GMC Jimmy reborn as truck-tough, sedan-smooth sport-utility
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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The pit of thick, black Wisconsin mud, axle deep and sticky enough to suck a tire down to motionless mire, stretched for half a football field in front of the 4-door sport-utility wagon, which was outfitted with a push-button 4-wheel-drive system and four 15-inch Michelin R-rated radial tires.
The wagon, sporting a stiff new chassis and aero-smooth exterior, carried soft leather bucket seats and the kind of fancy interior perks you'd expect to find on a fine luxury sedan, not a truck-like SUV capable of scaling steep humps of granite scree or wallowing through that oozing pit of gumbo goo.
The driver, veteran of gravity-defying off-road motor tricks over stone and dirt and through muddy sloughs and wilderness watersheds, punched up 4x4 low, racked the shifter to the bottom rung, checked seatbelt tension one final time, then plunged into that pit.
Actually, I floored the pedal.
The wagon responded with a lurch, then the pit exploded with a splash of dark mud slopping in every direction to make space for the mass of metal and machinery. Tires sunk deep but plowed through goo without missing a cue. The rear fished here and there a time or two, and I'll confess to goosing the pedal and cranking the wheel to expand the slippery sensation of a snake wiggling through water.
Eventually, though, without stopping the forward progress, I climbed the far bank of the pit with my wagon, now wearing what looked like most of the mud we'd passed through, caked with an ugly black film.
Then in another version, cleaned and shined to a gleam, I drove in coat and tie to a country club reception, feeling like I had arrived in an expansive limousine. Later, in a 2-wheel-drive edition, I took on those twisty coastal California mountain roads like I would drive a sportster.
What versatile wagon performs these various tricks?
It's the latest rendition of Jimmy, the midsize sport-utility wagon by GMC Truck riding on a revamped GMC Sonoma compact pickup's platform but containing the kind of sophisticated luxury gear of a fancy sedan, along with serious 4-wheeler hardware of a rugged off-road warrior.
The best thing about Jimmy is that although it's born from a truck, rides on the chassis of a truck and carries the heavy-duty handling components of a truck, it doesn't drive or ride like a truck.
Actually, Jimmy's as friendly to use as a family sedan, but far more practical and convenient.
With low step-up height, even a lady dressed in business attire can step aboard without losing her poise.
That low entry height -- combined with a comfort-tuned suspension system and thoughtful interior features like cupholders galore, eyeball swiveling map lamps, door pockets and orthopedically optimized contours for seatbacks and cushions -- demonstrates the depth of concern for occupant comfort and convenience which GMC's designers built into the new Jimmy.
"Following extensive surveys of current and potential customers, we sifted through the findings and concluded that a new Jimmy must be comfortable, quiet, roomy and also attractive," Roy Roberts, GMC Truck general manager, explained from the passenger seat during my California mountain drive. "We established world-class standards for Jimmy in categories of styling, quiet interior, ride quality and performance as linked to fuel economy."
Did GMC reach these world-class goals with Jimmy?
In every instance, new Jimmy meets or exceeds marks previously set by competitors.
In the styling department, corners have been smoothed and rounded, the hoodline dropped (which improves forward visibility for the driver), key lines adapted to aerodynamic efficiency, and at the rear Jimmy's sporty 2-door variation differentiated from the more conventional 4-door due to a sharply slanting back window and canted C-piller design.
That look of a rakish coupe is not the only difference between the 2-door and 4-door design of Jimmy. Since the former skews to a younger market that doesn't want to drive any vehicle which remotely resembles a station wagon or minivan, the 2-door Jimmy has its own wheelbase, optional 5-speed stick shift and special off-road handing gear.
Both Jimmy versions begin with a platform borrowed from GMC's award-winning Sonoma compact pickup. The frame was boxed to improve torsional rigidity and bending stiffness, which in turn reduces squeaks and rattles normally associated with trucks. Then the passenger compartment was fortified with acoustic insulation to diminish road and powertrain noises.
To produce world-class ride quality, GMC's engineers devised four specific suspension systems with components packaged to produce easy-to-understand results.
Standard suspension for both 2-door and 4-door Jimmy wagons is called Smooth Ride. A sporty Euro Ride is available optionally on both, while the 2-door 4WD gets an Off-Road suspension option and the 4-door has an ultimate Luxury Ride suspension.
Packaging components makes Jimmy's ride quality easy to specify since all elements, from shocks to spring rates to tires, have already been measured, matched and mated.
As to Jimmy's interior, the wheelbase remains unchanged from the former version, yet this new design is longer, lower and wider, which creates a larger passenger cabin. You end up with more shoulder room, more cargo space, plus a bonus in space due to the relocation of the 4-door version's spare tire that now stows out of the way below deck.
In the power department, Jimmy uses an improved edition of a GM 4.3-liter V6 engine rigged with overhead valving and new lighter-weight pistons. This year's version has aggressive horsepower -- 195 maximum -- which makes it the most powerful V6 in the midsize utility class.
The 4-speed electronic automatic transmission becomes a standard feature on all 4-door Jimmy models, but it's also offered optionally on the 2-door.
Jimmy's optional Insta-Trac 4-wheel-drive system has a floor-mounted shift lever that's easy to engage, or specify the convenience of push-button control mounted on the dash.
Trim levels begin with the base Jimmy SL, which contains a surprisingly long list of standard comfort features. The 2-door version then offers the sporty Jimmy SLS, while 4-door Jimmy variations include SLE comfort class and SLT touring model.
Competitive pricing ranges from $18,275 to $26,000.
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| 1995 GMC JIMMY VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Midsize spot-utility wagon |
| Model Options: |
Midsize spot-utility wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
2-door: 100.5 inches
4-door: 107.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
2-door: 174.7 inches
4-door: 181.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 4.3-L V6
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| Transmission: |
2-door: Manual/5, Auto/4
4-door: Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear, 4WD |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/ABS |
| Airbags: |
1 |
| Gas Mileage: |
16/22 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 18,275 to $ 26,000 |
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