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GMC Canyon Denali Interior Review: THE luxury midsize truck

Over the past couple of years, GMC has been getting serious about being more than just a rebrand of Chevy trucks and SUVs. The same goes for the luxury Denali line. Among the beneficiaries of this push for differentiation is the latest Canyon. On top of only being available with the wide-track layout and the most powerful engines, it gets a Denali trim that is unequivocally the most luxurious midsize truck in the segment. The GMC Canyon Denali could even be described as a luxury midsize truck, of which there are no others. And it all comes down to what GMC has done with the interior. Open the door, and the upgrades are immediately obvious. There's leather everywhere. It's on the dash, the door panels, center console and doors. And it has nice details with the perforation and quilted stitching. The seatbacks get embroidered Denali logos and contrasting leather panels, too. The feel is more rugged than supple, but it is a truck after all, and the materials feel like they'll wear nicely.  Then you notice the wood trim. The real wood trim. It's subtle, just adorning a strip along the top of the dash and the front door panels, but the light brown color stands out against the black leather and plastic elsewhere. It's got a natural, open-pore finish that highlights the material, and the strip in the dash gets extra laser-cut details. The branding consisting of DENALI, some stylish strakes and the coordinates of Denali, the mountain, are crisp and clear. Throw in plenty of shiny chrome, and the same quality-feeling buttons and knobs (the knurling details on the knobs are particularly nice), and just on trimmings alone, it's obvious the Denali is the most plush little truck. The seats themselves are solid, though not particularly exceptional. The front seats are a bit flat, but they're also very roomy. On the Denali, the driver's seat has eight-way power adjustability with memory, and the passenger has six-way power adjustability. Heating and ventilation are included, too. Leg, head and shoulder room are also all excellent up front. The rear seat, like the rest of the segment, has enough room for adults, though legroom is a tad tight, with knees likely brushing the front seat backs. The seat bases in the rear are split with storage underneath, although it's not particularly useful. Besides its meager volume and awkward shape, much of it is taken up with the jack.

GM opens official investigation into C8 Corvette transmission leaks

In March 2020, a month after Chevrolet began customer deliveries of the 2020 C8 Corvette, a GM dealer technician created a Reddit thread about a leaking gearbox in a Corvette with 32 miles. That car hadn't even been sold yet. Since then, as a search of "C8 Corvette transmission leak" shows, it's been tales of woe for some owners. Something in the Tremec TR-9080 transaxle in the back of the mid-engined Corvette doesn't work as it should, the fault able to cause codes that the transmission needs service, or that the driver needs to shift to park. In some cases, the battery would die because of follow-on issues after the initial transmission code, that code preventing the car from powering down. As Autoevolution reports, GM filed paperwork with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in August to look into what's going on. Between forum threads and GM's investigation document, there are several issues mentioned. The most common appears to be the dual-clutch transmission leaking fluid due to gasket failures like the one suffered by one owner at 858 miles, and another for an owner currently enduring a second leaking transmission. The Midengined Corvette Forum reported that Chevy engineers redesigned the TR-9080 pan, fitting Corvettes with the new unit at some point in the 2021 model year. The original pan was stamped steel unit affixed to the engine with two studs and 13 bolts, plus "reinforcement plates." The updated pan is said to be a cast aluminum unit affixed with two studs and 17 bolts, omits the reinforcement plates, and gets a new machined new groove around its edge to seat the gasket seal. The GM paperwork now at the NHTSA mentions a P1789 code, and says one reason for it could be "debris on the park position sensor magnet causing an incorrect position reading to the TCM." This might be caused by another issue mentioned in forums, which is clogged transmission filters. GM gives instructions for returning transmission filters to the company, and a poster on one forum said the Corvette tech at the dealer where he bought his Corvette told him the automaker "requires every used transmission filter to be returned to GM."  Whatever's going on, the problems haven't stopped, and they go beyond the P1789 code. Over the weekend, a 2022 Corvette owner posted on Corvette Forums that he got a check engine light on his car after just 850 miles.

General Motors reportedly considering small electric pickup

General Motors is considering adding a small entry-level model to its range of electric pickups, according to a recent report. The carmaker is currently showing a prototype to a select group of customers to gather feedback about the model before executives decide its fate. Industry trade journal Automotive News claims that it saw the pickup during a workshop organized by General Motors and describes it as being "smaller than the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz." For context, the Maverick stretches about 200 inches long, 73 inches wide, and 69 inches tall, so it's around 12 inches shorter, 11 inches narrower, and 10 inches lower than the recently-unveiled Chevrolet Colorado. It sounds like this little GM truck would be closer in size to the Brazilian-market Chevy Montana, pictured at top. But unlike the Montana, the model that Automotive News got a look at had two doors, a "low roofline," a four- to four-and-a-half-foot cargo box, and a design described as futuristic and sporty. If launched, the yet-unnamed pickup would be marketed as an "affordable" EV with a base price pegged under $30,000. However, that's a big if: the pickup — whose name hasn't been announced — hasn't been approved for production. "We're creating these to get a reaction and then to try to modify it or move on," Michael Pevovar, the director affordable EV and crossover design for Chevrolet, told the publication. "The input may come back that it's just too small, and that's okay," he added. If it turns out to be too small for buyers, General Motors hasn't ruled out building its entry-level electric pickup on a different architecture to make it a little bigger. It's too early to tell where the electric pickup would slot in the General Motors portfolio if executives approve it. Chevrolet immediately comes to mind, especially considering the sub-$30,000 price point. The model would make more sense with a bowtie on its front end than with a Cadillac emblem, GMC's trucks are normally positioned higher than Chevrolet's, and Buick hasn't built a pickup in many decades. Similarly, there's no word on when it would enter production or where it would be built. With that being said, there's very clearly a market for affordable, small pickup trucks. As of the third quarter of last year, Ford had sold more Mavericks than it had the Expedition or the Ranger. Hyundai hasn't sold as many Santa Cruz trucks, but it's still not too shabby, having beaten out the Venue and Accent last year.