GMC Envoy XUV (2003–05)
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On paper, the plan was ingenious: Build a retractable roof and a
movable, watertight partition into the back half of an SUV. One minute,
you have lockable, covered cargo space; the next, you’re hauling
Christmas trees and grandfather clocks and hosing out the back half of
the car. Makes sense, right?
Still, the General missed the boat on this one. The pickup-slash-SUV concept was sound—witness the success of the Chevrolet Avalanche—but
for the Envoy XUV, the devil lay in the details. Strike one: The XUV
was made by slicing and dicing an extended-wheelbase GMC Envoy, which is
basically just a Chevrolet TrailBlazer,
a.k.a. “The Mid-Size SUV That Time Forgot.” (Heavy, bumbling chassis?
Check. Fisher-Price interior and the fuel mileage of a 747? Check.)
Strike two: Whereas the Envoy was merely unattractive, the XUV was
hideous. Strike three: Impracticality. Even with folding seats, an open
roof, and a lay-down tailgate, the XUV couldn’t haul much more than an
ordinary Envoy could. Thankfully, it was more expensive.
Oh, wait. That’s not good.
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