cruise control, rear cross-trafc alert,
and more.
Luke points out full-size SUVs are
targets of the criminal element.
(Perhaps there is an awareness of the
high-income demographic for the
vehicles.) So they've deployed sensors
on the inside of the vehicles as part
of an available security system. There
are sensors in the overhead console
that detect interior motion. There
are glass breakage sensors. There
is a vertical movement sensor (e.g.,
should the system be armed and some
miscreants jack up the car to steal the
18-, 20- or 22-in. wheels; the alarm
is activated). Because sensors can
be defeated by having their power
source eliminated (as in the battery
being disconnected), this system
uses a separate battery to power the
sensors and the alarms. And on a more
mechanical front, they've installed
door shields in the driver's door to
prevent the use of a "slim jim" device
to open it.
Although these vehicles are sizeable,
Luke says that one of the issues they
determined that people had with them
was getting into and out of the rear
doors, especially in instances when
they are accessing the third row. So
they've reduced the front doors in
size and increased the size of the
rear doors; they moved the B-pillar
forward and the C-pillar rearward.
Consequently, there is improved
ingress and egress.
Another part of the SUV functionality
is that of cargo carrying. The Suburban
and Yukon XL ofer 121.1-ft
3
behind
the frst row and the Tahoe and the
Yukon 94.7-ft
3
. But again, the issue,
like that of the doors, is ease of use.
So to facilitate the cargo capacity, no
longer is the third row seat removed
from the vehicle, but it (and the second
row) simply fold fat.
Roger McCormack, GMC marketing
director, makes a salient point about
the full-size SUV segment: the average
age of one on the road right now is 11
years old.
Which means that now is probably a
good time for GM to be launching a
suite of new SUVs.
p The SUVs feature an aluminum liftgate that is fabricated from
two panels. A brazing process is used to join the two pieces.
AD&P; > May 2014 > FEATURE > Chevy & GMC & the Continuing Relevance of Full-Size SUVs > Gary S. Vasilash > gsv@autofeldguide.com
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