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2019 GMC Sierra 1500 spied in base trim level

When the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 half-ton pickup was revealed, it was shown in the ultra-deluxe Denali trim with its carbon fiber bed and trick tailgate. And thanks to spy shots, we've been able to see the more modest SLE a few months ago. Now we get to see it in the most plain work truck iteration thanks to the above photos. This Sierra doesn't appear to have any trim designation. The SLE we saw had a badge in the lower left of the tailgate, but none appear on this except "Sierra." This fits with the current trim scheme for the Sierra, which calls the basic one simply by its model name. In addition to less badging, this Sierra ditches most of the chrome found on other trim levels. The grille insert is plain black plastic, as are the fender vents, door handles and window trim. There aren't engine badges, either. Currently the only engines announced for the Sierra are the gasoline 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8s and the diesel 3.0-liter six-cylinder. We would assume from the basic nature of this truck that it has the 5.3-liter V8. Nothing has been announced about a gasoline V6 for the new generation of Sierra and Silverado pickup trucks, despite a 4.3-liter V6 still being available on the 2018 model. Also, since this is a base Sierra, the bed is all steel and the tailgate is one big panel. Pricing still hasn't been revealed for the Sierra. But this and the other Sierra trims will go on sale in the fall, with pricing likely announced sometime in-between. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Poor headlights cause 40 cars to miss IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

Over the past few months, we've noticed a number of cars and SUVs that have come incredibly close to earning one of the IIHS's highest accolades, the Top Safety Pick rating. They have great crash test scores and solid automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. What trips them up is headlights. That got us wondering, how many vehicles are there that are coming up short because they don't have headlights that meet the organization's criteria for an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating. This is a revision made after 2017, a year in which headlights weren't factored in for this specific award. This is also why why some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, might have had the award last year, but have lost it for this year. We reached out to someone at IIHS to find out. He responded with the following car models. Depending on how you count, a whopping 40 models crash well enough to receive the rating, but don't get it because their headlights are either "Poor" or "Marginal." We say depending on how you count because the IIHS actual counts truck body styles differently, and the Infiniti Q70 is a special case. Apparently the version of the Q70 that has good headlights doesn't have adequate forward collision prevention technology. And the one that has good forward collision tech doesn't have good enough headlights. We've provided the entire list of vehicles below in alphabetical order. Interestingly, it seems the Volkswagen Group is having the most difficulty providing good headlights with its otherwise safe cars. It had the most models on the list at 9 split between Audi and Volkswagen. GM is next in line with 7 models. It is worth noting again that though these vehicles have subpar headlights and don't quite earn Top Safety Pick awards, that doesn't mean they're unsafe. They all score well enough in crash testing and forward collision prevention that they would get the coveted award if the lights were better.

GM planning to put its fullsize pickups on a big diet, too

General Motors is just coming off a complete redesign of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra for 2014, but in the US fullsize truck market, there is no rest for the weary. According to Reuters, plans are already unfurling for both trucks to drop pounds from their curb weight over the next few years, but this will unlikely be able to keep pace with the 700-pound diet targeted for the next-generation Ford F-150, a truck expected to debut late next year.
The biggest weight reduction for these trucks might not be available until the next full redesign, which will likely happen around 2019, but the article says that smaller updates could shave pounds in the meantime. Two examples given include an "aluminum-intensive" version of the Silverado that could shed 250 pounds and debut around the same time as the lighter-weight, aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford, and there is also talk of reducing weight for driveline components such as axles and driveshafts. These changes are all part of an attempt to meet strict new fuel economy standards coming in 2017, targets which will get even tougher in 2025.