When I hear GMC’s tagline Professional Grade, the first thing that comes to my mind is the ubiquitous Bunn coffeemaker – the kind that you see in restaurants and bars.  Solid, metallic and built to last, these machines and others like them have a cachet all their own.  The sort of cachet that makes you think, “Well, if it’s good enough for professional needs, it’s good enough for me.”  Other brands are forging ahead on a similar path, such as Maytag.  Their Performance Series of appliances are sold under the banner Commercial Technology, drawing attention to the heavy duty springs and belts “under the hood”.  So with this context in mind, what will GMC’s Professional Grade aesthetic look like going forward?

Hopefully, the answer to this question is found in the GMC Granite. Styled in GM’s California studio and fabricated in Michigan, this ‘urban utility vehicle’ won the coveted Eyes On Design award for concept vehicles.  As an instructor at the College for Creative Studies, I constantly preach to my students that car design is all about two key ingredients: proportions and detailing.  The Granite is a great example of a theme that gets these two ingredients right – inside and out.

SUVs are generally not known for their distinctive profiles, so it’s refreshing to see a concept SUV with such a striking side view.  On sight, the Granite looks solid like a bank vault.  This is due in large part to its dramatic glass-to-bodyside ratio.  The generous door surface gives way to a sharp, beveled detail that goes from thin to thick to thin.  By themselves, these rough-hewn graphics might seem too primitive, but the designers took care to incorporate subtle blisters leading into the wheel wells. These shapes soften the profile and give it a touch of sculptural finesse.  The six-spoke wheels with their complex facets are the icing on the cake.

Moving to exterior detailing, the Granite builds on the successful execution of Acadia. The half-drop speaker grille pattern is a cue that can be found across the GMC product line.  Here, it takes on a more secondary role – promoting the brightwork and high-tech jewelry to the first read.  An important thing to note here is the scaling of these details.  The contrast of the thin speaker grille next to the thick metal bezels has a commercial or specialized feel to it – like the fine knurling on a bulky lab microscope.  Equally important is the fact that these multi-layered compositions don’t upstage the main theme, but provide a sort of counterbalance against the simplicity of the exterior forms.  The octagonal grille shape mates well with the faceted hood.

The combination of clean surfaces and dense detailing also defines the interior space.  Consider the door panel:  An array of materials and shapes that might remind you of expensive industrial equipment – and I stress the word expensive. If GM intends to evolve GMC into a truly premium brand, this would be clever way to go about it.  Tough and high-end at the same time is a rare automotive combination – an approach that would help GMC stand out from both the competition and its corporate siblings.

An analysis of the GMC Granite would not be complete without mention of the GMC stand itself.  Of all the GM displays at the show, this one leaves the most indelible impression: Rough, chiseled rock face combined with exact, mechanized lighting; large slabs of dark wood with bright red accents.  All of this paints a very encouraging picture.  And if the Granite is any indication, the GMC brand is heading in the right direction – thanks to the continued evolution of the Professional Grade aesthetic.