2005 Gmc Yukon Denali Xl Nav Dvd 7-pass Sunroof Leather Heated Seats 3-row Wood on 2040-cars

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Torque time | 2017 GMC Sierra HD First Drive

It's not the truck that counts, it's how you use it. It's the heavy stuff you fit in its bed or the extremely heavy stuff that gets hooked up to the tow hitch. The ATV, the Jet Skis, the trailer with more square footage than a Greenwich Village apartment. Perhaps you need to get Seabiscuit or, uh, Mr. Ed to wherever they need to gallop next. In our case, there's a pair of very serious-looking snowmobiles perched atop the bed of a GMC Sierra. They spread out as wide as the extended tow mirrors, and their back halves are dangling precariously beyond the truck. Sterling Archer would be giddy; I'm a little nervous. But only because canyon roads and wide vehicles with a high center of gravity go together like peas and custard. The added weight is no sweat at all. That's because this is the 2017 GMC Sierra HD Denali, a truck with the sort of enhanced power, torque, suspension, and stopping capability expected of a heavy-duty pickup. And for this year, the power and torque get a serious bump courtesy of a new 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine reengineered from almost the ground up with 90 percent new parts. It's quieter and more efficient and it emits less, while most importantly producing 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque. That's up from 397 and 765, respectively. Chevy fans will note that the same engine is also available in the updated 2017 Silverado HD. Now, for those keeping score at home, that horsepower is best-in-class but the torque number still falls short of the new Ford Super Duty and its Power Stroke diesel V8's 925 lb-ft. Aw shucks. For the record, GM's engineers didn't seem too concerned that they weren't able to eke out an extra 16 torques just to say they're No. 1. "We wanted to first meet emissions and then deliver the maximum horsepower and torque we could, and deliver it over the widest usability range possible," said chief engineer Eric Stanczak. And let's be honest here, 910 pound-feet is herculean, and once again, a jump of 145 lb-ft. Or one Subaru Impreza's worth. Or 110 more than the best Ram can do on a 2500, and its Cummins turbodiesel's 800 pound-feet was eye-popping not too long ago. (The Ram 3500 maxes out at 900 lb-ft with the right transmission.) Ah, but here's the rub. That Cummins-equipped Ram 2500 can still tow more weight according to SAE-compliant measurements – 17,510 pounds for a Ram crew cab with a short bed versus 13,000 in the similar Sierra 2500. The Ford F-250 can manage 15,000.

The 2017 GMC Yukon XL Denali: Not just for the fertile set

I have a sis whom I've nicknamed "The Vickster." She is a beautiful Amazon, 6'1 on a good day and is the mom to a singleton. So why would my sis need to own a GMC Yukon XL Denali when she doesn't have a brood? Well to this I say, is there a written rule somewhere that states behemoth SUV's must be solely purchased by, you know, school-run moms? I think not! Even though the 2017 GMC Yukon XL Denali is tanker-sized and can swallow up to nine passengers, it has road presence and supreme luxury to boot which is a real draw for not just the fertile set. The Yukon XL Denali is an in-your-face kind of vehicle, and it was all in mine. The monolith has a presence, there's no denying, and even though it is big from every angle, it is far from odious. The stately looking ride has nicely defined slabs of metal, boxy proportions that make you look as it glides down the highway. Giving the Yukon XL my front-to-back once over, I liked its imposing mesh grille, nicely placed chrome accents and badges, riveting upsized wheels, and attractive high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps and LED rear tail lamps. Once I settled into the cavernous and swanky realm of leather and mellow accent lighting that makes up the Yukon XL's interior, I then realized why "The Vickster" opted for this vehicle. The SUV's interior design is not overdone, no excessive bling to the point of blindness! Tasteful appointments on the Yukon XL include soft-touch leathers, aluminum trim, wood inlays, La-Z-Boy comfy seating in the first two rows (2nd-row power-release fold-and-tumble bucket seats); and thankfully, the non-gizmos overkill command center has large and ergonomically comfy controls. Space for a leggy crew is more than ample in the first and second rows. The SUV's available power folding, third-row fold-flat seats, however, are not exactly cut out for those who have gone past middle school as the seating is less bolstered and a little too close to the floor. Loved the wide and cushy center console that is not only spacious enough for hanging folders or a laptop but most importantly, it's elbow-friendly! Technology on the Yukon XL did not disappoint—particularly with the available built-in 4G Wi-Fi Hotspot for up to seven devices that kept me connected wherever I roamed.

GM expanding Lansing Lambda CUV plant

Considering that crossovers are a rapidly growing portion of the US auto market, it's not surprising to hear that General Motors is preparing to build even more of them. The company is investing $63 million to expand its Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant that builds Lambda platform CUVs like the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.
According to GM, the expansion will add roughly 263,000 extra square feet of space to the plant. Of that, 181,000 square feet will be for an updated body shop with cutting-edge robots. There will also be 54,000 square feet of additional room in the paint shop and 28,000 square feet of more area for general assembly.
GM isn't saying as much, but there is the possibility that this extra space could allow for additional models produced at the factory. Cadillac reportedly dropped plans to build a three-row SUV on the Lambda platform earlier this year, however, dealers for the luxury brand were recently pitched the possibility of adding large and small CUVs, an ATS convertible or a sedan below the ATS.