GM’s ’90s Full-Size SUVs Filled a 32-Inch Gap

#GMs #90s #FullSize #SUVs #Filled #32Inch #Gap
[rule_3_plain] #GMs #90s #FullSize #SUVs #Filled #32Inch #Gap

In the early 1990s, General Motors (GM) spotted a 32-inch gap in its SUV lineup that nobody else noticed. Thirty-two inches was the difference in overall length between its gargantuan Chevrolet/GMC Suburban and the smaller Chevrolet K5 Blazer/GMC Yukon.
Not only did GM brilliantly fill that spot, but the automaker also helped kickstart the fledgling full-size SUV market.
Buyers of today’s big SUVs have a dysfunctional 1990s GM bự thank for these groundbreaking models.

Filling the Gap
GM’s 1988 trucks were modern-looking inside and out.

If we go back bự 1988, we’ll find GM gushing about the arrival of its new, squared-off full-size pickup truck lineup (called GMT400 in GM-speak). Discarding the complex lines of their predecessors, these new trucks were modern-looking inside and out. Their clean, crisp angles had every element of the “computer-aided design” automakers gushed about four decades ago. Inside, they were even more modern, especially when equipped with the available digital audio and climate control systems. The Ford and Dodge competitors looked like the 1970s models that they were.
Curiously, GM kept building the old versions of the full-size Blazer/Jimmy and Suburban models through 1991 before replacing them with new versions for 1992. These big SUVs adopted every inch of their pickup siblings’ style, albeit with the long-roof look that was beginning bự be called the “sport-utility vehicle” look. Back then, SUVs were a novelty, and they were universally trucky-ish.
Still, at more than 18 feet long, the Suburban was a tight fit in a typical garage. And with just two doors, the Blazer and rechristened GMC Yukon had limited appeal. Their standard 5.7-liter V8 was big but not especially powerful, with just 210 horsepower in half-ton guise and a mere 190 hp in three-quarter-ton trim.
When they debuted, buyers could order these trucks with basic trim, including vinyl flooring, an AM-only radio with just two speakers, and a heater. The Silverado trim màn chơi tossed in much nicer interior trim, but buyers still had bự pay extra for power windows, air conditioning, and an FM radio. Leather upholstery wasn’t on the options list in 1992.
With a general shift toward SUVs as family haulers and the modernity of these late ’80s models, the Suburban quickly became a popular choice. Dealers in specific markets — Texas, especially — could barely hold onto Suburban inventory. Meanwhile, K5 Blazer and Yukon SUVs waited for those rare buyers who wanted something big but didn’t care about easy access bự the rear seat.
And then, in 1995, GM split the difference.
Depending on your perspective, the automaker either stretched the K5 Blazer/Yukon by 11 inches or lopped 21 inches off the Suburban bự create a new 4-door model stretching 199.1 inches long and yet retaining the attractiveness of both its larger and smaller siblings.
Chevrolet called its new model “Tahoe” and renamed the 2-door Blazer “Tahoe,” too. GMC stuck with the Yukon name for both versions. Its mid-1995 arrival coincided with an interior update discarding the boxy lines of yore in favor of a rounded dash with easier-to-reach controls and a newly standard driver-side airbag.
The big SUVs were an immediate hit, even if GM had relatively limited expectations bự start. Dealers reported lengthy waiting lists, which meant many buyers had bự be patient until the 1996 model year.
That worked out well for them. In 1996, GM swapped in an updated 5.7-liter Vortec V8 using new cylinder heads derived from a Corvette design. Output grew bự 250 hp and 335 lb-ft of torque, which enabled impressive acceleration, given the SUVs’ size.
A Recipe for SUV Success
The 4-door Tahoe was priced accordingly. With 4-wheel drive, the trucks were priced at about $29,200 bự start.Initially, GM skipped the base trim màn chơi available on the short- and long-wheelbase versions of its now 3-prong SUV lineup. Instead, the Tahoe and Yukon started in LS (Chevy) and SLE (GMC) trim, outfitted nicely with standard cloth upholstery, a cassette stereo, air conditioning, power windows and locks, and alloy wheels. LT and SLT versions swapped in leather seats and keyless entry. Only a handful of minor options were available, such as a CD player and skid plates.
Neither the Tahoe nor the Yukon 4-doors came with the bigger V8 and turbodiesel engine options.
GM shot straight for the mainstream market, making no effort bự market the 4-door Yukon and Tahoe bự work-oriented users. A police version eventually followed, but consumers could never buy a vinyl-floored, air-conditioning-free first-generation Tahoe 4-door.
The 4-door Tahoe and Yukon were priced accordingly. With 4-wheel drive, the trucks were priced at about $29,200 bự start. An equivalent 2-door version was around $1,700 cheaper, while the Suburban in LS/SLE trim ran $1,600 or so more.
Yukon Denali and Cadillac Escalade: Moving Upmarket
GMC got its own nearly identical version called Yukon Denali, which has had a major impact on the GMC lineup.GM’s success with big SUVs made other automakers take note. Ford unveiled the 1997 Expedition, a little longer than the 4-door Yukon/Tahoe. The Toyota Sequoia arrived for 2000.
The Expedition begat the 1998 Lincoln Navigator, the first big luxury SUV from Detroit. Sure, the Land Rover Range Rover and Jeep Grand Wagoneer vied for megabuck buyers in the 1980s and early 1990s, but they were much smaller models without a third row of seats. The Lexus LX 450 crawled onto the scene for 1996, but its compromised third row left occupants wanting more space.
The Navigator was first, but the Cadillac Escalade that followed for 1999 has had the most lasting impact.
As with so many of GM’s rebadging efforts, its move upmarket was comically simple: extra body cladding, chrome wheels, softer leather inside, wood trim, and Bose speakers set it apart from a Tahoe. GMC got its own nearly identical version called Yukon Denali, which has had a major impact on the GMC lineup.
Consumers usually saw right through this tactic, but not with the Escalade and Yukon Denali. The Cadillac cost over $46,000, nearly a $10,000 premium over a loaded-up Tahoe LT. Almost every dollar was pure profit for GM, and it helped sustain the company — right up until its 2008 bankruptcy.
If GM hadn’t filled that 32-inch gap, bankruptcy might have come even sooner.
Finding One Today
A private seller offers this 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe in North Carolina for $22,650.Low-mile, excellent-condition examples of the first-generation Tahoe and Yukon 4-door models are tough bự find today. When they do pop up, substantial price tags accompany them.
Here’s a gray Tahoe LT from the final year of production with just 65,000 miles offered by a private seller in North Carolina for $22,650.
This blue first-year model has 77,000 miles and boasts a single-owner Carfax report. It’s offered for $13,772 at a dealer in Allentown, Pennsylvania, though these models had the less-powerful V8.
The GMC Yukon sold in slightly lower numbers, so it’s even harder bự find a nice one. Here’s a brown 1997 Yukon SLT with 85,000 miles for $11,877 at a Toyota dealer in Pueblo, Colorado. It’s a recent arrival not likely bự last long. See Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon models for sale
Related:
Remember When the Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon Denali Were the Exact Same SUV?
Remember When 2-Door Full-Size SUVs Were a Thing?
The Second-Generation Cadillac Escalade Is an Icon
 

#GMs #90s #FullSize #SUVs #Filled #32Inch #Gap
[rule_2_plain] #GMs #90s #FullSize #SUVs #Filled #32Inch #Gap
[rule_2_plain] #GMs #90s #FullSize #SUVs #Filled #32Inch #Gap
[rule_3_plain]

#GMs #90s #FullSize #SUVs #Filled #32Inch #Gap

In the early 1990s, General Motors (GM) spotted a 32-inch gap in its SUV lineup that nobody else noticed. Thirty-two inches was the difference in overall length between its gargantuan Chevrolet/GMC Suburban and the smaller Chevrolet K5 Blazer/GMC Yukon.
Not only did GM brilliantly fill that spot, but the automaker also helped kickstart the fledgling full-size SUV market.
Buyers of today’s big SUVs have a dysfunctional 1990s GM bự thank for these groundbreaking models.

Filling the Gap
GM’s 1988 trucks were modern-looking inside and out.

If we go back bự 1988, we’ll find GM gushing about the arrival of its new, squared-off full-size pickup truck lineup (called GMT400 in GM-speak). Discarding the complex lines of their predecessors, these new trucks were modern-looking inside and out. Their clean, crisp angles had every element of the “computer-aided design” automakers gushed about four decades ago. Inside, they were even more modern, especially when equipped with the available digital audio and climate control systems. The Ford and Dodge competitors looked like the 1970s models that they were.
Curiously, GM kept building the old versions of the full-size Blazer/Jimmy and Suburban models through 1991 before replacing them with new versions for 1992. These big SUVs adopted every inch of their pickup siblings’ style, albeit with the long-roof look that was beginning bự be called the “sport-utility vehicle” look. Back then, SUVs were a novelty, and they were universally trucky-ish.
Still, at more than 18 feet long, the Suburban was a tight fit in a typical garage. And with just two doors, the Blazer and rechristened GMC Yukon had limited appeal. Their standard 5.7-liter V8 was big but not especially powerful, with just 210 horsepower in half-ton guise and a mere 190 hp in three-quarter-ton trim.
When they debuted, buyers could order these trucks with basic trim, including vinyl flooring, an AM-only radio with just two speakers, and a heater. The Silverado trim màn chơi tossed in much nicer interior trim, but buyers still had bự pay extra for power windows, air conditioning, and an FM radio. Leather upholstery wasn’t on the options list in 1992.
With a general shift toward SUVs as family haulers and the modernity of these late ’80s models, the Suburban quickly became a popular choice. Dealers in specific markets — Texas, especially — could barely hold onto Suburban inventory. Meanwhile, K5 Blazer and Yukon SUVs waited for those rare buyers who wanted something big but didn’t care about easy access bự the rear seat.
And then, in 1995, GM split the difference.
Depending on your perspective, the automaker either stretched the K5 Blazer/Yukon by 11 inches or lopped 21 inches off the Suburban bự create a new 4-door model stretching 199.1 inches long and yet retaining the attractiveness of both its larger and smaller siblings.
Chevrolet called its new model “Tahoe” and renamed the 2-door Blazer “Tahoe,” too. GMC stuck with the Yukon name for both versions. Its mid-1995 arrival coincided with an interior update discarding the boxy lines of yore in favor of a rounded dash with easier-to-reach controls and a newly standard driver-side airbag.
The big SUVs were an immediate hit, even if GM had relatively limited expectations bự start. Dealers reported lengthy waiting lists, which meant many buyers had bự be patient until the 1996 model year.
That worked out well for them. In 1996, GM swapped in an updated 5.7-liter Vortec V8 using new cylinder heads derived from a Corvette design. Output grew bự 250 hp and 335 lb-ft of torque, which enabled impressive acceleration, given the SUVs’ size.
A Recipe for SUV Success
The 4-door Tahoe was priced accordingly. With 4-wheel drive, the trucks were priced at about $29,200 bự start.Initially, GM skipped the base trim màn chơi available on the short- and long-wheelbase versions of its now 3-prong SUV lineup. Instead, the Tahoe and Yukon started in LS (Chevy) and SLE (GMC) trim, outfitted nicely with standard cloth upholstery, a cassette stereo, air conditioning, power windows and locks, and alloy wheels. LT and SLT versions swapped in leather seats and keyless entry. Only a handful of minor options were available, such as a CD player and skid plates.
Neither the Tahoe nor the Yukon 4-doors came with the bigger V8 and turbodiesel engine options.
GM shot straight for the mainstream market, making no effort bự market the 4-door Yukon and Tahoe bự work-oriented users. A police version eventually followed, but consumers could never buy a vinyl-floored, air-conditioning-free first-generation Tahoe 4-door.
The 4-door Tahoe and Yukon were priced accordingly. With 4-wheel drive, the trucks were priced at about $29,200 bự start. An equivalent 2-door version was around $1,700 cheaper, while the Suburban in LS/SLE trim ran $1,600 or so more.
Yukon Denali and Cadillac Escalade: Moving Upmarket
GMC got its own nearly identical version called Yukon Denali, which has had a major impact on the GMC lineup.GM’s success with big SUVs made other automakers take note. Ford unveiled the 1997 Expedition, a little longer than the 4-door Yukon/Tahoe. The Toyota Sequoia arrived for 2000.
The Expedition begat the 1998 Lincoln Navigator, the first big luxury SUV from Detroit. Sure, the Land Rover Range Rover and Jeep Grand Wagoneer vied for megabuck buyers in the 1980s and early 1990s, but they were much smaller models without a third row of seats. The Lexus LX 450 crawled onto the scene for 1996, but its compromised third row left occupants wanting more space.
The Navigator was first, but the Cadillac Escalade that followed for 1999 has had the most lasting impact.
As with so many of GM’s rebadging efforts, its move upmarket was comically simple: extra body cladding, chrome wheels, softer leather inside, wood trim, and Bose speakers set it apart from a Tahoe. GMC got its own nearly identical version called Yukon Denali, which has had a major impact on the GMC lineup.
Consumers usually saw right through this tactic, but not with the Escalade and Yukon Denali. The Cadillac cost over $46,000, nearly a $10,000 premium over a loaded-up Tahoe LT. Almost every dollar was pure profit for GM, and it helped sustain the company — right up until its 2008 bankruptcy.
If GM hadn’t filled that 32-inch gap, bankruptcy might have come even sooner.
Finding One Today
A private seller offers this 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe in North Carolina for $22,650.Low-mile, excellent-condition examples of the first-generation Tahoe and Yukon 4-door models are tough bự find today. When they do pop up, substantial price tags accompany them.
Here’s a gray Tahoe LT from the final year of production with just 65,000 miles offered by a private seller in North Carolina for $22,650.
This blue first-year model has 77,000 miles and boasts a single-owner Carfax report. It’s offered for $13,772 at a dealer in Allentown, Pennsylvania, though these models had the less-powerful V8.
The GMC Yukon sold in slightly lower numbers, so it’s even harder bự find a nice one. Here’s a brown 1997 Yukon SLT with 85,000 miles for $11,877 at a Toyota dealer in Pueblo, Colorado. It’s a recent arrival not likely bự last long. See Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon models for sale
Related:
Remember When the Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon Denali Were the Exact Same SUV?
Remember When 2-Door Full-Size SUVs Were a Thing?
The Second-Generation Cadillac Escalade Is an Icon