The GMC Envoy is a mid-size SUV that General Motors built and sold for the 1998 to 2009 model years over two generations. It took a nameplate already used by GM Canada and began as a trim variant of the GMC Jimmy alongside the similar Chevrolet TrailBlazer.
GMC Envoy at a glance
| Class | mid-size SUV |
|---|---|
| Production | 1998-2009 model years |
| First generation | 1998-2000, top trim of the Jimmy |
| Second generation | 2002-2009, replacing the Jimmy outright |
| Chassis | GMT360, body-on-frame with hydroformed boxed rails |
| Wheelbase | 113 in; 129 in for the Envoy XL |
| Engine, 2002 | Vortec 4200 4.2 L straight-six, 270 hp |
| Engine option | 5.3 L V8, 290 hp from 2003, 300 hp with Displacement on Demand from 2005 |
| Front suspension | double wishbone with Bilstein shock absorbers |
| Rear suspension | five-link solid axle, optional air levelling |
| Built at | Moraine, Ohio and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Award | Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year 2002 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the GMC Envoy.
History of the GMC Envoy
First generation (1998-2000)
The first Envoy was introduced for 1998, a year before the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, as the highest-trim version of the GMC Jimmy SUV. Like the Oldsmobile Bravada it had a leather-trimmed interior, a floor-mounted shifter and a largely monochromatic exterior with aluminium-alloy wheels, and it was offered only as a five-door. Extras that the regular four-door Jimmy did not have included a remote tailgate release, heated front seats, a Bose sound system and high-intensity discharge headlights; a power sunroof, alarm, anti-theft system and power front seats were optional. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes and front airbags were standard, but the Envoy was rated Poor in the IIHS frontal offset crash test. Sales of the first generation ended after 2000, when GMC adopted the name for the whole Jimmy line.
Second generation (2002-2009)
The second-generation Envoy arrived in early 2001 as a 2002 model, skipping the 2001 model year, and replaced the five-door Jimmy just as the TrailBlazer replaced the S-10 Blazer. It used the GMT360 body-on-frame chassis, designed from the outset for SUV use rather than shared with the compact pickups, with hydroformed frame rails boxed along their whole length. The wheelbase grew to 113 inches, six more than before, and an extended-wheelbase Envoy XL with a 129-inch wheelbase was added. The front suspension was a double-wishbone layout with Bilstein dampers and the rear a five-link solid axle with optional load-levelling air suspension; four-wheel disc brakes became standard.
Engines and drivetrains
The 2002 Envoy received an all-new Vortec 4200 4.2-litre straight-six with 270 hp, 80 hp more than the V6 it replaced and the first straight-six from GM in North America since 1984; it was named one of Ward’s 10 Best Engines from 2002 to 2005. From 2003 the Envoy XL could be ordered with a 290 hp 5.3-litre V8, which gained Displacement on Demand for 2005 and rose to 300 hp. Alongside rear-wheel drive the Envoy offered permanent two-wheel drive or a four-wheel-drive system with automatic, high-range and low-range modes, the last with a 2.69:1 reduction. Two rear axles were available, a limited-slip Posi-Trac and an Eaton automatic locking differential.
The end of the line
The Envoy was assembled at Moraine in Ohio and Oklahoma City, and both plants had closed by 2008, which led to the end of the model line. GMC did not replace the Envoy directly: as GM moved its smaller SUVs to unibody designs it introduced the smaller GMC Terrain and the larger GMC Acadia instead. The same chassis was also sold as the Oldsmobile Bravada, Buick Rainier, Isuzu Ascender and Saab 9-7X.
Design and features
- GMT360 chassis: body-on-frame construction designed from the start for an SUV.
- Vortec 4200: a 270 hp straight-six praised as one of Ward’s 10 Best Engines.
- Envoy XL: an extended-wheelbase version with a 129-inch wheelbase.
- Four-wheel drive: automatic, high-range and low-range modes with a 2.69:1 reduction.
- Comfort options: air-levelling rear suspension, Bose audio and a rear DVD system.
GMC Envoy versions
- Envoy (1998-2000): the luxury five-door version of the Jimmy.
- Envoy (2002-2009): the second-generation model that replaced the Jimmy.
- Envoy XL: the long-wheelbase version, available with a 5.3 L V8.
- SLE and SLT trims: the two main equipment levels of the second generation.
- Envoy Denali: the premium version offered during the second generation.
The Envoy replaced the GMC Jimmy and was itself replaced in the range by the GMC Terrain and GMC Acadia. More cars are in the GMC collection.
Sources
- GMC Envoy, English Wikipedia: generations, chassis, engines, trims, plant closures
