GMC News: Rumorpile: More On GMC's Wrangler Competitor

[William Maley]

A few months back, we reported on a story dealing with possible future products for GMC. One of those products being bandied about was a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler. Well it seems this idea has some legs at GM as a report from the Wall Street Journal says GM has spoken to its dealers about this.

Speaking with a several sources, the Journal reports that GM talked to its dealers about the possibility of a GMC product that would borrow cues and off-road credentials from the defunct Hummer brand. Dealers were asked to provide feedback and do some research to help the company make a decision of whether or not to go forward with it.

“The idea is being kicked around real hard,” said a source.

Why is GM considering this SUV? Part of it comes from the revival of SUV sales with models getting more efficient and the economy becoming more stable. Also GM has been keeping an eye on Jeep Wrangler sales which have increased 13 percent to 175,000 units in 2014.

Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

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[roadwarrior]

Give it some GMC DNA and build it already.  I was waiting for an H4 when Hummer got canned.

[G. David Felt]

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL SELL! 

 

 

Any body good enough to photoshop the wheels and Grill with the Red GMC logo's?

[roadwarrior]

Not good enough a pshopper to do it, but I can see it in my mind.  Even leaving the headlights exactly as is and taking a (shortened) grille off the canyon, it's a gruff looking little 4-wheeler.  Could borrow design language from the headlights of the canyon, too, just square 'em up a bit to match the overall shape of the HX.

 

I don't remember the full details of the HX, but if the back seats made a muck-proof "bed", that'd be perfect for me.  Take my $$ now!

[Drew Dowdell]

This is as big a "DuH!" question as was the one to build a 4-Door Wrangler or a Wrangler Pickup

[SoCalCTS]

Let Hummer die already. As long as the wrangler knock-off is small and low cost then it should do fine. America doesn't need any form of a bloated Hummer to return to the roadways!

[Guest Robert]

Call it TROVANTER !

[Camino LS6]

Been saying this for HOW long?

[Drew Dowdell]

Maybe on the Canyon platform? The H3 rode on the old canyon. I wonder if they're going more for that. It would only really compete with the 4 door Wrangler.

GMC needs a Cherokee competitor.

[hyperv6]

This has been kicked around for a good while and GM is just now getting into a place where they can afford to take this to the next level.

 

GMC needs a smaller fuel efficient model and this could be it.

The fact is Jeep is losing its way and under Fiat I really see them moving away from what made them great.
 

While the 4 door Wrangler is nice and sells well it is getting more expensive and not truly what it originally was. Fuel MPG is not great either. It is becoming a SUV more than a true off road vehicle that you can beat on. The new Renege is not really a jeep and not really inspiring.
 

I feel GM will go back to what they originally looked at and do a real off road vehicle that is powered by a 4 cylinder and can take a real beating. This would be a specialty model and not one that is expected to be a SUV as GMC will add other models that will be a SUV. In other words this one is not the reconstituted H4. GM has looked at doing a smaller lighter Jeep like model but had no platform for it back then. They had been said to have looked at the Kappa but it never went anywhere GM just did not have the money. Today that is different.

 

I think will see something that can out Jeep a Jeep. The fact is GM has access to more engines than Fiat. Also they have no ties like Jeep has that say it has to look like a Jeep. This means they can go places Jeep can not go.

 

I just see this as being rugged, light and fuel effect. It is not going to be a Luxury car but it will be something people will take out and beat on and get dirty.

 

But I do see room for an H4 like model too as that could be the new Jimmy or what ever they want to call it.

 

The Wrangler 4 door now is a much more efficient Jeep but it also is not what Jeep used to be. It also is not as efficient in space as a SUV based model and also has issue with Stone chips up the sides even if it never goes off road. My buddies is all chipped up just from the roads. The wheels sticking out and the special edition larger tires fling it all up the side. 1 year old and It is not looking new anymore.

 

Lutz said Hummer should have been a GMC. I see them going back to this from the small size vehicles up. You already see hints of Hummer in the square off styling and the fender flairs. My Terrain looks like a Civilianized smaller Hummer with nose squared of and the fender bulges. GMC is much like Hummer just subdued.

 

I find it a winning formula and one that will make GMC even more profitable and more different than Chevy.

 

[G. David Felt]

Let Hummer die already. As long as the wrangler knock-off is small and low cost then it should do fine. America doesn't need any form of a bloated Hummer to return to the roadways!

I totally disagree. Just because you do not find the need to go off into the woods and play, many of us do need a solid built 4x4 SUV and would rather buy something like this from GM than Jeep.

 

What would make this a game changer is build it beefy like all Hummers were with the proper mix of crawl ratio's, protection of the underbelly and yet use a Volt like Power train. 

 

Pure Electric power train with a small diesel or CNG generator to give it a 400 to 500 mile range. This way you have a real world off road auto that also will give excellent on road MPG.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Maybe on the Canyon platform? The H3 rode on the old canyon. I wonder if they're going more for that. It would only really compete with the 4 door Wrangler.

GMC needs a Cherokee competitor.

 

Oh I think there's more to this concept than just another model for the Colorado lineup

 

[G. David Felt]

Hummer should have never been a BRAND to begin with, it should have been a Special Edition package you get on GMC Trucks and SUV's. This package would have the special 54 to 1 crawl ratio, the beefier suspension system, the extra shock reservoirs. Special undercarriage platting, etc. 

 

Hummer should have been the Extreme off road package you add to any GMC Auto.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I agree dfelt, and many Hummer dealerships were owned by Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers (and I know of a few Cadillac-Chevrolet ones too).  But GMC should have had the regular lineup (WT/SL, SLE, SLT), the Denali models, and the All Terrain models that were Hummers.  I've preached for a long time that GMC needs to divide their lineup this way - they already have the All Terrain models but their not Denali-specific enough yet.  Still a trim rather than a model lineup.  And I'm not saying Chevy Trucks should be forgotten either, they should mirror GMC in a regular lineup and add the High County (i.e. Denali) and TrailBoss [Ed. Note: GMTG74's suggestion of the recently announced trademarked name] (i.e. All Terrain) models too.  Chevy's off road (TrailBoss) should definitely target Ford (FX4, Raptor), Ram (Outdoorsman, Power Wagon), and Toyota (TRD) off-road packaged truck models.  The Chevy High Country trucks should target the same models Ford (King Ranch), Ram (Long Horn), and Toyota (1794) offer.  GMC can target similar models but be a bit more polished for the white collar-type worker.  Just my opinion here.

[hyperv6]

Bob Lutz made it clear in his book that he made a major mistake not making Hummer a model line inside GMC. He said it would have been cheaper and easier to manage. As it was closing down Hummer was expensive.

 

While the eco people hated Hummer there are still many people out there now paying big money for used models. While the H2 and H3 were really just based on a Tahoe and Trailblazer it fooled a lot of people into thinking they were in a real monster of a truck and fooled the eco people into thinking these were worse than any other SUV on the road. The fact was they were a very good use of an existing platform that could be easily done again in the form of a GMC.
 

Now I would not make it a full on Hummer if they wanted to bring this back but hints of the styling like we are getting with more ground clearance and bigger tires would be fine. The price would be in line with GMC's premium status.

 

The real key is to find ways to make smaller and more efficient GMC product that would still be fun and interesting. Real off road rock crawling like vehicles are cool with so many today. Also something missing today is a quality Samurai. These things sold like crazy for Suzuki and could sell well again today. Make it with a lift off top and Ecotec engine. Just make it so it is rust resistant. I think the Samurai were shipped from japan with rust.

 

GMC needs a variety of products all with real world off road ability even if 75% never leave the road. They need models large small and in-between here. There is a lot of money to be made here if done right.

I would not get too crazy on the high tech electric stuff here as most truck guys do not go for this stuff. Also till it gets better the large frontal area of a truck would never see the range a Volt gets. It would be nice but between the cost and the lack of battery range would not be great.

Lutz is trying it on Chevy trucks. If it works then we can revisit it. But I will be shocked if he sells many.


 

[hyperv6]

Let Hummer die already. As long as the wrangler knock-off is small and low cost then it should do fine. America doesn't need any form of a bloated Hummer to return to the roadways!

 

 

The Hummer name does not mean it has to be bloated only rugged looking.

The rock crawler idea they were considering was on a Kappa platform and would have been basic in light, rugged and small enough to take on any trail.

 

GM was thinking out of the make it bigger mode with Hummer and were making them smaller and smaller in their plans

[cletus8269]

i'd just like a new k5 blazer personally. im in the market for a new vehicle and its between a new colorado crew z71 and a willys wheeler unlimited. frankly with comparable options the jeep comes in a tick under $3500 less...

[timelord731]

This thing looks like a luxury Humvee. I like it. I hope it performs like one as well.