gm_logo_21.jpgGeneral Motors wowed crowds at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show with the exotic styling of its GMC Denali XT unibody pickup truck concept. More than a year and a half later, GM has confirmed it has cancelled plans for a production unibody pickup.

It was never clear if the Denali XT was actually intended for production, but GM was definitely considering producing a truck in the same vein as the concept. But after carefully studying the subject, the automaker has decided against building a rival to the Honda Ridgeline, reports trade journal Automotive News.

Tom Stephens, vice chairman of GM’s global product development said a unibody architecture was being considered as a way of reducing fuel consumption by virtue of lower weight. However, Stephens says it turned out there “wasn’t that much additional fuel economy to be gained.”
Another motivation was reduced manufacturing cost. Again, the improvement was marginal at best. Such an architecture wouldn’t lead to a meaningful reduction in price, he said.