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2022 GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate Interior Review: Better by a million miles

We were right. So were customers. Basically, everyone who took one look at the interior of the current GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado generation and immediately went "not good enough." Possibly followed by "not even close" and/or laughing. The Silverado cabin was especially egregious in the top-of-the-line Sierra Denali, which slapped some token bits of "wood" to the doors and center console sides and called it a day. It didn't even get the Silverado High Country's bronzey trim surrounding the touchscreen. Absolutely nothing about it said, "I am competitive with just about any Ram 1500 or, to a lesser extent, a Ford F-150 King Ranch or Platinum." That changes with the 2022 GMC Sierra. Do I really need to explain why the "After" (up top) is so much better than the "Before" (above)? I do not. The better question is: is it better or at least as good as the Ram and F-150 now? Yes! And! GMC actually upped the game further for 2022 by adding a level beyond the Denali: the Denali Ultimate. While both Denalis share a common design with each other and the also-new Sierra AT4X, that design is different than what you'll find in other Sierras and every redone Silverado. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first time the Silverado and Sierra have had such substantially different interiors. True, they're still awfully similar, but by GMC/Chevy standards, it might as well be night and day.  You can see the difference below: Denali Ultimate left, Silverado High Country right. Is one design better than another? I don't think so, but they are indeed different, which is great. BUT! Remember, this is the new Denali Ultimate we're talking about here. That means it goes beyond the regular Denali.  First, this "Alpine Umber" color with "Forge perforated leather seat trim" is only available on the Denali Ultimate and the only color available for the Denali Ultimate. It has a bit of the King Ranchy/Long Horny feel to it without going so far into cowboy land. I dig it. The regular Denali offers Jet Black or "Atmosphere/Brownstone" (shades of brown).  This leather then features white piping and super-cool baseball-ish contrast stitching. I would like to reiterate at this point that the Sierra Denali's previous idea of a luxury aesthetic upgrade was strips of wood-looking plastic. What's the word I'm searching for? Ah yes. "Effort." But wait, there's more!

2023 J.D. Power APEAL Study shows new-car customer satisfaction scores slip

J.D. Power survey results have been slightly up but mostly down for automakers this year, literally. In February, the 2023 Vehicle Dependability Study showed an overall decline compared the 2022 a month before the Customer Service Index Study did the same. The trend reversed in June with a better overall score on the 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study than in 2022, then declined again the same month on with a lower overall score on the 2023 Initial Quality Study. The declines continue with the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, overall satisfaction among the 84,555 respondents down two points overall compared to 2022, to 845 out of 1,000 points. Because last year's score dropped compared to 2021, this year marks the first consecutive decline in the study's 28-year history. The study tries to "[measure] owners' emotional attachment and level of excitement with new vehicle" after 90 days of ownership by asking new owners to rate 37 attributes in 10 areas around the vehicle, such as the feeling they get when they hit the accelerator. Satisfaction with nine of the attributes is down this year versus last, fuel economy the only segment to show better results with 15 points more satisfaction. Styling and infotainment are big drags on satisfaction. Responses to new car exterior looks tallied 888 points, down from 894 last year, the largest drop in this year's study. On the digital side, less than half of those surveyed this year said they prefer using a manufacturer's built-in infotainment. From 70% of respondents in 2020 preferring to use a manufacturer's in-house software to play audio instead of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, that's 56% in 2023. Going all-in on Google appears to have the best effect. J.D. Power said that vehicles with both Google's Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS) and Google Automotive Services (GAS) "score higher in the infotainment category than those with no AAOS whatsoever. AAOS without GAS receives the lowest scores for infotainment of the three categories."  Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, said, "Despite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles, owners are lukewarm about them. While innovations like charging pads, vehicle apps and advanced audio features should enhance an owner’s experience, this is not the case when problems are experienced.

GMC Hummer EV heads north for winter

GMC announced early Tuesday that its new Hummer EV pickup is ready to head north for winter testing. What might seem like a trip in the wrong direction to us warm-blooded enthusiasts is a critical next step in the development of GM's new electric truck.  We also got a couple of teaser pics of the Hummer EV at GM's Milford Proving Grounds, along with two shots of development prototypes being assembled, of which GM says it has "a series." There's not much new to see here, but GM says there's more to come. "The GMC HUMMER EV has arrived at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds to continue validation tests and will head to northern Michigan to run through the teamÂ’s grueling winter testing process," GM said in its announcement. "We will document the journey and share updates in the coming weeks and months." The GMC HUMMER EV arrived at GM?s Milford Proving Grounds to c View 3 Photos The GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 will feature three electric motors, enabling torque vectoring. GMC says these motors produce 1,000 horsepower, though we don't yet have a final torque figure. Power comes from a 24-module Ultium battery pack which can provide an estimated 350 miles (or more) of range. GMC says this new architecture supports 800-volt fast charging up to 350 kW, which is comparable to the system Porsche introduced with its Taycan electric sedan, and GMC says it can replenish 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes. Planned variants include a two-motor setup, and an alternative three-motor version without torque vectoring. The Hummer EV rides on fully independent suspension with adaptive air shocks. They can provide continuous damping adjustments for comfort, and have a height adjustment range of 6 inches. When set in its max-height off-road mode, it has two additional inches of ground clearance, and the "Extract Mode" will lift it six inches higher than default. The Edition 1 model also comes with standard 35-inch mud terrain tires, and combined with the suspension, the Hummer EV has a fording depth of two feet and the capability to climb over an 18-inch vertical obstacle. Edition 1 Production begins late next year, with a starting price of $112,595. In fall 2022, we'll see the regular top trim starting at $99,995; In spring 2023, weÂ’ll get a mid-level trim that has three motors, air suspension and four-wheel steering -- but no torque vectoring -- starting at $89,995.