2003 Gmc Sierra 3500 4x4 Dualy Diesel Crew Cab Slt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM files to trademark name Badlands

If you've been hoping for General Motors to come out swinging at the Ford F-150 Raptor, we've had some tantalizing news for you of late. Last month we brought you a report that indicated GM has trademarked the name "Z71 Trail Boss," suggesting a potential hardcore off-roader. Now it seems the General has filed for a potentially even better name. That name, as our friends over at GM Authority have discovered, is "Badlands." The application, filed on February 16, indicates that it's for a truck, but of course it doesn't specify just what form it would take... or for that matter, under which division it would fall. So we could, in theory, be looking at the nameplate for a Raptor rival from Chevy or GMC (like the 2011 Sierra All Terrain HD concept pictured here), or for some other trim level, a concept truck, a special edition... just about anything. Heck, it could be for a Vauxhall, Opel or Holden for all we know at this point. Or GM could choose not to use it on anything at all, but here's hoping it'll emerge as something awesome in US showrooms sometime soon. Featured Gallery 2011 Detroit: GMC Sierra All Terrain Concept News Source: GM AuthorityImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL Government/Legal Chevrolet GM GMC Truck Off-Road Vehicles trademark

Should heavy-duty pickup trucks have window stickers with fuel mileage estimates?

If you were to stroll into your nearest Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, or Ram dealership, you'd find a bunch of pickup trucks. Most of those would have proper window stickers labeled with things like base prices, options prices, location of manufacture, and, crucially, fuel economy estimates. But you'd also run across a number of heavy-duty trucks with no such fuel mileage data from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA doesn't require automakers to publish the valuable miles-per-gallon measurement for vehicles with gross weight ratings that exceed 8,500 pounds. That makes it difficult for consumers to compare behemoths powered by turbocharged diesel engines – between one another, and between smaller, gasoline-fueled trucks. Consumer Reports doesn't think it should be this way, and it's spearheading an effort (PDF link) to get the government to require manufacturers to publish fuel economy estimates. In its own testing, CR found that heavy-duty pickups powered by Ford's Power Stroke, GM's Duramax, and FCA's Cummins diesel engines (which doesn't include the Ram's EcoDiesel) get worse fuel mileage than their lighter-duty gas-powered siblings. We're not so sure HD-truck buyers are unaware of this fact – big diesels don't really come into their own until big loads are placed in their beds or attached to their trailer hitches. Under heavy workloads, the diesel trucks will almost certainly return greater efficiency than a similar gas-powered truck. What's more, HD trucks with lumbering diesels in general make the driver feel more confident while towing due to greater torque at low engine RPM than gas trucks. They also offer greater max-weight limits. Still, we agree EPA fuel mileage estimates should be offered for heavy-duty pickups. And we think the comparisons provided by Consumer Reports might be interesting to potential buyers. Click here to see the results of CR's tests, and let us know what you think using the poll below. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty: First Drive View 22 Photos News Source: Consumer Reports Government/Legal Green Read This Chevrolet Ford GMC Nissan RAM Fuel Efficiency Truck Commercial Vehicles Diesel Vehicles poll gmc sierra hd chevy silverado hd

2020 GMC Sierra HD offers loads of tech

The 2020 GMC Sierra HD has finally been revealed, and it's a heck of a lot more subtle than the Silverado HD. Whereas the Chevy went with a wildly exaggerated version of the split grille and headlights the truck is known for, the Sierra simply builds on the 1500 model's design with an expanded grille that doesn't appear to be as tall or wide as the Chevy's. That's not to say it looks unimpressive, though. It's still got a massive fascia, it's just not as extreme as the one with a bowtie on it. With the Sierra's unveiling, we get more details about the powertrains available on the heavy duty GM trucks. The 6.6-liter turbocharged Duramax V8 makes 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque. That's the exact same output as the engine in the old models. But this time, the engine will be mated to an Allison-branded heavy duty version of the GM 10-speed transmission. A gas engine will also be available, but GMC hasn't revealed details on it yet. The new Sierra boasts a range of new features, some that are unique to it, and some shared with the Silverado. A shared feature is the new steps in the bed sides that are standard on all Sierra HD models. Unique to the brand is the MultiPro tailgate with fancy drop-out step. This tailgate will be available on all trims, and it's standard starting with the mid-level SLT. There are some useful visibility features being shown on the new Sierra, too, such as an available trailer camera system with 15 possible viewpoints, and it can virtually show the rear view on the screen as if there wasn't a trailer in the way. GM's rear-view mirror screen also makes an appearance. An AT4 off-road trim will be available on the new Sierra HD. It has slightly different styling with dark grilles and trim. Off-road upgrades include reworked springs and shocks, skid plates, standard all-terrain tires and a locking rear differential. Pricing has not yet been announced, but the truck goes on sale this summer. Details on prices as well as further specifications will likely be announced near the on-sale date. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.