in the winter. Variants Envoy XL From 2002 to 2006, GMC offered the extended-wheelbase Envoy XL SUV. Sixteen inches longer in wheelbase and length than the standard-length Envoy, the longer body of the XL was designed for third-row seating. To improve access and rear-seat room, the roofline over the third-row seat was raised (shrouded slightly with a standard roof rack). Extended to a 129-inch wheelbase, the Envoy XL was only one inch shorter than the full-size Yukon XL (Chevrolet Suburban) in wheelbase, conceding to its full-size counterparts in width. The Envoy XL (also produced as a Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT and Isuzu Ascender) served as the basis of the GMC Envoy XUV (see below). Following the closure of the Oklahoma City Assembly facility, the Envoy XL was dropped from the model line, with its 7-passenger midsize role largely replaced by the GMC Acadia CUV wagon (which also replaced the GMC Safari). Envoy XUV For 2004 and 2005, GMC offered the five-passenger Envoy XUV retractable-roof vehicle, unique to the division. Similar in concept to the GMC Terracross concept vehicle, the Envoy XUV modernized the retractable roof concept of the 1960s Studebaker Wagonaire, combining it with a "midgate" (similar to the Chevrolet Avalanche); GMC marketed the design as the combination of a SUV and a pickup truck. The midgate (with a retractable rear window) allowed users to partition the plastic-lined cargo area into a waterproof space that could be hosed out for cleaning (with a drainage system). Users had the ability to configure the interior to transport large cargo; along with a retractable rear window of its own (to access the cargo area), the midgate folded down to enlarge cargo capacity. To accommodate tall items, the XUV included a retractable roof panel. In line with a large station wagon, the rear tailgate was two-way with retractable rear glass (side-hinged or bottom-hinged). Selling far under sales projections, GM ended sales of the XUV before the end of the 2005 model year. Discontinuation The Envoy (along with the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Buick Rainier, Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7X) were discontinued by GM during the 2009 model year. On December 23, 2008, Moraine Assembly ended production, with a white GMC Envoy as its final vehicle. The closing of the last factory that manufactured the trucks was the subject of an emotional 2009 HBO documentary: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant. While Chevrolet revived the TrailBlazer