"SHARP CORNERS have been rounded off, unnecessary chrome has been eliminated, instruments are easier to read, switches are bigger, and ventilatlo

improved in the 1994 Sonoma pickup truck. There's also sli
- Chevrolet Oldsmobile, 845 Marine Dr., North Vancouver.

THE MOST important
advances in pickup trucks

. these days have little to da
with utility.

: Modern pickup trucks are more.
stylish, comfortable, quieter, and
have better ride and handling char-

acteristics than our image of a
truck,
In a word, they're more car-like,
The re-designed 1994 GMC
Sonoma/Chevy $10 pickup is a
good example.
- lt offers anew standard 2.2-hitre
four-cylinder engine or optional
43-lite V6, regular or extended
{ cabs, and available push-button
§ four-wheel drive.
But the big improvements centre

on styling and passenger comfort.

The Sonoma’s square nose has
been replaced by a sloping hood, a
one-piece wrap-around grille, and
integrated headlight assembly.

The windshield and side win-
dows now sit flush with the body
panels. Even the rear end has been
rounded off.

The slippery new shape reduces
wind noise considerably. Tire noise
has also been reduced,

in addition, the powerful 4.3-
litre V6, which loafs
along at-1,800 rpru in
top gear at 100 km/h,
is ver¥ quict.

The Sonoma is
quicter than most
passenger cars — a
tremendous achieve-
ment when you con-
sider that it is tall and
has an open box to
catch the wind flow.

The Sonoma’s
interior has been
given a car-like treat-
ment, too.

Sharp corners
have been rounded
off, unnecessary chrome has been
eliminated, instruments are casier to
read, switches are bigger, and venti-
lation has been improved. There's’
also slightly more headroom and
legroom than before.

Pushbuttons for shifting from
2WD to 4WD have been moved to
the upper dash area where they are
easier to reach. ‘

Car-like amenities include soft

Wight
yeh

cloth seats (buckets or bench), two
cup holders, tilt-steering wheel, a
selection of stereos, and available
power windows and door locks.

Driver and passenger airbags are
not available yet: however, the
Sonoma is equipped with GM’s
self-aligning steering wheel, which
is designed to bend in a collision.

Improved crash protection is
provided by new side-door guard
beams.

A new standard 2.2-litre, four-

6 The Sonoma is quieter than
most passenger cars - a
tremendous achievement. 99

cylinder engine with 118 horsepow-
cr is now available, but it's almost
too wimpy for serious hauling and
lowing use.

There's a big jump to the 165-
horsepower 4.3-litre V6 —- the
biggest engine in its class.

A 195-horsepower version of
this same engine is available in the
new Scnoma ZR2 4X4, a heavy-
duty model with a 10 centimetre

AF fac

See,

(3.9 in) wider track, plus bigger
tires, wheel flares, skid plates and
gas shocks,

Like other small trucks with big
engines, the Sonoma has a habit of
spinning the rear driving wheels in
wet conditions when too much
throttle is applied.

With an empty box, the rear-end
will break loose when accelerating
out of a corner in wet conditions.

A gentle throttle foot is needed,
and I suspect it won’t be too long
before traction control
will become an option
on pickup trucks.

Sonomas equipped
with a V6 engine are
now available with
four-wheel anti-lock
brakes which operate in
2WD and 4WD.

Other models retain
the rear-wheel-only
ABS system.

Two box-lengths are
available: 1,844 mm (6
ft.) and 2,250 mm (7.3
ft.}. A new box design
allows 2X6s to be
inserted in indentations,
creating two separate loading sur-
faces. Tie-down loops are also
available.

Manufacturer's suggested retail
prices for the Sonoma range from
$11,998 for the 2WD regular cab
pickup to $19,998 for the 4WD
extended cab model. ;

My fully equipped SLS 4WD
extended cab Sonoma came to
$26,093.

Sore Sha tye

Photo submitted

n has been
ightly more headroom and legroom than before. Inquire about the GMC Sonoma pickup eat Dick Irwin

Price as tested: $26,693
Base price: $11,998

‘Type: two-door, five-pas-
senger extended cab pickup
Layout: longitudinal front
engine/rear-wheel drive/RT
4wD

Engine: 4.3-litre OHV V6,
single-port fuel injection
Horsepower: 165 @ 4,000

rpm
Torque: 235 ft-lbs @ 2,400
rpm

Transmission: four-speed
automatic (std. five-speed
manual)

Transfer case: two-speed
shift-on-fly, electronic
GVWR (max.): 2,336 kg
(5,150 Ibs)

Payload (max.): 672 kg
(1,482 ibs)

Tires: P235/75R15 M+S
radials
Wheelbase:
(122.9 in.)
Length: 5,151 mm (202.8
in.)

Width: 1,725 mm (67.9 in.)
Height: !,557 mm (61.3 in.)
Fuel consumption:

City 14.4 L/100 km (21 mpg)
Hwy. 9.8 L/100 km (29 mpg)
Warranty: three years/
60,000 km

3,122) mm