General engines is reportedly planning to take on the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler with a rugged, body-on-frame off-road SUV – and unlike the Ford, it could offer a V8 engine.
GM Authority Report development resumed on a GMC Jimmy revival, after the project was canceled in November 2018.
The canceled Jimmy was reportedly developed alongside the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon utes, with which it would share its platform, and was intended for V8 power.
However, GM has reportedly halted development to focus on investments in electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous vehicles (AVs), and in light of increasingly stringent emissions regulations.
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However, the US car market has changed rapidly since President Donald Trump returned to power in 2025. Weakened emissions regulations and the end of federal EV incentives have led to the retirement of a slew of battery-powered models.
In the last twelve months alone, the list includes vehicles like the Acura ZDX, BMW iX and Nissan Ariya, while the Ford F-150 Lightning is being replaced by an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and several models like the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and Jeep Wagoneer S are on a model year break.
Now, with less stringent emissions regulations, many automakers have emphasized electric cars and other vehicles have been prioritized.
At GM alone – which has endured tumult in its AV development and which has some slow sellers among its EVs – the Chevrolet Camaro is now on the verge of being replaced, reportedly sharing its platform with a new Buick sedan and the next-generation Cadillac CT5.
Sources have said so GM Authority that not only is the Jimmy project back on track, but it will also offer a V8 gasoline engine from the new Gen 6 Small Block V8 engine family. A version of the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder TurboMax gasoline engine used in Colorado, Canyon and GM full-size pickups is also likely.
The Jimmy will compete against the Bronco, Wrangler and the best-selling Toyota 4Runner, with Nissan reintroducing its rugged Xterra and the Pathfinder set to move to its body-on-frame platform. Of these, only the Wrangler is available with V8 power.
It gives the GMC brand something it hasn’t had since 2009: a ladder-frame “midsize” (large) SUV that slots under the full-size (larger) Yukon.
The latest Acadia large crossover SUV has also grown in size, giving the Jimmy more breathing room. Its introduction would give GMC a pair of crossover SUVs (Terrain, Acadia) and a trio of body-on-frame SUVs (Jimmy, Yukon, Yukon XL).
The Jimmy nameplate debuted in 1969 as a rebadged version of the Chevrolet K5 Blazer, a rugged two-door off-roader that took on the Bronco and was available with a soft top or a removable hardtop.
Use of the nameplate continued with the second generation K5 Blazer, while the smaller Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, launched in 1983, was also renamed the GMC S-15 Jimmy. The S-15 prefix was dropped in the 1990s with the second generation of this model, and the full-size Jimmy was renamed Yukon in 1992.
The full-size three-door Yukon and its Chevrolet Tahoe twin were discontinued before the end of the decade, not long after the Bronco’s demise, and the smaller Ford Explorer-rival Jimmy was replaced by the larger Envoy in 2001.
After 2010, both Ford and GM went without a ladder-frame SUV in this segment in the US, although Ford would eventually revive the Bronco nameplate with a Ranger-based off-roader in 2021.
While the Blazer nameplate was revived in 2019, GM drew the ire of off-road enthusiasts by applying it to a crossover SUV. The Blazer electric crossover SUV followed in 2023. These models are expected to stick around, and it’s unclear whether Chevrolet will offer a version of the revived Jimmy.
MORE: Explore the GMC showroom
