 1,200W hammer drill, and a 1,000W air compressor with hundreds of watts to spare for lighting and other accessories. But even without the Pro Power Onboard option, Ford's new bed setup enables more versatility than in previous models. The new Tailgate Work Surface option adds a flat work area with integrated rulers, recesses for pencils or small tools, and even a stand for a personal device.  Ford is neither the first to offer an auxiliary power outlet in a half-ton pickup bed, nor was Ford the first to introduce a more feature-rich tailgate. GMC's MultiPro tailgate was a major innovation on that front, and while it is geared mostly toward improving the cargo utility of the bed, it can also be customized with 12-volt power and even an accessory speaker system. The Ram 1500 is also offered with both a multi-function tailgate and AC power in the bed, though the latter option is limited to models with the RamBox cargo package.  As half-ton pickups approach levels of towing and hauling capability that begin to blur lines with heavy-duty offerings, it's clear that automakers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves without stepping on their own bigger trucks' toes. These new bed and tailgate innovations may yet be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to full-size pickup versatility. Related Video:    

2023 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 will get more expensive

GMC Sierra HD pickups are about to get more expensive again after recently becoming more expensive, according to GM Authority. In July, GMC and Buick raised the prices on certain vehicles in their lineups anywhere from $975 to $1,675 by making the previously optional OnStar a standard feature. Next year, every GMC and Buick model will adopt the upgrade. The big boy Sierra HD gets the biggest increase, being $1,500 for three years of OnStar and the Connected Services Plan plus another $175 for to be "OnStar & GMC Connected Services capable." GMA says the MSRPs for the entire 2023 Sierra HD range will be increased $1,000 on top of that. After doing the math, though, we suspect the increase could in fact be anywhere from about $800 to at least $1,100 after factoring for OnStar. The GMC configurator rings up a price of $43,670 for an entry-level Regular Cab Sierra HD Pro 2WD, GMA says next year's price will be $44,770. GMA didn't break out the next year's destination charge, it's possible GMC is adding $1,000 to the MSRP and $100 to destination. We'll find out when official pricing is announced. GMA's table shows a price of $49,795 for the least expensive SLE trim, whereas the current configurator indicates the truck can be had for $47,295 — a $2,500 difference. The SLE configurator doesn't show any charges for OnStar the way the Pro trim does. So it's possible that after backing out a potential $1,675 for OnStar, the gravy on top is just $825. Not that your wallet will care where how the potato is being sliced when the potato costs an additional $2,500 no matter what. The least dear 2022 Sierra 3500 starts at $43,195 going by the configurator. GMA says that model will command $45,970 next year, a $2,775 difference. As with the 2500 HD SLE, the configurator doesn't show the OnStar charges for the base 3500 Pro trim; subtracting the $1,675 takes us back to the $1,100 difference that appears to be at the heart of all of this. If all goes to plan, the 2023 Sierra HD will give way to a heavily refreshed 2024 model with interior upgrades cribbed from the Sierra 1500. Spy shots reveal a reconfigured instrument panel with a larger infotainment touchscreen of a likely 13.4 inches among the interior tweaks. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.