2015 GMC Sierra Denali HD Review
Published: May 6th, 2014
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Self-proclaimed “truck guys” have a soft spot for big diesel engines that lay down massive amounts of torque and produce an elephant-sized rumble. Yet there is something about the GMC Sierra Denali HD that may turn this crowd off. It’s quiet…too quiet.
LOVE IT
- All GMCs are also fitted with unique projector-beam headlights with LED accents and plastic trim around the wheel arches, again to stand out better beside its Chevrolet sibling. GMC says roughly 33 percent of its customers choose the Denali trim, which almost makes it a sub-brand for the company.
- There are also beefy-looking new Duramax badges on the hood that stand about a quarter-inch off the sheet metal. It makes the truck look tougher, but at the right angle, they can also send the sun flashing in your eyes. It won’t happen often, but it’s something that could be very annoying while trying to tow a trailer down a tight road.
- No Crap, Just Heavy Duty
- Now, on to the important stuff. Under the hood lives a 6.6-liter Duramx diesel that pumps out 765 lb-ft of torque and 397 hp mated to a six-speed transmission. As a pair, they aresold as a $8,395 option. For the more budget conscious customer, GM still offers a 6.0-liter gasoline powered engine that produces 360 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. A compressed natural gas (CNG) option is also available on the 6.0-liter engine for a cost of $9,500. It allows the truck to run on both CNG and gasoline, controlled by the flip of a switch.
- The real key to this pulling power lies with the Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission. Though both Ford's and Ram's heavy duty trucks put down more torque on paper, the GMC will actually pull away from both of those trucks while towing uphill in the real world. Needless to say, GMC arranged a head-to-head demonstration of that using 2500 series trucks from Ram and Ford. The GM products really did exhibit the smoothest shifts under a heavy load, and the power from the GMC simply felt more commanding than either of the others.
- However the test did reveal something negative about the Sierra’s dynamics. With 10,000 lbs hooked up to the rear hitch, the diesel powered Ford F-250 actually seemed to control the weight better. None of the trucks felt overloaded or out of control, but both the GMC and Ram bucked and were pulled around slightly more than the Ford, which offered the most confidence of the three.
- Towing Made Easy
- GMC also introduced several new towing technologies that go a long way in improving how well the Sierra HD handles a trailer. A new exhaust brake uses the variable vane turbocharger for back pressure to help the engine control weight while rolling downhill, which has been combined with new auto-grade braking that works when the cruise control is engaged.
- Simply put, if you set the cruise control to 60 MPH, the truck will do everything in its power to stay at 60 despite inclines or declines. It works.
- We put this new technology to the test in a 3500 diesel dually. The downshifting transmission combined with the exhaust brake held back the weight of a 14,000-pound gooseneck trailer with relative ease without driver intervention. Even without cruise control turned on, the truck will automatically downshift to try and help to slow you down as soon as the brake pedal is touched. Rolling through the hills with a large amount of weight behind you has never been easier.
- Out back, GM's new bumper-integrated step has been added and it works brilliantly, especially on HD trucks. With their higher ride height, the bed is even harder to climb into, and the step offers easy ingress and egress with no assembly required. Other small enhancements include LED lighting in the bed and eight tie-down locations, the upper of which are adjustable. These are a few small, smart add-ons that go a long way when you use your truck bed every single day.
- Pricing
- When it comes to luxury heavy duty pickups, everyone has an offering now. Ford’s F-350 Limited model starts at about $1,800 more than the GMC Sierra Denali, while the Ram 3500 Limited also comes in about $1,300 more expensive. That makes the Denali the steal of the segment, though of course options areplentiful on these trucks, and each can be optioned up to cost well over $60K.
- When compared tothe cheapestChevrolet 3500 LTZ model, the GMC Denali will run you about $4,000 more with its base price of $51,735 (destination charges included). That is quite a lot of money to drop for what is essentially the same truck mechanically. Most of that cash goes into the interior, with the Denali getting two info screens, navigation, keyless entry and more as standard equipment, while the base LTZ model misses out on some of the nicer luxury items like a heated steering wheel and heated and cooled seats.
- SEE ALSO: 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD Review - Video
- Also, Chevy recently revealed its new High Country trimmed Silverado HD, which will compete more directly with the Denali when it goes on sale. Pricing for that truck has yet to be announced.
- The price split breaks down to styling and the kind of technology that a customer wants. The configurable info cluster adds a level of high-tech sophistication to the GMC, while the real aluminum accents give a refined appearance. To sum it up, a business man wouldn’t be afraid to take a client to lunch in his or her Sierra Denali HD, while the Chevy models are more reserved for the construction worker.
- The Verdict
- By re-skinning its trucks for 2015, GMC now has smoothest riding, most comfortable heavy duty pickup money can buy. Sure to attract race horse owners everywhere, this truck is the Cadillac of the pickup world and makes a statement everywhere it goes.
- Quiet, smooth ride
- Auto-grade braking
- Bumper integrated step
LEAVE IT
- Perhaps too quiet
- 2500 not quite as confident towing as the F-250
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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