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GM will no longer remove parts from trucks to calculate curb weights

Following last week's mild uproar after it was discovered that Ford and General Motors were removing some optional parts from their pickups to lower the curb weight and consequently increase the maximum payload, GM has come out and committed to a base curb weight for its upcoming Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact trucks (although it has yet to publish them) and its current Silverado and Sierra. The company will do the same for its heavy duty offerings, although those numbers have not been finalized yet.
"This will make our curb weight and payload specs more consistent with those of most other truck makers, making it easier for customers to compare vehicles," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson told Autoblog in an emailed statement.
As GM notes - and as every manufacturer has noted since this story broke - customers still shouldn't take max payload ratings as gospel. Instead, they should refer to their truck's Tire and Load Label, like the one shown at the inset, which will offer detailed information on max payload, specific to their truck.

GM mulling off-road variants of fullsize SUVs

According to General Motors, owners "just love off-roading with [its fullsize body-on-frame sport utility vehicles]," namely the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and GMC Yukon. If that's the case, it's a bit odd that sales of the previous generation of these models with the Z71 off-road package didn't sell particularly well.
Perhaps, considering this disconnect between owner's thoughts and desires with actual sales, it's not surprising that General Motors is reportedly "considering" an off-road specific model. That means the package would include styling changes and badges along with suspension modifications and larger wheels with appropriately sized fender flares.
There's no indication if the off-road model would be called Z71 or when it may potentially go on sale, assuming it ever goes on sale at all.

2019 GMC Sierra Denali and its nifty tailgate roll into dealers

We've got more details about the 2019 GMC Sierra Denali now that it's rolling into dealerships, starting with its floor price of $56,195, including destination fee, for the rear-wheel-drive models. That's a jump of $1,900 over the previous generation of its premium full-size pickup. Four-wheel-drive models start at $60,295. The crew-cab truck has grown in every dimension as well, adding about 4 inches to the wheelbase, nearly 2 inches in length and 1.2 inches in width. There's also nearly 3 inches more rear legroom. Bed options are 5-foot-8 or 6-foot-6. There are three engine options. Two are carryovers from 2018: a 5.3-liter V8 that sends 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and an available 6.2-liter V8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque and mated to a 10-speed automatic. Both come with GM's dynamic fuel management cylinder-deactivation technology to optimize power and fuel efficiency. A new 3.0-liter turbodiesel paired with a 10-speed automatic is expected in early 2019. The EPA hasn't yet released official fuel economy ratings, but GM estimates them at 17 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway for the two-wheel-drive versions, and 15/21 in four-wheel drive. The truck gets adaptive ride control which can adjust the dampers every 2 milliseconds based on real-time monitoring of the road and driver inputs for improved ride and handling. A new traction select system adjusts the transmission shift points, throttle mapping and StabiliTrak to tailor performance to different terrain or weather conditions. Inside the crew cab, there's new Forge leather-appointed seats, open-pore wood trim and dark finished aluminum decor, plus an 8-inch-diagonal HD color touchscreen with embedded navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Most of the other new stuff we've covered before, including new C-shaped LED headlights and LED tail and fog lamps, optional 22-inch wheels, full-color head-up display, trailer-hitch assist apps and cameras, and rear-camera mirror. The truck also loses up to 360 pounds from the outgoing model via a scratch- and dent-resistant carbon-fiber bed box that replaces steel, and use of aluminum in the doors, hood and tailgate.