GM delays truck overhaul

General Motors Corp. has indefinitely put off plans to re-engineer a next generation of full-size pickups and SUVs amid plummeting sales of large trucks, the automaker said Wednesday.

Instead of overhauling big trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado pickup and GMC Yukon SUV in a few years, GM will save money and resources by improving on the current models launched in 2007. Delaying a remodel of the trucks also gives GM time to factor in the effects of new federal fuel economy mandates.

GM could save $250 million to $300 million by putting off that makeover for just one year, said analyst Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics LLP in Birmingham.

The next generation of full-size trucks was scheduled to go into production in 2013, according to GM's labor contract with the United Auto Workers.

"We're going to focus on improving the current trucks until we see where the market goes," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said.