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Writer's Notes
2004 GMC Envoy XUV Specifications
Base price: $31,890 (2WD SLE) - $38,715 (4WD SLT)
Engine: 4.2-liter inline 6-cylinder (275 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 275 lb.-ft. @ 3,600 rpm) or 5.3-liter V8 (290 hp @5,200 rpm, 325 lb.-ft. @4,000 rpm)
Transmission: 4-speed electronically controlled automatic with overdrive
Wheelbase: 129 in.
Length: 208.4 in.
Width: 74.7 in.
Height: 77 in.
Head/hip/legroom: 40.2/55.5/41.4 in. (front row), 39.6/58.4/37 in. (second row)
Curb weight, lbs.: 4,945 (2WD); 5,042 (4WD)
Fuel economy: SLE 2WD: 15/20/17 city/highway/combined, SLE 4WD: 15/19/17 city/highway/combined; SLT 2WD 15/19/17 city/highway/combined, SLT 4WD 14/18/16 city/highway/combined
Safety equipment: Front airbags; ABS; four-wheel disc brakes
5 questions about the 2004 GMC Envoy XUV
Where is the XUV built, when does it go on sale, and how many XUVs does GM hope to sell? XUV is built in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It will go on sale in the fall, and GM expects that 30 percent of its Envoy sales (81,000 for the model year through May) will be XUV models.
Who are its competitors and what are the buyer demographics? GMC expects XUV buyers will cross shop with the Ford Explorer, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Toyota Highlander, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Honda Pilot. Buyers are expected to be between the ages of 30-49, college educated, half living in rural and half in suburban locations, with children and pets looking for the convenience and utility of a pickup and an SUV.
What is the pet package? GMC is looking into the following items in a pet package: harness and tether, easy-access ramp for the rear, and a pet cushion.
How does it handle? We drove the XUV on the highways and byways of rural Michigan. Its handling was competent, and its ride smooth and quiet, even with the rear cargo area glass retracted.
What is its best feature? Clearly, this SUVs stand-out feature is its utility. It's truly a truck and sport ute morphed into one-- with a washable rear cargo area.
Comments or suggestions about this review? Send an e-mail to: editor@autobytel.com
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The newest addition to the GMC SUV family, Envoy XUV is all about versatility, from its beefy standard V6 powertrain to its power sliding rear roof that creates an open-air driving experience. Packing several industry-first innovations into its cargo space and two powerful engine choices under its hood, the XUV is designed to answer family stowage needs - from the summer road trip to the Saturday afternoon jaunt to Home Depot.
Carved from the same DNA as the Chevy Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT, the all-new XUV brings creative storage solutions, with its Midgate™ rear compartment configuration system. It also offers a flip- or swing-out tailgate, an all-weather cargo area and a power sliding rear roof, which accommodates tall items.
Envoy XUV's creative use of space is its most distinguishing feature, and it is its key differentiator in a crowded SUV market. GM's stable alone carries almost a dozen models, and the competition for customers is tough - especially in a down market.
However, The General has seen "unprecedented growth in recent years," according to Pontiac-GMC General Manager Lynn Myers. XUV is part of GM's strategy to continue building on that success, with the introduction of several new models in the truck and SUV category, such as the Canyon mid-size pick-up and the SSR crossover pickup/roadster.
Model lineup
Envoy XUV is available with a choice of two powertrains and two trim levels. The standard engine is a 275-hp 4.2-liter inline 6-cylinder. A 5.3-liter, 290-hp V8 also is available. Both can be matched with either two-or four-wheel drive.
Trim levels are the base SLE and up-market SLT. Both come with the standard power sliding rear roof, Midgate with power window, all-weather cargo floor, 17-inch cast aluminum wheels, roof rails, interior overhead console with Homelink transponder, AM/FM/CD stereo and power heated exterior mirrors. Dual front air bags, ABS and four-wheel disc brakes also are standard on all XUVs.
The truck features the next generation of GMC's Midgate system, which converts the rear seat into cargo space and works with the roof panel and tailgate to create truly versatile hauling options.
SLT adds leather trim, power driver's and front passenger's seats with heat, automatic climate control, rear audio and climate controls, steering wheel mounted controls and an in-dash driver information center. Exterior mirrors get integrated turn signals.
Available options include polished aluminum wheels, side impact air bags, XM satellite radio, OnStar navigation/communications system, Bose sound system, adjustable pedals, running boards and sunroof. Rain-sensing wipers, headlamp washers and an integrated navigation/radio system are optional on SLT models only. GM also offers add-on accessory packages, such as a camping package with self-contained waterproof tent and a pet package.
Exterior
On the outside, the XUV looks much like its fraternal Envoy twin from head-on. The front end retains the big 'GMC' badge and horizontally slatted grille, but the nose is snubbed and petite. Wrapped, clear glass headlamps and bumper-integrated fog lamps sit above a big air dam. Side body-color panels keep the profile simple and crisp, with 'Envoy' badging accenting the sides of the SLT version.
From the B-pillar back, however, the family resemblance ends. Starting just behind the B-pillar is the sliding roof panel, framed on either side by thick roof rails. A button located in the front overhead console controls the panel, which converts the cargo area from fully enclosed to open air, making room for tall items such as furniture.
Here's how it works: panel slides back above the fixed roof on tracks built into the roof racks. Fully retracted, the rear roof panel sits above the existing roof, over the second row of passenger seats, creating a 32-by-32-inch opening. The panel does not cover up the sunroof on models so equipped.
The reconfigurable roof, which is an industry first, is capped by a tailgate with power sliding window and dual-function tailgate. The gate, which can swing open to the right or flip down, has electronic assist that permits easy one-hand opening. This functionality is a segment first.
Powertrain
The standard engine is a Vortec 4.2-liter inline 6-cylinder producing class-leading 275 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 275 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,600 rpm. The motor features DOHC and four valves per cylinder with variable cam phasing for more efficient operation. The optional Vortec 5.3-liter V8 has OHV with two valves per cylinder and delivers 290 horses at 5,200 rpm and 325 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm.
Both are matched to a four-speed electronically controlled transmission with overdrive and can be ordered with either two-wheel (rear) drive or AutoTrac four-wheel drive. Traction control is available on two-wheel drive models.
The 4.2-liter V6 tows up to 5800 lbs. (5700 with 4-wheel drive) and has a combined fuel economy of 17 miles per gallon. The V8 manages up to 6500 lbs. (6400 with 4-wheel drive); it also rates 17 mpg with rear-wheel drive (16 with 4WD).
Interior
Envoy XUV's interior design is actually part of the exterior design, and vice versa, because of the sliding roof panels that make this SUV a convertible. The truck features the next generation of GMC's Midgate system, which converts the rear seat into cargo space and works with the roof panel and tailgate to create truly versatile hauling options.
For 2004, the Midgate gets a power window that can be more easily raised or lowered than the previous iteration. When the window is raised, the passenger compartment is sealed off from the rear cargo area has seating for three. With the glass lowered and the seats folded flat, passengers can flip down the Midgate to create an extended cargo bed and a full 95.2 cubic feet of stowage space. With the roof retracted and the Midgate in place, the XUV can store tall and wide items, such as drywall and a new refrigerator, at the same time.
Another interior innovation is the all-weather cargo area, which has a QuickDrain system that channels up to 32 gallons of water per minute out of the cargo bed. In addition to providing drainage after a downpour, the feature allows owners to hose down their XUVs after transporting messy items. If only baby seats were that easy to clean.
Stuff can be secured by eight cargo tie-down rings, four of which can be moved to any of 12 different locations, and four of which are in fixed positions on the roof of the vehicle.
Beyond these cargo carrying capabilities, the interior of the Envoy XUV is similar to that of the non-transforming Envoy. Seating is comfortable, although five adults would be slightly cramped. SLE models have manual dual-zone climate control and a CD stereo system, in addition to HomeLink. SLT models add amenities such as automatic climate control, steering wheel audio and climate controls, rear passenger audio and climate controls, leather trim and power seats.
Safety and handling
GMC's latest SUV has a smooth ride, with independent front and multi-link rear suspension. An air-controlled suspension is available. The body-on-frame architecture includes a high-tech electrical system operated by a series of computers which 'talk' to each other like PCs on a network.
Standard safety equipment includes front air bags, an energy-absorbing steering column and high-impact side beams in the doorframes. Four-wheel discs with ABS also are standard.
--Photos Courtesy of GMC North America
--Story by Sue Mead
Sue Mead works as a photojournalist and features writer for more than two dozen publications. She has written for Parade, Popular Science, Open Road, the Road & Track Buyers Guide, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics and Diversion and she has worked as an auto editor for CNN/fn. Sue has co-driven in two of the world's toughest off-road races, the Baja 1000 and the Paris-Dakar Raid. She attended four Camel Trophy adventures for Land Rover North America and has participated in several long-distance adventure drives. She recently completed her first book, "Monster Trucks and Tractors" published by Chelsea House. Sue lives in New England.
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