DELUXE TRUCK
GMC’s 2017 Sierra Denali 1500 4x4 Crew Cab ladles on the luxury, combined with plenty of full-size pickup power and toughness
Bold and brawny, the 2017 GMC Sierra Denali 1500 4x4 Crew Cab exudes all the attributes of American pickup-truck attitude.
First of all, it’s big. Really big. Stretching just under 230 inches, the GMC protrudes out of parking-lot spaces — once the driver is able to maneuver it into one.
And it’s hefty, depressing the scales with 5,300 pounds of road-bashing weight.
Power is a given, thanks to the optional 6.2-liter lump-of-iron V-8 under the hood, pumping out 420 horsepower and 460 poundfeet of stump-pulling torque. That kind of motivation equates to 11,700 pounds of trailer-towing capacity, or a maximum payload in the 5-foot 8-inch bed of 2,120 pounds.
An engine with output of that magnitude will demand to be fed fairly frequently. The V-8 is rated to return 20 highway miles for each gallon of regular-grade gasoline pumped into the truck’s 26-gallon tank. Urban driving will suck up fuel at a 15-mileper-gallon rate.
As the Sierra’s top-dog model, the Denali delivers a healthy load of luxury in its kingsize cabin. Leather swathes the seating surfaces, perforated for heating and ventilating on the front buckets. The back bench can easily accommodate a full-size crew of three.
Such niceties as a power-sliding rear window, heated steering wheel, remote vehicle start, power adjustable pedals and a Bose audio system are welcome accouterments. Oddly missing, though, are remote unlocking and push-button start. Fumbling for keys shouldn’t be necessary these days in a $64,000 ride.
Also missing is blind-spot monitoring that ought to be included in the truck’s Enhanced Driver Alert Package, which does include low-speed forward auto braking, lane-keep assist and forward collision alert.
The Sierra rides with a nonchalant air, quietly consuming highway miles smoothly. On curvy blacktop two-lanes, the big truck handles with surprising confidence, with little body lean. The steering is nicely weighted and reacts quickly to inputs.
Despite not having any time off-road, with its 22-inch all-terrain tires and locking rear differential, it’s a safe bet this brute can tackle it all.