Vehicle Overview
A third door is now standard on all extended-cab versions of GMCs compact Sonoma pickup truck, which is the corporate kin to the Chevrolet S-10. All Sonomas for 2002 have air conditioning and a tachometer, and chrome grille trim has been added to the SLS trim package. The SLE trim level has been eliminated. The two-wheel-drive, regular-cab, long-bed truck has also been dropped, so all regular- and extended-cab Sonomas now have a 6-foot bed.
Sonomas sold in selected northern states now include a Cold Climate option group. New options include a bed extender for all models and a hard, lockable tonneau cover for Crew Cabs, which can also be fitted with Graphite leather-trimmed interior.
GMC added the Crew Cab body style for 2001 to match Chevrolets comparable S-10. Crew Cab models, which have four conventional doors that open to the front, have four-wheel drive and a 4.3-liter V-6 engine, but other Sonomas may be equipped with a four-cylinder engine. Sonomas come with either rear-drive or 4WD, and a manual shift or a four-speed-automatic transmission.
Archrival Fords compact Ranger, in extended-cab form, comes only with two narrow back doors that open toward the rear. Four-door Crew Cab body styles are available on the Dodge Dakota, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma.
Exterior
Sonomas come in three sizes. The regular-cab model is 190.6 inches long on a 108.3-inch wheelbase, while extended-cab pickups ride a 122.9-inch wheelbase and measure 205.3 inches long overall. Crew Cab models have the same overall length as the extended-cab versions, but because more space is devoted to the rear doors, the Crew Cabs cargo bed shrinks to 4.5 feet from the usual 6-foot length. Extended-cab trucks can be equipped with an optional third door, and 4WD extended cabs can have the ZR2 High Rider Package, which includes a ZR2 decal.
Payloads range from 1,111 pounds for the Crew Cab, which comes only with V-6 power and 4WD, to 1,389 pounds for a 4WD extended-cab model. Sonomas can haul trailers that weigh as much as 6,000 pounds, depending on the model.
Interior
Regular-cab and extended-cab models may have either a front bench seat that holds three people or a pair of bucket seats. Two folding rear jump seats are standard in extended-cab models, but the one on the drivers side is eliminated if an optional third door is installed. Sonoma Crew Cab pickups are equipped with the front buckets and a three-place rear bench. A stereo radio with speed-sensitive volume and an in-dash six-CD changer is optional in all models.
Under the Hood
A 120-horsepower, 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine is standard on 2WD models. A 4.3-liter V-6 power plant is standard on 4WD trucks and optional on 2WD versions. The V-6 engine produces 180 hp in the 2WD installation and 190 hp with 4WD.
A five-speed-manual transmission is standard, and a four-speed automatic is optional. However, the Crew Cab model comes with the automatic only. All 4×4 pickups use General Motors Insta-Trac system, which is engaged using a switch on the dashboard; an electronic transfer case permits shifting in or out of 4WD High on the move. Four-wheel antilock brakes are standard.
