Body-On-Frame SUV Resurgence, Anyone?
Before crossovers, midsize SUVs were based on pickups with ladder-frame chassis. A whole load of those popped up in the ’80s and ’90s, and prime examples include the Toyota 4Runner, Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Bronco II and Explorer, and the GM twins of Chevrolet S-10 Blazer and GMC S-15 Jimmy.
Today, only the 4Runner remains true to the tried-and-tested formula in the U.S., as all of its original rivals have shifted to more car-like platforms. However, there’s been a bit of a resurgence in the body-on-frame midsize SUV class. You have the Bronco, for starters, and there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the return of the Xterra, as well as the Pathfinder potentially getting a truck-based version. Even Hyundai wants to join in on the fun.
GMC
GM Wants In… Again
The last truck-based midsize SUVs GM made were the GMT360 sextuplets, comprising the Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Oldsmobile Bravada, Buick Rainier, Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x. That platform was retired in 2009, and GM has not built body-on-frame midsize SUVs since then.
There was an attempt to revive it back in 2019 with the planned return of the GMC Jimmy, but it was shelved that same year. Now, GM Authority reports that development has been restarted after seven years of sitting idle. Should everything fall into place, GM is returning to a segment it had abandoned 17 years ago.
The timing couldn’t be more right, too. As mentioned, several automakers are set to introduce ladder-frame SUVs in the coming years, and GM could capitalize on that.
General Motors
What to Expect
The new-age GMC Jimmy is expected to ride on the same frame that underpins the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Its platform is internally known as the VSS-T, itself a derivative of the GM T1XX. Effectively a shortened Silverado and Sierra, the Jimmy will likely get some of its DNA from the Tahoe and Yukon. Powertrain is likely to be carried over from the Canyon, meaning a 2.7-liter, four-cylinder TurboMax engine with 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft.
But if GMC wants to give 4Runner punters a better reason to swing by its showrooms, it could (or rather, should) stick in the 3.6-liter V6 from the Chevrolet Blazer and Cadillac XT5. That engine produces the same horsepower as the four-cylinder TurboMax (310 hp), but torque is down to 271 lb-ft. Still, in a segment that prefers simplicity, it might be worth considering. Who knows, it might even get a V8 option.
There’s a good chance that the Jimny could echo the same trims as the rest of the GMC range. Currently, Elevation serves as the entry-level trim, the AT4 sits in the middle as the off-road oriented model, and the Denali is at the top. For other bits of hardware, it’ll likely come straight from the Canyon. Design is still up in the air, but it could either follow the current design language or go retro.
GMC
Other Possible Derivatives?
GM might as well take advantage of economies of scale by maximizing the VSS-T architecture. While there’s no word yet, Chevrolet might as well get its own version of the Jimmy that could replace the current car-based Blazer. GMC could also add a smaller, gas-fed derivative of the Hummer, too.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves right now. If GM is really developing the reborn Jimmy as we speak, it might be at least two years away from its premiere. Then again, basing it on an existing platform should expedite development.
GMC
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