1998 Gmc Envoy. Bose Audio, Heated Leather Seats. 4wd, Cd, Alarm System, Loaded! on 2040-cars

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How the Ram Multifunction Tailgate compares to Ford, GMC, Honda

Ram just announced its Multifunction Tailgate — a descriptive if not very creative name. It's an asymmetrical barn-door arrangement, which can both fold down like a conventional tailgate or swing open like a gate. There's a new bed step, but unlike Ford or GM, the step isn't part of the tailgate itself. Rather, it kicks out from under the bumper (as opposed to out from under the driver's side of the rear bumper in its previous incarnation). So let's just focus on the tailgate functionality. A video of the Ram Multifunction Tailgate in action is above. For one, either of the swinging tailgate sections can be opened independently. They open to a full 88 degrees. In conventional flip-down mode, the tailgate works just like a normal one, too, with a 2,000-pound rating. The bottom line is that while it gives a variety of types of access to the load area, it doesn't "do" anything else. It's a $995 option on any Ram 1500. Its closest analogue is the Honda Ridgeline, which works basically the same way, but on that truck the tailgate swings as one piece. And the Honda's load rating isn't as hefty as the Ram's tailgate: 300 pounds. As Honda says, that's sufficient to hold the weight of the part of an ATV hanging out of the bed, or something similar, but it's a lighter-duty unit (and a lighter-duty truck) than the Ram's overall. Let's also get Ford's one-trick tailgate out of the way before comparing to the more analogous, and complicated, GM MultiPro. A bit of trivia: Ford's optional Tailgate Step is actually designed and supplied by Multimatic, better known as the outfit that builds the Ford GT and produces the DSSV spool-valve shocks. This step has been available for years. It pulls out of the top edge of the tailgate when the tailgate is lowered, deploying a single step. A separate handle pulls out from beside the step and flips up, giving a handhold. While it was initially (and infamously) mocked by competitors, with load floor heights as high as they are it's better than toting around a stepstool. It's currently a $375 standalone option. Now we get to the GMC MultiPro tailgate, the most complicated and multi-functioned around. It's essentially a tailgate within a tailgate, with a fold-out stopper that deploys from the inner tailgate. This gives it several functions depending on the position of all the parts. It can still be used like a normal tailgate, dropping down at the push of a button or using the key fob.

2017 GMC Canyon steals Cadillac's V6 for a little more power

GMC is fortifying the Canyon with a new powertrain and two new trim levels for 2017. GMC will give the Canyon the 3.6-liter V6 found in the Cadillac ATS, CTS, CT6, and XT5 crossover. The engine will be matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission, which also can be found on Cadillacs, the new 2017 Colorado, and other General Motors vehicles. The new engine comes with variable valve timing, improved direct injection, and Active Fuel Management, which is a form of cylinder deactivation that shuts off two cylinders to increase fuel efficiency and performance. Power is up from 305 to 308 horsepower, while torque increases from 269 to 275 pound-feet of torque compared to the old 3.6-liter V6. With the new transmission, the Canyon benefits from a higher first gear ratio, which should help drivers get off the line more easily when towing large cargo, and lower overdrive ratios for improved fuel efficiency. The 2016 model had a six-speed automatic. The Colorado also gets the eight-speed transmission for '17. GMC previously announced the All Terrain X and Denali models. The All Terrain X trim is offered on the SLE model and comes with the new 3.6-liter V6 engine or the 2.8-liter Duramax turbo-diesel. The All Terrain X gets Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac P225/65R17 all-terrain tires, a body-color grille surround and matching rear step bumper, bespoke 17-inch aluminum wheels, and a spray-on bedliner. The truck also is fortified with Hill Descent Control and an off-road suspension. The Denali carries the flag as the most luxurious Canyon model and gets a Bose seven-speaker audio system, more chrome, and interior upgrades. In addition to the new models and the powertrain, the 2017 Canyon will be offered with new colors – Dark Slate Metallic, Mineral Metallic, and Red Quartz Metallic – a new IntelliLink radio with a seven-inch touchscreen, a heated steering wheel as an optional extra, and Standard Teen Driver Mode. The 2017 Canyon, with all of its changes, will be available in the fourth quarter of the year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 GMC Canyon Denali: LA 2015 View 14 Photos News Source: GMC Cadillac GMC Truck Luxury Off-Road Vehicles engine gmc canyon chevrolet colorado

Huge, pricey trucks haul jobs and profits for the Detroit Three

DECATUR, Texas — Mickey McMaster is on his 12th pickup truck. The 61-year old farm equipment dealer in Decatur, Texas, two weeks ago treated himself to a 2019 GMC Denali for around $69,000 — a reward for long hours at work. "For me this is the Cadillac of trucks, it's a real luxury vehicle," McMaster said. "I've worked my way up to afford a truck like this and it shows that I've earned it." McMaster is the kind of customer General Motors Co is banking on as it plans to add 1,000 jobs at a plant in Flint, Michigan that will build a new generation of its largest pickups. Demand from Texas and other heartland states for big pick-ups is providing a lifeline to many workers the No. 1 U.S. automaker is laying off at plants elsewhere. The Detroit Three automakers and thousands of their U.S. workers are counting on customers like McMaster to keep buying bigger and more luxurious pickup trucks even if overall U.S. vehicle demand weakens this year, as most analysts predict. At Flint, GM will build a new generation of its heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierras, including luxury models that are some of the most profitable vehicles on the planet. GM, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Ram division own the segment and are each doubling down with new or redesigned models launching this year. Sales of heavy-duty pickups in the United States have grown to more than 600,000 vehicles a year, up more than 20 percent since 2013, according to industry data. Prices for luxury models can easily top $70,000. GM on Tuesday celebrated the launch of a new generation of heavy-duty GMC and Chevrolet pickups at the assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, that is now building all such trucks for the company. At the same time that GM is laying off thousands of U.S. workers and planning to shutter five North American factories, Flint is hiring. The plant runs on three daily shifts, six days a week. As the new model's assembly system ramps up, the plant's capacity will increase by more than 25 percent, plant manager Mike Perez told Reuters. The Flint plant plans to add 1,000 workers, more than half of the 1,500 factory workers who have asked to transfer from plants GM has targeted for shutdown as part of CEO Mary Barra's restructuring plan. "We're bringing in 50 to 100 people every week," said Perez. Workers last week were still finishing the job of retooling the Flint factory to build the new heavy-duty trucks as part of a $1.5 billion investment project.