Tag: GMC

Yes, There Will Be a Terrain Denali!

by Randy Stern

Remember our old friend the GMC Terrain?

You know, that buffed, squared off two-row crossover that yielded two pieces on here and a two-page spread in Lavender magazine? The one that conquered Interstates 90 and 94, and the first snow of the Twin Cities' so-called winter…that one! Well, General Motors' mainstream two-row crossover provided the biggest surprise of the week for us in the auto journalism business.

A month ago at the Chicago Auto Show, a few of us journos were milling around the GMC stand after the 2013 Acadia was revealed to the universe. The discussion focused back at the Terrain and what we would love to see from its smallest and second most selling product. Once the word "Denali" came up, the ideas flowed just as a dam was opened up along the Mississippi River.

In my reviews of the Terrain, I mentioned how the SLT-2 models I drove were equipped short of a Denali-level model. Yet, no one gave any indication that GMC's top end sub-brand was even considered for the two-row crossover.

We could dream, right?

Continue Reading

Chicago 2012: What's New at McCormick Place

by Randy Stern

Chicago Auto Show is still considered one of the major exhibitions of the automobile in the USA. Being one of the "majors" on the USA auto show circuit, manufacturers are given the opportunity to debut brand new or revised models to their lineups. Chicago continues to provide this opportunity for the automotive world to see what’s new and different for the upcoming model year.

In recent times, manufacturers are no longer tied to the auto shows to create debut events. Also, the number of opportunities for these debuts are being consolidated or reduced for various different reasons. At one time, the Chicago Auto Show organizers were planning to consolidate their press conference schedule into one day. Luckily, they did not do so this year. Who is to say whether they will do this in the future?

Still, there are some debuts to be discussed. Here’s the best ones that showed up at McCormick Place…

Continue Reading

Which Ones Sold How Many in 2011?

by Randy Stern

The annual sales figures are in! I could recount which vehicles were the best sellers in the nation, but I’d rather concentrate on how last year’s main vehicle review subjects fared in 2011. Also, I try to analyze how each vehicle could fare in the coming year.

Continue Reading

Historiography: Another Centennial – GMC

by Randy Stern

TweetLast year, Chevrolet celebrated a big centennial. Now, it’s truck, crossover, SUV and van-making brother is about to do the same. It is actually a major Trivial Pursuit stumper – the brand that used to be known as the GM Truck and Coach Division was established in 1912 as a result of a merger between …

Continue Reading

Driven Like The First Snow

by Randy Stern

In some cases, a vehicle may have received a not so glowing review. Perhaps I may have missed the point…or, something may not have been clear the first go round? There had been vehicles where the initial experience was negative, but all was resolved the second or third time around.

Continue Reading

The Shiny One In The Middle

by Randy Stern

Since gas prices scaled up to $4.00 a gallon nationwide earlier this year, the North American automotive market saw a general shift towards smaller, more efficient vehicles. Benefitting from this downsizing shift is the small crossover segment. If you scour over the sales charts, you will notice the astounding growth in sales of these smaller utility machines.

Continue Reading

When GM Comes to Town

by Randy Stern

This weekend provided a quandary for the automobile enthusiast. Should one head to Southeastern Michigan, making the pilgrimage to Woodward Avenue for the Dream Cruise? Or, should one live it up on the Monterey Peninsula at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance?

Continue Reading

Getting Real

by Randy Stern

For every person appearing in that video, there is always someone who will argue that people like myself do not matter. For the former New York Giants Super Bowl hero, the member of Congress in the north and east suburbs of the Twin Cities and the security person at Target Field, we are challenged with finding positive ways to overcome the negativity that pervades in every corner of our society. GM has done exactly that with their “It Gets Better” video.

Continue Reading