GMT 900 Pics & Info: Silverado Interior Spy Shots

[High-Test]

Ooh... Would they do hybrid and Dod on the same motor? I'd imagine that would get very good gas mileage for a 5600 lb. vehicle.


Did GM drop the brand new I6 they have in the Trailblazer? It has 10 less horsepower than the 5.3 does, plus it's a stovebolt descendant. I'd think since it's got pretty good grunt and better economy than a V8 they'd offer it in the Tahoe.

 

[Onikaze]

Ooh... Would they do hybrid and Dod on the same motor? I'd imagine that would get very good gas mileage for a 5600 lb. vehicle.

Imagine if you had a DOD Hybrid 5.3 V-8 in something that didn't weigh most of 3 tons...

Like a real Impala or Monte Carlo...or a Chevelle...

It's very lame that the only vehicles with RWD, V-8's, and more than 2 Doors out of Chevy in the last 10+ years have been Pickups or SUV's.

 

[JNasty4G63]

And JNasty, the new GMT 900 will have all sorts of motor choices so you can get the one that suits you best. I mean if you don't haul anything you can get a smaller motor and they will be making a hybrid GMT 900 as well. Or you can just get the DOD which boosts fuel economoy into the 20's mpg on the highway.

Yea, I saw that up in the main info stuff you posted. So far, on specs alone, I think the 6.0L DOD engine sounds like a winner for us. We very rarely ever tow anything, so thats not a big concern. We have a couple SeaDoo that we take out occasionally. But, those aren't very heavy, so its not like we'll be stressing any of the engines. I'm kind of excited to see what the Denali looks like.

Hilg

 

[Joey D]

Ooh... Would they do hybrid and Dod on the same motor? I'd imagine that would get very good gas mileage for a 5600 lb. vehicle.

I would imagine they would have something like that, image 20+ mpg in the city with something that seats 7.

Did GM drop the brand new I6 they have in the Trailblazer? It has 10 less horsepower than the 5.3 does, plus it's a stovebolt descendant. I'd think since it's got pretty good grunt and better economy than a V8 they'd offer it in the Tahoe.

They still have the motor, but I'm not sure if they are planning on using it in the GMT 900's though.

Imagine if you had a DOD Hybrid 5.3 V-8 in something that didn't weigh most of 3 tons...

What's your point?

Like a real Impala or Monte Carlo...or a Chevelle...

If they brought back the Chevelle all it would be is a Chevy GTO.

It's very lame that the only vehicles with RWD, V-8's, and more than 2 Doors out of Chevy in the last 10+ years have been Pickups or SUV's.

Caprice

Yea, I saw that up in the main info stuff you posted. So far, on specs alone, I think the 6.0L DOD engine sounds like a winner for us. We very rarely ever tow anything, so thats not a big concern. We have a couple SeaDoo that we take out occasionally. But, those aren't very heavy, so its not like we'll be stressing any of the engines. I'm kind of excited to see what the Denali looks like.

The new Denali looks good, expect to see pictures sometime this month.

 

[Joey D]

07 Tahoe Picture Update 5
More interior photos, there is also a proven iPod attachment.
Source: www.gminsidenews.com

Really High Res...will kill 56K.
http://www.gminsidenews.com/naias/Imp1.jpg

 

[Joey D]

Lutz: Better cars not enough
Source: Detroit News, www.detnews.com

Bob Lutz sitting in a 2007 Tahoe outside the Warren Tech Center

If it's possible to be positive and negative about General Motors Corp.'s fortunes, Bob Lutz is both.

"I don't for a minute believe that what we're doing is not going to work," Lutz, GM's vice chairman for global product development, told me Thursday. "The image turnaround of General Motors is under way. But there is a lag effect."

Yes, there certainly is.

That turnaround depends on what Lutz & Co. can deliver to GM showrooms. But their effort is hampered by a record of safety recalls, a 25-year reputation for big talk and passionless products, formidable competitors with deep pockets and the punishing $6 billion-a-year pension and health care obligations -- so-called "legacy costs" -- that GM has to its employees and retirees.

"Nothing is going to do any good if we can't do something about our legacy costs," Lutz said. "With the magnitude of our legacy cost burden, it would be difficult to concoct a scenario of sufficient shareholder return."

Translation: Building better cars and trucks is necessary to making GM's car business profitable again, but it's not sufficient. The old adage that "product, product, product" cures all is being turned on its cylinder head at GM.

Good product isn't enough to offset the scary reality facing Detroit's automakers and the United Auto Workers. Not if revenue can't cover mammoth costs, shareholders don't make money and would-be buyers aren't willing to take another look at GM.

Could GM's long-overdue bid to regain its car and truck cred be coming too late to make a difference to American consumers?

"Needless to say, I worry about the same thing," Lutz said. "But the other strategy of staying at about the level we were at is sure defeat. I don't think it's going to take 20 years to turn around, but it's not going to happen in 20 months."

The cars and trucks coming from Detroit's largest automaker, which GM will showcase next week to the news media, are better than ever. There are all-new full-size SUVs, the Pontiac Solstice sports car, the Chevy HHR crossover and the Chevy Impala. More are coming -- an all-new Cadillac CTS sedan, midsize crossovers from Saturn and Buick, gasoline-electric hybrid-powered Tahoe and Yukon SUVs by early 2007.

GM's union-built portfolio for North America is better looking, offers higher initial quality, garners more enthusiastic reviews from critics, dealers and customers, and showcases the kind of design, interior sophistication and emotional pull that the General hasn't delivered in a long time.

The simple response would be to give the 73-year-old Lutz -- yes, the top product guy for the world's largest automaker was born during the Hoover administration -- all the credit or, if you're in the vocal anti-Lutz camp, all the blame.

Both would be wrong.

He unleashed the talents of GM designers and engineers. He made it cool to push back, to say "Who says?" in response to "They don't want ..." He legitimized passion in design, pushed for world-class interiors -- glosses, grains, touch and feel -- and leveraged GM's expertise in engines and transmissions into smoother, more powerful and more responsive products.

You can feel the attention in the new cars and trucks. It is still, however, not sufficient, as GM's abysmal financial results attest.

Four years is roughly one product-creation cycle in the car business, but it's a long time in American business today. That's why critics say Lutz, who joined GM on Sept. 1, 2001, is past it, that he's more flash than cash, that his vision for where GM should go is clouded by his age, experience, biases and not insignificant ego.

I'd say "perhaps" to the denunciations of Lutz if I didn't see real improvement in GM products, or if others didn't, too. Such as:

Cadillac's "STS is, in short, one of the best-engineered, most well-rounded sedans ever to come out of Detroit," James G. Cobb wrote in The New York Times. "This ambitious new Cadillac stacks up well against the Audi A6, the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and it should put up a fight against the new wave of luxury sedans from Japan."

Or, Automobile Magazine's "Solstice Rocks" cover story for its October issue. Or the generally positive, if private, reactions from journalists and analysts to the dozens of coming cars and trucks GM has shown over the past few months at its design dome in Warren.

That said, if there's a year to begin assessing whether the Lutz era will make a difference in GM's financials and product lineup -- from Detroit and Germany to Shanghai and Brazil -- this is the year to start looking. Hard.

Don't focus on the global restructuring of GM's product development organization, which collapses the North American, European, Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions into areas of expertise -- trucks, SUVs and specialty vehicles in Detroit, midsize and compact cars in Europe, small cars in South Korea and rear-wheel drive vehicles in Australia.

Focus on what's hitting the road.

Lutz says he wants GM products to represent good value (a base-price Solstice sells for less than $20,000); customer excitement; emotional styling; respectable shareholder return; more expensive looks than the price tag.

The Pontiac Solstice, a two-seater that is more Mazda MX-5 than anything you'd think GM could dream up, is all Lutz. So are the new Chevy Impala and the HHR, a retroish crossover-***-PT Cruiser; the coming generation of full-size pickups and SUVs; the all-new lineup of German-inspired Saturns, which could make Saturn a truly different kind of car company.

Lutz hears the critics, but chooses to let the new cars and trucks serve as his answer. But is it too late for GM to get its mojo back?

If revenues don't cover expenses, the best products GM can muster won't solve what ails its business. For GM, those ailments are so painful and their alleged cures even more so, that the sickness threatens to be terminal.

Not next month, and almost certainly not next year. But at the highest levels of the company there is a clear recognition that "business as usual" is as outdated as the driver of a '57 Chevy looking into the rearview mirror, remembering the good ol' days, and then remembering they're long gone.

GM's market share, which drives revenue, isn't really moving. Ever since the September 11 terrorist attacks, GM has needed fire-sale programs to move its metal. Its credit is rated "junk," which makes running the business more expensive and signals a lack of confidence among investors.

A Las Vegas billionaire, Kirk Kerkorian, now owns nearly 10 percent of GM and wants a board seat. And the UAW isn't eager to help GM because its options for doing so are different versions of political suicide -- bad, worse and horrible.

Given that litany of woes, it's a wonder Lutz is as positive as he is.

 

[Joey D]

2007 Tahoe Standard and Optional Equipment
Source: www.cheersandgears.com

TAHOE LS

Standard content:

5.3L Vortec 5300 V-8 engine (4.8L Vortec 4800 V-8 engine becomes standard on Tahoe 2WD later in ’06 model year)
4-speed electronic overdrive automatic transmission with tow/haul mode
17-inch tires P265/70R17, all-season, blackwall
17 x 7.5-inch aluminum wheels
3.42 rear axle ratio (2WD)
3.73 rear axle ratio (4WD)
Air bags dual-stage driver and front passenger
Air conditioning, dual-zone manual
Air conditioning, auxiliary rear
Analog gauges including tachometer
Assist handles, front passenger and outboard 2 nd row seats
Assist steps
Autotrac electronic transfer case (4WD)
Battery , HD with rundown protection, retained accessory power
Brakes, 4-wheel disc ABS
Color-keyed fascias front and rear
Cruise control
Daytime running lamps
Defogger, rear window, electric
Door locks, power programmable
Floormats, color-keyed carpeted front and 2 nd row
LATCH system for child safety seats
Luggage rack, roof-mounted, side rails only
Mirror, inside rearview with compass and outside temp indicator
Mirrors, outside rearview, heated, power adjustable, foldable
OnStar with one-year service
Power outlets, 3 auxiliary 12-volt
Power steering
Recovery hooks, front (4WD models)
Remote vehicle start prep package
Seat belts, 3-point
Seats, front Custom Cloth 40/20/40 split bench
Seat adjuster, 6-way power driver’s seat
Seats, 2 nd row Custom Cloth 60/40 split-folding bench
Solar-Ray deep tinted glass
Sound system, ETR AM/FM with CD player, 8 speakers and digital clock
Spare tire
StabiliTrak, stability control system
Steering column, tilt adjustable
Steering wheel, leather-wrapped
Theft-deterrent system, PASS Key III
Tire carrier, lockable outside under frame
Tire pressure monitoring system
Trailering equipment package
Windows, power with driver express-down
Wipers, intermittent, front and rear with washers

Optional equipment:

5.3L Vortec 5300 V-8 engine, Flex-Fuel E85 capable (std. on 4WD)
3.73 rear axle ratio (2WD)
4.10 rear axle ratio (4WD)
Auxiliary transmission oil cooler (4WD – required and available only with 4.10 axle)
Engine block heater
Locking rear differential
Luggage rack center rails
Pedals, power adjustable
Roof-mounted head curtain side air bags
Seats, 3 rd row Custom Cloth 50/50 split-bench 2-passenger, removable
Seats, 3 rd row Custom Cloth 50/50 split-bench 3-passenger, removable
Sound system, ETR AM/FM stereo with 6-disc CD changer and MP3 compatibility
Steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls
Tires, P265/70R17 all-season, white letter
Ultrasonic rear parking assist
XM Satellite Radio

TAHOE LT-1(equipment in addition to or substituted for LS content)

Standard content:

17 x 7.5-inch aluminum wheels
Cargo shade
Console, floor
Color-keyed door handles
Color-keyed mirrors, outside rearview, heated, power adjustable, foldable
Color-keyed body side moldings
Fog lamps, halogen
Seats, front Custom Cloth buckets, 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat
Sound system rear audio controls with headphone jacks
Steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls

Optional equipment:

5.3L Vortec 5300 V-8 engine, Flex-Fuel E85 capable (std. on 4WD)
3.73 rear axle ratio (2WD)
4.10 rear axle ratio (4WD)
20 x 8.5-inch polished aluminum wheels
Air conditioning, dual-zone automatic
Auxiliary transmission oil cooler (4WD – required and available only with 4.10 axle ratio)
Engine block heater
Locking rear differential
Luggage rack center rails
Pedals, power adjustable
Rear Seat Entertainment System, DVD player
Roof-mounted head curtain side air bags
Seats, 3 rd row Custom Cloth 50/50 split-bench 2-passenger, removable
Seats, 3 rd row Custom Cloth 50/50 split-bench 3-passenger, removable
Sound system, ETR AM/FM stereo with 6-disc CD changer and MP3 compatibility
Sound system, ETR AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player and MP3 compatibility
Speakers, Bose Premium 9 speaker system with subwoofer
Sunroof, power tilt-sliding
Ultrasonic rear parking assist
Universal home remote garage door opener
XM Satellite Radio

TAHOE LT-2 (equipment in addition to or substituted for LT-1 content)

Standard content:

Air conditioning, dual-zone automatic
Pedals, power adjustable
Remote vehicle starter system
Seats, front leather-appointed reclining buckets, 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat
Seats, 2 nd row leather appointed 60/40 split-folding bench
Sound system, ETR AM/FM stereo with 6-disc CD changer and MP3 capability
Ultrasonic rear parking assist
Universal home remote garage door opener

Optional content:

5.3L Vortec 5300 V-8 engine, Flex-Fuel E85 capable (std. on 4WD)
3.73 rear axle ratio (2WD)
4.10 rear axle ratio (4WD – required and available only with 4.10 axle ratio)
20 x 8.5-inch polished aluminum wheels
Auxiliary transmission oil cooler (4WD)
Engine block heater
Locking rear differential
Luggage rack center rails
Navigation radio sound system, ETR AM/FM, CD/DVD MP3 compatibility (with rear seat entertainment system)
Navigation radio sound system, ETR AM/FM, CD player MP3 compatibility
Sound system, ETR AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player and MP3 compatibility
Rear seat entertainment system, video display
Rearview camera system
Roof-mounted head curtain side air bags
Seats, 2 nd row leather-appointed buckets
Seats, 3 rd row vinyl 50/50 split-bench, 2-passenger, removable
Seats, 3 rd row vinyl 50/50 split-bench, 3-passenger, removable
Speakers, Bose Premium 9-speaker system with subwoofer
Sunroof, power tilt-sliding
XM Satellite Radio

TAHOE LT-3 (equipment in addition to or substituted for LT-2 content)

Standard content:

Mirrors, outside rearview, power adjustable, power folding, heated, driver side electrochromic, turn signal in glass, ground illumination, curb-tilt
Roof-mounted head curtain side air bags
Seats, front leather-appointed power reclining full-feature buckets, power lumbar, 12-way power adjustable, heated, 2-position driver-side memory
Seat adjuster, power, front passenger seat
Speakers, Bose Premium 9 speaker system with subwoofer
XM Satellite Radio

Optional content:

5.3L Vortec 5300 V-8 engine, Flex-Fuel E85 capable (std. on 4WD)
3.73 rear axle ratio (2WD)
4.10 rear axle ratio (4WD)
20 x 8.5-inch polished aluminum wheels
Auxiliary transmission oil cooler (4WD – required and available only with 4.10 axle ratio)
Engine block heater
Heated 2 nd row seats
Heated windshield washer fluid system
Locking rear differential
Luggage rack center rails
Navigation radio sound system, ETR AM/FM, CD/DVD MP3 compatibility (with rear seat entertainment system)
Navigation radio sound system, ETR AM/FM, CD player MP3 compatibility
Sound system, ETR AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player and MP3 compatibility
Power liftgate rear door system
RainSense automatic front wipers
Rear seat entertainment system, video display
Rearview camera system
Seats, 2 nd row power release
Seats, 2 nd row leather-appointed buckets
Seats, 3 rd row vinyl 50/50 split-bench, 2-passenger
Seats, 3 rd row vinyl 50/50 split-bench, 3-passenger
Sunroof, power tilt-sliding

TAHOE LTZ (equipment in addition to or substituted for LT-3 content)

Standard content:

20 x 8.5-inch polished aluminum wheels
Heated 2 nd row seats
Heated windshield washer fluid system
Locking rear differential
Power liftgate
RainSense intermittent front wipers
Seats, 2 nd row power release
Seats, 3 rd row vinyl 50/50 split-bench, 2-passenger
Suspension package, Autoride rear air-assisted load-leveling

Optional content:

5.3L Vortec 5300 V-8 engine, Flex-Fuel E85 capable (std. on 4WD)
3.73 rear axle ratio (2WD)
4.10 rear axle ratio (4WD)
Auxiliary transmission oil cooler (4WD – required and available only with 4.10 axle ratio)
Engine block heater
Luggage rack center rails
Navigation radio sound system, ETR AM/FM, CD/DVD MP3 compatibility (with rear seat entertainment)
Navigation radio sound system, ETR AM/FM, CD player MP3 compatibility
Sound system, ETR AM/FM stereo with CD/DVD player and MP3 compatibility
Rear seat entertainment system, video display
Rearview camera system
Seats, 2 nd row leather appointed buckets
Seats, 3 rd row vinyl 50/50 split-bench, 3-passenger, removable
Sunroof, power tilt-sliding
Accessories:

Tahoe accessories are available from Chevrolet dealerships. All Chevrolet accessories can be purchased through more than 4,000 Chevrolet dealerships nationwide and are warranted by General Motors for up to 3 years or 36,000 miles if installed at the time of new vehicle delivery. Accessories for the all-new ’07 Tahoe include:

20-inch cast chrome wheels – three designs available, including 5-spoke, 6-spoke and 12-spoke styling, that are different from the available factory installed wheels (requires specific tires)
Brush grille guard
Grille inserts
Rear fascia close-out
Taillamp guards
Styled fuel door
Roof rack cross rails
Chrome tow hooks
Tubular assist steps
Cargo tray
Side window deflectors
Step shield
Molded hood protector
Deep-ribbed rubber floor mats and cargo mat
Hard cargo carrier
Molded splash guards
Hitch-mounted bike carrier
Hitch-mounted ski carrier

 

[Joey D]

G. Chambers Williams III: GM unveils updated SUVs
Source: www.mysanantonio.com
Written by G. Chambers Williams III

DALLAS — General Motors is counting on a complete redesign of its full-size SUVs, including new styling, revamped interiors, better performance, more safety features and even slightly improved fuel economy, to rejuvenate sales that have taken a dive in recent months as gas prices have soared.

Courtesy photo

GM's revamped 2007 full-sized SUVs, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, are built on the same architecture, the new GMT 900 large-truck platform. Two other Chevy models that will be updated are the Suburban and the Avalanche.


Top Chevrolet division executives, including Chevy General Manager Edward J. Peper Jr., came to Texas on Wednesday to introduce the new Tahoe, GM's best-selling big sport utility, at a media and dealer event in Dallas, just a few miles from the plant in Arlington where these trucks are built.

The stakes are high: GM counts on its full-size truck products, including pickups and large SUVs, for the bulk of its sales and profits.

And despite an apparent recent drop in demand for the larger SUVs that use the most fuel, Peper said GM is confident the new models will sell very well.

"We project that 750,000 full-size SUVs will be sold next year, and that's a large and profitable market," he said. "Despite the rise in gas prices, we believe that full-size SUVs will remain a strong market, especially in places such as Texas."

The company's sales of full-size pickups have risen this year — up 18.1 percent through August, GM reported — but the automaker's sales of the big SUVs have fallen 9.3 percent during the same period.

Still, Peper said, overall sales of big SUVs have risen each month since March. Some of GM's decline could be attributed to the normal drop in sales at the end of a product cycle, as consumers hold off purchases waiting for the new models to arrive.

The reworked SUVs — the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and Avalanche; GMC Yukon and Yukon XL; and Cadillac Escalade, Escalade EXT and Escalade ESV — don't go on sale until next year as early 2007 models.

Production of the new Tahoe will begin by year's end at the Arlington plant, and those trucks, along with the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, will begin arriving at dealerships during the first quarter of 2006, said Gary White, GM's vice president and line executive for full-size trucks. The Dallas event was a prelude to introducing the new Tahoe to the public beginning Friday at the State Fair of Texas Auto Show in Dallas.

The new SUVs will continue to improve on the quality of the current models, which have led their segment in industry initial-quality studies, White said.

Taking a potshot at GM's new Texas rival, Toyota, which is building a plant in San Antonio to assemble full-size trucks, White said: "In initial quality, the Toyota Sequoia has never beaten a full-size GM SUV."

The Sequoia is Toyota's only full-size sport utility, and is based on the chassis of the company's Tundra full-size pickup, the next generation of which will be built in San Antonio beginning next year.

GM already has announced plans to end production of full-size SUVs at its plant in Silao, Mexico, and convert the assembly line there to building only full-size pickups, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra.

That leaves two plants for the big SUVs — GM's only Texas facility, the Arlington plant, and its factory in Janesville, Wis.

The company says those plants should be able to handle the demand for the new SUVs next year, while the Silao plant will be able to handle the increasing demand for the company's full-size pickups, which will follow the big SUVs with a complete redesign in about a year. They were last completely redesigned in 1999, and the big SUVs in 2000.

The new Tahoe will be on display at the State Fair Auto Show through the fair's three-week run, until Oct. 23.

GM said the new SUVs are "comprehensively redesigned vehicles that incorporate new power train, chassis, safety and interior systems."

Their main competitors are the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator among domestic brands and the Sequoia, Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX56 among the import nameplates.

"With a dramatic level of refinement and performance, our next-generation full-size SUVs have what it takes to sustain their dominant position in the industry," White said in Dallas.

Only the short-wheelbase (116-inch) models will arrive in the first quarter, he said. The longer-wheelbase (130-inch) models — the Suburban and Avalanche, Yukon XL and XL Denali, and Escalade ESV and EXT — will begin arriving in the second quarter. The Yukon XL is identical in length to the Suburban; the Denali models are high-end versions with lots of standard amenities.

GM will continue offering the big SUVs in light- and heavy-duty models, and it says the light-duty versions, in the 1500 series, have been strengthened to tow trailers up to 7,200 pounds on two-wheel-drive models, and 7,700 pounds for four-wheel-drive versions.

The long-wheelbase models will be able to tow up to 9,800 pounds. This feature is particularly important in Texas, where many consumers of these vehicles use them for horse, boat and recreational-trailer towing.

Among new features is displacement-on-demand technology in most of the SUVs' revised V-8 engines. This is a fuel-saving feature Chrysler has been rolling out in some of its Hemi V-8 engines recently, as has Honda with the V-6 engine in the Odyssey minivan.

The system cuts out half the engine's cylinders during level highway cruising. Other factors are involved in the fuel-economy improvements, however, including variable valve timing and more aerodynamic exteriors.

Already the fuel-economy leader in the segment, with combined city-highway mileage of 19.8 miles per gallon for the short-wheelbase, two-wheel-drive models for 2006, the '07 models will "break the 20 miles per gallon barrier for the first time in this segment," Carl Hillenbrand, GM's full-size truck product manager, said in Dallas.

The new two-wheel-drive Tahoe will have combined city-highway mileage of 20.5, he said, and the four-wheel drive will get 20.1 mpg, he said. Those estimates are for the base 5.3-liter V-8 engine.

Exterior styling of the new SUVs is sleeker and less boxy, and it includes such touches as "wraparound fascias, styled mirrors and integrated running boards," GM said. The design makes the vehicles look smaller, the company said, and helps make them look more refined.

Refinement is among the key improvements the company sought in redesigning these trucks.

As full-sized SUVs are used primarily for family hauling, and often are driven by women, automakers have been trying to make them more carlike, with softer, quieter rides and easier handling, more comfortable interiors and lots of amenities.

Inside, the cabins are roomier and have more cargo space. Front seats have longer tracks and recline more than before, and second-row seats also may be reclined farther.

The middle seats in these new SUVs are designed to flip and fold forward against the back of the front seats to allow for easier access to the third seat when loading passengers. A power option will be offered, so these seats can be moved with the touch of a button. The rear liftgate also offers a power up-or-down feature, something Chrysler originated in its 2002 minivans.

Under the hood, a variety of small-block V-8 engines are used, ranging from 4.8 to 6.2 liters' displacement and 290 to 400 horsepower.

These engines are connected to a variety of automatic transmissions, depending on the engine used, including a new six-speed. Other engine sizes are 5.3 and 6.0 liters.

The 5.3-liter engines have either iron or aluminum blocks and 320 horsepower; the 6.0-liter versions come with iron or aluminum blocks, with 350 horsepower (aluminum) or 355 (iron). The 6.2-liter versions offer either 380 or 400 horsepower.

Other interior, safety and entertainment features are offered, including XM satellite radio, several audio systems (with MP3 capabilities), touch-screen navigation systems, and three-zone manual and automatic climate-control systems.

Larger wheels are used to help dress up the vehicles, including optional 20-inch wheels on Chevy and GMC versions. The Escalades get wheels of up to 22 inches.

No prices have been announced.

 

[Joey D]

This was just mildly amusing
GM exec caught talking smack about Toyota?
Source: www.mysanantonio.com

GM was showing the new Tahoe in Texas for the first time and during the presentation, one the GM execs started talking smack about arch rival Toyota.

Here is what Gary White, GM's vice president and line executive for full-size trucks said:

Taking a potshot at GM's new Texas rival, Toyota, which is building a plant in San Antonio to assemble full-size trucks, White said: "In initial quality, the Toyota Sequoia has never beaten a full-size GM SUV."

The Sequoia is Toyota's only full-size sport utility, and is based on the chassis of the company's Tundra full-size pickup, the next generation of which will be built in San Antonio beginning next year.

 

[Joey D]

Photo Update 6
Source: www.autospies.com

Spy Pictures that were leaked back in June.

Escalade in Camo

 

[Joey D]

Photoshopped Picture of 2007 Tahoe into a 2007 Silverado
Source: www.cheersandgears.com
Photoshop done by Brandon Lutz

 

[Joey D]

Photo Update 7

Photos from the Dallas State Fair
Source: www.gminsidenews.com
Photos taken by Faze2183 on the GM Insider News forums

 

[Onikaze]

Fair enough, the last 9 years have been without a good Chevy Sedan.

Before you even say anything positive about the new Impala, FWD cars with V-6's do not count, and the V-8 in the new one just makes me want to cry, because sure enough police departments will pick up the new Impala for fleet use instead of the new Charger.

 

[Joey D]

Say what you like about the new Impala and Monte Carlo, they are far better then they have been for a long time, however this really isn't the right thread to talk about that.

 

[Onikaze]

True, my point is that all of Chevy's attention towards anything RWD, with 4 Doors and a V-8, has been Pickups or SUV's, and that makes me a sad panda.

Maybe in 2008, when gas prices have finally hit $6 a Gallon, Chevy will release a RWD Sedan, and noone will be able to keep gas in it.

 

[High-Test]

and that makes me a sad panda.

Nice.

It makes me a sad panda too.

I hope the police start using Chargers, Then it'll cue Ford to either restyle the Crown Vic or make it faster.

I can't wait to see what the GMCs look like.

 

[Joey D]

Avalanche Spy Photo
Source: www.edmunds.com

 

[Slicks]

I think the new Tahoe needs slightly bigger wheels, and thicker tires to fill out the wheel wells.

Slightly off topic, but that PSD of the next silverado is really crappy.

 

[Joey D]

You'll be able to get 22 inch rims as an option from the dealership.

 

[skip0110]

Trucks are becoming increasingly more expensive.

Hopefully they will still sell a strippo Silverado (2wd short cab short bed V6 stick) for under $20K.

Just a few years ago I think they were only $15-16K.

 

[Joey D]

You can buy a stripped down Silverado right now for 17 grand off the dealer lot. GM is slashing prices on their models because they are starting to realize the economy is bad and they need to sell more cars.

But I'm sure you'll be able to get a cheap Silverado when they debut.

 

[JNasty4G63]

....Slightly off topic, but that PSD of the next silverado is really crappy.

Slightly off topic, but its a JPG, not a PSD. Those are two completely different file formats. At least, if your going to be so critical of someone's work, try to actually know what your talking about.

👍

Hilg

 

[Joey D]

Does anyone want to photoshop a new Silverado? I suck at photoshop so feel free.

 

[Slicks]

Well, we're doing a photoshop of the new GMT900/ Tahoe in PSC Weekly 118 .

I'm sure someone will convert it to a pickup.

 

[JNasty4G63]

Does anyone want to photoshop a new Silverado? I suck at photoshop so feel free.

What do you want done??? Take the Tahoe and make it a Silverado, or do you have something else in mind???

And Slicks, sorry if that last post of mine was a little harsh. I just hate it when people do that. I went to school for digital art and animation, and heard people all the time calling things PSDs just because they edited something in PS. Didn't mean to sound so grumpy.

Hilg

 

[Joey D]

Thats pretty much what the new Silverado looks like... the Tahoe with only two doors and a bed.

 

[skip0110]

Does it actually share the front clip and front doors?

The Dakota and Durango look similar, but they share no sheetmetal.

 

[Joey D]

Ya it shares the same front clip as it has for years.

 

[JNasty4G63]

Ya it shares the same front clip as it has for years.

On a related note, I saw a cool use of this sharing once at a little get-together. Someone took a new Escalade and put the Silverado SS front on it. The real angular look of that front went great with the more squareish look of the Escalade. They had "Tahoe SS" badges on it and everything. Seats, steering wheel, the works. It was kick ass looking. Looked just like what you would think an "SS" version of the Tahoe would. And, when you think about it, its a real easy mod. Just parts swapping.

Hilg

 

[Joey D]

Front end conversions are real popular amoung mini truckers...and some how I overlooked the newest Silverado to the Tahoe.

But ya people like to put an Escalade front end on Chevy's and GMC's, but the kits are expensive, I mean thousands, but its a pretty easy thing to do. Just new fenders, hood, front clip and rad support.