Competes with: Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, Ford Super Duty, Ram 2500/3500
Looks like: A lightly restyled version of the outgoing Sierra 2500/3500
Drivetrains: 401-horsepower, 6.6-liter V-8 or optional 470-hp, turbo-diesel 6.6-liter V-8; standard 10-speed Allison transmission; optional four-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: Early 2023
It seems to be the season for updating the big heavy-duty pickup trucks because hot on the heels of a revamped 2023 Ford Super Duty and the debut of the 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel, we now have news for the GMC Sierra 2500/3500 pickups. The brand has unveiled its refreshed 2024 models, which feature some mild styling updates, new interiors, upgraded engine power, a host of new trailering features and two new trims designed to boost the truck’s appeal (and sticker price): the Denali Ultimate and AT4X.
Related: 2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD: New Face, New Interior, More Diesel Power, ZR2 on the Way
Big Truck Looks
Big truck owners like big truck looks, and the new Sierra HD won’t disappoint. Present for the new model year are revised front ends with new headlights, grilles, bumpers and trim, and trim levels are the Pro, SLE, SLT, AT4, AT4X, Denali and Denali Ultimate.
As is becoming a common feature on a lot of new GM vehicles, new lighting animation happens when approaching or starting the truck or using the turn signals. There are some new wheel designs for SLE, AT4, and Denali, plus larger 18-inch polished-aluminum wheels available on dual-rear-wheel 3500 models — and if you like, you can even specify new 22-inch accessory wheels for extra bling. The Sierra HD also has six new exterior color choices (for extra money, of course): Titanium Rush Metallic, Sterling Metallic, Volcanic Red Tintcoat, Redwood Metallic, Meteorite Metallic and Downpour Metallic. Finally, rear wheelhouse liners will be standard equipment on the Denali and Denali Ultimate dually models.
More Power Never Hurts
Powering the 2024 Sierra HD will be a standard 6.6-liter V-8 engine making 401 horsepower and 464 pounds-feet of torque. This engine carries over mostly unchanged from the 2023 model year, but it’s now mated to a standard 10-speed Allison heavy-duty transmission; the old base six-speed auto is gone. This gives the truck four more forward gears to play with, with smaller steps between the gears that allow for more finely tuned control over engine output and speed. The optional Duramax 6.6-liter turbo-diesel V-8 now makes 470 hp and 975 pounds-feet of torque, an improvement over the outgoing Duramax engine’s 445 hp and 910 pounds-feet of torque. The engine has also been retuned for 25% more low-end torque for improved towing performance, according to the company.
That towing performance is also set to increase, with GMC now saying the Sierra 2500 2WD crew-cab long bed will be able to tow up to 21,900 pounds via the gooseneck hitch, and the 2500 has a maximum tow rating of 22,500 pounds — an increase of 4,000 pounds over the current 2500 — when configured specifically for the purpose. Want to get the most towing capacity you possibly can? The new Sierra 3500 2WD regular-cab long-bed dually with a gooseneck hitch can lug 36,000 pounds.
But it’s not just towing ability that’s been boosted. GMC says it’s added a bunch of new technology to the Sierra HD to boost ease and confidence in towing situations. It all centers on GMC’s ProGrade Trailering System, which the company says offers all manner of enhancements from 14 different possible camera views to what it says is an industry-exclusive Transparent Trailer View for gooseneck and fifth-wheel trailers. Put a camera on the back of the trailer, tie it into the ProGrade system and the techno wizardry stitches images together to make the trailer disappear in the truck’s display monitor, allowing you to see behind the trailer while driving.
Among the 14 possible camera views (which naturally require some accessory cameras to be installed on the trailer) are hitch guidance with hitch view that helps you align the hitch ball with the receiver; bed view with zoom and bed hitch guidance to assist with hooking up a gooseneck or fifth wheel; and rear side view with trailer length indicator, which adds a special length indicator in the side camera’s view showing just where the trailer is in relation to surrounding obstacles. It’s an impressive system that does some things the newest Ford Super Duty can’t do, but it falls a bit short in other things the Ford can do.
There’s also a new trailer side blind zone alert that extends the warning zones around the trailer, and a new alert warns the driver if the vehicle and trailer weight exceed the Sierra HD’s gross combined weight rating. The latest update to the truck’s adaptive cruise control now allows operation while trailering, as well, taking into account the trailer’s weight and drag when in motion.
Even More Luxe Than Before
GMC took the opportunity to spiff up its top truck to extraordinary new levels, with new interiors for all trims and upgraded materials quality in the top Denali and AT4. A new 13.4-inch landscape-oriented touchscreen is available on the center console, which GMC says is the biggest in its class; it augments the optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The big screen can be customized to a user’s preference, and on all trims but the base Pro grade, it will run the new Google Built-In software that has proven somewhat problematic on other examples we’ve tried. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.
For the 2023 model year, there’s a Denali Ultimate Package you can add onto the Denali trim level — but for the 2024 model, there’s a specific Denali Ultimate trim level that sits atop the Sierra HD range. It comes with some unique exterior details like a grille and badging in dark “Vader” chrome, 20-inch machined-aluminum wheels with black accents, fender badging that mimics the map topography of Mount Denali, power-assist side steps and a six-way MultiPro Tailgate with integrated Kicker audio system.
Inside, the Denali Ultimate gets the luxo-truck treatment starting with a unique Alpine Umber color scheme, full-grain leather appointments and real paldao wood trim. The door panels, front and rear seats, center console lid, and front- and rear-seat grab handles are leather-wrapped. The 16-way adjustable front seats feature massage, and the headliner’s faux-suede material extends down the A- and B-pillar trim, as well as the visors. The Denali Ultimate will also feature a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, a rear camera mirror, a 15-inch multicolor head-up display and a standard power moonroof.
If you want a lot of this equipment but are more of an off-road-oriented customer, much of it will be available on the new AT4X premium off-road trim that will be a step up from the AT4 variant (with late availability).
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- Is the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country a Good Truck? 4 Pros and 4 Cons
Pricing and Availability
We won’t have any pricing on the new 2024 GMC Sierra HD until closer to the truck’s on-sale date, which GMC is saying will be early in 2023. The AT4X trim level won’t be arriving at launch either; it’s coming later in 2023, according to the company. With a newly updated 2023 Ford Super Duty launching soon, however, it looks like the coming year is going to be a busy one for evaluating updated big trucks.
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