(This article originally appeared on GMC.com)

GMC’s leading-edge forms driven by more than a century of function

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Few places in the world showcase design better than New York City. From the celebrated architecture of One World Trade Center and the precise construction of the Brooklyn Bridge to the forward-thinking fashion seen in Times Square, New York inspires designers everywhere.

That makes it the perfect place to celebrate GMC’s rich history of design that has culminated in today’s lineup of professional grade trucks and SUVs. After more than 110 years of offering highly capable, exceptionally engineered vehicles, customers also choose the brand for its leading-edge style. In fact, it’s the top reason for purchase for the brand overall, and the Sierra full-size pickup specifically.

Exemplifying industrial sculpture, GMC’s overall design is a defining attribute of the brand – focusing on the use of authentic materials, defined lines, sophisticated colors and the latest technology.

Helen Emsley, executive director, global GMC Design and User Experience, leads a team of designers who continuously push designs to create a distinctive look and feel to the GMC lineup.

“When people look in the rearview mirror, I want a GMC to stand out,” says Emsley. “I want them to know it’s a GMC; to tell from the unmistakable chrome grille and the “C-shaped” LED signature that it’s a GMC. It’s about precision and quality, making something different from all other brands.”

Emsley, whose interest in design began in textiles while growing up in Great Britain and attending the Royal College of Art, has an extensive background in color and trim design. She compares using real materials such as woods, leather and metal in automotive design to using the best components available to create high fashion.

“You can have a fantastic design for a dress, but if you’re not using quality materials, the dress hangs terribly,” she says. “We feel passionately about using quality materials and crafting refined, sculpted silhouettes for our vehicles.”

That attention to detail is well-received. GMC received Kelley Blue Book’s 2014 and 2015 Brand Image Award for Most Refined Brand based on thousands of online consumers’ perceptions.

Read the entire article at GMC.com.

(This article originally appeared on GMC.com)

Software upgrade for new eight-inch IntelliLink radios coming in March 2016

DETROIT – A software upgrade enabling Android Auto phone compatibility for 2016 GMC Canyon, Sierra and Yukon models equipped with the available eight-inch IntelliLink system will be offered to U.S. customers in March 2016. The upgrade will be performed by GMC dealers.

Android Auto joins Apple CarPlay, which was unveiled earlier this year, offering phone compatibility via the available IntelliLink screen.

“Providing Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility ushers in a new era of staying connected in a convenient manner,” said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president, Buick and GMC.

Each system builds off select features smartphone users rely on most. Android Auto is built around Google Maps, Google Now and the ability to talk to Google, as well as a growing audio and messaging app ecosystem that includes WhatsApp, Google Play Music, Spotify, and podcast players. A full list of supported apps is available at Android.com/auto.

Many system features can be controlled by voice commands through a button on the steering wheel, helping drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

Connectivity has become a central component of GMC’s interior technology features. Just last year, many GMC vehicles also began offering available OnStar 4G LTE connectivity and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. The connection allows occupants to connect up to seven personal devices.

This new compatibility stands to make connectivity even stronger. Specific market availability for Android Auto can be found here. Current Apple CarPlay markets can be found here.

Using either application is simple in a compatible 2016 GMC Canyon, Sierra or Yukon. A “Projection” icon on the IntelliLink screen is visible when a phone is not connected, and then changes to indicate either CarPlay or Android Auto (whichever is applicable) when a compatible phone is connected via USB. Android Auto requires a phone running the Android Lollipop 5.0 operating system or above, while Apple CarPlay requires an iPhone 5 or later.

Read the entire article on GMC.com

(This article originally appeared on GMC.com)

Sport appearance wears new front-end design, latest connectivity technologies

DETROIT – The popular GMC Sierra Elevation Edition returns for 2016 with the styling enhancements and other features new to the entire Sierra 1500 lineup – including revised front-end styling with new, high-intensity discharge projector-beam headlamps and GMC Signature LED lighting.

The Elevation Edition – available on Sierra double cab – has a street-smart stance, thanks to body-color moldings, door handles, mirror caps and a body-color grille surround, as well as body-color bumpers. It also rolls on 20-inch black-painted aluminum wheels and is further enhanced with new Elevation Edition badging.

“The Sierra Elevation Edition offers a boldly styled pickup for customers who want a truck that looks as good as it performs,” said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president, Buick and GMC. “With its muscular design details, inherent truck capabilities and premium technology features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, Sierra Elevation improves on an already comprehensive package.”

Inside Sierra Elevation Edition, the latest technology helps drivers stay connected at all times. A new radio with a 7-inch-diagonal screen incorporates CarPlay and Android Auto phone integration capability, which gives drivers the ability to make calls, send and receive messages and control music from the IntelliLink touchscreen. Additionally, OnStar 4G LTE and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot allow continuous connectivity for up to seven personal devices.

All Sierra Elevation Edition models include remote keyless entry, remote locking tailgate, outside heated power-adjustable mirrors, a 110-volt AC power outlet, black recovery hooks, a six-speaker audio system and more.

A standard 4.3L EcoTec3 V-6 engine delivers 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque with a highway fuel economy of 24 mpg. An available 5.3L EcoTec3 V-8 produces 355 horsepower – and offers up to 9,400 pounds of trailering capacity (2WD). Customers can choose two- or four-wheel drive and the Eaton locking rear differential is standard with both.

All-terrain tires, a Rear Vision camera system, trailering equipment and XM Radio are available on all models.

The new GMC Sierra Elevation Edition goes on sale in the first quarter of 2016.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902, with innovation and engineering excellence built into all GMC vehicles. The brand is evolving to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover. GMC’s highest-volume vehicle, the Sierra pickup, is the most powerful light-duty pickup on the market, and the first full-size pickup to receive the highest-possible five-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its New Car Assessment Program for the 2011 model year. Details on all GMC models are available at http://www.gmc.com/, on Twitter at @thisisgmc or at http://www.facebook.com/gmc.

Read the original article on GMC.com.

(This article originally appeared on GMC.com.)

Cargo space, connectivity and safety technology help ease back-to-school transition

DETROIT – For many families, the mayhem begins when the school day ends. That’s when kids must be driven to sports practices, dance lessons, scout meetings and more. GMC can’t break up fights in the back seat, but its roomy and connected crossovers and SUVs can take the edge off extracurricular chaos for harried parents and caregivers.

Nearly six in 10 children between 6 and 17 years old participate in at least one after-school extracurricular activity, according to a 2014 U.S. Census Bureau report.

“Everything starts all at once after Labor Day,” says Whitney Quijada, a mother from Arizona and owner of a GMC Acadia. “I am a teacher and I have two kids and they’re both involved in three activities – dance, gymnastics and tee-ball practice during the week and tee-ball games on Saturdays. We’re always on the go. We have the captain’s chairs in the second row. Even if we are carpooling to dance or tee-ball practice, it’s so convenient to get the kids in the back and buckled up.”

For those whose spare time is spent transporting children, the GMC lineup offers something for every family – except a minivan. Fair warning: If word gets out, you could be drafted into ferrying the neighbor kids, too.

Room for kids and their stuff

Terrain and Terrain Denali seat up to five with versatility and style. The standard, exclusive MultiFlex sliding rear seat allows families to expand cargo room when needed. The interior offers up to 31.6 cubic feet (894 liters) of cargo space behind the rear seat, enough for four, 40-inch hockey bags.

Acadia and Acadia Denali accommodate seven to eight passengers. The SmartSlide seating system provides easy access to the third row, which can lead to less whining about exile to the third row seats. Storage capacity behind the second row of seats is 70.1 cubic feet – enough for three 36-quart coolers when it’s your turn to bring drinks to soccer practice.

Read the rest at GMC.com.

This article originally appeared on gmc.com.

New, premium styling cues, technologies complement crafted interior

DETROIT – With exterior design the top draw for customers to the Sierra 1500, GMC’s best-selling truck rolls into 2016 with a fresh appearance that takes its signature premium styling to a higher level – and offers new, advanced engineering features designed to complement its crafted interior.

Greater visual distinction among Sierra models and some special equipment packages, such as the Elevation and All Terrain, are new for 2016, which also brings significant lighting technology upgrades. Highlights include:

• New headlamps with GMC signature LED lighting on all models
• High-Intensity Discharge (HID) projector-beam headlamps with LED signature standard on base model, SLE and SLT
• Thin-profile LED foglamps standard on SLT, All Terrain and Sierra Denali
• High-performance LED headlamps with LED signature standard on Sierra Denali and available on SLT
• New grille design with specific appearance for base model, Elevation, SLE, SLT, All Terrain and Sierra Denali
• LED taillamps standard on SLT, All Terrain and Sierra Denali.

Advanced engineering in the 2016 Sierra is manifested in next-generation technologies such as Lane Keep Assist, which helps keep the truck in its lane with subtle steering enhancements, and IntelliBeam headlamp control, which automatically adjusts the high beams for oncoming traffic. Both are added to the Driver Alert Package available on SLT and Sierra Denali models.

Additionally, new power-articulating assist steps are available on Sierra Denali, which makes entry and egress easier.

The 2016 Sierra’s new technologies also include phone integration via GMC IntelliLink, which enhances connectivity and promotes safer driving. It allows smartphone users to connect with applications such as navigation, hands-free messaging and more through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Android Auto is standard on a new radio with a seven-inch-diagonal screen at the start of production and is coming to available eight-inch radios later in the model year.

Read the entire article on GMC.com.

(This article originally appeared on gmc.com)

Active Steering Assist complements capability; new gooseneck package offered

DETROIT – No other heavy-duty truck matches the GMC Sierra HD lineup when it comes to offering capability with comfort, quietness and crafted interiors. It builds on a 112-year legacy of professional grade heavy-duty trucks with technologies and features that make leveraging its capabilities easier and more enjoyable.

New for 2016, Active Steering Assist power steering on some double cab and crew cab models helps make hauling and trailering easier and more confident, with electronic controls that enhance road holding and stability on the highway regardless of whether the truck is loaded. It also offers greater responsiveness and an improved steering feel – not available on base models or regular cab.

A new Gooseneck/5th Wheel Trailering Prep Package is offered and makes Sierra HD models ready right from the factory to tow larger trailers. It’s available in the first quarter of 2016 for Duramax-equipped models and features a frame-mounted hitch platform and tray that accommodates a gooseneck ball hitch or fifth-wheel hitch-mounting brackets, and includes a cargo bed-mounted trailer harness. A new Gooseneck Completion Kit will also be available from GMC dealers, featuring a 2-5/16-inch ball hitch and two chain tie-downs.

Additional new and updated features for 2016 include:

• GMC IntelliLink with a seven-inch-diagonal capacitive touchscreen features a new HD radio and performance improvements including a faster processer for better performance, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability
• GMC IntelliLink with an eight-inch-diagonal touchscreen features performance improvements including a faster processer for better performance and Apple CarPlay capability (Android Auto capability coming later in the model year)
• High-intensity Discharge (HID) projector-beam headlamps with GMC signature LED lighting now standard on all models
• Available wireless phone charging
• Available remote locking tailgate
• Exterior colors: Crimson Red Tintcoat (double cab only), Cardinal Red, Deep Garnet Metallic (crew cab only) and Mahogany Metallic (not available on All Terrain or Denali).

Read the entire article on GMC.com.

(This article originally appeared on gmc.com)

All-new turbo-diesel powertrain enables unmatched 7,700-lb. trailering capability

DETROIT – GMC introduced the 2016 Canyon diesel today – featuring an all-new powertrain that expands the Canyon’s already class-leading capabilities, including trailering capacity of up to 7,700 pounds (3,492 kg).

The new 2.8L Duramax diesel, SAE-certified at 181 horsepower (135 kW) and 369 lb-ft of torque (500 Nm), is estimated to deliver greater highway fuel economy than the Canyon’s segment-topping gas engines, and is the cleanest diesel truck engine ever from General Motors. It goes on sale this fall.

Several new technologies and supporting features complement the Duramax diesel’s capability while helping ensure GMC’s trademark refinement:

• Standard Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic transmission matched with a Centrifugal Pendulum Vibration Absorber in the torque converter, which reduces powertrain noise and vibration
• Smart diesel exhaust brake system that enhances vehicle control and reduces brake wear on steep grades
• An all-new integrated trailer brake controller is standard and exclusive on diesel models
• A new, electronically controlled two-speed transfer case on 4WD models.

“The new Duramax diesel takes the GMC Canyon’s award-winning capabilities to a new level in its segment,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing.

The new Duramax diesel is offered on SLE and SLT Crew Cab models, with 2WD or 4WD. It is priced $3,730 more than a comparably equipped Canyon V-6 model.

An available trailering package includes a hitch receiver and seven-pin connector, as well as the segment-exclusive automatic locking rear differential. A 3.42 rear axle ratio and four-wheel disc brakes with Duralife™ brake rotors are standard. Capacities include:

• Maximum trailering rating of 7,700 pounds (3,492 kg) for 2WD models and 7,600 pounds (3,447 kg) for 4WD
• Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings of 6,000 pounds (2,721 kg) for 2WD and 6,200 pounds (2,812 kg) for 4WD.

A fully boxed frame provides the strength to enable the capabilities of the new Duramax diesel while supporting a ride designed to be smooth and quiet. Like the full-size Sierra’s frame, Canyon features three sections – or bays – with specific strength and support characteristics, including a front bay made of hydroformed side rails and an integrated four-point front axle mounting system designed to reduce vibration.

“A diesel engine was part of the Canyon’s portfolio plan from the beginning, meaning the chassis, suspension and other elements of its architecture were engineered to support it,” said Scott Yackley, assistant chief engineer. “That means there are no compromises with the Canyon diesel. It offers exceptional capability delivered with a confident feeling of control.”

When it comes to putting that capability to use, Canyon offers helpful cargo features such as the standard CornerStep rear bumper, two-tier cargo bed loading, 13 standard movable tie-downs in the cargo bed, an available factory spray-in bed liner and the EZ Lift-and-Lower tailgate.

In addition, the 2016 Canyon offers technologies and connectivity features such as GMC IntelliLink with new phone integration technology – and Apple CarPlay capability – OnStar 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot, Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Alert.

Read the entire article on GMC.com.

(This article originally appeared on gmc.com)

Terrain places second in Compact SUV category

DETROIT – Underscoring its appeal to discerning owners of full-size pickups, the 2015 GMC Sierra HD led the Large Heavy Duty Pickup segment in the 2015 J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study released today. The 2015 GMC Terrain placed second in the Compact SUV category.

The APEAL Study examines – through consumer surveys – how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive. Owners evaluate their vehicle across 77 attributes, which make up an overall brand score measured on a 1,000-point scale.

“These and similar awards affirm that our customers recognize and appreciate the precision engineering, design and technology that go into every GMC,” said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president, GMC. “Sierra HD trucks are engineered without compromise to deliver the capability, refinement and technology that inspire confidence with every task.”

Because many owners of heavy duty pickups use them for hauling and towing, GMC paid special attention to features that promote greater driving confidence and comfort on long trips, such as integrated cruise control and auto grade braking. They help drivers maintain a set speed up and down grades, even when towing a heavy trailer in mountainous terrain.

On Sierra HDs equipped with the available Duramax diesel engine, the driver can also engage the diesel exhaust brake, which uses the variable vanes in the turbocharger to smoothly and quietly create additional backpressure in the engine to help slow the vehicle. The combination of the exhaust brake and the automatic transmission downshifts helps maintain the desired speed, even on long, steep highway downgrades.

A standard rear-vision camera system provides a view of items behind the vehicle and can assist with lining up in front of a trailer.

In June, 48 percent of Sierra HD retail sales were Denali HDs.

The Terrain remains a favorite in the compact crossover segment, introducing customers to the brand’s premium design and luxury features. Customer connectivity in the 2015 Sierra HD and Terrain includes GMC’s IntelliLink infotainment system, along with OnStar with 4GLTE and built-in WiFi hotspot, providing a mobile hub for drivers and passengers to stay connected.

Read the entire article on GMC.com.