From roof rails to rocker sills, from grille to gate — and everything in between, every GMC has been crafted to be a holistic design that expresses precision. However, according to the automaker, if any one particular element were to best reflect the GMC’s attention to artistic detail and craftsmanship, it would be its exterior lighting, with the C-shape graphic that has complemented the signature professional grade design cues of GMC models-introduced in 2012.
Decades ago, headlamps and tail lamps were usually simple, fixed forms that vehicle shapes had to be designed around. Today, these lamps are an integral part of the initial design process for a vehicle and also play a significant role in shaping the exterior surfacing for GMC SUVs and trucks. To achieve this, GMC’s lighting design team gets involved with projects at a very advanced stage, working in close collaboration with the exterior and interior design studios.
“Automotive lamps used to be an afterthought; yet, that couldn’t be further from the truth today,” said Addam Ebel, GMC lighting studio design lead. “We are always looking at and working with new technologies and innovative ways to further elevate our craft. Whatever we produce further down the road, will be at a level beyond the high standards GMC has already established today.”
The company said a perfect example of this synergy between design teams is reflected through the 2018 Terrain and its bold exterior design, which represents has “the next chapter of GMC’s design language, evolving the brand’s signature cues with stronger elements including dramatic headlamps sculpted around the illuminated C-shaped signature lighting.”
Creating these lamps is an art form — a process of precision that mirrors the level of execution expected throughout a GMC.
Although models like the GMC Terrain and Acadia have helped advance GMC’s lighting designs, advanced lighting technology has been key in shaping the 2019 Sierra as well. New “light blade” signature lighting elements within Sierra Denali’s headlamps help accentuate the pickup truck’s exterior design, providing a distinctive appearance no matter the time of day.
Sajed Sbeih, head of brand, GMC Middle East, said: “We have always put in efforts to further innovate and upgrade our product offerings with unique features that our customers expect in terms of technologies, functionality, safety and most importantly design. With a bold Denali grille and C-shaped LED signature lighting, GMC vehicles have been distinctive for some time and underwent a thorough rethought and reshaping process to complement the future of GMC and the brand’s professional grade.”
The lamps themselves are almost miniaturized multimedia art installations, a mixture of sculpted and machined elements, jeweled lenses, projectors, and advanced technology.
