4x4-sle 1500hd-chrome Wheels-pwr Seat-cd-keyless-crew Cab- 1 Txownr-all Pwr-nice on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GMC and AEV reveal Sierra Grande upfit SEMA concept

If there was any question as to whether GMC was dedicating resources to its off-road models, it was dismissed the instant American Expedition Vehicles entered the conversation. The two have already partnered to produce a GMC-branded alternative to the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison. The 2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition is midsize pickup perfection, but the collaboration is far from over. With GMC now pushing the AT4X package on its heavy-duty pickups, AEV is looking for ways to explore the space.  "The Sierra Grande Concept represents AEV’s creative vision of how the company would further elevate the adventure-ready foundation of the GMC Sierra HD AT4X into a legendary overlanding rig," AEV said in its announcement The Sierra Grande is all Sierra HD AT4X underneath. The steering knuckles, control arms, rear suspension and butter-smooth DSSV dampers are all lifted directly from the production truck. This SEMA-bound concept is the quintessential upfit smorgasbord, boasting everything from add-on lighting to upgraded underbody protection. There are even two winches — one for the front and one for the back. If you ask us, they should have gone ahead and put one on each side too.  The snorkel pairs nicely with the 40-inch BF Goodrich tires, and the onboard air system guarantees you're never in a pickle when you hit pavement to head home. The bed is aluminum, but the skid plates are stamped steel (as is the brush guard). The front winch is rated for 12,500 pounds; the rear for "just" 9,500.  Unlike the Canyon AT4X AEV Edition, the Sierra Grande is merely an exercise — for now, anyway. We suspect that GMC has plenty more in store for its off-road trucks.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

May 2016: FCA wins, Ford and GM stumble on weak car volumes

The May 2016 sales numbers are in, and it looks as though FCA is getting some vindication for boldly cancelling two slow-selling car models. Meanwhile, Ford saw overall sales dip and GM's May volume took a big dive versus the same month in 2015. While Marchionne's decision to axe the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart has drawn criticism as being short-sighted, it's working for FCA so far. Although the Dart and 200 aren't out of production yet and no capacity has been shifted to crossover or trucks, May's numbers show that the emphasis on Jeep and Ram models makes sense right now. FCA's US sales rose 1 percent last month compared to May 2015, putting the year-to-date total at 955,186 vehicles, an increase of 6 percent compared to the same period last year. Standouts included the Jeep Renegade, Compass, and Patriot, and the Fiat 500X. Ram pickup sales were down 3 percent. And your fun fact is that Alfa Romeo sales were up precisely 10 percent, for a total of 44 4Cs sold versus 40 in the same month last year. At FoMoCo, the Ford brand took a hit to the tune of 6.4 percent from May 2015 to 2016, registering 226,190 sales last month. Lincoln showed improvement on its modest numbers, going from 9,174 to 9,807, a 6.9 percent increase. Overall, Ford was down 5.9 percent for the month to 235,997; despite the slump, year-to-date total Ford sales are up 4.2 percent to 1,112,939. Strong sellers included Escape, Expedition, F-Series, and Transit - big stuff. Most small and/or efficient models (Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, C-Max) saw sales slides. Fusion sales were also down, likely due to effects of model changeover to the freshened 2017 model. Ford has promised four new crossovers and SUVs by 2020 and if things keep trending this way the company will be able to sell them, but things could change in the next four years. GM saw the worst of it for domestic brands. Retail and fleet sales were down for each of the four divisions, with the May 2016 total dropping 18 percent to 240,450 vehicles. GM's year-to-date sales are down 5.0 percent in 2016 to 1,183,705. Both the Sierra and Silverado were down significantly, and the majority of Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac nameplates saw sales decreases, with both small cars and larger utilities included. Not even big stuff could help GM this month, it seems. We'll have more on the rest of the industry's May sales as those figures trickle in.

GM recalls select Tahoes, Yukons, Escalades for rear driveshaft issue

GM is recalling a number of its full-size SUVs due to an issue with the rear driveshaft assembly that could ultimately result in driveshaft failure. The actual number of total vehicles involved in the recall is small at just 1,789, but it’s spread out across the entire 2021 model year full-size GM vehicle lineup. That means a small number of every model is being recalled, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. GM traced the issue back to certain driveshaft assemblies with ball bearings that were not properly heat treated. If theyÂ’re not properly heat treated, GM says that the balls may deform over time, causing noise and vibration. Continue to drive in this condition, and GM says the affected joint in the driveshaft assembly could seize, causing loss of drive power. However, the problem wonÂ’t present itself all at once, as GM says there will be a gradual increase of noises and vibrations before total failure. For those few owners with affected vehicles, GM says that it will replace the left and right rear driveshaft assemblies with properly-built units. Per usual with recalls, this will be done at your local dealership at no cost to the owner. If you have one of the recalled SUVs, expect to be notified mid-March. Related video: