2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate Review: Super Cruise Shines In This Luxury Truck

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EDITORS’ RATING: 9/ 10

Long gone are the days when an effective truck just required freight area and a dependable drivetrain to suggest it. See, by method of great example, the increase of the high-end pickup: abilities suitable for a worksite, though with a cabin cut to make you second-guess bringing muddy boots (or pets, or kids) within. It’s a dish that has actually made ideal sense for GMC, as evidenced by the 2024 Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate.

When, the Denali badge alone sufficed to differentiate GMC’s fanciest variations of its pickups and SUVs. With the marketplace ripe for a lot more enjoyable– and more costly– designs, however, the Denali Ultimate has actually raised the video game even more.

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You might sneer at GMC– and its rivals– for capitalizing the pattern, however they’re subjecting themselves to an indisputable obstacle here that conventional high-end automobiles do not deal with. The Sierra Denali Ultimate needs to cosset, however not at the expense of all the important things a truck is anticipated to do. And, with an $82,500 (plus $1,895 location) sticker label that increases to over $85k all-in for the Downpour Metallic example you see here, purchasers are best not to accept compromise.

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It’s a good-looking truck, and GMC leans into the Denali Ultimate branding. Outdoors, there’s a dark chrome grille– GMC calls it “Vader Chrome,” which you’ll either believe is cool or silly– and 22-inch seven-spoke machined aluminum wheels with the sort of intense chrome accents that make you wish to keep them far, far from anything approaching an off-road circumstance.

Inside, abundant tan Alpine Umber leather sits together with open-pore wood, with Denali and Ultimate etchings and badges. There’s contrast stitching, embroidered logo designs, and genuine metal speaker grilles and control panel trim. Those in the front get 16-way power-adjustable heated and aerated seats with massage.

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It’s a really particular visual– believe “modern-day landed gentry”– however it probably makes a great deal more sense than, state, a Hummer EV does. Unlike that electrical truck, the Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate seems like it straddles a line in between high-end and work (well, wheels aside).

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GMC’s engine options measure up to that billing, too. As requirement, the 6.2-liter EcoTec V8 with a 10-speed automated transmission is under the hood, however you can likewise have– as in this specific example– a variation of the exceptional 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel that’s used in the Escalade 600D

Its 305 horse power is lower than the V8’s 420 hp, however it offsets that with 495 lb-ft of torque from simply 2,750 rpm. The gas engine peaks at 460 lb-ft, not too far off, however you’ll have to wind it up to 4,100 rpm.

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Considered that low-end grunt, it’s not a surprise that the Sierra trucks along well. If you’re still mindful of diesels thanks to the bad old days of farming good manners, the Duramax’s basic improvement and its interest to move even a well-loaded pickup in a straight line will most likely change your viewpoint. Adaptive trip control keeps things from getting too bouncy.

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It’ll tow as much as 13,100 pounds, too, like the V8. There’s likewise something to be stated for a 24 mpg integrated economy score coupled with a decent-sized fuel tank: after 270 miles, the Sierra still had over half of that tank left.

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Long journeys are no challenge, either. GMC’s newest Sierra upgrade brought a really luxurious cabin to the upper trims, and in addition to the great (however still durable) leather, there’s a good quantity of tech, too. A 12.3-inch chauffeur display screen and 13.4-inch infotainment touchscreen run GMC’s newest software application, with integrated Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Play Store gain access to, plus cordless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto assistance. It’s all smooth and responsive, and there’s a 15-inch head-up display screen that can reveal simply the fundamentals or, with the tap of a quickly available switch, things like roll, pitch, and yaw while off-roading.

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A cordless charging pad remains in the center console, and there are numerous USB-C and USB-A ports for both the front and the back. GMC does not stint on storage, either, with lots of cubbies and bins– consisting of 2 glove compartments– and, in spite of the high end positioning, the durable rubber lining and strong plastics suggest this is no simple poseur pickup.

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That opts for the bed, too, though the Ultimate trim does not in fact have the Sierra’s most significant freight capability. Where the routine Denali can be had with either the brief or basic box, together with its Crew Cab, the Denali Ultimate just gets the smaller sized of the 2, helpful for 62.9 cu-ft. GMC’s smart MultiPro tailgate is basic, with its origami-esque folding areas for much easier loading and gain access to, as are power-retracting side actions.

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One choice you’ll pay additional for, even on the Denali Ultimate, is Super Cruise ($2,200). There are no really self-governing automobiles on the marketplace, and Super Cruise does not costs itself as such a thing. Still essentially a Level 2 system– as in, it needs the attention of the chauffeur to be on the roadway at all times– it mixes adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping with a driver-facing electronic camera on the guiding column. That sees your face to guarantee you’re looking ahead, poised to take control of at any time, without requiring (as holds true with many Level 2 systems) that your hand remains in physical contact with the wheel.

Super Cruise impressed when it initially introduced, and GM’s system has actually just enhanced ever since. In the Sierra, for instance, it can now not only modification lanes on-demand– you struck the turn signal, Super Cruise checks the surrounding lane for area, and crosses by itself– however proactively. That suggests if you’re behind a slower-moving automobile, the truck can immediately choose to pull aroundconsisting of returning to the right when the surpassing maneuver is finished.

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It’s reasonable to state Super Cruise– like Ford’s Blue Cruise system — takes a little getting utilized to. It’s likewise a little less comfy to utilize in much heavier traffic than you may anticipate: I discovered its conservatively paced lane modifications failed compared to the more immediate maneuvering of Detroit chauffeurs. For long stretches of cross-state highway, Super Cruise feels revelatory.

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Utilizing Super Cruise has actually been structured rather considering that its launching. The light bar in the upper part of the guiding wheel stays– radiant green when the system is active, blue when it’s readily available, and red when it’s handing control back to the motorist– however it’s quicker to allow, needing simply one button-press (a 2nd tap changes to routine adaptive cruise). Automatic lane modifications are declared with a buzz of the haptic seat cushion as the Sierra flashes the proper blinker (you can overthrow it with a tap of the turn signal or simply by pulling on the wheel).

For the many part, Super Cruise is a fantastic co-pilot. There’s something really excellent about how easily the system surpasses: for most of the time, I could not argue with its choices.

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That’s not to state we constantly concurred. Periodically, without any evident reason, Super Cruise would not instantly surpass behind slower traffic or return to the best in spite of an open lane; rather, it needed to be by hand pushed to do so. It likewise often does not have the insight a human motorist may wield: a handful of times, it moved into the ideal lane regardless of a certainly slower car up ahead or attempted to transfer to the left although I might see a quicker cars and truck was approaching. You can overthrow it when you feel the seat buzz, yes, however by that point, the Sierra has actually currently begun showing.

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That is, at least, a great pointer of who’s still in charge, and it’s difficult not to seem like an employer from the Denali Ultimate’s chauffeur’s seat. While the blurring of the lines in between high-end lorry and work truck is still questionable, the fact of the matter is that some purchasers are more than prepared to invest high-end sedan/SUV cash on similarly extravagant pickups.

If you’re lured, it’s worth being blunt about your expectations– and what you’re ready to compromise in order to maintain the functionality of a pickup. The Sierra Denali Ultimate trips well for a truck, however it’s still far from the luscious smoothness of a conventional high-end car on air suspension. Its cabin is tech-packed and perfectly cut, however it’s not going to be puzzled with that of a similarly-priced Mercedes E-Class

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The ‘Benz isn’t actually planned to carry wood, or gravel, or motorcycle, nevertheless, and GMC’s ground clearance, big turbodiesel engine, and 4WD are simply what you desire when it concerns strolling off the asphalt. If you’re really going to usage your luxurious truck’s abilities, then the Sierra Denali Ultimate’s mix of experience and facilities is difficult to argue with.