The year of comebacks. That is how some experts call the 2022 season. There are plenty of rumors and speculations reporting that US companies are going to bring back their old nameplates. General Motors already made the first move – GMC Hummer and Chevy Trailblazer are confirmed. Ford and FCA are also playing the game. But, which comebacks we can see in the truck segment. Chevy el Camino is probably the hottest model because of the Breaking bad movie that reminded fans of an old nameplate. But, it seems like the 2022 GMC Syclone is a favorite to debut sooner than any other unit.
The Syclone used to be a high-performance trim of the Sonoma pickup. But, it lasted only for a year and a half (1991-1992 seasons). Nevertheless, the truck left a trace in history. Now, when speaking of performance pickups, the 2022 GMC Syclone is one of the models that could be added to the mid-size class.
The situation is warming up in the half-ton segment. Ford Raptor is not the only performance model. Ram 1500 TRX is now delivering 702 horsepower. General Motors should join the battle with the ZRX version of Chevy Silverado. But, the truckmaker will carry over the game to the mid-size class with the new GMC Syclone.
2022 GMC Syclone: Expectations
The Syclone used to be a hot truck with performance-oriented upgrades. The new model should continue the tradition. Three decades ago, the pickup was available with a large V6 displacement and 280 hp. It was enough to make the truck run up to 165 mph. Aftermarket upgrades made it even more powerful (455 hp). But, it wasn’t an official model.
Now, the 2022 GMC Syclone is ready to revive the interest in such models. The performance truck will probably use some of the turbocharged engines with outputs between 350-400 horsepower. Engineers will work on speed and the new edition will at least match the outputs of the previous version. But, it will be hard to match 0-60 mph time, which used to be 4.3 seconds. For example, Toyota Tacoma needs more than 6.5 seconds, while Chevy Colorado stops the clock after 7 seconds. The 1/4-mile run was 13.4 seconds.
Verdict
After the COVID-19 outburst in 2020, many models were postponed for the 2022 premiere. The schedule is tight, GM has a lot of work, and we are not sure there is room for a new experiment. Nevertheless, the 2022 GMC Syclone might be presented as the all-new concept without a production schedule for now. That has sense with the questionable market for such a truck. The company sold 3,000 units during the previous stint when pickups had no competition by SUVs. On the other hand, there are truckers that would pay extra to see such a model. The market is limited for performance models, like it is for luxury pickups. That is why Ford and General Motors are not trying anything in these segments. But, the arrival of one vehicle would cause all other truckmakers to react with their models.