The red GMC badge from General Motors appears on powerful pickups in three sizes this year and sport-utility wagons in two formats plus stretched and deluxe treatments. All line up behind full-size Sierra, a light-duty (half-ton) pickup and perennial GMC bestseller. The line for 2005 shows GMC's newest nameplate - Canyon - a mid-size pickup. SUVs include the full-size Yukon and stretched Yukon XL or mid-size Envoy in regular-length and stretched versions. Then there's Denali, a designation for deluxe editions of Sierra, Yukon and - new for 2005 - Envoy and Envoy XL.

For GMC's mid-size truck, the sheet metal's curvy, the truck's back bed and three cab configurations reveal innovative ideas in spatial management and there are two engines available that promote top-end power. External styling lifts design cues from Sierra and projects a powerful face dominated by a chrome-heavy grille. Cabs include the two-door Regular Cab, an Extended Cab with two rear-hinged doors set behind the two front doors, and Crew Cab with four conventional front-hinged doors.

Engines of in-line design motivate Canyon. The entry plant is a Vortec 2800 2.8-liter four-cylinder unit rated for 175 hp. Optional is a Vortec 3500 3.5-liter in-line five-cylinder system that climbs to 220 hp. Either ties to a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic.
More across-the-board choices come with formats of rear two-wheel-drive (2WD) or four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction through an automatic active transfer case called Insta-Trac. The Insta-Trac 4WD system permits shift-on-the-fly switching from rear-wheel to four-wheel mode and has a 4WD low gear for off-road work. The extended cab scores a new options package with leather-clad seats plus an available sunroof. Also, larger 15-inch aluminum wheels apply to Canyon's High Stance Off- Road package.

GMC's light-duty Sierra trucks in half-ton 1500 series include Wideside and Sportside body styles, rear 2WD and 4WD modes, and cabs of regular and extended lengths. In addition, Sierra offers the deluxe and powerful Sierra Denali. And for 2005 the series adds a Sierra Crew Cab Denali with four full-size doors and two rows of seats for up to six passengers. Denali comes with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system and Quadrasteer four-wheel-steering (4WS) to make the big rig as easy to maneuver around a crowded parking lot as a small sports car. This year, Vortec engines for Sierra range from a base 4.3-liter V6 at 195 hp and the 4.8-liter V8 with 285 hp to a 5.3-liter V8 pumping 295 hp or 310 hp, plus a 6.0-liter V8 worth 300 hp -- although in Denali the 6.0-liter bumps way up to 345 hp. (CONTINUED...)