LUNDBRECK, AB – The GMC Sierra has been a staple in the GMC lineup accounting for close to 50 percent of its sales in Canada. With the modernization of the truck game upon us, it was time for the Sierra to receive its upgrade after seven years without any major changes. General Motors went to task on both their leading haulers, the GMC Sierra and the Chevy Silverado. 

It’s nice to see and hear about the new technology and modern twists that the all-new third generation Sierra gets, but the people at General Motors felt that we would appreciate the new Sierra by experiencing the trucker lifestyle. The place was conveniently named the Sierra West Ranch near Lundbreck, but it was a beautiful choice to experience the Alberta hills and farmland. That would be our resting stop for the next day where we would be camping, horseback riding, driving up rolling hills and driving through creeks. Ah the trucker lifestyle!

While driving closer to the ranch all we saw were trucks with fewer and fewer sedans and SUVs in sight. Whether we saw the Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150, Dodge Ram or this very own Sierra – it seemed like we were heading to the truck homeland. The perfect scene was set to see why GMC was calling the Sierra the most advanced truck in their 111-year history.

Initial Glance

There are four trims available for the GMC Sierra (Sierra, SLE, SLT and Denali), but we were only able to test out the 5.3L V-8 SLT Crew Cab. 

The GMC has stayed true to its origins by keeping its blocky truck look. Its shape predominantly stays the same, but accents are felt everywhere else. Major standouts are the chrome grille surrounds and black wheel arch moldings that make that front GMC logo pop. Right beside the grille are large projector headlamps with available LED signature lighting that complete the eye-catching Sierra look and distance it from their lower-tiered brother in the Chevrolet Silverado. 

Heading to the backside, the addition of flared fenders gives the Sierra a more rugged and menacing look. In some of the Sierra’s that were available, the bumper had steps shaped into the corners creating a step-stool allowing for easier access to the truck bed.

A Look Inside

Almost all the top truck competitors are paying plenty of attention to the interior and the GMC Sierra is no different. This is where you see the upscale refinements made to the Sierra that separates it from the Silverado. 

The interior is large to say the least. The front seats are broad and comfy with plenty of headroom and legroom. Surrounding the interior cabin are premium materials including soft-touch plastics and aluminum finishes. 

Front and center on the Sierra SLT is a nicely organized entertainment console featuring a standard eight-inch colour touch screen with IntelliLink connectivity. I found it easy to navigate through the various radio stations, phone options, and GPS. The touch screen was large, organized and in my opinion fit the style of the average truck driver. I liked the fact that the Sierra offered sizeable knobs and buttons directly below the touchscreen, which are easier to use while in transit and stays consistent with most of the trucks in the market today.

And if that’s not enough connectivity for you – the Sierra has a centrally located 4.2-inch colour Driver Information Center located above the steering wheel. You can access a lot of data such as vehicle status information, a trip computer, radio information and navigational directions. 

There are plenty of storage compartments throughout the cabin and the people at General Motors showed them off by placing a number of small and large water bottles in the cup holders and side door panels. In addition to the convenient cup positions, the Sierra had two glove boxes on top of each other, as well as one of the deepest centre consoles that could easily fit an Ipad and much more. 

 It’s clear that the new Sierra wasn’t going to be shy on connectivity. Inside you will find a 110-volt outlet, five USB ports, four 12-volt outlets and an SD card slot.

Under the Hood and On the Road

General Motors offer three all-new engines for both the Sierra and Silverado that as a whole attend to the needs of any truck driver. As mentioned, all of the Sierra’s on this trip were the all-new 5.3-litre EcoTec3 V-8 SLTs that whip up 355 hp and 383 lb.-ft. of torque. Later this year, you can opt for the 6.2-litre V-8 that ups the ante with 420 hp and 450 lb.-ft. of torque. The other new option is a 4.3L V-6 EcoTec3 engine with 285 hp and an impressive 305 lb.-ft. of torque – the most of any standard V-6 in its segment. 

The 5.3 SLT is fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission that can be used in rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Our drive from downtown Calgary to the Sierra West Ranch was a lengthy three-hour journey. However, it was very relaxing and comfortable throughout the highway-concentrated drive. It felt like we were in a premium SUV as the cabin was so quiet. This might have been helped by the Sierra’s noise reduction updates from the mirrors to the triple-sealed inlaid doors to the roof and tailgate design all aimed for a quiet ride.

All of the trim levels are equipped with electric power steering that made turning predictable and easy to handle around some curvy roads. The weight of the truck wasn’t felt and we were able to manoeuvre it around effortlessly. 

What makes the Sierra stand out is its cylinder deactivation, direct injection and continuously variable valve timing that keeps it both powerful and decent on gas. Under light loads conditions, the cylinder deactivation system uses oil pressure to disable four of the cylinders on the V-8 engine – turning it into a V-4. This helps out fuel economy in a big way as we combined for 11.4 L/ 100 km. The breakdown of fuel economy numbers provided were 13.0 L/ 100 km in city and 8.7L/ 100 km on the highway, which is considered the best in their class.

Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning and front and rear parking sensors are all offered as options in a package called the Driver Alert package. The main draw in this package is GMC’s Driver Attention Alert where vibrating pulses are activated on your lower seat cushion to alert you of upcoming potential dangers that are occurring based on your driving actions or vehicles around you.

Towing

After camping for the night, our next mission was to tow our camping trailers back to Calgary. This was going to be a good test for me since my towing experience starts and stops after a full 25 minutes in a Ford F-150. I put it in tow/haul mode and I was ready for the challenge.

The Sierra 5.3L SLT offers a towing capacity of up to 11,500 pounds, which is class-leading and more than enough to move our 5,000-pound trailer. The trailer was 28-ft wide, so it filled up almost the entire lane I was driving in, so I needed to be careful.

With all trucks, towing capability is high on the list and the Sierra didn’t disappoint. When driving down flat roads or highway, you couldn’t feel all that weight behind you. Yes, the acceleration was a little slower, but it didn’t worry me or change my driving style. 

On hill climbs, it was a bit different, but expected. Our speed dropped about 15-20 km going up the hill, so you really needed some more throttle and at times I hit 4,000 rpms to get back up to speed. 

Braking was no sweat thanks to the four-wheel disc brakes with Duralife brake rotors on the Sierra. Concern over having to sharply brake is always present, especially in the pouring rain we were in, but I felt no push or sway from the backside and stopped at a reasonable pace and distance. The GM-exclusive Duralife rotors provided quiet braking with minimal vibration.

While towing, I noticed the cylinder deactivation kick in at times, but only by seeing the green V-4 on my dash. You can’t feel the physical transition at all – a big bonus for those that have to do some long distance towing. We were able to achieve a reasonable 25.5L/ 100 km on the drive back to Calgary with one stopover. 

In Summary

The GMC Sierra 1500 has been refreshed to take on the trucking community with a strong package of power, connectivity, fuel economy and towing capability. In order to keep up with the Ford F-150s and Dodge Rams, GMC knew they had to elevate the Sierra’s interior into a more noticeable premium brand and they achieved that while simultaneously creating further separation and distinction from the Chevy Silverado. 

The Sierra’s trio of engines are vastly improved from the outgoing model and provide a nice choice for the various truck drivers in the automotive community that can range from the heavy towers to the fuel-conscious.  

The base Sierra starts at $31,615 and the SLT we tested starts at $44,155. Prices are higher than both the Dodge Ram and Ford F-150, so that might sway your decision. I understand that the GMC brand is considered a luxury brand, but in order to attract a bigger consumer base they might have to shave off some of that price tag. To rationalize it, General Motors should equate it to the way the food industry is going. There’s been a transitional shift to casual moderately-priced scratch cooking restaurants and away from the stuffy higher-end type place. That’s no different from the automotive industry and I think GMC models would be much more successful with that business model.

Outside of the price, there’s nothing really bad I can say about the GMC Sierra. Test it for yourself and see if it suits your lifestyle. It stood tall in all of the challenges that came its way and showed off a good mix of power and luxury with a big boost of technology. I’m not a trucker by any means, but living that lifestyle for two days – it seems that mix worked just fine for me.