GMC Is Most Refined Brand For 2021, According To KBB
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Fostering the right brand image is critical to success in the automotive industry, and now, GMC has been recognized for its efforts with a new 2021 Brand Image Award from vehicle valuation and automotive research company, Kelley Blue Book.
Kelley Blue Book recognized GMC as the Most Refined Brand in the Non-Luxury Brands category of the company’s 2021 Brand Image Awards. In the same category, Kelley Blue Book recognized Honda as the Best Value Brand, Dodge as the Best Car Styling Brand, and Subaru as the Best Performance Brand, Most Trusted Brand, and Best Overall Brand.
“For the second year in a row, GMC has led voting for the Most Refined Brand,” Kelley Blue Book states. “This is its sixth win in this category, as it also won four in a row from 2014 – 2017. While trucks may not come top of mind when you think of refinement, GMC’s upscale Denali trim level offers the advanced features and elegant interiors that rival those of luxury cars.”
Kelley Blue Book’s 2021 Brand Image Awards were based on annual new-car buyer perception data collected from the company’s Brand Watch study, an online brand and model perception tracking study that looks at more than 12,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers annually on the Kelley Blue Book website. “The highly comprehensive study offers insights into how shoppers perceive important factors driving their purchase decisions and captures brand/model familiarity and consideration among new-car shoppers,” the company states in a press release.
In the Truck Brand Category, the Kelley Blue Book 2021 Brand Image Award for Best Overall Truck Brand went to Toyota, while in the Luxury Brands Category, Lexus was recognized as Most Trusted Luxury Brand, Porsche was recognized as Best Car Styling Luxury Brand, and Tesla was recognized as Best Overall Luxury Brand, Best Value Luxury Brand, Most Refined Luxury Brand, and Best Performance Luxury Brand.
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Source: Kelley Blue Book
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The Denali branding has really worked and is something Cadillac needs to study and follow.
I own two Denali products and when people see them they say Oh you own a Denali not a GMC or what ever model.
This is a sign of strong branding.
It matters little what a MFG makes but it matters how customers perceive it. We see this for quality at Toyota. They are really nothing special with their own problems but people think they have none.
GMC has proven their worth as they have been a big profit center for GM and also to be honest kept the Buick dealers alive.
As a Denali owner I can back up what you said about brand perception and recognition. As you stated almost everyone refers to my truck as a Denali rather than a GMC or a Sierra. It also carries the perception of luxury regardless of the fact the trucks are behind in that area. I like the New Yukon Denali interior, hopefully the ’22 truck update puts them on par. I wish the HD’s didn’t have to wait until ’23, it’s honestly one of the reasons I haven’t traded my ’15. As far as Cadillac I think they need to get back to actual names, I’m glad they at least held on to Escalade. Maybe they can get something going with the Blackwing name.
Cadillac needs to get back to unique original luxury products. They were headed that way then GM turned and just made them a fancy Chevy again.
I wonder if because of the turn to EV they just stopped all ICE products and hope now they are going to make the EV products over the top. The XT 4-5-6 are just not going to do it.
Dodge? LOL
This one paragraph says all I need to say BS.
“Kelley Blue Book recognized GMC as the Most Refined Brand in the Non-Luxury Brands category of the company’s 2021 Brand Image Awards. In the same category, Kelley Blue Book recognized Honda as the Best Value Brand, Dodge as the Best Car Styling Brand, and Subaru as the Best Performance Brand, Most Trusted Brand, and Best Overall Brand.”
First, if they were saying Buick instead of GMC, that would be more believable. Second, Honda as best value? Dodge as best car styling? They have exactly ONE car and everything they have is super old. But the most funny one is Subaru as “best performance brand” and “most trusted brand” and “best overall brand”. What a total joke. Who comes up with this s- – t?
I will agree with C8.R and Truckz above about the “Denali” brand having a lot of clout. GMC has done a fantastic job of marketing the Denali brand and good for them for doing so. But GMC being the most refined in the non-luxury segment? Come on. I guess they need to define what most refined actually means here. Buick is better there.
Dodge has three vehicles – the Charger, Challenger, and Durango. No, still not a full lineup, but unless you live under a rock you should know they don’t have just one vehicle.
@DarkSky: Please go back and read what the article (what I quoted) says and then what I say. I think you missed a few key words like “car styling” and where I say they have just “one car”.
Am I missing something? Did the Durango and Journey (and maybe Grand Caravan if you can still find one) suddenly become cars? Last time I checked, they are all considered trucks. But I will give you that they have both the Charger and Challenger, which does make two cars.
How did Dodge win best styling with the age of their lineup?
I remember when Ford got this whole truck name dropping going with the Eddie Bauer trim way back in the 80’s. The Sierra Denali is nothing more than a badge. The interior is no better than a Silverado LTZ.
Not sure on the full size but the Canyon has real Aluminum trim in place of the plastic on the Chevy. A stitched and padded dash to the Chevy hard plastic. Bed lights, cooling seats, real wood trim and more.
I do know the full size GMC gets HUD that Chevy never had.
Still waiting for the chrome bug reflector. Does anyone know what is going on. This is very disappointing waiting since November. Can someone let us know
GM and specifically buick need to bring back more mid size cars that are affordable.