The current generation of GMC's heavy-duty truck lineup, the Sierra 2500 HD, enters its fourth model year with a handful of minor updates.
Functional changes include a backup camera that's now standard in all trucks with a cargo bed, a tire pressure monitoring system with a new tire fill alert and a seven-inch MyLink infotainment screen for the base trim level. Appearance-wise, the top-line Denali trim gets a new grille, and two new colours have been added to the paint pallette.
As before, the Sierra 2500 can be ordered in regular, double and crew cab body styles; an eight-foot box is the only choice for regular-car models, but the four-door cabs can be had with six-foot-six or eight-foot boxes.
Those choices apply to the base, SLE and SLT trims, while the Denali comes as a crew cab only.
A wide variety is a necessity if a truck is to gain -- or, in GM's case, maintain -- traction in the insanely competitive market for full-size pickups. That variety also extends to powertrains, the Sierra being once again available with its standard 6.0L gas V8 (360 hp/380 lb-ft) or a 6.6L turbodiesel V8 that was redesigned last year to crank out 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque. Believe it or not, while that torque figure out-does the Cummins diesel in Ram's 2500 model, it loses out in the numbers war to the Ford Super Duty's Powerstroke diesel.
But don't kid yourself: the specs between the four American brands' trucks (the Sierra 2500 also goes up against the mechanically identical Chevrolet Silverado 2500) may differ slightly, but none of these manufacturers is going to let any of the others get that far ahead. That means choosing between one of these three trucks really comes down to personal preference. The wildcard is the Nissan Titan, the first Japanese-built full-sizer to come with a heavy-duty option its maker dubs the XD.
These big trucks may be available with upscale interior appointments that allow them to present as luxury vehicles, but don't expect them to ride like a fancy European sedan; the Sierra 2500 rides on beefed-up suspension designed for maximum towing and hauling capacity rather than ride comfort when moving sailboat fuel.
SLT Crew Cab models can be optioned with an all-terrain off-road package that seems to focus on appearance items, including a body-colour grille, door handles and mouldings and black mirror caps, front skid plate and assist steps. Toward the bottom of GMC's list are 18-inch wheels and all-terrain tires, a spray-on bedliner, off-road suspension with Rancho shocks and other exclusive interior and exterior cues.
Other SLT models can be optioned with a less-comprehensive off-road package that basically consists of grippier tires and a bed-mounted sport bar. That said, GMC will let you option any SLE or SLT model with the off-road suspension without getting the full all-terrain package.
Other engineering highlights include a standard locking rear differential and a cab structure composed of two-thirds high-strength steel.
The seven-inch infotainment system is standard in the base model, and an eight-inch unit is included in SLE and SLT trims. The Denali gets standard navigation and wireless smartphone charging, which can be optioned into SLE and SLT models; Denali's standard leather seating with front-seat heat and ventilation is an option in the SLT.
Available active safety features include lane departure warning, forward collision alert and front and rear park assist, all of which are bundled into a driver alert package optional in SLE and SLT trims and standard in Denali.
This vehicle has not yet been reviewed
