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GMC is adding Denali luxury to the electric truck market, starting with the 2024 Sierra EV Denali. The Ultium-powered pickup will come with an estimated 400 miles of range, the ability to use a charged battery to power a house and a 16.8-inch digital touchscreen display. Like the Hummer, the first model will be the most expensive and wear the Edition 1 badge.
Creating a truck like the Sierra in the electric age was challenging, as the hallmarks of pickups don't usually work well when going for efficiency.
"GMC started as a truck brand. It's always been about trucks, so we knew we had to have vertical upright profile, yet still hit all of the elements of an EV. We basically made a really proud front end, a vertical back, a traditional cab, all of those things that make a truck but still meet our air aerodynamic performance," exterior design manager David Gifford told Newsweek.
"So, we know grills are historically for cooling in a gas engine. We knew we needed to interpret it differently on this. The whole front opens so that you get this easy access for loading [the eTrunk]. We also have a lit element around it. They're all animated when you approach or walk away from the vehicle.
The 2024 GMC Sierra EV has a Max Power Mode feature, like the GMC Hummer EV Watts To Freedom feature, that will deliver 754 horsepower (hp) and 785 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque via a motor placed at each end. GMC wouldn't confirm the Sierra EV specs under normal operation.
Following the Ford F-150 Lightning's Intelligent Backup Power, the Sierra EV will have 10.2 kilowatts of off-board power that can be used to power anything, including essentials at a house for up to 21 days, according to GMC. It's agailable with 10 outlets including 110- and 220-volt. On a DC fast charger, it can regain 100 miles in 10 minutes.
Traditional Sierra features like the Multipro Tailgate is standard on the Edition 1, which has six adjustments to make the tailgate more helpful. The new Multipro Midgate separates the passenger compartment and the bed, and can be opened to allow for cargo up to 10-feet, 10-inches long with the tailgate load stop engaged. The single standard bed length is 5-feet, 11-inches. The 2024 Sierra EV can tow 9,500 pounds and carry up to 1,300 pounds of payload.
It has customizable drive modes including Standard, Tow/Haul, Off-Road, My Mode and Max Power. Four-wheel steering and the company's CrabWalk feature are available, as it one-pedal driving. CrabWalk mode angles all four wheels in the same direction to move the car on an angle at slow speeds. An adaptive air suspension can raise or lower the truck by approximately 2 inches.
"Unsurprisingly, most features and specs are familiar from the Hummer EV and Silverado EV. What stands out is Sierra EV Denali brings an upscale package and a level of refinement an electric pickup hasn't yet offered," Paul Waatti, industry analysis manager at AutoPacific told Newsweek.
"The Denali version will come with an expectedly high price tag, but truck buyers and early EV adopters have proven we haven't found the ceiling yet, and the GMC brand is already adept in the upper end of the market."
Inside, GMC tried to balance the new technology with the simplicity of use, adding toggle switches and knobs for important functions. It also made the new screen customizable so drivers could have front-and-center access to whatever they need.
"You'll notice immediately things are very bold and very simple and really focus on materials. We knew when we started that that we had to really rely on the fit and finish because those things become the main voice of what you're seeing," GMC design manager Phil Kucera told Newsweek.
"And then from a technology standpoint, the 16.8-inch screen this is the first time you're going to see this inside of a GMC. It's massive, the contrast is great, the color is amazing. It's full touch, you'll notice there are some tactile controls. There's a volume control on the screen and a row of toggles. You won't have to hunt for them," he said.
The rest of the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1's interior features a panoramic fixed glass roof with a UV coating, quilted seats with embroidered logos and open pore wood. That unfinished wood is also used in the wireless phone charging area. Bose premium audio is standard on this top model, as is GM's Super Cruise driver assistance technology that can go hands-free on select roads.
"Like on the internal combustion side, Chevrolet will continue to provide mainstream volume with the Silverado EV, but Sierra EV will ultimately be padding the bottom line through the highly profitable Denali and AT4 subbrands that have essentially come to define the GMC brand," said Waatti.
Deliveries of the 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 are expected to begin in early 2024, with a starting price of $107,000. Less expensive Sierra EV models will be announced closer to the start of production, with prices around $50,000.
The 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 will be assembled at GM's Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan. They'll later be produced at GM's Lake Orion Assembly in Michigan.
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is a Newsweek Autos managing editor based in Detroit. His focus is reporting on the auto industry. He has covered ... Read more