Chevrolet Kodiak

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Chevrolet
Chevrolet C4500 4X4
Chevrolet C4500 4X4
Kodiak
Manufacturer: General Motors
Production period: 1980-2009
Previous model: -
Successor: none
Technical specifications
Engines:

The Chevrolet Kodiak - also offered as the GMC Topkick and Isuzu H-Series - is a range of medium-sized trucks from General Motors . It mostly serves as the basis for work trucks, trucks, garbage trucks and similar vehicles that require engines with high torque, large payloads and high tractive power. There are wheelwright businesses that convert these wagons into flatbed trucks and other delivery vehicles for the user. The Kodiak's main competitors were the Ford Super Duty and the International CXT .

Kodiak and Topkick were introduced in 1980 as stronger versions of the C-series pickups that were already available at the time . "Kodiak" follows the series of "Frontier Beast" names that other Chevrolets got, for example Bison or Bruin . "Top Kick" comes from the military sector and belongs to the group of similar GMC names such as General and Brigadier. The cars of the first generation can be recognized by their radiator grille the width of the vehicle and their rectangular headlights, which are placed side by side in chrome frames below the designation “GMC” or the Chevrolets cross above the grill; normal C50 - C80 manufactured from 1973 to 1989 have round headlights and the emblem sits on the radiator grille.

With the second generation in 1990, all GM hooded trucks were named Kodiak or Topkick until their production was discontinued in 1995; these cars had the "GMT400" cab until 2003, always with the "rectangular" dashboard of the light trucks from 1995. They are still made in Mexico .

In 2004, the models for the US market were given a new platform with a larger cab that resembled that of the large GM truck models.

A special Kodiak C4500 was introduced at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show . It aims directly at the International RXT , which was also presented there and has a DVD-based navigation system and a high-performance audio system. Prices start at $ 70,000. Both have a number of things in common, for example the content of their premium packages, even if the C4500 is more powerful than the RXT (221 kW versus 169 kW) and the RXT with its 4x2 drive has a higher tractive power (7300 kg).

On December 20, 2007, it was announced that GM was discontinuing its mid-range truck range and selling the business to Navistar International . On August 20, 2008, GM and Navistar announced that their sales agreement would not be maintained.

The armored sedan “ Cadillac One ” was developed for US President Barack Obama and is supposed to be built on the chassis of a Kodiak / Topkick. However, other sources suggest a smaller chassis.

Ultimate

A conversion of the normal GMC Topkick, a flatbed truck with a double cabin - called Ultimate Class IV Topkick Pickup - was developed by GM and Monroe Truck Equipment (MTE). This special vehicle has a 2.4 m long steel platform of the version with double tires, including a steel tailgate, GRP side panels and an interior lining from Rhino Linings .

Movies

Topkick conversion of "Autobot Ironhide" exhibited at the 2007 Detroit River Walk Festival

A converted GMC Topkick C4500 - as shown on the official film website and the HD DVD dual-disc special edition - appears in the film Transformers as the vehicle version of the Autobot Ironhide . MTE has announced that it wants to build a version of this pickup for sale.

Web links

Commons : Chevrolet Kodiak  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Commons : GMC Topkick  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Media pages from Navistar: GM and Navistar Reach Tentative Agreement on Medium Duty Truck Business (English) ( Memento of the original from December 26, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / media.navistar.com
  2. Media pages of Navistar: GM And Navistar Allow Medium Duty Truck MOU To Expire (English) ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / media.navistar.com
  3. GM media pages: GM Statement Regarding Medium Duty Truck Business (English) ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / media.gm.com
  4. Boston.com: Cadillac testing new Obama limo (English)
  5. Edmunds.com: GM Tuner Rolls Out Production Version of Ironhide From Transformers Movie (English) ( Memento of the original from July 17, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.edmunds.com