World Cars Motor Show

The Chicago Auto Show is a truck-heavy show, and with the truck business in a state of flux, all eyes are on the domestic brands??”which have felt the greatest squeeze in the face of falling demand for full-size pickups and SUVs??”for some sign of hope that they??™re prepared with fresh ideas for their core market.

GMC does not let us down, showing the slickest pickup concept we??™ve seen in years: the Denali XT hybrid concept. It could be just the thing to keep the brand afloat in the murky waters of the truck market.

Until now, most of us have equated the Denali name with size and luxury, but the Denali XT shows that GMC has broader plans for the Denali name. At 205 inches long and 76 inches wide, the Denali XT casts roughly the same shadow as a Honda Ridgeline pickup, although its radically chopped roof is eight inches lower than the Ridgeline??™s. GM calls it a ???compact??? truck.

Moreover, the cargo bed is just four feet, seven inches long by four feet wide??”hardly full-size pickup load-carrying capability. However, a folding midgate extends the cargo area into the cab while the rear window remains in place. So what, exactly does Denali mean? Certainly not binge-shopping at Home Depot.

As it always has, the Denali name does involve bling. And truthfully, it really works. Among the styling cues we would love to see in production are the broad front fenders, high-set headlamps, and flush-mounted tailpipes. And that window line could make it the Chrysler 300 of pickups.

The LED headlamps remind us of the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coup?©, and the XT offers a fresh take on GMC??™s trademark grille (now with four lattice-trimmed louvers), as well as side vents, glitzy door handles and monstrous 23-inch wheels, all rendered in shiny chrome. Without dispute, there??™s enough brightwork on this thing to earn the name Denali, no matter how ???compact??? it may or may not actually be.

Inside, the Denali XT??™s four-place interior is full of show-car pizzazzery, including sexy leather bucket seats, aircraft-inspired dash bits, exotic lighting and more. With masculine colors and polygonal forms, this is the interior of the Chevrolet Camaro concept adapted for truck duty. We??™re not sure how much of it will make it to production, but we??™ll be looking to the production Camaro to gauge how good GM has become at translating show interiors into real interiors.

The most intriguing aspect of the Denali XT is its unibody architecture, portending a possible switch from body-on-frame to unibody for the truck that might ultimately replace the Canyon. This makes easy work of packaging a rear-wheel drivetrain, an independent rear suspension and the aforementioned midgate in the same vehicle whilst retaining a low profile and thus, good aerodynamics. GM says the body is stiffer than its body-on-frame compact counterparts.

Equally interesting is what??™s stuffed under the blunt, tapered hood of the Denali XT: the same hybrid powertrain system used by GM??™s family of hybrid full-size SUVs and pickups, including the 2009 GMC Sierra hybrid.

In this case, however, instead of using a 6.0-liter V-8 as its base, GM has installed a 4.9-liter version of its ubiquitous small-block V-8 with variable cylinder management. Said to produce 326 horsepower, the V-8 can also run on E85.

As for GMC??™s ???Professional Grade??? slogan, well, with that chopped roof and those massive rollers, it may apply more to professional athletes and rap stars than cowboys and contractors, with a respectable payload capacity of 1100 pounds but a meager tow capacity of 3500 pounds. And don??™t even think about off-roading in the XT, even with its height-adjustable suspension.

The Denali XT debuts less than a month after Toyota introduced its own wacky hybrid pickup concept the A-BAT concept, which the Denali XT looks like it could devour like a slimy piece of mackerel on a bed of sticky rice. Could car-based pickups be a sign of things to come from carmakers? Could the Ridgeline??™s monopoly of the niche finally be coming to an end?

Clearly, yes. In addition to Toyota??™s hybrid truck plans, GM is expected to import a version of Holden??™s unibody, rear-drive Commodore Ute, a.k.a. the ???Australian El Camino,??? from its Australian division, which, incidentally, is the same group that developed the Denali XT. Hmmm.

Either way, we think the Denali XT is hot. GMC: ditch the Canyon and build this.

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The 2008 GMC Acadia is a large cross over vehicle that has been a consumer favorite since its introduction in 2007. Differentiating it from its competitors is its ability to comfortable transport up to 8 passengers with a good amount of their belongings in the back. While most cross over vehicles on the market today combine a lot of sport and very little actual utility, the Acadia is actually one cross over that offers an athletic appearance with increased functionality due to its large size and cargo capacity, without losing the sport/luxury car ambiance.

Though off road capabilities are limited, the Acadia provides a powerful, comfortable and elegantly designed mode of transportation. Three trim levels are available to satisfy the various needs of those who are looking to purchase a 7-8 passenger vehicle that performs exceptionally well during every day driving excursions as well as long trips. The base model SLE is well equipped with 18 inch alloy wheels, power windows and door locks, a 6 speaker stereo system that accommodates both CD’s and an MP3 player, front and rear air conditioning, cruise control and remote keyless entry. The SLT1 offers heated outside mirrors, stunning machine polished wheels, luxurious heated leather upholstery, triple zone climate control and a Bose stereo system with 10 speakers, in dash 6 CD changer, subwoofer and steering wheel mounted audio controls. The top of the line SLT2 adds satellite radio, a rear parking assist system, power rear lift gate, remote start and a crystal clear rear seat entertainment center. Other options include a windshield instrument display, navigation system; sun roof and Dolby 5.1 surround sound system that includes audio controls in the cargo area. All models are available with either the standard 7 passenger seating arrangement or an optional 8 passenger seating configuration.

A 3.6-liter V6 that delivers 275 horsepower mated with a very responsive 6 speed automatic transmission propels this large vehicle forward with ease. A mid range tow/trailer package is availabe that provides a towing capacity of 4500 pounds. The optional advanced AWD system keeps the Acadia steady and sure footed on snow covered or wet roads. Fuel economy is pretty good considering the size of this vehicle, with gas mileage averages coming in at approximately 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

Depending on how you choose to arrange the third row seat, cargo space ranges from 19 cubic feet with enough room left to seat 8 passengers comfortably, or 117 cubic feet when you have more stuff than people to transport. Overall, the 2008 GMC Acadia provides a comfortable ride and handles well. It is unusual to find this type of performance and comfort in a cross over, and the price is right too.

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Mechanically identical to the Tahoe Hybrid that bowed in January of this year at the Detroit auto show, GMC??™s Yukon Hybrid is a full hybrid that will have the capability of running on electric power alone at low speeds, unlike GM??™s mild hybrids, the Chevrolet Silverado and Saturn Vue Green Line. The so-called two-mode system generates around 300 hp and consists of an electric motor/generator and a Vortec V-8 engine, using electric power only, engine power only, or a combination thereof at low speeds and light loads. It’s similar to Toyota hybrids in that it uses two planetary gear seats and two electric motors mated to a gasoline engine. Teamed with cylinder deactivation that allows the petrol-swilling V-8 to sip pennies as a V-4 in low-load conditions, the hybrid drivetrain ought to return fuel economy gains around 25 percent, good for a combined city/highway fuel economy of 20 mpg.

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