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2019 GMC Sierra Denali First Drive Review | The more things change...

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland — Canadians love their GMCs. Both anecdotal and statistical evidence supports this. In certain areas of Canada, the Sierra outsells the Chevy Silverado. But in this area of Canada, Cape Spear, the morning fog and salt air are thick. This is the most eastern point in Canada, and the most eastern point of North America if you don't count Greenland. We woke up early and drove to the coast in the new 2019 GMC Sierra Denali, hoping to catch what was promised to be an absolutely spectacular sunrise. The sunrise was a no-go thanks to the fog, turning the sky into a grey mist that melted into the Atlantic. Still, if the world had an edge, this is what it would look like. Driving in an inspiring place like this invites introspection, and since we're in an GMC Sierra, why not examine the brand's place in the world? Recall that for years, a GMC showroom was just packed with slightly more expensive versions of other GM products. Badge engineering, if you will – a dirty word in our business, applied to such notable machines as the Cadillac Cimarron, Buick Terraza, Chevy Aveo and Saab 9-7X. Things, at least on the surface, seem to be changing. GMC says it's making a concerted effort to differentiate its product portfolio from the rest of GM, but the results have been mixed. The brands were supposed to have less product crossover. There's no GMC version of the Chevy Traverse and, initially, there was no Chevy equivalent of the GMC Acadia, though the new Blazer kills that advantage. The Equinox and Terrain are still basically the same vehicle, as are the new 2019 Silverado and 2019 Sierra. At least the two trucks look decidedly different. There's still a family resemblance, but most of the bodywork has been changed. Where the 2019 Silverado adopted some curves, the Sierra stuck with straight lines. Compare things like the headlights, wheel wells and doors. The Sierra still has a massive grille and — aside from the AT4 off-road trim — packs on as much chrome as a 1958 Cadillac, but that's what customers want these days. The Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 are no different in this regard, packing lots of chrome, hard edges, and frontal areas that would give passenger trains a run for their money. At first glance, you'd be hard pressed to tell the Sierra and Silverado's interiors apart from both each other and the outgoing models. It's basically the same design, though the Sierra makes do with some slightly nicer materials.

GM will compensate SUV owners for fuel-economy error [UPDATE]

General Motors will offer debit cards to owners of some of its crossover SUVs after it was discovered that GM overstated the vehicles' fuel economy on window stickers, Automotive News says. GM will offer reimbursements to about 135,000 customers that are worth between $450 and $1,500 each. Some owners will also have the option of being provided with an extended warranty free of charge instead of the debit card. GM overstated fuel economy on about 170,000 vehicles by one to two miles per gallon because of what it has said was an inadvertent error stemming from not factoring the impact of emissions-related hardware into the EPA window-sticker figures. As a result, GM put a temporary stop-sale on the Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave before switching out the window stickers on about 60,000 vehicles. Automotive News says letters and debit cards will be sent out next week, and Reuters is estimating that the reimbursement program will cost GM about $100 million. With automakers ranging from Hyundai/Kia to Ford to, more recently, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi being ensnared by emissions or fuel-economy-rating issues, GM is working quickly to address the problem. For those curious, the reimbursement totals, factoring in current gas prices, the SUVs' combined fuel economy, and typical driving of about 12,000 miles a year, will provide between three and 12 months worth of free gas for those drivers (the models get either 17 or 18 miles per gallon combined, depending on front- or four-wheel-drive configuration). While about 135,000 customers will be reimbursed, Automotive News says the fleet buyers of about 35,000 crossovers haven't been addressed yet. UPDATE: GM spokesman James Cain, in an e-mail to Autoblog on Sunday, confirmed that the company will reimburse about 135,000 customers. Purchase customers will be given the option of a pre-paid debit card or a 48-month/60,000-mile protection plan, while lease customers will be offered the pre-paid debit cards. Most of the cards will have a value of between $450 and $900 on them. "We want all of our customers to have a great ownership experience, so we designed this reimbursement program to provide full and fair compensation in a simple, flexible, and timely manner," he wrote.

GMC to get own model not shared with Chevy?

For years, GMC has existed as a brand without a single unique product, reconstituting Chevrolet trucks, SUVs and crossovers with more frosting in exchange for a few extra dollars. The Sierra is a Silverado, the Acadia a Traverse, and the Terrain an Equinox, although admittedly the latter pair are visually differentiated to a significant degree.
GMC could be set to expand beyond its Chevy-based roots, though. During last week's Detroit Auto Show press days, GM's product boss Mark Reuss was asked whether there'd ever be a GMC that wasn't taken from Chevy. "Oh, yes, you will," Reuss told the media. "The health of GMC is astonishingly good from a consideration standpoint." Reuss wouldn't elaborate on what the model could be, although we're quite happy to make some guesses. GMC has its bases fairly well covered, with a mid-size and full-size crossover, as well as a mid-size, full-size and HD pickup. We doubt GMC will be building a family sedan, sports car, or hatchback, so really, the only place we can see the brand going is into a smaller crossover.
Automotive News points out that the most recent small GMC showcar, the 2010 Granite concept (shown above), won't see production according to General Motors. That vehicle likely would have rode on GM's compact vehicle architecture, known internally as Gamma II, which underpins the Chevy Spark and Sonic, as well as the Buick Encore (and its overseas Opel/Vauxhall/Chevy counterparts).