Now for some specifics. The Duramax 6600 will be an option for the Crew Cab, Big Dually, and Chassis-Cab models and is a venture between GM and Isuzu. It is a direct-injection, OHV, four-valves-per-cylinder diesel and has a targeted operating life of at least 200,000 miles, thanks to such pieces as a nitrided crankshaft, hardened valve seat inserts in the aluminum cylinder heads, and a gear-driven water pump. It's compact, and the turbocharger is in the V-shaped space on top of the engine. The Duramax makes 300 hp at 3,100 rpm and 520 lb-ft of torque at 1,800 rpm.
The new Vortec 8100 V-8 is also a foot-full in the power department. Stomp it and you get 340 hp at 4,200 rpm and 455 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. The 8.1L has cast stainless steel exhaust manifolds-a first for GM 31/44- and 1-ton truck engines-for durability and because they can withstand high temperatures better.
The base engine for the HDs is the Vortec 6000 found in the regular 2500 Silverado and Sierra, but with a few tweaks for the beefier trucks. It ranks right up there with 325 ponies at 5,000 rpm and 370 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. With this engine comes a standard five-speed manual, and the familiar 4L80-E is the option.
First Look: Korando
We'll have more info on this soon, but here's a peek at the Daewoo Korando, an all-new two-door sport/ute. As we mentioned a couple months back, we've heard it'll have a 3.2L inline-six, a standard automatic transmission, and a transfer case with low range. Stay tuned.
Not-So-Fun Facts
*The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that people who run red lights are responsible for 260,000 crashes and 750 deaths every year.
*The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that nearly 100,000 crashes per year are caused by drivers who fall asleep at the wheel. That translates into about 76,000 injuries and 1,500 deaths.
*The Sunnybrook Health Science Center in Ontario, Canada, says that the frequency of accidents is four times higher for cell phone users. That's about equal with drunk driving accidents.
Quick Test: 2000 Ford Explorer
Not enough new-truck goo in our magazine? We hear you. Even though we bring you our 4x4 of the Year competition every year in our February issue, and we usually have a splattering of other new-4x4 news and roadtests throughout the year, you may still be hungry for more. Maybe we missed your favorite or the one you're considering buying. Relax.
Starting with this issue, we'll offer you a quick look at the specifications of one new vehicle every month along with our opinions on how it drives and what we like and don't like. If there's one in particular you'd like to see, let us know.
This month we slid behind the wheel of a 2000 Ford Explorer. The list of new items is short, but you can understand why Ford wouldn't want to mess too much with the best-selling SUV in the world. Our model was equipped with the 4.0L V-8, the evershift automatic transmission, the automatic transfer case, and an incredible amount of gadgets. Our favorite gizmo was the digital voice recorder embedded in the driver-side sun visor. Sound hokey? That's what we thought until we needed it. Press the button and talk, and your message is ready for you to play back later.
The other electronic addition this year was a sonar reversing system. The cabin beeps when you're backing up to an object. The beeps speed up as you get closer to the object. This could be useful for people who have problems seeing out of the rear of SUVs. You can turn the system off with a button on the dash. The drawback to this system is that there are ugly dots on the back bumper. On the plus side, we liked having the radio buttons and climate control buttons on the steering wheel