| Make
|
GMC |
| Model |
Granite |
| Concept
year |
2010 |
| Production
year |
- |
| Engine |
1.4
litre turbo 4-cylinder |
The GMC Granite was one of the vehicles debuted at the
2010 Detroit Motor Show. Originally revealed at GM's 'The
LAB' website as the 'Urban Utility Concept', the Granite
is a relatively small - for GMC - vehicle which could
slot in under the Terrain in the company's lineup. If
brought to market, the Granite would be the smallest GMC
ever – but it has been engineered to efficiently
use what space it does have. Its length is a full 2 feet
(0.6 m) shorter than the Terrain.
According to GMC the Granite is aimed at young professionals
who want a vehicle with an 'urban-industrial design aesthetic'.
"We think of the Granite as the automotive equivalent
of an urban loft apartment," said Dave Lyon,
executive director of North American Interior and Global
Cross-Brand Design. "The exterior has an unmistakable
industrial look, but the interior is warm and personalized."
The group of young designers who developed the Granite
created a car for people like themselves - people who
are more likely to take friends to clubs and carry outdoor
gear for weekend excursions than haul lumber or tow a
boat. "The Design team leveraged the best attributes
from different segments: SUV, minivan and crossover, and
mixed them with a commercial chic aesthetic. We feel this
redefines the premium class of vehicles we call urban
utility vehicles," said Lyon.
The Granite concept has four doors, hinged on each side
to open like a set of French doors. There's no pillar
between the front and rear doors, making the Granite easier
to enter, exit and load, even with bulky items. If a production
version of the Granite were to be developed it would be
interesting to see if GMC deleted this handy design feature.
The concept's interior was influenced by the design of
aircraft mechanical instruments and precision tools. This
inspiration is most obvious on the dashboard and instrument
cluster, where gauges were modeled after finely crafted
timepieces. A compass incorporated into the "barrel"
surrounding the speedometer moves with every turn of the
vehicle, providing an at-a-glance directional confirmation.
Powering the Granite is a fuel efficient 1.4 litre turbocharged
four-cylinder engine which is matched to a six-speed automatic
transmission.
Similar and related vehicles:
GM Car Hero
GM Chaparral Volt
GM AUTOnomy
GM Hy-Wire
GM Sequel
GM EcoJet (by Jay Leno)
GM Bare Necessities Car
GMC PAD
GMC Denali XT
GMC Terradyne
GM Bare Necessities Truck
|
|
