Rumour has it that GM could be thinking about bringing back the GMC Jimmy using GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado bits.
General Motors is working hard on making up for drops in the interest for certain product lines by reviving and dusting off old SUV names. The Chevy Blazer’s back, there’s a Trailblazer on the way and now, looks like the GMC Jimmy will make a comeback to take on the Jeep Wrangler.
It was long ago, in fact never, when GM last had a real truck to tackle the legendary and untouchable Jeep Wrangler. Toyota and Nissan took a crack at the Wrangler with the FJ Cruiser and Xterra but both are good and dead today. While part of the motivation is to tackle with the Jeep, the real reason for bringing up a Jimmy is probably the upcoming and highly anticipated Ford Bronco.
According to a story by Car and Driver, GM would dip into their midsize pickup trucks for frames, engines and other tasty bits and create something of a serious off-roader/real SUV. Figure a ladder frame to start, the choice between a 3.6-litre V6 and a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder diesel, a manual or an automatic transmission and other serious truck parts.
The ZR2 package could easily be basis for the Wrangler-matching GMC Jimmy. This would include the off-road suspension with Multimatic DSSV damping system, driver-selectable, full-locking front and rear differentials, increased track width and extra increased ground clearance along with a number of options for more truck-ness.
If GM plays its cards right, it could launch this beast before Ford finally puts the Bronco on the road. The original story says 2022 but we think it can be fast-forwarded.