2020 GMC Sierra 1500: Big Diesel, Big Tech

GMC has just refreshed its half-ton pickup. This year, the 2020 Sierra 1500 features 10-speed auto for the diesel option, a rocking carbon fiber bed, and more tech than you can shake a stick at.

Photo: GMC

Let’s start things off with the look. GMC thankfully went with a less polarizing front end for the Sierra, unlike its controversial cousin, the Chevrolet Silverado. However, the redesigned front grill has resulted in a lower MPG rating, despite having a lower curb weight than the older version.

Web Campaign

Under the hood, the refreshed Sierra is available in different engine options, from a 2.7L turbocharged four-banger all the way to a 6.2L V8 mill. This being Diesel World, however, what we’re interested in is the 3.0L Duramax L6 turbodiesel, which puts out 277 horses and 460 lb-ft. of torque. The engine can be paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and is available in Denali, SLE, SLT and Elevation trim.

The top-end AT4 and Denali models also get GMC’s CarbonPro bed. As the name suggests, this is a carbon fiber bed that offers six times the impact resistance compared to steel. During testing, the bed was able to shrug off dropped cinder blocks, 1,800-lb. loads, and entire water-filled drums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIpxrj0zLbM

Finally, the refreshed Sierra gets a slew of high-tech toys. There’s an adaptive cruise control with full stop-and-go function, allowing it to be used in heavy city traffic. The feature is available on the Denali, AT4 and SLT trim.

In addition, the 5.3L gas engine option gets GM’s Dynamic Fuel Management system introduced last year. Also known as “Dynamic Skip Fire”, it supersedes the older Active Fuel Management system and deactivates cylinders based on usage to improve power delivery and efficiency.

Finally, the 1500 will get the “x-ray” camera trick of its bigger HD brother. The system superimposes the feed from a trailer-mounted camera over the trailer, creating a neat see-through view.

The 2020 Sierra 1500 is expected to retail close to the current model’s prices, which ranges from just over $31,000 to about $60,895 .

Web Campaign

You May Also Like

Diesel News 10-14-19

Truck of the Week Diesel Ford Lightning It’s both loved by 7.3L fans and hated by first-gen Lightning purists, but either way Ryan and Cooper […]

Diesel News - Billet Blocks, Engine Carnage, Ram Anniversary and more

Ride Of The Week Billet Block On The Way It’s official: Hardway Performance’s new Nova is down for the summer. However, it’s also official that […]

Diesel News - Diesel Performance Jobs; Shipping Costs and more

Truck Of The Week Van Haisley’s Rock Hard Ram Wins NFMS A regular competitor at the National Farm Machinery Show’s prestigious Championship Tractor Pull, Haisley […]

Diesel News 6.24.19

Truck of the Week The 10-second Flat Bed For those that don’t know, Larry Brown’s flat-bed ’07 Dodge Ram 2500 is the epitome of a […]