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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 considering new powertrain options for large SUVs

Aside from the new General Motors offerings, there's not a whole lot of action going on in the fullsize SUV segment. That doesn't seem to be stopping GM from pushing the envelope in the market as Automotive News is reporting that the automaker is looking to introduce some new powertrain options into the Chevy Tahoe (and Suburban), GMC Yukon (and Yukon XL) and the Cadillac Escalade - all have been redesigned for the 2015 model year.
Now, we already know that GM and Ford are collaborating on nine- and ten-speed transmissions for a broad range of applications (including the big SUVs), but this new report says that GM is also considering other options as a way to one-up the competition and, of course, to optimize fuel economy. AN quotes Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer for GM trucks, as saying that "interesting powertrain technologies" are coming including a return of a hybrid SUV and possibly even a diesel engine. Although it sounds like the latter could come down to how customers respond to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel.

370,000 new Silverado and Sierra pickups recalled over fire risk

General Motors announced late Friday that it will recall around 370,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra fullsize pickups from the 2014 model year over a possible fire risk. The recall covers select 4.3-liter V6 and 5.3-liter V8 models, which can evidently suffer engine compartment fires due to the overheating of exhaust components. GM notes that the fire issue may be preceded by a check engine light and an "engine power reduced" message on the driver information display.
Thus far, GM is aware of eight fires stemming from this problem (although only three of those incidents affected customer-owned vehicles), and all of the fires were reported in areas with "very cold weather." GM is urging owners to not leave their vehicles unintended while idling. No injuries have resulted from the fires in question.
The Detroit-based automaker has pledged to start mailing out recall letters on January 16. The fix, which involves software reprogramming, is estimated to be a 20-minute repair, and will be made free of charge.