Sierra goes off the road and gets dirty
Pickup one of the most utilitarian vehicles for challenging climate
Pickup trucks are certainly useful for all the stuff they can carry. But more and more, they are being recognized for the gnarly terrain they can conquer.
The added benefit of 4WD, or AWD in some cases, is making the pickup — when coupled with better fuel economy, seating for the whole family and ample cargo space — one of the most utilitarian vehicles on the road today, especially for our challenging climate.
That is very much the case with the 2014 GMC Sierra SLT we are testing this summer. First, our $55,155 unit is equipped with the All Terrain package, which is available on Double Cab and Crew Cab models.
The package on our SLT brings heated leather front bucket seats, 10-way power driver’s seat, six-way power passenger seat, auto-dimming interior mirror and side mirrors, rear park assist with camera and sonar, halogen projector headlamps with LED lighting, fog lights, chrome body mouldings, chrome door handles, chrome mirror caps, heated mirrors with fold function and integrated turn signals, bodycolour front and rear bumper (no corner step), skid plates, Z71 off-road suspension with Rancho shocks and trailer package, plus a Bose sound system with subwoofer beneath the centre console.
The real question is how the Sierra performs off road. First thing the driver notices when going off road is how sensitive the parking assist is, sending an alarm even when it detects tall grass. But here’s the cool part: hit the park assist toggle, the alarm shuts off. (Same thing when hooking up a trailer.) The toggle couldn’t be easier and doesn’t require accessing a menu. Love it.
The transfer case in the Sierra is a two-speed automatic with an electronic rotary control and proper, rubber-wrapped knob. A little light on the knob will flash if you’re not fully engaged in gear. Switching between 2WD and 4WD can be done on the fly, at any speed.
I absolutely love having an automatic mode, too, which means my wife can drive the truck and I don’t have to worry about her remembering to shift into 4WD when road conditions get slippery, which can happen when travelling the road to our cottage.
Whenever a shift is made, the screen in the instrument cluster tells you the shift is in transition.
When in Auto mode, the front axle is engaged and power flows to the front or rear wheels as required.
Shifting to 4-Low will turn off the traction control (nice), but the truck has to be shifted to neutral beforehand. There’s some clunking as the gears engage, but nothing unusual.
Top speed in this gear has to be kept below 72 km/h and only used in loose conditions to avoid binding the drivetrain. Some whining can be heard in 4-H.
On two occasions I’ve switched into 4-Low. Both times, there was not even a hint of wheel slip, even when climbing a steep, muddy hill dotted with rocks. The side steps are not very helpful when cresting certain hills and will scrape. Perhaps some foldaway, thinner boards like those on the 4Runner or F-150 would help.
Hill descent control, activated by a toggle, works wonderfully, holding the truck’s speed to a predetermined level without the driver having to touch the brakes.
On gravel, grass and sand, the 4WD Sierra has not yet got stuck nor left me worried, even on some difficult, soft roads.
In addition, there are 226 mm of ground clearance, an approach angle of 17.1 degrees, plus a departure angle of 23.2 degrees, all of which make this truck as much an off-roader as a Toyota 4Runner or Jeep Grand Cherokee.