GM Holdens global design capability was showcased today on the world stage when GMC took the covers off a stunning concept vehicle at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show.
The GMC Denali XT was designed and constructed at GM Holdens design centre in Port Melbourne, Victoria. GMC drew upon General Motors global resources and expertise in Australia to produce the show stopper.
Lead Designer, Warrack Leach - who also recently led the VE Ute design - created the Denali XTs new, muscular form in a performance-styled, hybrid sport-utility truck (SUT).
This was a great program to work on as I was given the opportunity to really stretch the limits of the Global Rear Wheel Drive architecture and create a truck with unique and bold proportions, Leach said.
GMC has such a rich heritage of producing great trucks and it was essential we kept that in mind while at the same time exploring how far we could take this concept.
The Denali XT has a unibody architecture and rear-wheel drive which enables its distinctive design and efficient performance.
Denali XTs new, more efficient 4.9L version of GMs small-block V8 features fuel-saving technologies such as direct-injection technology, Active Fuel Management and includes the first combination of GMs two-mode hybrid system with an E85 ethanol-capable engine.
The engine is matched with GMs unique two-mode hybrid propulsion system, giving the powerful SUT exceptional fuel economy and uncompromising capability including all-electric drive at low speeds.
The Denali XT boasts an estimated 50-percent fuel economy improvement over comparable small pickup trucks when running on petrol.
Jim Bunnell, GMC General Manager, said although just a concept, the Denali XT was perfectly suited to a variety of active lifestyle activities, such as hauling skis and snowboards to the mountain or towing a sport jet boat to the lake.
Like all GMCs, the Denali XT is functional and capable, but it blends those traits with a more efficient, sporty driving experience, said Bunnell.
It is a vehicle that exemplifies GMCs engineering excellence, as well as GMs commitment to hybrid and advanced technologies.
True to its GMC Professional Grade heritage, the Denali XT is filled with technologies and features that maximize its flexibility, including a cargo space-enhancing Midgate and height-adjustable suspension.
The Denali XTs carefully design proportions are framed around a high cowl configuration that enhances the vehicles truck functionality, but packages it in an efficient, unibody architecture that enhances fuel economy while giving the vehicle a sporty driving experience.
Exterior
The Denali XT features a muscular form and wide, firmly planted stance giving the vehicle a confidently capable road presence. Minimal overhangs, huge 23 inch wheels, custom Kumho tyres, sleek headlamps and a low roof profile deliver an aggressive, performance-oriented appearance.
The Denali XTs design includes a new take on GMCs iconic grille, with a prominent, four-bar element in addition to the large, red GMC logo and signature Denali background.
The wide road stance is accentuated by flared fenders and enhanced further when the Denali XT is lowered on its air-adjustable suspension, creating a sleeker appearance that simultaneously improves aerodynamics.
Ed Welburn, Vice President GM Global Design, describes the concept as a robust yet tailored design statement that is unlike anything else on the road.
It has the youthful look of a custom automobile that incorporates the capability customers expect from a truck, Welburn said.
The exterior colour "Battle" is described by GM Holdens colour and trim team as a cool mid tone liquid gunmetal which is balanced against the polished aluminium details.
Interior
Warrack Leach, Lead Designer, says inside the Denali XT blends mechanical functionality with leather-trimmed comfort.
Billet-metal surrounds, controls and instruments convey the cold precision of an aircraft cockpit. This is balanced by the warmth of bespoke saddle-leather trimmed seats and other contact surfaces, Leach says.
The form language is smooth and structured to characterize GMCs power. The details have a deliberately contrasting mechanical aesthetic to mark GMCs engineering sophistication.
A feeling of luxury is created with soft grey microsuede finishes while keeping the integrity of a functional product with the hard saddle, workboot brown leather.
The interior features innovative instrumentation with floating red-illuminated numerals backed by surface chaplets in the clusters and a large integrated vehicle interface screen.
The Denali XT seats four comfortably as the high-cowl vehicle architecture enables higher seating positions, allowing the distance between front and rear occupants to be reduced without compromising knee room. This packaging efficiency creates generous interior and cargo bed dimensions within a more compact package.
Truck capability
With stiffness that is greater than most conventional, body-on-frame trucks, the Denali XTs unibody structure supports a very capable truck platform. It also serves as the mounting point for a four-wheel independent suspension that gives the vehicle its performance feel on the road. In short, its a truck that hauls more than cargo on twisting roads.
The rear cargo area is wide, deep and flat, with no suspension or wheelhouse protrusions with dimensions that create the space to haul a wide variety of lifestyle accessories.
Functionality is enhanced with an easy-to-operate Midgate that can be lowered to extend the cargo-carrying capacity inside the vehicle.
The Denali XT has an estimated payload capacity of 499kg and a towing capacity of an estimated 1,587kg. This capability is delivered through unique vehicle and powertrain integration.
New 4.9L SIDI V-8 and two-mode hybrid system
For the first time, GMs rear-wheel-drive two-mode hybrid transmission is paired with a smaller-displacement version of the small-block engine. The new V8 4.9L E85-capable engine powers the Denali XT with an estimated 243kW. It uses direct-injection technology to produce the power of a larger engine, but consumes less fuel and produces lower emissions.
The functionality of GMs Active Fuel Management system has been expanded through the use of hybrid technologies, enhancing the cylinder-deactivating feature to further improve fuel efficiency.
The Denali XTs two-mode hybrid system uses an electrically variable transmission to enhance fuel efficiency in city and highway driving. In city driving, all-electric propulsion is used at low speeds; on the highway, fixed-gear operation enables efficient performance even when towing a trailer.
The GMC Denali XT concept will be on show at the Chicago Motor Show from 6 17 February 2008.
Source: GMC
