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GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 teased before tonight's debut

GMC says its Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 battery-electric pickup is "Built to tower above everything you thought an electric truck could be. That’s why itÂ’s the only EV that deserves the name Denali." We will know what the marketing speak means tomorrow (Thursday), when GM's third electric pickup in a year debuts at 5 p.m. Eastern. GMC teased the face of the Ultium-powered Sierra Denali nearly a year ago with an animated rendering. This second teaser on the eve of the debut gives us a better feel for what to expect. The front fascia advertises the product with illuminated GMC lettering at the center of a grille panel defined by an illuminated border. Upside down L-shaped LED lights frame three LED charging status bars. Below those at the bumper edges are what look like four fog lights, two round units above two squared oval units. In back, a glimpse of taillight reminds one of the Hummer EV's spendy rear lights, a Denali badge informing tailgaters what kind of truck they're following. A panoramic glass panel takes up just about the entire roof, save for some sheetmetal at the back where the shark fin antenna rests. Under that roof, one of the seating options will be a ventilated, quilted fabric with "Denali" embroidered in the headrest.  All the other intel must wait another 24 hours. This truck's Chevrolet Silverado EV sibling has been pitched as pricing between $40,000 and $105,000. We've been told the Sierra EV will only come in Denali trim, so expect the feature set and pricing to align more with the Hummer EV, from close to $100,000 once all trims are rolled out to sums well over $100,000. The furnishings could set a new benchmark in glitz for GMC, brand VP Duncan Aldred saying, "We now have an opportunity to evolve SierraÂ’s capabilities and technologies, as afforded by transitioning to an all-electric propulsion while also elevating the luxurious design and comfort associated with Denali." The playbook established so far leads us to believe the Ultium platform will provide a 200-kWh battery and an estimated range of 400 miles, and an output of something like the 664 horsepower and 780 pound-feet of torque in the top Silverado EV trim. Or this limited Edition 1 trim could split the power gap between the Silverado EV and the 1,000-hp Hummer EV.  Reservations open after the debut.

GM to squeeze out more production capacity for midsize trucks

General Motors was predicting a strong showing for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon before they debuted, and demand among dealers for the midsize trucks even exceeded company's expectations. The positive situation has left GM with a problem, though: finding ways to increase capacity for the pickups at the Wentzville Assembly plant in Missiouri. With a third shift already running, GM has continued to look for ways to build just a few more of the trucks at the plant. The company has plans to hire as many as 1,000 more workers for the Saturday and Sunday shifts to construct an additional 2,000 pickups a month, according to unnamed insiders at the factory speaking to Automotive News. The little adjustments even extend to getting rid of an unpaid break to add 18 minute of assembly time over the course of a day, which equals about 3,500 more vehicles a year. All of this effort comes because the trucks are in such high demand. According to GM's figures, the company has delivered a combined 35,720 units of the Colorado and Canyon from January through April 2015, and the Chevy was the fastest-selling truck in the US for the previous three months. In May, it spent an average of just 12 days in showrooms before being snapped up. And even better for the company, 43 percent of these buyers came from other brands. According to Automotive News, the most popular trade-ins have included the Ford F-150, Toyota Tacoma, and Dodge Dakota. Related Video:

GM cutting back on powertrain warranty citing lack of interest

Generally, when a manufacturer offers a long, high-mileage warranty, it's a sign that it stands behind its products. On top of that, it's generally a selling point for consumers, who can rest easy knowing that any catastrophic failures will be picked up by the manufacturer. Considering those facts, it does seem rather strange that General Motors is slashing the mileage warranty on model year 2016 vehicles from Chevrolet and GMC. Instead of offering consumers a 100,000-mile warranty, GM will now only offer a powertrain warranty up to 60,000 miles. The five-year warranty period, though, remains unchanged. GM will also cut the number of free services being offered to Chevy and GMC owners, as well as Buick drivers, from four to two. "Through research, we have determined that when purchasing a new vehicle, included maintenance and warranty rank low on the list of reasons why consumers consider a particular brand over another," explained a memo sent to dealers by Chevrolet VP Brian Sweeney and his GMC counterpart, Duncan Aldred, and obtained by Automotive News. "As a result, we have benchmarked our competitors, reviewed our current offerings and have concluded the following modifications to align closely with our customers' needs and expectations." While the move might seem odd, Sweeney and Aldred are right – according to Automotive News, Ford, Honda and Toyota each offer a five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty. As for what the money saved by trimming the powertrain warranty will go towards, a GM spokesperson simply told AN that the company will "reinvest the savings we will realize into other retail programs," some of which have been requested by consumers. What are your thoughts? Would a 40,000-mile reduction in a new vehicle's powertrain really turn you off from buying one? Even if it matched its competitors? Is GM better off spending its money elsewhere? Have your say in Comments. Featured Gallery 2016 Chevrolet Equinox View 10 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Chevrolet Chevrolet GM GMC Auto Repair Maintenance Ownership warranty