Detroit 3 all roll out biggest pickups this year
Detroit — Nicole Foster-Beck asks a lot of the heavy-duty pickup truck she uses on her 43-acre horse farm east of Dallas.
Aside from the daily hauling, her 2015 GMC Sierra has to be powerful enough to pull a heavy eight-horse trailer to competitions, yet cushy enough to keep people comfortable on trips as far away as Kentucky.
She’s exactly the customer that all three Detroit automakers will be courting this year when they roll out new or substantially updated heavy-duty versions of their trucks. It’s the first time that all three are revamping their heavy-duty trucks at the same time in years, which almost certainly will touch off a battle of ads and specifications.
Pickups from the Detroit automakers were the three top-selling vehicles in the U.S. last year, totaling more than 2 million in sales. Heavy-duty versions, with bigger frames, beds, interiors and engines, make up about 30 percent of that. They’re for those who need to tow and haul big things. Most buyers pull trailers with heavy items including boats, horses and recreational campers that can weigh around 10 tons. Many are used to pull trailers laden with equipment to job sites.
“Capability is really important for these folks,” said Sandor Piszar, truck marketing manager for General Motors’ Chevrolet brand. “They’re often times towing something that’s even more valuable than the truck itself. It enables what their lifestyle is.”
There’s a lot at stake for the automakers, who get most of their profits from trucks. Around 90 percent of heavy-duty buyers spend thousands extra for powerful diesel engines, and many go for pricey luxury and safety features, paying as much as $80,000 for a fully decked-out truck.
They also do their homework.
All three companies are offering cameras and other electronics to help with towing, backing and viewing surrounding traffic, features that also are important to heavy-duty buyers.
Fiat Chrysler’s Ram brand started this year’s contest, unveiling a new heavy-duty pickup in January. The 2019 Ram, which goes on sale in April, has an optional 400-horsepower, 6.7-liter six-cylinder diesel with 1,000 pound-feet of torque. The company says it can pull more than 35,000 pounds and carry 7,680 pounds in its bed.
General Motors’ GMC brand was next with the heavy-duty Sierra. Its 6.6-liter V8 diesel has 445 horsepower and 910 pound feet of torque. In unveiling the heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado Tuesday, GM said it can tow up to 35,500 pounds with the diesel. The Silverado is nearly identical to the Sierra, which is a little more posh.
Both GM trucks also will get a new 401-horsepower 6.6L V8 gas engine with 464 pound-feet of torque and what GM says is stronger towing capability than its previous gas engine trucks.