1972 Gmc K1500 4wd on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM cutting vehicle trim options to save money for electrification

Information continues to filter out about GM's plans based on comments the automaker made during its Capital Markets Day event in February. GM President Mark Reuss said the company's push to save money by rationalizing the number of build combinations will continue in 2020, carrying on the work done in 2019. As GM Authority covers, last year, the carmaker cut 3,500 components across model lines, a 12% drop in the number of parts it needed to stock in its plants. Reuss used the next-generation Chevolet Equinox and GMC Terrain as examples for more cost efficiencies, saying build possibilities — which include international markets and their options — will be cut by more than 50%, and use more shared parts. "We will reduce total trim levels on Equinox and Terrain from eight to six," Reuss said, "reduce engine variants from 11 to 5, reduce build combinations from more than 200 to less than 100 per program, and see significant cost savings of an already paid-for architecture that took the mass out, helping us self-fund electrification programs." GM will plow a large amount of the money it saves into its ambitious EV program. In 2017, the automaker said it intends to have 20 electric vehicles on the market by the end of 2023, some of which could be shared between brands. An automotive analyst at Seeking Alpha and a piece in Automobile attempted to put specifics to what we should expect. As Automobile points out, the first two EVs in the 20-car program are already on sale, being the Ariv Meld and Ariv Merge eBikes available in Belgium and The Netherlands. We've seen the Cruise Origin autonomous rideshare taxi, although we don't know when it will hit the road. The next three, which we should see in the metal shortly, are two Cadillac EVs and the GMC Hummer EV pickup. The Cadillac pair are expected to be sized like the XT4 and XT5, and along with the Hummer, should hit the market starting in late 2021.

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #313 LIVE!

We record Autoblog Podcast #313 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #313
2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra introduced

2020 GMC Sierra makes diesel and 10-speed more available

The 2020 GMC Sierra full-size pickup truck doesn't look much different than the previous model, but it brings along a number of new feature updates. Specifically, certain options are now more widely available, including some powertrain options. The model year also brings about the truck's latest towing camera and some towing app updates. We'll start with the 3.0-liter diesel inline-six and 10-speed automatic, as both are more broadly available for 2020. The diesel adds the second-lowest Elevation trim level, meaning it's available in every trim except the base Sierra. The diesel is also now an option for the CarbonPro Edition AT4 and Denali, so you aren't limited to the 6.2-liter V8 for those trims. The 10-speed automatic is finally available on the 5.3-liter V8, but it's restricted to four-wheel-drive versions of the SLT, AT4 and Denali trims – lower trims retain the eight-speed automatic. The 10-speed transmission continues to be standard with the 6.2-liter V8 and 3.0-liter diesel. GMC also added new towing-related features for 2020. It has a newly-optional rear-view camera system that can show what's behind the truck's trailer, and it can project that where the trailer is on the main display, effectively making the trailer disappear. This feature was introduced in the Sierra HD. GMC also added a feature to its trailer app that lets you store and share details on your trailer setup so that it's easier for someone else to hook it up. You can even monitor and activate functions on compatible trailers with the app. There are a number of other more minor updates. Sierras can now be optioned with adaptive cruise control. The Elevation trim is available with the Crew Cab configuration. The AT4 CarbonPro Edition gets a few extra black accents compared with the 2019 version. Pricing and availability of the 2020 Sierra haven't been announced yet, though.