The GMC Envoy is the Gmc that answered a simple question — how much car can this badge carry? — with 190 hp from 262 cuin Vortec 4300 V6. It was built from 1997 to 2008, when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. Its designer of record is William S. Davis.
How it came about
The GMC Envoy is a mid-size SUV manufactured and marketed by General Motors for the 1998 to 2009 model years over two generations. Adopting a nameplate used by GM Canada, the Envoy was phased in as a trim variant of the GMC Jimmy alongside the similar Chevrolet TrailBlazer. The second generation of the GMC Envoy replaced the Jimmy outright, again sharing a common platform with the Trailblazer; General Motors also marketed the chassis architecture under various other nameplates, including the Oldsmobile Bravada, Buick Rainier, Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7X.
General Motors assembled the model line at its Moraine Assembly (Moraine, Ohio) and Oklahoma City Assembly (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma). Both facilities were closed by 2008, leading to the discontinuation of the model line. The Envoy was not directly replaced in the GMC model line as General Motors transitioned its smaller SUVs to unibody-chassis designs, introducing the smaller GMC Terrain and larger GMC Acadia.
The hardware
Under the skin sits 262 cuin Vortec 4300 V6; it is rated at 190 hp. Kerb weight is 4150 lbs. The gearbox is a 4-speed 4L60-E automatic. The wheelbase is 1070 in (2.71 m). These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Where it sits in Gmc's history is not in doubt: the GMC Jimmy came before it; the GMC Terrain / GMC Acadia (Envoy XL) followed it; it was built at Moraine, Ohio (Moraine Assembly), United States. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Mitsubishi Dignity, the Porsche 911 GT3, the Mitsubishi Proudia. Its Gmc stablemates include the GMC Canyon and the GMC Sierra EV.