GMC’s New Jimmy Could Revive Its Square Body Look To Fight The Bronco

GMC has spent years circling a proper Wrangler and Bronco fighter without ever building one. That could change, and the early word is that the truck will lean on the old Jimmy nameplate with a retro design to match.

General Motors reportedly kicked off work on a new GMC Jimmy alongside the third-generation Canyon, which arrived in 2023. Then it shelved the thing. The plan at the time was to pour resources into EVs instead, a bet that has since cost the company billions.

Read: GMC’s Jimmy SUV Could Return With A V8 The 4Runner And Bronco Don’t Have

Unnamed sources talking to GM Authority say the program is alive again, this time drawing its look from the second-generation “Square Body” Jimmy built between 1973 and 1991. That truck is better known as the K2 Blazer, the version Chevrolet also sold. Ford has already proven that the formula works. The current Bronco showed that a rugged off-roader wrapped in retro styling is exactly how you take on the Jeep Wrangler, and GM will be hoping the Jimmy can pull off the same trick.

Body-On-Frame With A V8

Photos Mecum Auctions

It’s understood that GM could build the new GMC Jimmy in the United States, likely sharing the same architecture with the GMC Canyon. If this happens, it should be able to avoid the criticism that Chevy copped when it reintroduced the Blazer nameplate for a unibody mid-size crossover, just like the dozens of others sold in the US.

As we reported in April, it’s possible the new Jimmy could hit the market with a V8 engine. This would be quite a departure, given that competitors, including the Ford Bronco and Toyota 4Runner, don’t offer eight cylinders, and neither does the closely related Canyon.

It’s unclear where this engine could be sourced, but the most likely option would be GM’s new generation of small-block V8, recently introduced as a 6.7-liter mill for the Corvette, which delivers 535 hp and 520 lb-ft in base configuration.