Derek McNaughton Trim level gives a lot of truck for the bucks
New look also includes enough features to stand out in current crowd of pickups
How hot is the Elevation appearance package on the 2019 GMC Sierra and Canyon pickups? Hot enough for someone to steal one as several trucks were off-loaded from a transporter in Brampton, Ont., for a GMC media event to promote the Elevation series.
With the help of GM’s On-Star, the Elevation Canyon was tracked across the city and its ignition disabled, allowing event organizers, with the help of police, to “steal back” their truck full of computers and phones for the event — gear that was still inside when organizers and police got to it. Imagine the thief’s surprise when he or she came outside and found the truck gone. No word on whether anyone has been arrested.
The Sierra looks great in Elevation trim, killing off the chrome and adding just enough features to make the Elevation stand out in the current crowd of pickups.
With its 20-inch black wheels, smart black grille and LED lighting all around, the truck looks positively hot (pardon the pun). Elevation Sierras, sitting above the base and SLE models, also get a premium cloth interior and “Pro-Grade” trailering aide.
An Elevation 4x4 Crew Cab short box starts at $51,200. Other configurations, including a 2WD and Crew Cab long box, are available, netting the average Elevation transaction price at $45,000.
That’s not far off the cost of many full-size SUVs that don’t have the same utility as a truck.
The more intriguing aspect of the Elevation is its standard engine: an aluminum four-cylinder turbo that weighs a mere 320 pounds. No, your eyes did not deceive — an Elevation Sierra comes with a 310-horsepower in-line four with 348 pound-feet of torque paired to an eightspeed automatic transmission.
GMC says this turbo engine is only two-tenths of a second slower than its big, naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 with 420 hp in the sprint to 100 km/h — 6.8 seconds versus the V8’s 6.6.
Hammer the throttle and there’s some agreeable response to go with some of the drama as the engine hits peak power at 5,600 rpm. The transmission shifts well, too. The four-cylinder is also smooth at idle and able to tow a respectable 6,900 pounds when fitted with the trailering package. For fleet customers and those mostly concerned about fuel economy, the 2.7-L engine makes sense, given that a Crew Cab short box in 2WD is rated at 12.6 L/100 km city, and 10.9 highway, for a combined average of 11.8.
For traditional truck owners who simply can’t live without a V8, GM’s 355-hp (and 383 lb-ft of torque) 5.3-L engine is a $1,695 option. While it has Active Fuel Management to shut down various cylinders to save fuel, it is only paired to a six speed. More interesting is the diesel option ($3,135), which has a 3.0-L straight six with 460 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Sierra has a strengthened frame with better rigidity plus a bigger and wider steel box (62.9 cubic feet) with 12 tie downs. And it can be optioned with GMC’s functional Multi-Pro tailgate, which more or less redefines what a tailgate can do.
With a fold-out portion inset into the regular tailgate, the tailgate can be used like a step or table, and can make cargo easier to access or prevent it from slopping around.
The interior has an eight-inch touch screen with standard Android Auto and Apple Car-Play, accompanied by a no-nonsense bank of buttons and knobs. But a $2,200 “value package” adds all the things most buyers really want: dual-zone automatic climate control, 10-way power driver seat with power lumbar, heated driver and front-passenger seats and steering wheel, automatic locking rear differential, and a trailering package with hitch guidance.
Even with that, the sticker on a 4WD Crew Cab short box (5’ 8”) just tops $55,000 — before factory discounts. That’s a lot of truck for the money.