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Wasn’t all that long ago, a couple dozen years or less, that General Motors was being lobbied by the media to combine Chevrolet and GMC trucks.

After all, argued those who favored the consolidation, a Chevy dealer was on every corner but you couldn’t find a GMC dealership without a road map, a guide–or both.

Then some chap at GM got the idea that GMC would focus a little more on luxury, Chevy a little more on “like a rock” ruggedness, and slowly GMC began making a name for itself. It helped that GMC adopted a new image about the same time trucks and sport-utility vehicles became popular.

People can find the dealerships now and when they do, they know to ask for Sonoma, Envoy and Yukon.

And ask they have. In the first seven months of this year, GMC sold 481,756 vehicles, up nearly 14 percent from a year earlier.

But while a bit more independent, GMC still is a Chevy cousin. Chevy has the S-10 pickup, GMC the Sonoma; Chevy the TrailBlazer sport-ute, GMC the Envoy; and Chevy the full-size Suburban SUV, GMC the Yukon.

For ’04, however, GMC will have the Envoy XUV–and Chevy won’t.

Instead, for ’04 Chevy adds a larger replacement for the subcompact Tracker sport-ute called Equinox, a two-wheel-/four-wheel-drive offering built off the same platform as the Saturn VUE SUV. GMC won’t get a version.

GMC dropped the compact Jimmy two- and four-door to make room for the midsize Envoy. Chevy still offers the two- and four-door compact Blazer but planned to drop the two-door for ’03 and the four-door for ’04. Based on the strength of the SUV market, Chevy will keep both models through ’03 and is considering offering one or both through at least ’04 as well even after Equinox arrives.

Though it doesn’t get an Equinox derivative and has no compact SUVs, GMC gets a gem with the XUV (Cars, July 7), an Envoy XL that converts from a midsize sport-ute into a midsize sport-ute/pickup. XUV comes with a power roof that opens above the usually enclosed cargo hold to create a tall cargo bed. It arrives late next summer as an ’04.

Yes, Studebaker offered a wagon with a roof that opened 40 years ago, but it was a manual roof. Besides, if memory serves, Studebaker is out of business and GMC isn’t. Better late than never.

But, XUV comes out for ’04 and this is ’02, so it’s time to focus on the ’02 Envoy XL now in showrooms, an elongated, seven-passenger version of the midsize, five-passenger Envoy that replaced the compact Jimmy.

It’s GMC’s version of the Chevy TrailBlazer EXT, the stretched TrailBlazer. The XL is built on a 129-inch wheelbase and is 207.8 inches long, versus a 113-inch wheelbase and 191.8-inch length on the regular Envoy.

The XL is not only 16 inches longer but also 3 inches taller than Envoy to accommodate a third seat. The auto industry is hell-bent on adding third seats in every sport-ute. Just like 22 cupholders, you’ll seldom see the third seat used, but automakers would rather leave off a fourth wheel than leave out a third seat.

The XUV is derived from the XL, minus the third seat to make room for more cargo in the open-top hauler.

The XL isn’t just a niche vehicle. Craig Bierley, Envoy marketing director, says he expects XL to account for 40 percent of Envoy sales.

The bigger Envoy XL is close in size to the equally big GMC Yukon, but both will coexist, Bierley insists.

For starters, Yukon is 4 inches wider for an even more spacious cabin. And with a 6-liter, 320-horsepower V-8, Yukon will tow 7,700 pounds in two-wheel-drive and 8,100 pounds in four-wheel-drive. An Envoy XL with its 4.2-liter, 270-h.p. 6-cylinder will tow 5,900 pounds in 2WD, 7,000 pounds in 4WD.

For ’03, a 5.3-liter V-8 that produces 280 h.p. and 320 foot-pounds of torque for increased towing will be an option in the XL.

The XL’s third seat has been executed very well in terms of providing access to and from it d, more important, room once you are in it.

Kids typically will be the occupants but thanks to a deep floor foot well and a roof bulge over the seat (the reason it’s 3 inches taller), there’s ample leg and head room for adults. The XL, just like the TrailBlazer EXT (Transportation, May 26), hides the bulge with a roof rack.

To get in the third seat, pull the handle and the second-row seat back folds flat against the seat bottom cushion. Pull again and the package flips over against the back of the front seat to expose a wide aisle for entry or exit.

But potential occupants who fall short of 6 feet in height, probably could use optional ($375) running boards for arrival and departure.

Second- and third-row seats fold flat for more cargo, though you must fold from inside the cabin. It would be nice if the third row could be folded from in back when loading the cargo hold.

With seats up, cargo space behind the third seat is snug. You can load a set of golf clubs, but suitcases better be slim. To hold more, a hard shelf that can be moved up and down snaps into the sidewalls behind the third seat and comes with adjustable anchors to hang plastic grocery bags.

The 4.2-liter 6-cylinder has ample pep but is rated at 15 m.p.g. city/20 m.p.g. highway. It comes with a 25-gallon tank, seven appreciated gallons more than in the regular-length version.

The longer wheelbase provides a smooth and pleasant ride–except for those in the third seat directly over the rear axle. Perhaps the real reason for the roof bulge?

The TrailBlazer tested came with optional ($140) on/off-road 17-inch radials best suited to off-the-beaten-path adventure. The Envoy XL came with standard all-season 17-inch on-road radials that are much more pleasant for daily trips on pavement. Unless you do a lot of off-roading, stick with the standard tires.

The XL is offered in 2WD or 4WD. Our vehicle came with the easy dial-up Auto Trac 4WD and a base price of $35,995, which comes close–too close–to the base of about $37,100 in a Yukon.

Standard equipment includes four-wheel anti-lock brakes, dual front/side-impact air bags, dual-zone climate control upfront with air conditioning in back, AM/FM stereo with CD player, eight-way power driver/passenger seats, power locks/windows/mirrors, fog/cornering lamps, rear wiper/washer/defogger, remote keyless entry and OnStar emergency communications system with next-generation hands-free calling.

The XL also came with the optional $2,590 SLT package with rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats, theft alarm, upgrade to a six-disc CD changer, a DVD entertainment system that should keep children at peace on short or long trips and Travelnote digital recorder to tape notes and reminders while driving.

For $800, you can add a sunroof–upfront, not in back. That’s reserved for the XUV.