GMC Unveils 'Sport Truck' Without Performance Upgrades

GMC announced a new trim level for the Sierra 1500 today that it plans to market as a sport variant to other versions of its half-ton.

The Sierra Elevation Edition is supposed to serve as a new entry in the virtually non-existent sport pickup truck segment. At the pinnacle, the term “performance truck” stood for reckless products like the SRT-10 Ram that combined the Dodge Viper’s V10 with a leaf spring rear suspension. But long before things flew that far out of hand, GMC had its own ideas about what constituted a performance-oriented pickup truck. For a brief period in 1991, the company built something called the Syclone. As you probably remember, it was a pickup version of the Typhoon SUV that also sourced power from a Mitsubishi 4.3-liter turbocharged V6.

Even then, the notion of a high-performance truck was hardly new. Guys have been finding ways to make their trucks faster, louder and thirstier almost as long as the things have been available.

SEE ALSO: Chevy Silverado Cheyenne Concept is the Z/28 of Pickups

That’s why it was so exciting when Chevrolet showed its Cheyenne concept at the 2013 SEMA Show. It was a performance truck concept that used a single cab and scrapped bits and pieces by the fistful to save weight. It also used GM’s venerable 6.2-liter V8 to offer 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The future certainly seemed bright, but a year later it looks like General Motors couldn’t pull a business case together for a legitimate hot rod pickup.

The Sierra Elevation Edition come standard with a 4.3-liter EcoTec3 V6 making 285 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque. Optionally, you can upgrade to a V8, but the 6.2-liter is off limits. Instead, the 355-hp 5.3-liter engine will have to do.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Ford F-150 Tremor Review [Video]

If there are any performance-oriented powertrain changes to the truck, GMC didn’t make mention of them in today’s release. Instead, it comes with a list of cosmetic changes like a different grille surround, door handles and different bumpers with LED fog lamps. There are also 20-inch wheels included in the package.

Ford’s F-150 Tremor might not have been much more than a short box with a 4:10 rear end and an EcoBoost V6, but at least its more than an appearance package. Of course, that truck was only built for a limited time as a last hurrah before Ford began tooling up to build the new aluminum F-Series.

GMC hasn’t announced pricing for the Sierra Elevation, but you can bet it will come at a premium, but you can buy a Ram Express with a single cab, short box, Hemi, and a 3.92 rear axle ratio for $28,280 before the heavy incentives that usually come hand-in-hand with new truck purchases.

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