(This article originally appeared on GMC.com)

Exclusive design cues, content elevate industry’s first premium midsize truck

DETROIT – Denali is the ultimate expression of GMC’s professional grade style, luxury and capability – and it is coming to the Canyon midsize truck.

The 2017 Canyon Denali is being introduced today, ahead of its public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It goes on sale in late 2016.

“Canyon is the segment’s first and only premium midsize truck, offering unparalleled capability and efficiency matched with maneuverability and refinement,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing. “The all-new Canyon Denali builds on that award-winning combination with the distinctive styling, luxurious interior and elevated content that has defined the Denali nameplate since its introduction nearly 17 years ago.”

Like all Denali models, the new Canyon Denali is distinguished with a unique chrome grille and unique wheels – 20-inch ultra-bright-machined aluminum wheels with painted accents. Exterior cues include chrome fog lamp bezels, five-inch-diameter rectangular chrome assist steps, a polished exhaust tip and a standard spray-in bed liner.

The Canyon Denali will be offered in six exterior colors.

Inside, a Jet Black interior features Mulan leather-appointed seats with perforated, heated-and-ventilated front seats – exclusive content in the Canyon lineup – along with unique instrument panel and console trim; and Denali-logo sill plates and floor mats.

Standard technologies include Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning. Additional standard features include:

• Heated steering wheel
• GMC IntelliLink with Navigation, an eight-inch-diagonal color touchscreen and phone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with a Wi-Fi hotspot
• Automatic climate control
• Full-color driver information center

• Remote vehicle starter system

• Two USB charging ports on the rear of the center console ad another USB port inside the console.

The Canyon Denali is offered on crew cab models and in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive configurations. Powertrains include a standard 3.6L V-6 that tops competitors’ V-6 offerings with up to 7,000 pounds (3,175 kg) of maximum trailering and an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated 26 mpg highway on 2WD models.

Also available is the all-new 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel, which includes a maximum trailering rating of up to 7,700 pounds (3,493 kg) and EPA-estimated fuel economy of 31 mpg highway (2WD). It is the cleanest diesel truck engine ever produced by General Motors and meets some of the toughest U.S. emissions standards, thanks in part to a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system.

The engine is paired with the Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic transmission, which uses a unique Centrifugal Pendulum Vibration Absorber in the torque converter to reduce powertrain noise and vibration.

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(This article originally appeared on GMC.com)

DETROIT – GMC is taking it to the house, and to the Internet, to help the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and its Building for America’s Bravest program raise awareness and funds to help the Foundation build custom, specially adapted smart homes for severely injured veterans.

GMC today is launching the #enlistme campaign in support of its national charity partner and to recognize and assist the estimated 16 percent of 9/11-generation veterans transitioning to civilian life with serious physical injuries.

Beginning on Veterans Day, November 11, GMC will encourage its fans, followers, employees, dealers and partners to upload an image of themselves making the American Sign Language symbol for the word “house” on their social media accounts, using the #enlistme hashtag. Supporters will be encouraged to challenge others to do the same and to make a donation to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation in support of smart home construction for deserving veterans at www.ourbravest.org/enlistme.

“Too many severely injured servicemen and women are returning to homes that just don’t meet the needs of their individual conditions,” said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president, Buick and GMC Sales, Service and Marketing. “With the #enlistme campaign, GMC invites everyone to honor these brave veterans by showing their support on social media and making a donation.”

The foundation is named after Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter and first responder who died during the attacks of September 11. It seeks to build at least 200 smart homes, designed to be energy efficient, automated and easily accessible, using “adaptive technology” to help injured veterans live better, more independent lives. Each home costs more than $600,000 to build.

With the help of major corporate sponsors, the foundation has approved 44 smart home projects, half of which are complete. The others are being designed or are in construction.

To learn more or to make a donation to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, please visit www.ourbravest.org/enlistme.

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(This article originally appeared on GMC.com)

Segment-best efficiency complements segment-leading 7,700-lb. trailering rating

DETROIT – With efficiency that complements its leading capability, the all-new 2016 GMC Canyon diesel is rated at a segment-topping 22 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway in two-wheel drive – or 25 mpg combined – according the U.S Environmental Protection Agency.

Canyon diesel four-wheel drive models are rated at 20 city and 29 highway – and 23 mpg combined.

In addition to the fuel economy ratings, the EPA has issued a “Certificate of Conformity” for the GMC Canyon diesel. The agency expressed no issues or concerns following its recent, extensive testing and evaluation of the emission control system on the Canyon diesel.

“GMC Canyon is designed for those who want a smart-sized premium pickup that is quiet, capable and efficient and the new Duramax diesel engine gives customers another choice for handling heavier work and recreational needs – while doing it efficiently,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing. “It’s the very definition of GMC’s professional grade ethos.”

The Canyon diesel’s fuel economy is not only segment-best, it tops all full-size truck mileage ratings while offering a higher trailering rating than all 2015 Ram 1500 V-6 models and some 5.7L V-8 models, as well as the 2105 Ford F-150 equipped with the 3.5L naturally aspirated V-6 – and even the 2015 Nissan Titan S model with the 5.6L V-8.

The diesel’s efficiency also means it can go farther between fill-ups. With its 21-gallon fuel tank, it offers an estimated highway-driving range of up to 651 miles.

Duramax details
Canyon’s all-new 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel engine generates 181 horsepower (135 kW) and 369 lb-ft of torque (500 Nm) to enable trailering ratings of 7,700 pounds (3,492 kg) on 2WD models and 7,600 pounds (3,447 kg) for 4WD models – ratings unmatched by other midsize competitors.

The Duramax 2.8L has been certified to the cleanest standards of any diesel truck ever produced by GM and meets tough U.S. emissions standards largely with a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system. It is also B20-capable.

Additionally, a variable-geometry turbocharger helps optimize power and efficiency across the rpm band and a balance shaft contributes to smoothness.

The engine is paired with the Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic transmission, which uses a unique Centrifugal Pendulum Vibration Absorber in the torque converter to reduce powertrain noise and vibration.

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(This article originally appeared on GMC.com)

Brand posts 20 straight months of year-over-year gains; best Q3 since 2005

DETROIT – Customers continue to embrace the premium design, technology and capability that define the GMC brand. Retail sales of GMC crossovers, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. are up 12.6 percent year over year in the first nine months of 2015 – more than twice the industry average increase.

GMC retail sales – those to individual customers – have risen for 20 straight months through September.

Year to date through September, GMC sold 353,273 vehicles at retail in the U.S. In September alone, GMC retail sales rose 20.5 percent. Total sales, including commercial customers and fleet orders, jumped 24 percent, the best September since 2004. GMC also had its best third quarter in 10 years.

Including commercial and export sales, GMC sold 499,343 crossovers, trucks and SUVs through September, up 11 percent from a year ago.

GMC’s product momentum continues with redesigned 2016 Sierra full-size light-duty and heavy-duty pickups; a new 2.8L Duramax diesel-powered 2016 Canyon midsize pickup; and a 2016 Terrain with enhanced styling.

“This sustained growth in sales and our 44-percent conquest rate tell us the precision-crafted elements of our crossovers, trucks and SUVs are connecting with discerning customers seeking refinement and capability,” said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president, Buick and GMC Sales, Service and Marketing. “I expect our new introductions will continue the great success we’re experiencing at GMC.”

The luxury-focused Denali trim level, available on Terrain, Acadia, Sierra, Sierra HD and Yukon, represents 22 percent of total retail sales but nearly 60 percent of Yukon and Yukon XL sales and more than 45 percent of Sierra HD retail sales.

Here’s a model-by-model look at GMC retail sales highlights for the first nine months of the year:

Sierra: Sierra large pickup sales are up 4.7 percent year over year (up 16.2 in September), for its best third-quarter sales since 2005 and best September since 2004.

For 2016, the redesigned Sierra and Sierra Denali offer new standard and available technologies such as lane keep assist, High-Performance LED headlamps and power assist steps that articulate rearward to serve as a bed access step. Sierra HD adds digital steering assist that provides enhanced responsiveness and improved road holding. Both Sierra and Sierra HD add Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (later availability) compatibility.

Acadia: Year-to-date, Acadia large crossover sales are up 19.8 percent (up 4 percent in September) for its sixth consecutive best-ever month, nine straight months of year-over-year growth, best-ever quarter and best September sales ever. The 2016 Acadia and Acadia Denali feature enhanced connectivity with OnStar 4G LTE with built-in WiFi hotspot.

Read the entire article on GMC.com

(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.

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(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.