GMC Allegedly Working On New Jimmy Off-Roader
We've all heard this one before: General Motors is supposedly working on a GMC Jimmy, designed to be a true four-wheel-drive rig capable of taking on the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, Toyota 4Runner, and so on.
Shame that GM slapped the Blazer name on a mundane crossover—a Chevy counterpart would be a natural starting point for this vehicle. Regardless, we can't help but be skeptical; we've been down this rumor road before, and it has manifested in exactly nothing.
It's not like the last Jimmy was a remarkable vehicle. The Chevrolet S-10 Blazer-based compact SUV lived from 1995-2005, and although it could hold its own off-road, it was never the real rugged, outdoorsy 4x4 that people fantasize over. Even though the ZR2 was wider and stronger, it still had its limitations. The Blazer and Jimmy's replacement, the Trailblazer and Envoy, were even more street-oriented and were the end of the line for GM building true body-on-frame SUVs that weren't Tahoe-sized.
For over 20 years now, Chevrolet and GMC have been watching Jeep take their lunch as the Wrangler turned into a runaway sales success. The same can be said for vehicles like the Toyota 4Runner and the Ford Bronco. GM has simply had nothing in its catalog that competes with the "real" off-road-capable SUVs in decades. Sure, you can get a Tahoe Z71 or Yukon AT4, but they're too big for their own good when the trail turns technical.
Now, GM Authority reports that GM is working on a new GMC Jimmy for the North American market. This isn't the first time we have heard this swirling of the rumor mill, and it's not the tenth time either. Stories about GM concocting something like this-- whether a Blazer or a Jimmy-- have been coming and going for years now. Though we remain hopeful, there's ultimately nothing GM has to show for itself on the rugged midsize 4WD SUV front.
It's not like GM doesn't have the technical know-how or the platform on which they could base a vehicle like this. The current Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon are very solid midsize trucks, and they would serve as an excellent platform on which GM could build enclosed five-seat SUVs. Imagine a new Canyon AT4-based Jimmy; now that would be a good time on the trails.
The "news" that GM has a Jimmy in the works is exciting, albeit one we can't help but roll our eyes at. Allegedly, GM was working on a project like this from 2019 to 2023, only to cancel the ordeal. Given the way this has panned out in the past (i.e., it hasn't), this is a believe-it-when-we-see-it situation if there ever was one.
Maybe the recent reveal of the Hyundai Boulder concept and word that Nissan is working on a new XTerra has lit a fire at GM. We can only hope.
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Based in Connecticut, Ross hosts The Hooniverse Podcast. He has been in the off-road world since he was a kid riding in the back of his dad’s YJ Wrangler. He works in marketing by day and in his free time contributes to Hooniverse, AutoGuide, and ATV.com, and in the past has contributed to UTV Driver, ATV Rider, and Everyday Driver. Ross drives a 2018 Lexus GX460 that is an ongoing build project featured on multiple websites and the podcast.
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