2016 Gmc Yukon Denali on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GMC Hummer EV could have had the Chevrolet Avalanche's Midgate

One of the many rumors swirling around the GMC Hummer EV claimed the truck would resurrect the Midgate inaugurated by the original Chevrolet Avalanche. Although we now know there's no way to fully knock down the partition between the cab and the cargo box, the firm revealed the rumor wasn't entirely false. "There was [a Midgate] early on. We opted for the functionality of the drop glass in the back. With the package layout and things like that, it was not advantageous to pursue that one. And, the five-foot bed was kind of the industry standard in regards to price of entry in that segment," explained John Mack, the Hummer's exterior design management, during an interview with Muscle Car & Trucks. The Hummer will go on sale with a five-foot box, and it doesn't sound like a longer bed will be available, so a modern version of the Midgate would have made the model more versatile by giving users the ability to fold down the partition behind the rear seats to carry bulky items, like plywood and ATVs. It's a feature that would have inevitably made the truck more complicated to build, however, because it adds moving parts that need to be sealed. Hinges, seals, and latches in turn add weight, and complexity almost always invites high manufacturing costs. As an electric pickup built with newly-developed components, the Hummer already has enough of each. Motorists who need to carry something that's significantly longer than the cargo box aren't entirely out of luck. As Mack pointed out, the rear window drops into the partition, so owners will have the ability to haul surfboards, lumber, or anything else that's relatively long and reasonably thin by simply pushing a switch. Alternatively, the only thing limiting cargo space when the roof comes off is the sky — or, depending on where you live, bridges. Mack didn't reveal when the Midgate was dropped. GMC launched the Hummer project in April 2019, and it previously released early design sketches that show how the truck transitioned from a sketch to a prototype. As of writing, nothing suggests the Midgate will make a comeback in the near future on any member of the General Motors portfolio. It was introduced in 2001 on the first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche, which went on sale in the United States for the 2002 model year. It later spread to Cadillac's luxed-up variant of the truck, the Escalade EXT, and to the short-lived GMC Envoy XUV.

2018 GMC Yukon Denali gets a sculpted new grille

More than half of all GMC Yukon and Yukon XL models sold wear top-level Denali trim. That's a profitable scenario for the automaker, so, perhaps above all else, GMC needs its premium Denali series of vehicles to continue to stand out in a line of trucks and SUVs at the dealership lot. Hence, chrome, and lots of it. But for 2018, GMC is blessing the behemoth Yukon Denali with an added dose of class with a new multi-dimensional grille. "The new grille, which is flanked by HID headlamps and LED Signature Lighting, advances the design legacy established with the very first Yukon Denali in 1999," said Matt Noone, director of Global GMC Exterior Design. In addition to a sophisticated new look, the grille adds customizable cooling capabilities to the Denali range. Active shutters open when additional cooling is needed, or close to reduce aerodynamic drag when the engine isn't too warm. Further increasing the efficiency of the big brutish 'ute is a new 10-speed automatic transmission. That's two extra gears over the 2017 Yukon Denali, leading to a numerically lower final drive to help save fuel at highway speeds. Inside, Mastique Ash wood trim differentiates the 2018 model from previous years. A 420-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine remains standard for 2018, as do blingy 20-inch wheels with 22 inchers optional. Related Video: Design/Style GMC SUV Luxury gmc yukon denali

GMC and EarthCruiser to collaborate on Hummer EV Pickup overlander project

GMC just announced a collaboration with overlanding vehicle builder EarthCruiser, and the end result is going to provide us with a co-developed Hummer EV Pickup. The photo you’re looking at above is the first teaser for whatÂ’s to come of the partnership. The Hummer team will be working with EarthCruiserÂ’s research and design division to develop an overland upfit solution for EVs that it says will initially be integrated into the Hummer EV Pickup. In case you werenÂ’t familiar with EarthCruiser, theyÂ’re the people that have made utterly wild overlanding vehicles like the Terranova, FX and EXP. Needless to say, EarthCruiser makes some pretty rad stuff, and none of it is cheap. GMC says this collaboration will look to use EarthCruiserÂ’s expertise gained from developing its vehicles to create an overlanding solution for the Hummer. We should expect to see EarthCruiserÂ’s engineering technologies integrated into the vehicle, which will allow the Hummer to go even further off-road and provide the ability for owners to live with their trucks in the wilderness.  The one snag with overlanding in EVs is the typically long journeys away from civilization. As an example, the EarthCruiser XP and EXP feature 60-gallon fuel tanks to ensure you can get to where you need to go and power the living situation for a long time once youÂ’re there. WeÂ’ll be interested to hear what GMC and EarthCruiser have to say about the challenges presented by overlanding in an EV. Already visible in the teaser image is what looks like a solar panel-filled roof and rear side pods for supplies. The concept truck will be presented in late summer 2023, and while no date for a production vehicle was provided, itÂ’s likely that the final truck will come soon after. Related video: