GMC | GM Authority

(Updated) Rumormill: 2011 GMC Sierra HD Numbers To Surprise, Open A Can Of Whoop-A$$ On Ford Super Dutys
by Alex Luft
Posted March 6th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Even though the revised 2011 Chevy Silverado HD is a great truck, it still got out-trucked by Ford’s revised F350 Super Duty. But not all hope is lost, as we’ve received a few tips from trusted sources telling us that the un-announced 2011 GMC Sierra HD will top Silverado’s numbers.

If you’re not up to date on the latest developments of the truck wars, here’s a quick recap:
- Back in January Tom Stephens, Vice Chairman of global product development at GM, challenged Ford’s Super Dutys to a tug-of-war match with the revised GM Heavy Duty trucks. Ford courteously chickened out
- Then GM unveiled the 2011 Silverado HD at the Chicago Auto Show, but didn’t release all of the numbers behind the serious truck. What we got were the payload and towing capacities, but not the horsepower and torque figures. We later received a few tips that these numbers would be somewhere around 400 hp and 700 lb.-ft. of torque
- Interestingly, the release of the updated Silverado HDs weren’t joined by their GMC Sierra counterparts at Chicago
- And that’s when the trouble began: last week, Ford released the numbers for its updated Super Duty trucks that ended up out-towing and out-payloading GM’s Heavy Dutys. Here’s a quick table using the diesel powerplants of both trucks (GM 6.6L Duramax and Ford’s 6.7L Power Stroke):
2011 Chevy Silverado HD Ford F350

Payload

6,335 lbs

6,520 lbs

Towing

20,000 lbs

21,600 lbs

Fast forward to today, when we were informed by a very trusted source that the 2011 GMC Sierra will open up a can of you-know-what on Ford’s Super Duty trucks, with one of our sources saying “GM will unveil its true numbers with the GMC.” That’s all the information we have right now, so stay tuned as GM reveals the revised Sierra HD as well as Silverado’s exact horsepower and torque figures in the coming days.
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Future “Uncertain” For Canyon, Colorado
by Wilson Nunnari
Posted February 26th, 2010 at 1:47 pm

Let’s face it, General Motors has never had truly competitive small pickup trucks. The Sonoma and S-10 twins were never huge sellers but those still sold in bigger volumes than GM’s current generation of compact pickups, the Colorado and Canyon. The compact pickup truck segment itself has been shrinking for years as people have come to realize the comparable utility of a midsize SUV or significantly increased capability of a full-sized truck. The Toyota Tacoma is one of the only vehicles that has achieved significant success in the segment, leaving behind the Dodge Dakota, Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier, as well as GM’s offerings.

Continuing with the negative trend in compact pick up sales, Bob Lutz recently revealed in an interview with Pickuptrucks.com that the future for the Canyon and Colorado is “uncertain at this point… they may well [be discontinued].” Although there are no official plans at this time regarding the pair of pick ups, there is a good chance GM will discontinue them in the next year or two. Chrysler already has plans to give the current Dakota the ax next year.

That said, if GM does decide to give the proverbial ax to its next-generation line of compact pick-ups, what would Scott Brown drive?

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

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GM Blows Away Competition In Latest J.D. Power Customer Service Index Study
by Manoli Katakis
Posted February 25th, 2010 at 4:37 pm

With the proverbial hammer having dropped on Hummer just yesterday, it’s somewhat refreshing to discover that GM’s brands, both “core” and discontinued, have the very best to offer in customer service according to the most recent J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Index study.

In the “Mass Market Brands” category, GM dealers beamed with customer satisfaction – taking six out of the top seven spots. Ironically – Hummer took first place with a score of 815. The scores were based on a scale of 1,000. Following Hummer is the now-discontinued Saturn with 808 points. Buick came in third with 805 and Chevy took fourth wit 787. The euthanized Pontiac scored 785 (sixth) while GMC got 783 (seventh). All GM brands rated well above the industry average of 758 while PR afflicted Toyota came in eighteenth with 741 points.

In the Luxury Brand category, Cadillac finished second with a score of 827, following Lexus in the rankings. The average score was 813 for the category. Of note – (now Spyker-owned) Saab fell short of that average with a score of 796, followed by Audi, Porsche, Infiniti, and Volvo.

Experts say that most of the improvements may be attributed to lower foot traffic volumes of dealers, but it’s great to see GM brands doing so well in this nation-wide study. We have the full press release, along with J.D. Power images, right after the jump!

[Source: J.D. Power and Associates] (more…)

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Advert: GMC Terrain – Life In Reverse (Video)
by Alex Luft
Posted February 23rd, 2010 at 7:59 am

Here’s another GM ad, this time showing off the supply-outstripping GMC Terrain. The ad contains really “cool” and “hip” videography, as the CUV is driving forward while everything else moves in reverse – highlighting the standard rear vision camera. And if you haven’t already, check out our article outlining The General’s strategy with the GMC brand going forward.

Watch the full ad after the jump! (more…)

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GM’s GMC Brand State Of Address – GM Authority Opinion Desk
by Alex Luft
Posted February 19th, 2010 at 1:27 pm

Over the last year, the GMC brand has been nothing short of a hot-button topic among GM fans. After exiting bankruptcy, many wondered why The General decided to keep GMC over Pontiac and Saturn. As we later found out, GMC is a very profitable brand for General Motors – something the automaker wouldn’t want to send to the automotive graveyard (to join Pontiac, Saturn, and Oldsmobile) for obvious reasons.

Shortly after that, GMC released the Terrain, followed by the Granite Concept, and the GM enthusiast community became a bit intrigued, if not confused. After gathering up all the bolts in a single jar, I believe I’ve figured out the purpose of the GMC brand now, and into the future. Before we get there, however, let’s briefly go over GMC’s most recent history.

Truck Brand For Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile

GMC is a very old brand with a long history. It has built coach buses, specialty war vehicles, and even motor homes. But let’s set our time machine back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile vehicles shared retail floor space. It just so happened that dealers of these three GM brands – only one of which has survived to this day – didn’t have a pickup truck to sell. One option was to allow these dealers to sell Chevy trucks. But to dealerships already selling three brands this wasn’t an option, as Chevy’s lineup had more models than the entire model range of Buick, Pontiac, and Olds combined. Moreover, doubling showroom space for the addition of a full-line brand such as Chevy was cost prohibitive for dealers. And that’s how the “new” GMC was born – an exclusive truck brand for Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile dealers. In essence, the GMC as we know it today came into fruition to market Chevy trucks and SUVs to Buick, Pontiac, and Olds customers under the GMC brand name. (more…)

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Ford Turns Tail To Truck-O-War
by Manoli Katakis
Posted January 31st, 2010 at 12:45 am

Yes, it’s now officially okay to snicker and make chicken noises towards your F-series-owning neighbor, as Ford wussed out and officially turned down GM’s ultimatum offer of an esteemed (*cough*) truck pull between The General’s upcoming Heavy Duties and Ford’s new Super Duty models. This all started some odd days ago when GM’s Tom Stephens, vice chairman of global product operations, boasted the soon-to-be HD trucks by saying the following:

You know what I want to do to prove it? I want to take our truck and Ford’s [new Super Duty] and chain them together back-to-back. Then I want to have them pull against each other. I know our truck will beat theirs.

Now those are fighting words. However, Ford had the following rebuttal:

We typically don’t respond to challenges. We let the vehicles speak for themselves.

As in, “Hey GM, we have held the number one spot in truck sales for how many years now?” While that may burn some folks, it still doesn’t change the fact that Ford feels it’s above one of the purest forms of truck competition. Maybe Ram would be interested in playing…

While not much has currently been leaked about the next-gen Heavy Duty, they are expected to debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show next month and the rumored budget has been an estimated $1 billion. With a budget that size, it’s gotta be good.

The GM Authority Take

While a truck pull may not feel like much to some and “immature” to others – we’d recommend lightening up for the sake of some fun. Ford just can’t handle the powaah. And to stick it to them, GM should winch up a Ford Super Duty (allegedly against its will) to the impending Chevy/GMC Heavy Duty for a future ad and show the world what’s up. May the best truck win.

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Should GM Bring The Opel Combo Stateside To Go Against Ford’s Transit Connect?
by Alex Luft
Posted January 30th, 2010 at 1:42 pm

While this may not be as sexy a topic as a Zeta-based four-door sedan for the U.S., the North American market is heating up for non-pick-up work vehicles. Ford is leading the charge with its Transit Connect commercial van, having sold just over 8,000 units since bringing the compact vehicle Stateside in mid 2009. While GM has its Chevy Express/GMC Savanna full-size vans (that may soon be replaced) to go against Ford’s Econoline, The General has nothing to offer the compact utility van buyer.

But General Motors can become a serious competitor in this market very quickly and with minor investment by bringing its Opel Combo utility van to the US. While the Combo may need some (much-needed) styling updates inside and out since its 2001 debut, the Gamma-based white van is the perfect utility vehicle for those looking for an alternative to a small truck, with sliding doors and highly configurable storage capacity.

(more…)

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Possible Savanna/Express Replacement Appears Overseas In Vauxhall Movano
by Manoli Katakis
Posted January 29th, 2010 at 3:33 pm

European plumbers, carpenters and electricians will be delighted to read this: GM’s European units Opel and Vauxhall – in collaboration with Renault – have developed an all-new four-wheeled tool. The Vauxhall Movano is Europe’s latest full-size van built from the inside-out with function in mind.

According to the presser, the all-new Movano is set to offer a choice of 29 different body variations (count ‘em!), a total payload of up to 2.5 tons, class-leading cargo space, and even be available in either front or rear wheel drive depending on payload category, with the rear-wheel drive models having the option to be ordered with duallies on the rear axle. Additionally, the flexible 2.3L four-cylinder fuel-sipping common-rail diesel engine will deliver 100 hp/210 ft.-lbs., 125hp/228 ft.-lbs. or 150 hp/258 ft.-lb. options. The price? The moving utility starts at £21,660 ($35,184) – not bad considering its main competitor, the Mercedes/Freightliner/Dodge Sprinter, comes in just over that price point.

The Movano is set to go on sale in the UK in May, with the Opel variant coming later in the year to other European markets.

Considering that the Sprinter is already available Stateside and that not every every blue-collar worker (or fleet) can fit his/her equipment in a Ford Transit Connect – a Chevy or GMC variation can’t come fast (or soon) enough to replace GM’s aging Express and Savanna models.

The GM Authority Take

The Savanna and Express aren’t even in the same league as more evolved vans such as the Mercedes Sprinter (the Dodge version has ceased production) or even the Movano. Simply put, GM vans (in North America) don’t offer nearly as much versatility or options as the more utilitarian Sprinter. Therefore, GM needs a deeper line-up if it’s interested in remaining a serious contender in the commercial van space, and the Movano would be the perfect comeback vehicle. That said, if the Movano is brought to the U.S., we recommend GM make it a GMC exclusive.

If GMC were The General’s only brand selling commercial vans, it would lend more credence to the Professional Grade image. The Movano would – in essence – be the flagship GMC van, slotting in above the Savanna or replacing it altogether. Furthermore, If GM wishes to take on the Ford TransitConnect in the low-end market, the Vauxhall Combo should be considered for North America pronto!

In case you were wondering: Renault’s version of the Movano is called the Renault Master.

We have Vauxhall’s full presser after the break as well as this official brochure in PDF format.

Update: just got our hands on images of the Opel version.

(more…)

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Scott Brown’s GMC Canyon
by Wilson Nunnari
Posted January 25th, 2010 at 11:38 pm

It’s always interesting when the game changes.

If any readers follow the political arena (we don’t), then they’ll know that Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate seat this week. This is only important to the country because his vote in the Senate is expected to have a huge influence on the pending health care bill.

But back to more important topics: Scott Brown drives a GMC Canyon and he promises to continue using the Canyon as his daily driver while in office.

Yours truly wonders why anyone would want to drive a Canyon, let alone daily. However, the pledge to keep the truck as a daily driver is admirable and respectable, as Brown emulates the common man – first by having a pick-up and second – having a humble vehicle makes him easy to relate to.

Although I find it difficult to relate to anyone who drives a Canyon, it is a great marketing ploy as a political candidate. Now the Canyon needs a truck replacement the equivalent of Scott Brown. Wait, what?

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GMC To Drop TV, Use The Web Exclusively To Market Granite – If It Gets Built
by Alex Luft
Posted January 20th, 2010 at 10:23 am

While we love the looks of the GMC Granite Concept that made its debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, we’re squarely set against the boxy compact slotting under GM’s “Professional Grade” brand. After all, there’s nothing “Professional Grade” about the Granite – it’s GM’s most “unprofessional grade” car to date. But if GM decides to produce the Granite, it could take a cutting-edge marketing approach, which would forego television advertising.

According to Automotive News, Buick-GMC advertising director Steve Rosenblum said that the next step for GMC could be a four-passenger vehicle that slots below the Terrain. If you ask us, the Granite fits that description perfectly. Moreover, Resenblum put forth the notion that a Granite-like vehicle would be heavily marketed advertised to buyers under the age of 35 and that the ad campaign for the vehicle could be entirely Internet-based.

What kind of web-based ads are we talking about? Rosenblum prefaced an example with the following statistic: by 2011, two-thirds of cell phone users under the age of 40 will own a smartphone. As such, Rosenblum spoke of developing a smartphone app that would lead consumers to a social networking site, where interested individuals would interact with designers.

That sounds very interesting, creative, and cutting edge. As far as we know, it will be the first automotive marketing campaign to utilize the power of social media, web 2.0, and the current explosion in the popularity of smartphones (there’s a buzz word-filled sentence!).

As for the “Professional Grade” tagline? Rosenblum said that GMC could exclude it from Granite marketing altogether.

Make of that what you will, but we think that the Granite would be better off as a Chevy. Agree? Let us know in the comments!

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

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