General Motors has announced plans to put eight-speed transmissions in the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali, starting production in the last quarter of this year.

Equipped with 6.2-liter, 8-cylinder engines, 2015 pickup trucks and SUVs newly built with eight-speed transmissions mark an "important upgrade" for the automaker, the Detroit Free Press reported.

GM's plan for eight-speed transmissions in the models is especially vital since Ford will launch the new 2015 F-150 later this year. The carmaker will be adding the eight-speed offerings a year after launching a new generation of full-size pickup trucks.

On the other hand, the new Ford F-150 will still feature a six-speed transmission, according to spokesman Paul Seredynski.

Ford and GM worked on a program together to develop their six-speed transmissions, and GM built on the research to launch the eight-speed.

What consumers will be looking for is which vehicle has the best fuel economy.

"The key question is whether the new transmissions will give the vehicles a fuel economy boost. That's critical because some industry experts believe Ford's aluminum F-150 may reach 30 miles-per-gallon in highway driving. Ford has not released any figures yet," said the Free Press.

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