I realize I might be stepping on some toes, but please hear me out. The impending, new from the bottom up, GMC Yukon is sure to be perceived by some as being too muchin size, that is. With fuel costs at an all time high and buyer sentiment shifting to smaller cars does the GMC Yukon be considered outmoded even before it hits showroom floors in Spring 2006? Let’s have a look at plenty of the changes planned for the all new Yukon and then you can decide for yourself.
General Motors has been itching to release the Yukon and a host of other full sized GMC/Chevrolet models to the public as soon as possible. Some find this strange, especially since fuel costs are high and requirement for giant cars is on the decline. Still, there is good reason why GM wants you to take a closer look at approaching offerings including the 2007 GMC Yukon, their big SUV:
- New from the ground up. Ask anyone that purchases huge vans and SUVs and they will tell you that owning one with the most recent technology is often a final nail in purchasing a new model. GM is right on schedule with the update; however as with any “older model” vehicle currently on the market sales typically decline as a new model is prepared for release.
- Engine efficiency. The 2007 Yukon’s 2 V8s will produce larger hp Than the previous engines, but they will register an increase in fuel usage. How so? General Motors is incorporating Displacement on Demand technology, which deactivates some of the cylinders at low loads for increased fuel usage. You will recall a more basic version of this technology being applied to Cadillac models in the early 1980s ; that particular V8-6-4 technology was before its time and GM had to tug it back then as the engines did not do what was meant for them to do. Now, more than a generation later, General Motors has worked out all the kinks and has hugely improved on the first idea.
- Safety. Roof mounted side curtain air bags will now be made available for all 3 rows of passengers. GM has been on a major offensive over the last half decade or more in stressing safety, a big seller for any automobile. A better ABS system and StabiliTrak, GM’s premier handling system, will be included.
- Technological improvements. Rear camera systems, power fold and tumble back seats, and an enhanced navigation system are some of the updates. The interior of the 2007 Yukon is actually bigger than preceding models.
While General Motors can only wish that fuel costs were lower, the company is hoping that each of their new models can take a greater slice of the shrinking massive truck/SUV pie. With new models from Ford still a year or two away, the Yukon is stood to chop into Expedition sales as well as take back sales lost to Lexus. Even with high fuel prices in place, there will likely always be a core market of folks that need a vehicle of the Yukon’s size ; General Motors knows this and has updated their line of vehicles to keep pace.
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