General Motors unveiled its new GMC Yukon Tuesday and, no surprise, it looks very similar to the Chevrolet Tahoe revealed just a few weeks ago. Yes, the grill and taillights look different. But, if you saw it from the side, it would be nearly impossible to tell it apart from the Tahoe.

The two SUVs will be built on the same assembly line in Texas and will share a large majority of the same engineering. In fact, every GMC model is very similar to a truck or SUV available at a Chevrolet dealer. This raises a question often asked about General Motors' GMC brand. What's the point?

The 2021 GMC Yukon Denali. Over 60% of Yukons sold are the richly appointed Denali version.

Simply put, GM makes more money from its GMC trucks and SUVs than from its Chevrolet counterparts because GMC customers are willing to spend more on their vehicles. Last year, buyers paid an average of about $8,500 more for a GMC Yukon than for a Chevrolet Tahoe, according to data from Cox Automotive. Buyers paid about $7,000 more for GMC Sierra full-size pickups than for Chevrolet Silverados.

Those differences in price come from a number of factors, including slightly higher sticker prices and the number and cost of the options customers choose to add. Basically, GMC buyers tend to dress up their trucks much more often.

GMC is not Mercedes-Benz or BMW. It is not a luxury brand in any traditional sense. For over a century, it has been a nothing-but-trucks brand and that lends GMC a certain aura.

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