The Drive Editor Determines CrabWalk to be more than a Gimmick

If you have watched any amount of professional football on television this fall, chances are you have seen GMC’s “CrabWalk” commercial. Unsurprisingly, it centers on the CrabWalk feature of GMC’s three EVs, the two Hummer models and the Sierra EV. The three vehicles use the feature in a choreographed manner on a flat, unmarred snow-covered surface. You watch the vehicles elegantly side-step their way through the snow in unison, with frequent images showing the unique crisscross tire tracks that only CrabWalk can produce. It is an impressive way of turning a mechanical feature into a thing of beauty.  

But is CrabWalk more than just photogenic? One editor from The Drive who tried the feature seems to think so, and Ewing GMC-Buick tells you his story. 

When automotive journalists are gathered to try some big new vehicle feature, it is often preceded by a seminar on what the feature does, what it is for, and what its limits are. However, in this case, GMC simply set up an obstacle course with cones on a dirt surface, gave the journalists the keys, and told them to have at it—after first “pushing the button,” of course.  

The Drive editor Nico Demattia describes how he started out: “The first gate was only a few feet in front of the starting line, and off to the left, so I had to begin my first slide pretty quickly, without any idea of how much it would slide as I turned the wheel. With the windows down, I instinctively said, “Oh, I don’t like this!” I’m positive the GMC people heard me.” 

He described using the feature as initially feeling odd because it feels like the vehicle is in a four-wheel drift, albeit a slow one since CrabWalk only works below 25 mph. After a few gates, he began to get the feel of it and enjoyed it: “…flicking it through gates with one hand, using the cameras to make sure I didn’t clip a cone with the tailgate. It’s surprising how quickly your brain can adjust to such a foreign sensation. But afterward, I wanted more: a longer course, higher speeds, and trickier gates.” 

Still, there is the question of its practical use. While on pavement, the most obvious scenario is for parallel parking, where any help would be of value in vehicles as large as any of the three GMC EVs. GMC then offered the example of driving a rough off-road trail and accidentally veering into a ditch on the side. Normally, you depend almost entirely on two tire sidewalls for grip to rotate yourself out as the wheels push you forward. However, with CrabWalk, you’re doubling that level of grip while only moving sideways (instead of moving forward and trying to rotate sideways). Lastly, CrabWalk can also facilitate backing up to a trailer. 

Demattia concluded this way: “It’s going to be one of those features that isn’t necessary all that often but when it does come in handy, customers are going to be glad they have it. It’s also just fun.” 

Clearly CrabWalk is a feature that needs to be experienced to be appreciated, and we invite you to do just that at Ewing GMC-Buick.