GMC Sierra 2019

Body and cabin

Can a pickup ever undergo a redesign without becoming larger? The GMC Sierra crew cab follows the trend by gaining 6 cm of length, 10 cm more wheelbase and 3 cm of width. It is still about 5 cm lower than the RAM 1500 and Ford F-150, slightly easing access to the cabin. However, running boards remain useful for most users.

In this respect, by checking the right options box Denali buyers can get power-retracting running boards. Initiated by GM in 2014, they are now offered by certain competitors. GMC therefore adds a unique function for 2019: a tap of the foot on the rear extremity of the running board pivots it rearward, to facilitate access to the front part of the cargo box.

The traditional cargo box lengths are maintained, depending on the type of cabin: 2.44 m (8 ft), 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) or 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in). With a 17.8 cm (7 in) wider bed floor, the latter offers best-in-class short-box cargo volume, according to GMC. The integrated bumper steps are also larger. All bed floors are now made of high-resistance steel, increasing rigidity by 50 percent relative to the former model.

The cargo box also incorporates two of the 2019 Sierra’s most newsworthy features. The first, slated to arrive in the course of the year, is an all-carbon fibre box, which GMC qualifies as “indestructible”. While it is true this material is very solid, it is also known to break when submitted to a violent shock. What is sure is that carbon fibre is lighter than steel, resulting in a 62-kg weight reduction. Another 101-kg weight loss is obtained thanks notably to the use of aluminum for the hood, doors and tailgate.

The second change of note concerns the new MultiPro tailgate, delivered as standard equipment on the Denali, AT4 and SLT. It can be configured in six different ways, notably to create a full-width step or a load stop for cargo that is longer than the box.

The cabin, too, features several innovations. The Sierra Denali becomes the first pickup to offer a head-up display, which projects driver information on the base of the windshield. If we had our say, this ultrapractical feature would be standard on every vehicle on the market.

High-end models also come with a new-generation infotainment system. The former system was already quite good; this one has a more modern look and is easier to use. All models are delivered with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which the AAA (CAA’s U.S. counterpart) deems less distracting than automaker systems.

The Denali crew-cab model we tested was equipped with heated outboard seats and USB ports in the back. That eases our complaint about the outgoing Sierra Denali’s scant regard for second-row passengers. It is, of course, still possible to make room for more cargo in the rear section of the cabin by flipping up the seat. New for 2019, GMC has added hidden storage compartments behind the outboard seatbacks.

The driver will appreciate the new footrest, which greatly improves comfort on long trips even though it is a bit too high. All models now come with a telescoping steering wheel, formerly restricted to the more expensive trims. The front bucket seats are closer fitting than before but still wide enough to accommodate all body types.

Safety

For 2019, the GMC Sierra finally offers a full suite of driver assistance technologies, with everything from blind-spot motoring to lane keep assist. Unfortunately, that still means opting for the more expensive models and even having to add one or two options packages to obtain all the available features, including automatic emergency braking (AEB). It seems GMC is waiting until the last minute to offer AEB at no extra cost, promised for 2022 by the industry.

Safety starts with visibility, and in this respect, GMC is innovating with a very expansive trailer monitor system. Paired with the surround-view cameras (optional, of course), it allows you to line up a trailer very precisely for parking. You can even install a camera on the back of the trailer that displays what’s behind on the centre screen. In addition, the famous rear-camera mirror offered by Cadillac for the past several years has made way into the Sierra. It provides a clear and much larger image than a traditional mirror, but it requires a period of adaptation that is still on-going for us!

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: 5 / 5
Frontal impact: 4 / 5
Side impact: 5 / 5
Rollover resistance: 4 / 5

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact:
- driver side: 4 / 4
- passenger side: 2 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

Mechanical overview

GM has thoroughly revised the ladder frame employed by the Sierra and its Chevrolet cousin, the Silverado. Both lighter and more rigid, it accounts for about 40 percent of the pickup’s weight loss. The related suspensions have also been upgraded, even though their architecture is basically the same—front struts, and a solid axle and multileaf springs in the rear.

The GMC Sierra Denali is now delivered with an adaptive ride control suspension with special dampers that react in as little as two milliseconds to sensor input on wheel position, roll and pitch. For those interested, it is not the same as the magnetic suspension system used in the outgoing generation.

All models get larger brakes with electro-hydraulic power assist, supposed to help reduce fuel consumption. Steering is electrically assisted, as since 2014.

Following the success of the Ford F-150 Raptor and RAM 1500 Rebel, GMC is launching a new AT4 version for 2019. It is factory equipped for off-roading with a 5-cm/2-in. suspension lift, Rancho shocks and more aggressive tires. Naturally, it is also more aggressively styled: with red tow hooks, monochrome paint, unique wheels.

The AT4 more-or-less replaces the former All Terrain version and features one of the major distinctions between the Sierra and its Chevrolet cousin. GMC offers it with the 6.2L V8 as an option, whereas this engine is not even listed for the TrailBoss, the AT4’s counterpart in the Silverado lineup.

In fact, the Sierra lineup includes no fewer than six engines, four of which GMC considers as new. We’ll start with the two old familiars, the 4.3L V6 and the 5.3L V8, mated with a six-speed transmission. These two pairings are restricted to the base version, SLE and Elevation models. Unchanged, they deliver 285 hp and 355 hp respectively, with torque ratings of 305 and 383 lb-ft.

In the short term, the V6 will make way for a new, 2.7L turbo four-cylinder mated to an eight‑speed transmission—that’s right, a four-cylinder in a full-size pickup! This advanced engine will produce 310 hp and 348 lb-ft of torque fully available at 1,500 rpm. We can’t wait to test this drivetrain, which is almost as powerful as Ford’s V6 with the same displacement.

Of the other “newcomers”, two are in fact reworked versions of the 5.3L and 6.2L V8s that have been in the lineup for a long time. They are no more powerful than before (355 hp/383 lb-ft for the first, 420 hp/460 lb-ft for the second), but GM has redesigned their cylinder de-activation system. Now the engine can run on any number of cylinders between two and eight, instead of just four or eight. On paper, that produces a slight improvement in fuel economy and, especially, smoother performance.

That version of the 5.3L engine is paired with an eight-speed transmission, whereas the 6.2L gets a ten-speed. It is actually the same transmission as that of the Ford F-150, designed by Ford and programmed by each of the manufacturers for its own pickup. The 3.0L in-line six-cylinder diesel slated to arrive in the course of 2019 will share the exclusivity of this transmission.

A manual mode still exists which allows you to select the highest gear best suited to various activities, such as towing in mountainous terrain. GMC adds a drive mode selector that modifies throttle, shift point and cruise control intervention based on the chosen situation.

Driving impressions

We sampled the 2019 GMC Sierra in Newfoundland, where road conditions are very similar to ours in Quebec. That made for ideal terrain to test the ride of the new model.

Our first finding was that the Denali’s adaptive suspension does an excellent job. Though it seems less advanced, on paper, than the former model’s electromagnetic shock absorbers, it delivers a degree of stability and smoothness rarely found in a pickup. Only the RAM 1500 air suspension does as good a job of controlling body motion, but without the same level of comfort. It does, however, have the advantage of being offered across the RAM 1500 lineup, whereas the Sierra’s adaptive ride system is restricted to the Denali.

Yet it would be of benefit to the other Sierra versions as well. A ride in an SLT model revealed notable rear-end bounce on bumpy pavement. Of course, most pickups react the same way, but once you’ve tried one that remains unperturbable, you want more. Fortunately, the Sierra preserves the comfort of occupants better than before, independent of the chosen suspension. As for the impressively quiet ride, it perpetuates an inherent quality of the outgoing model.

Even the engine plays a part in the serene driving experience, in this case, the 6.2L V8, the only engine we were able to test. It is, of course, a large cylinder capacity engine that entails an additional registration fee relative to the Ford F-150 3.5L twin-turbo V6. On paper, the V8 also uses 10 percent more gasoline than the V6 (to be verified in real-life conditions).

However, in terms of performance, the large engine—closely related to that of the Chevrolet Corvette—stands out for its superior smoothness, linearity and refinement. The new ten-speed transmission flawlessly exploits the wide power band while mostly avoiding the confusion and harshness that characterize many contemporary eight-speed-plus gearboxes.

All that is left now is to see how a mid-range model performs with the regular suspension, 5.3L V8 and eight-speed transmission, as that is the combination most buyers will probably choose.