2014 Gmc Sierra 2500 Denali on 2040-cars

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GMC's Denali offerings are going great guns

The Denali trim that GMC uses to denote its top-of-the-line vehicles was introduced back in 1999, partly as a way to challenge the recently introduced Lincoln Navigator. Fifteen years later, and with GMC the tenth-largest US automotive brand by itself Denali has become a sub-brand that keeps the cash registers ringing at the Renaissance Center HQ. While GMC increased sales by 9 percent in 2013, TheDetroitBureau.com reports that that Denali sales rose by 20 percent.
There are currently five Denali models in the GMC line, with the Denali trim available on all but its commercial vans. In 2010, when the now-discontinued Yukon XL Hybrid was also on sale, GMC sold 32,886 units of its top trim. Last year, that number had increased to 75,558, with almost no help from traditional marketing spends. Go to YouTube and search for "GMC Denali commercials" - the few actual commercial results are from years ago. GMC marketing director Roger McCormack tells TheDetroitBureau.com, "It's largely all been organic."
As sales have grown, so has the tide of money GMC rakes in from the additional luxury features on Denali models. The 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe starts at $44,600, yet its 2014 Yukon Denali doppelganger starts at $58,320, pricing that includes additional features like the larger 6.2-liter V8, nicer interior, head-up display and magnetic ride control suspension. The Yukon XL Denali starts at $60,965, but the article says the "average customer" likely to spend "up and above $70,000" to take one home. How does that happen? On a top-trim Tahoe LTZ, the top-tier wheel option is a set of 20-inch chrome wheels for $400; on the 'base' Yukon Denali you can swap for a set of 22-inch chrome alloys for $2,995. Add it up, and an analyst at AutoTrends Consulting said that kind of margin "epitomizes the concept of obscene profitability." We say when it comes to Denali, GMC appears to stand for "Grabbing More Cash."

2021 GMC Terrain spied on GM's Proving Grounds

As the Chevrolet Equinox changes, so does the GMC Terrain. We saw shots of an updated Equinox not too long ago, and now our spy shooters have caught the GMC version of the crossover testing inside GM's Milford Proving Grounds. Similar to the Equinox, the Terrain is due for a mid-cycle refresh soon. Unfortunately, GM has this compact crossover covered up heavily to make sure we can't tell what's coming yet. The midsection of the vehicle remains the same as before, and we can even see the floating roof design outlined in the back by the camouflage. We imagine the majority of the changes will come up front with a new fascia including a different grille and headlight design. If it adopts the latest from the bigger Acadia, we'll be looking at a much more upright and butch-looking grille. That look descends from the full-size Sierra, though, so we'll see how much truck GMC wants to put in its small crossover. What will be most interesting of all is if GMC sticks to its guns with the wacky push-button shifter on the dash. The weird design has received mixed feedback, and this would be GMC's first big opportunity to respond. However, we expect most interior changes to be kept to a minimum, as this is only a mid-cycle refresh — GM completely redid everything for the full redesign in 2018. Additionally, we'll be interested to hear if the diesel will continue to be available as an option going forward. We'll likely see the refreshed Terrain sometime after the next Equinox is revealed. As it stands, this Terrain is probably a 2021 model year vehicle, and will be revealed at the tail end of this year, or in early 2020.

REWIND: Watch the GMC Hummer EV live reveal right here

It has been a long wait to see the GMC Hummer electric pickup truck, which was teased way back at the Super Bowl in February of this year. And that wait ends tonight at 8 p.m. eastern time when GM pulls the covers off the truck. You can see the whole reveal right here, or during the World Series on Fox or "The Voice" on NBC. For everything we know about the truck, go to our reveal post here. The truck should be impressive. GMC has previously announced it will have up to 1,000 horsepower, and it will have a variety of fun features such as removable roof panels and four-wheel steering that can move the truck sort of sideways with "Crab Mode." The GMC Hummer will also be available in pickup and SUV forms. So be sure to tune in tonight for one of the biggest (figuratively and literally) vehicle reveals of the year. And keep an eye on Autoblog for all the latest on the Hummer and other vehicles.