General Motors has released details and photos of its new XFE line of “Xtra Fuel Efficient” large SUVs and pickup trucks. The modifications, which GM first offered on the Chevrolet Cobalt XFE and Pontiac G5 XFE, will be offered on 2009 two-wheel-drive versions of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Silverado and GMC Yukon and Sierra.
EPA fuel economy ratings increase to 15/21 city/highway, up from 14/20 for non-XFE two-wheel-drive models, according to General Motors. The increase in efficiency - 7 percent in the city and 5 percent on the highway - comes as a result of a new six-speed automatic transmission and several aerodynamics-enhancing upgrades.
The six-speed automatic that mates to the existing 5.3-liter flexible fuel V8 engine in XFE models is now standard across GM’s entire 2009 line of full-size SUVs and pickups other than those with the base 4.8-liter V8.
A handful of mass-reducing and wind-cheating features set the XFEs apart from the standard models. To save weight, all four vehicles now feature aluminum lower control arms, an aluminum spare wheel and lightweight 17- (pickups) or 18-inch (SUVs) aluminum wheels mounted on lower rolling-resistance tires. Lowered suspensions and revised chassis tuning helps cheat the wind on all models and the pickups feature a standard soft tonneau cover to reduce wind turbulence in the bed.
These aerodynamics modifications make the XFE pickups the most aerodynamic full-size pickups on the market with a low 0.412 coefficient of drag. All four models are rated to tow as much as their non-XFE brethren.
GM hasn’t released pricing or release dates for the new models.


08/14, 12:45 PM
posted by:
acura_el2000
best way to make these more efficient is to not drive them
08/14, 1:29 PM
posted by:
ktulu
who do they think they’re fooling?
08/14, 1:32 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
The sad thing is that you could get better mileage gains and more power with an aftermarket short-ram intake, free flowing cat-back exhaust, and a ECU reflash. It would cost less than $1000 per vehicle and net atleast 5MPG. That claimed 1MPG increase is just a boldfaced lie to get more people interested… I doubt that they actually did anything.
08/14, 1:52 PM
posted by:
HemiRoadRunner
1MPG increase is considered to be “Xtra Fuel Efficient”??? Doesn’t ALOT of it depend on driving habits?
08/14, 2:13 PM
posted by:
gehrhardt
Man, if GM wants to save money, they should just kill off GMC or just have them stick to commercial trucks. I really doubt the people buying GMC will never consider a Chevy truck as an alternative.
That will work better than charging extra for a 1MPG difference.
08/14, 2:40 PM
posted by:
crackerhemi
Does adding low resistance tires to a vehicle already prone to rolling over not make anyone nervous?
08/14, 2:49 PM
posted by:
bauer100
^^ no, it better not roll over when they have ESC.
08/14, 2:49 PM
posted by:
MercMark
And if you wax it you can save another .001 mpg!!
08/14, 2:55 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
Actually MercMark I think waxing might cost you .001MPG… more weight on the car.
Now maybe they should sell the trucks without tailgates… that has to save what 40 pounds?
Low rolling resistance tires just mean no traction.
08/14, 3:07 PM
posted by:
MercMark
Leave the wife at home and save money!? The fatter she is the more you save on gas!
08/14, 3:30 PM
posted by:
Nightblack_97
This sounds like a Barack Obama energy solution, well that plus infalting your tires. And don’t forget to go on a diet. Heck, if everyone drove naked we’d save another 5-10 pounds in clothes, belts, and shoes.
At this rate we won’t even need middle east oil again
08/14, 3:54 PM
posted by:
oldman420
The funny part about this is i have been putting these trucks out in my dealearships showroom for monthes now. Soft tonneau cover, gm intake and cat-back exhaust comes to about $1450 in accessories and saves the customer on gas and gives them slightly a bit more power. Sounds like i should have a job at GM head office instead of getting paid SFA as a GM partsman.
08/14, 3:56 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Nightblack_97: interesting concept except how do you get ball sweat out of upholstery?
08/14, 4:02 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
That’s what those high-end cooled seats are for. >:)
08/14, 4:09 PM
posted by:
C6Racer
GM can do much better than this! My 2000 GMC Sierra 2WD gets 25 highway mpg. Everything is bone stock except for the high-flow intake and exhaust.
08/14, 4:14 PM
posted by:
stingbutt1
why would GM waste the money to get one mile per gallon better?
08/14, 4:23 PM
posted by:
inline6
Because, with the way these trucks sell, a 1mpg improvement cuts down on fuel consumption overall by more than if Toyota improves the Prius’s mileage from 45 to 60.
650,000 trucks @ 17mpg combined @ 12,000 mi/year driven = 460,000,000 gallons of fuel annually.
650,000 trucks @ 18mpg combined @ 12,000 mi/year driven = 433,500,000 gallons of fuel used annually.
The difference (460mil - 433.5mil): 26.5 million gallons of fuel.
150,000 Priuses @ 45mpg combined @ 12,000 mi/year driven = 40,000,000 gallons of fuel annually
150,000 Priuses @ 60mpg combined @ 12,000 mi/year driven = 30,000,000 gallons of fuel annually
The difference (40mil-30mil): 10 million gallons of fuel.
08/14, 4:46 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
Why are all of you complaining? This will probably just be spread through the normal line up as standard, and the modifications aren’t nearly expensive. When they say lower roll resisting tires, they mean ones without as wide of a tread as standard, but definitely ones you could buy yourself off the shelf, probably not anything special.
08/14, 5:15 PM
posted by:
GalaxyCruiser316
I’m speechless…1 MPG is the best they could do?
08/14, 5:22 PM
posted by:
inline6
Galaxy, 1MPG in the 4 months since gas prices hit $3.50/gallon is MONUMENTAL. Do you see any other manufacturer moving this fast to improve the fuel economy of its vehicles in response to current conditions? I don’t.
Product lead times mean that it takes months…even years…to see changes in vehicles. Or would you rather the manufacturers not spend the time they take testing the vehicles for safety, durability, and reliability?
08/14, 5:59 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
This is why everyone hates american car companies. Because this is the sort of ****ing **** they pull on everyone. We’re not all that stupid you knowm you ****ing asspacker GM execs. One day someone’s going to rape your milf wives and make you pay for fleecing the public, you ****ing dickswallowing homos.
08/14, 6:13 PM
posted by:
inline6
Deanster, did you forget your Zoloft today?
Just HOW is GM fleecing the public with these vehicles? GM isn’t charging a dime more for them AND they get better fuel economy, according to the EPA, not GM.
Toyota could improve the Prius’s mileage to 60mpg and double its sales, and it still wouldn’t have the impact these trucks getting 1mpg better would have on this country’s fuel usage.
So take a double dose, sit down, and shut up until you know what you’re talking about.
08/15, 12:07 AM
posted by:
maxcar
inflate your tires.
08/15, 12:45 AM
posted by:
bigp
it all adds up when one do the math
08/15, 7:16 AM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
easy inline6, you’re cruising for a rape of your mother
08/15, 9:06 AM
posted by:
zoomnbyu
Wow. What a concept. Why not just make all of their trucks like this instead of some special package? 1MPG is OK in the big scheme of things but not exactly something that will beg you check it off on an options list.