Running Boards, Power Sun Roof, Leather, Trailer Hitch on 2040-cars

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Could the GMC Jimmy come back as a Wrangler fighter?

Every three or four years, two cars go into heavy media rotation in stories about supposed new competitors. The headlines go something like, "X automaker working on a vehicle to fight the iconic Y." The Y cars are the Porsche 911 and the Jeep Wrangler. For this story, the X automaker is GM. And since GM already has its 911-fighter poised for debut next month, we speak here of the Wrangler. Car and Driver writes that GMC might take another shot at a Jeep challenger, this time by rebirthing a body-on-frame Jimmy SUV. For any who don't know, GMC sold an S-15 Jimmy from 1982 to 2005, a twin of the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer. Those SUVs started their lives as the Chevrolet S-10 and GMC S-15/Sonoma pickups. The Blazer name has returned to the light, albeit without its old-school rugged manners. There's still an opening on the GMC side, though, so C/D says the idea would be to work that old magic on the GMC Canyon pickup. The report is more chaff than grist for the rumormill, with liberal application of phrases like "looking to come up with," "could be," "could take," and "could arrive." Having said that, a potential Jimmy model could come in a few years, could use the same six-cylinder gas and four-cylinder diesel engines as the Canyon, and could start around $30,000. The Jimmy could wear GMC's new mud-and-guts AT4 trim name, or become a mud-and-guts trim for the Canyon just as the ZR2 is for the Colorado. It's not an entirely crazy idea, however, when a body-on-frame Trailblazer SUV based on the Colorado sells in Latin America, Asia, and Australia and does pretty well in the mud and muck. GM's been on the edge of going to war with the Wrangler for at least 12 years, when a Hummer exec said the HX concept would debut at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show and go on sale in 2010 as the H4. In 2015, The Wall Street Journal said GM was canvassing GMC dealers about something to get in the ring with the Wrangler. And all that was before every other automaker had to watch Jeep open a money-counting operation to handle its Wrangler profits, and dealers started charging $20,000 markups on Gladiators. In May, spy shooters caught a sensor-laden Jeep running at GM's Milford Proving Grounds in Michigan. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported GM is considering a Hummer revival as an all-electric hardcore SUV. So we will not be surprised if GM rolls out a Wrangler fighter in the near-ish future. But we won't be surprised if GM doesn't, either.

Why 2015 is going to be a huge year for trucks

Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn took center stage to introduce the 2016 Titan last week at the Detroit Auto Show. He spoke of the truck's new features, impressive Cummins V8 diesel engine and the extensive amount of time and money required to build a modern, competitive pickup truck. "We have done all of this because we see opportunity – an opportunity in the unmet needs of today's American truck customers," Ghosn said. He was speaking about the Titan, but his thoughts echo the industry's mindset: When it comes to trucks, find an opportunity and attack. Even with CAFE regulations looming and fickle consumer preferences, investing in trucks is a no-brainer for automakers. Some consumers will always need a truck for their job or lifestyle. And some people will always want one, whether they need it or not. With that in mind, here are four reasons why the pickup-truck sector is more important than ever and poised for growth in 2015. View 24 Photos The Nissan Titan Is Back Okay, it never left, but the Titan hadn't been redesigned since its launch in 2003, and Nissan sold more NV200s than Titans in 2014. It's an understatement to say the truck was languishing. That all changes with the 2016 model. The Titan will come in two variants, a traditional fullsize competitor and the Titan XD. The XD will lead the market launch, and it arrives late this year. It's pitched as a "whitespace" offering, Nissan sales and marketing vice president Fred Diaz said. The idea is to offer something in the general size and price range of a fullsize truck, but also have some of the capability of a heavy-duty truck. The XD uses a fully boxed ladder frame, the chassis design from Nissan's commercial division, and the wheelbase is about 20 inches longer than other Titan models. The XD, which Nissan is calling the flagship of the line, will be the only model with the 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8. It produces 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, while being able to tow 12,000 pounds. V6 and V8 gasoline models will also be offered on the Titan XD and the standard, non-XD model. When production ramps up, the Titan will be sold with several cabs, beds and trims. New features include trailer sway control, an integrated trailer brake controller, more storage options in the cabin and even laminated front and rear side glass to reduce outside noise. All of this has given Nissan fresh confidence in an area where it admittedly has been lacking. "We can compete," Diaz told Autoblog.

2022 GMC Hummer EV Drivers' Notes: We can't stop talking about Crab Walk

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup defies reason and sense in most ways. It’s a pickup that weighs over 9,000 pounds, but will do the 0-60 mph sprint in around 3.0 seconds. That sounds like something to be afraid of, but itÂ’s also something you want to experience. ItÂ’s a feat of engineering to make something so heavy move so quickly, but thatÂ’s what the EV revolution has brought upon us. GMC gets the Hummer up and moving as quickly as it does with three electric motors — one in front and two in the rear — that combine for a nutty 1,000 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque. All of that power is unleashed in Watts To Freedom (WTF) mode. Your seat starts rumbling; the air suspension lowers you to the ground, and an electrifying soundtrack is played over the speakers to match your throttle applications. Launching this supertruck is an event every single time, but due to its extra-high ride height and off-road chops, sending it down your favorite trail is, too. That is, assuming said trail is wide enough to fit the gargantuan Hummer. Those knobby all-terrain tires keep the Hummer from being even mildly entertaining when you explore the truckÂ’s handling Â… but who cares. Our specific tester is an Edition 1 model, which means it comes fully loaded with every option you can imagine. As such, its price is $110,295. For the amount of performance and capability on display here, that number sounds surprisingly right. ItÂ’s also befitting the HummerÂ’s status as a supertruck, wherein you get everything youÂ’d ever want in one go-anywhere do-anything package. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore — The Hummer EV is the biggest rock star vehicle IÂ’ve tested in quite some time. Literally. ItÂ’s huge and attracts a ton of deserved attention. The Hummer design is spot-on, especially the grille, lights and flared fenders. It looks the part. For $110,000, it should also have some substance, and this Edition 1 delivers Super Cruise, Watts to Freedom and CrabWalk, not to mention GMCÂ’s MultiPro tailgate and the removable Sky Panel roof. It feels quick, as you would expect something with 1,000 hp to feel, and itÂ’s shockingly maneuverable. I CrabWalked down my street to show off, navigating around things on the diagonal and amusing the neighbors. Just the regular four-wheel-steering function, which functions similar to those offered by various other cars, allows the Hummer to turn easily and confidently.