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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.

Even if GM does close all 5 of those plants, it'll still have too many

DETROIT — General Motors' monumental announcement on Monday that it will close three car assembly plants and two powertrain plants in North America and slash its workforce will only partially close the gap between capacity and demand for the automaker's sedans, according to a Reuters analysis of industry production and capacity data. Sales of traditional passenger cars in North America have been declining for the past six years and are still withering. After GM ends production next year at factories in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, it will still have four U.S. passenger-car plants — all operating at less than 50 percent of rated capacity, according to figures supplied by LMC Automotive. In comparison, Detroit-based rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will have one car plant each in North America after 2019. The Detroit Three are facing rapidly dwindling demand for traditional passenger cars from U.S. consumers, many of whom have shifted to crossovers and trucks. Passenger cars accounted for 48 percent of retail light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2014, according to market researchers at J.D. Power and Associates. This year, sedans will account for less than a third of light vehicle sales. That shift in turn has left most North American car plants operating far below their rated capacities, while many SUV and truck plants are running on overtime. The collapse in passenger-car demand is a challenge for nearly all automakers in the United States, including Japan's Toyota and Honda, which have the top-selling models in the compact and midsize car segments. Toyota executives said last month they are evaluating the company's U.S. model lineup. But Toyota also plans to build compact Corolla sedans at a new $1.6 billion factory it is building in Alabama with partner Mazda. The obstacles facing GM in its plans to close more auto factories became apparent on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block payment of government electric vehicle subsidies to GM. While it is not certain that Trump unilaterally has the power to do that, he made it clear he intends to use his office to pressure the company to keep open a small car plant in Ohio that GM says will stop building vehicles in March.

GM tells NHTSA pickup truck electronic glitch is 'inconsequential'

General Motors has been enduring some serious problems with recalls recently, and it is hoping to avoid launching another major safety campaign. 200,921 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups are under the microscope due to a rare problem with their instruments, an issue GM calls calls "inconsequential to motor vehicle safety." The Detroit-based automaker believes that the glitch is so minor that it has filed a petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asking the government safety watchdog for permission to pass on recalling the vehicles.
The fault at issue can occasionally cause the instrument cluster to reset when drivers use the steering wheel controls to browse songs from an external media device connected to the truck's USB ports. If a song's title information exceeds 2,000 bytes, according to The Detroit News, then the instrument panel can reset, which in turn causes the gauges, shift position indicator and cruise control telltale to turn off briefly. When rebooting, other instrument panel lights may briefly illuminate without their functions actually being activated. GM claims that if this does happen, the instrument display lights go out for about 1.5 seconds and the bulb check lasts a further five seconds. However, this snafu has no actual affect on the truck's operation. The glitch is present in trucks built between January 29, 2013, and October 28, 2013.