I was thinking the other day how GMC could use a few more products to further differentiate it from Chevy. One idea I came up with that would be very easy to make and would fill a niche by GM is a GMT355 based SUV (I know, I know, you guys think we have enough SUVs). Think of it as a scaled down SUV version of the '01 Chevy K5 concept

I'd call it GMC Jimmy (or a new professional grade name)

- Build it on the 111" wheel base of the regular cab GMC Canyon.
- 2 regular doors and 2 suicide doors from the Canyon
- Use as many Canyon pieces and sheet metal as possible to keep cost down.
- offer both engines and transmissions (A4 & M5)
- rear seats and other SUV specific parts can come from the H3.

Why does GMC and GM need this? Were would it fit in?

- entry level small SUV for GMC
- entry level SUV that is RWD/body on frame based as apposed to another FWD Theta SUV
- Competition for the inexpensive RWD truck based Xterra & Jeep Liberty.
- inexpensive SUV that actually has some off-road capability unlike the cute-utes
- Replacement for those that miss the days of 2 door SUVs (even though it has suicide doors)


anyone want to do a photoshop of this?

 

You do know that the Hummer H3 is based of teh GMT 355 right? Just filling you in.
So I guess your idea is right, just for the wrong company.

 

Yes I know the H3 is a GMT355, that is why this GMC would be able to get SUV parts (like a better back seat, and rear hatch mechanics, rear discs) that it can't get from the Canyon. wrong company? HUMMER and GMC are both GM, you know that.

 

By wrong comapany, I ment division.
I think GMC is fine with what they have. Id like to see a shortened GMT355 to about the size of a large Wrangler. I-5 engine standard, I-6 optional with 5spd. That would make a great Wrangler killer for either GMC or Hummer.

 

I got one for you how about taking the smaller bed from the crew cab model and putting it with the regular cab making a SWB Colorado or Canyon. Maybe for the SS?

 

I like the idea. I would like to see a Canyon/Colorado version of the Avalanche mid-gate, but with a real truck bed being the primary draw, with the seats as more of a convenience. In other words, design it as if folks would use the bed for true truck purposes more so than the seating for hauling people around.

A vehicle economical enough to use for commuting with one or two people, but versatile enough to accomodate either a load of mulch or two more 6 ft adults, but not necessarily both at the same time.

 

Geez, that would be a super short wheelbase!! Not making fun, but do you realize that the two bed lengths available on the Colorado/Canyon are different than the two bed lengths on the S10?

The S10 had two lengths, then three when they added the crew cab riding on the extended cab wheelbase.There was the rare long box at 7.5 ft and the short box at 6 ft, which were both available on the regular cab. On the extended cab, you could only get the 6 ft bed. When the crew cab came out, it got an even shorter bed (~5 ft I think). Think of the three beds as L, S, and SS (Long, Short, and Supershort)

With the Colorado and Canyon, they are back down to two bed sizes, but that includeds the super short box of the crew cab (the one where the wheel well is right up against the front end of the box, next to the cab). So the longer of the beds is equivalent to the "short" bed on the S10s, and the shorter of the beds (the crew cab bed) is equivalent to the "supershort" box from the S10 crew cab.

S10 L = ~7.5ft = GMT355 ----
S10 S = ~6.0ft = GMT355 Longer bed
S10 SS = ~5 ft = GMT355 Shorter bed

Putting the crew cab's super short box on a regular cab truck would look strange, imo. Basically the rear wheel well opening would start right at the back of the cab (just like it does on the crew cab). It would almost be a Miata-sized wheelbase!!

Actually, thinking more about it, that could make for an interesting little sport truck, though I don't know how much agility or weight savings advantage there would be over the current sport package trucks on the regular cab, 6 ft box wheelbase... Anyone here any good at photoshop?

 

I think GMC would be the perfect division to get this type of product. HUMMER really shouldn't go any further down market than the H3. Chevy has enough SUV products and already has a $20K SUV. That only leaves GMC who other than the XUV, doesn't have any products that arn't badge engineered Chevys. GMC could use a low $20K Gen-Y product. A GMT355 SUV would fit in better with the professional grade image than a FWD unibody SUV.

 

gee, I was hoping you'd say a (non-convertible) truck version of the Envoy/Trailblazer/SSR platform, whatever that is called (GMT360?), with I6/5.3/6.0 motors available.

The Colorado/Canyon is a bit small for me inside and the Silverado/Sierra are a bit big on the outside.