GMC Granite Production Has Been Confirmed

At last year’s 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM decided to take one of its key brands into a completely new direction with the GMC Granite Concept, a vehicle that combined distinctly urban-industrial design language with functionality aimed at a young audience.

It’s taken the American automotive giant some time to decide on the matter, but it looks like the car has finally received green light to go into production. According to a recent Motor Trend article, GM has gone so far to say that the road-going car will keep the rear-hinged suicide door setup of the concept. Suddenly, this sounds like a very exciting proposition!

The confirmation reportedly comes from a "well-placed source" familiar with the issue. The same insider states that the car will be based on the same C-segment platform as the Chevrolet Volt, Cruze and Buick Verano. Motor Trend’s best guestimation for the new GMC product’s market arrival is that it will be a 2013 or ‘14 model year, with production to start no sooner than late 2012.

When GM unveiled the Granite concept, it used the same 138-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four as the Chevrolet Cruze. The power was delivered via a six-speed automatic transmission. This powerplant would certainly make sense for the production car as it would offer a good mix of performance and economy. However, the publication suggests that even the more powerful 177 hp 2.4-liter from the Buick Verano would be a good choice. We would not be surprised if the car will be offered with both six-speed manual and automatic boxes.