2008 Isuzu Forward - A Look at the GM T-Series To Come?

When Isuzu launched the new 'Hexacube' (designer speak for 'hella boxy') N-Series six to eight months back, they promised that the next Forward (F-Series/T-Series) would utilize a modified version of the square cabin.

Boy, they weren't kidding.

The new Forward launched on Isuzu's website last week, and it looks almost identical to the the N-/W-Series. Identical. If there's any change, it's slighty beefier, particuarly on the 11-ton FSR model. For whatever reason, the added size, weight and sight glass make the cab actually seem truck-worthy.

The interior's almost carry over from the N-/W-Series, meaning operators will now have a refined interior with plastic-trimmed surfaces, an ergonomic dash, and - a new first - a passenger-side airbag.
But forget about the rest of Isuzu's jubilant press release. Why? Because should this cab make it to North America as the next GM T-Series, the rest of the underpinnings won't. Which is a shame; instead of featuring a clutchless manual transmission and 4-bag air suspension, the cab will lie on top of a modified GM medium duty frame. I'll guarantee you that chassis will be the epitomy of the word 'conservative'.

Even that's a risky bet. The medium-duty cabover market (particuarly in the class 6-8 segment) is a quickly shrinking one, and with low production and sales of the T-Series, it wouldn't be surprising for GM to drop it altogether. There's also the possibility of Isuzu suddenly dropping its GM alliance for that of its new owner (re: Toyota), and the new questions stemming from Navistar's talks to purchase GM's medium duty operations.

In the meantime, we sit and wait to see what happens. If nothing else, maybe we'll see revisions to the Giga (other than this horrid rhinoplasty) that brings it in line with the rest of Isuzu's COEs.

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WRAP-UP: 2007 Silverado LT2 Z714x4

Four months ago, I left home seeing a '07 Suburban LT2 4x4 parked in the driveway, and I returned to find an '07 Silverado LT2 Z71 4x4 occupying approximately the same amount of space. Consider this: both use the same (approximate) GVWR, platform, 4x4 system and 5.3-liter V8 with cylinder deactivation.

The more things change. C'mon - couldn't they have at least ticked the box for the VortecMAX 6.0-liter before handing it off to the GMT Blog?

Still, even having driven both short- and long-wheelbase GMT 900 utilities, the Silverado makes for a different yet satisfying drive. The changes between it and its SUV siblings are relatively small, yet the differences are enough to make it much more endearing to the weirdo progressive-nonconformist that I am.

First and foremost: I love the pickup-only dashboard. Yes, it's only on the "lesser trims" (W/T and LT), but I find it much easier to live - and drive - with than that on upper trim levels or on Tahoes and Suburbans. HVAC and audio controls - consisting of a multitude of tiny buttons - are now at a level where they can be inspected with minimal distraction. The biggest improvement is the new location of the transfer case switch (right-hand side of steering column). I can now actually see what drivetrain mode I've selected, as opposed to ducking behind the turn signal switch to read the miniscule LED indicators.

I've never owned a car without a front bench seat yet, so I'm enthralled that this truck has them as well. It took GM nearly ten years to copy what Dodge started, but the new span-to-span seat features spacious storage areas built within. The armrest features clips for papers and space for three Big-Gulps (simultaneously). In-seat storage keeps valuables both safe and (thanks to a 12-volt outlet) charged.

I'm also surprised at the truck's ride prowess. Normally, I've found most any pickup to ride harsher over broken surfaces than their SUV counterpart. Not so with the Silverado. Even with the off-road inspired Z71 package, the suspension soaks up rough pavement, potholed gravel and rough trail much better than the base Suburban did.

On the downside, room for rear seat passengers in the extended cab is tight, and the steering feels slightly sloppier than what was in the Suburban. Although the truck remains stable, the increase in feedback transmitted via the steering rack to the point where it almost feels twitchy. I'll attribute this mainly due to the weight bias of a pickup being over the front axle, but I'll be totally surprised - and in love - with a pickup that exhibits little to none of such bump steer.

GM claims its full-size pickup sales are least effected by gas prices than any other competitor, but that didn't prevent them from aiming for good fuel economy. Let's face it - at 15-16 mpg city and gas retailing at close to $3.30 a gallon, it wasn't cheap to keep the grey behemoth's thirst quelled, but the fuel economy was decent for a full-size pickup. Consider this - the V6 SRX that's currently in the driveway gets the same fuel economy, if not worse, despite its smaller motor and stature.

Some attribution for the reasonable fuel economy stems from the "Active Fuel Management" (re: cylinder deactivation), but my gripe with GM's system continues here. No, it's not noticible while switching between modes, nor does it impede accelleration all that much. My problem lies with the fact that it only seems to switch to four-cylinder mode when coasting. This system was designed to switch on during light accelleration as well, but no matter how gently the accellerator was touched, the 5.3 jumped back into eight-cylinder mode.

GM, we know performance is important, but c'mon - can't you give us an economy mode? Can't we (those who pay not only for the truck but for its fuel) a choice between balls-out performance and miserly economy? May I suggest a simplistic button that switches between two types of calibration? And may I also join the groves of armchair quarterbacks and consumers alike calling for the roll-out

My other qualm is surprising: the interior. Yes, I know I praised it not four paragraphs above, but there's still considerable room for improvement. The GM Truck Blog was invited out to GM's Milford Proving Grounds to flog their trucks against the competition. You'll hate me from a domestic-purist perspective, but from a 'all vehicles have an equal chance' point of view, Toyota's new Tundra should quickly become a benchmark for its interior, if nothing else. I've never been in a truck with so many creative storage compartments, including those in doors, armrests, seats, instrument panels, and elsewhere.

I'm also happy to see that an organized center console, capable of hanging file folders, has returned to the segment after the death of the Sierra Professional. Altogether, outside of switchgear, GM should - no, must blow this interior away when it comes to a mid-cycle refresh for the GMT 900.

But in terms of ride quality, performance and fuel economy, the Silverado's hard (if not impossible) to beat. It's been said about previous iterations, but it remains true for this generation of Silverado: it's one rock-solid package.

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INTRODUCTION - 2007 Cadillac SRX4

Is it a car? Is it a wagon? No, it's Superman...err, the SRX. Honestly, Cadillac's second stab at some sort of sport-utility is just as androgenous as Audi's Allroad. Some describe it as a jacked-up CTS wagon; as it rides on the same Sigma platform, it's actually just that (which brings up the odd possibility of making an AWD CTS. Hmmm...).

The last time a SRX fell into my hands was in 2003, eight months after they began rolling off the line in Lansing. That particular vehicle was completely loaded; Northstar V8, AWD, three-row seating, panoramic moonroof, etc.

Despite the content levels and the atmospherically-high pricetag, it wasn't a knockout.

Accelleration and performance was dogged by both the AWD and a slow-shifting tranny, while the CTS-cloned interior was pleasant - if you have a fetish for hard, triangular-patterned black plastics.

Three years later, there's another one of Caddy's androno-wagons sitting in the driveway. Already, I can state matter-of-factly that it blows the old one out of the lake.

The biggest change lies inside, with an all-new dash and instrument panel added for '07. After only two days of moderate driving, it's safe to say the changes are welcomed. Dash surfaces previously molded in rock-hard materials now have a pliable 'give' to them, while richly-stained birdseye maple (assuming it's real) and metalized-plastic vent trims break the otherwise-monotonous black interior. The seats resemble humanoid catchers' mitts; they're nicely bolstered and extremely comfortable even for long road trips. This particular example also is devoid of the third-row seating, which due to dimunitive size and a circus-like entry procedure, isn't missed.

Although this SRX doesn't have the Northstar or the new 6L50 six-speed, it does have GM's High-Feature 3.6L V6 with DOHC and VVT. It's good for nearly 255 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque, and for a GM motor, is actually happy to rev quickly. The French-built 5L40 five-speed auto's smooth, and when in sport mode, extremely quick-shifting. Manual mode is available - and while it won't replicate your favorite clutched-cog box, it does allow some personal control for hill grades or stopping.

Two things Cadillac hasn't touched are directly related to cost. The V6 SRX stickers at a meaty $38 grand, but with two option boxes ticked (V6 Premium Luxury Package and AWD), this example fetches just over $47,000. And with city fuel economy rated at 16 mpg, it looks to be a thirsty little bugger. Average fuel economy's still to early to call, but the in-dash multimeter's reading close to 17-18 mpg. At $3.18+ per gallon, it's nothing to sneeze at.

Still, there's two or three months left to really flog this thing, including some good trailering sessions. If nothing else, hopefully by then I can finally nail down what type of vehicle this thing is.

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