The automaker decided to make bigger efforts into differentiating each member of its “utility team”. Tahoe and Suburban’s internal and external design are no longer shared with Silverado, a strategy that was repeated in GMC between Yukon and Sierra. From these two, the second set of changes results very important because, in spite of the shared platforms, each one has different dimensions. Therefore, using the exact same design for all of them not only would make some look bad as would also be a bad way of cutting costs in such expensive vehicles. This is why the new full-size pick-ups remind of all the other new GM trucks, but present style elements of their own.
However, looking to elements such as the 3500 versions’ six wheels doesn’t take long to reveal these pick-ups’ purpose is much more dedicated to work than their smaller sisters. Their entire structure is new, featuring much better aerodynamic flow, improved sealing, stiffer body and triple-sealed doors, whose construction is claimed to reduce the internal noise. Speaking of doors, their extended cab version was turned into some sort of short crew cab, with four conventional, front-hinged doors just like the 1500 versions’. The difference for the regular crew cab is that the latter’s rear doors are larger. According to the trim, once again they can be paired to three box lengths.
Besides, a new wave of great news is revealed by opening these doors. The 1500 versions’ interior was repeated, and this means one more opportunity how much they’ve evolved. MyLink system comes as standard in all urban trims, there’s much more room and the entire area became more elegant – the latter compliment is even more intense for the GMC counterpart, whose extra luxury is expressed through even better materials, fancier color schemes and even more equipments. If you ever manage to forget in which kind of vehicle you entered, Denali’s gorgeous black-red-and-white 8” LCD dashboard could remind of sports cars’. Sports cars as heavy and large as a house, but still.
Sharing that much with the other GM trucks, the HD duo wouldn’t stop at the safety department. Granted, most of them come as optional, but it’s still nice to know that this part received as much attention as the others. They can have forward-collision and lane-departure alerts, and GM’s Active Safety Seat for the driver, which vibrates in case of dangerous situations. Other interesting items are the standard stability and trailer-sway controls and CornerSteps, which are placed in the bumpers for easier box access. The accessories include LED lighting and the 1500’s EZ Lift and damped tailgate systems: they prevent it from slamming down and enables lifting it with one finger.
In other words, some of Silverado and Sierra’s improvements were focused on making the task of working with them simpler and more pleasant than ever. The others, in turn, were dedicated precisely into the aforementioned work. Smoother aerodynamics makes the vehicle perform the same tasks requiring less energy, while improving the overall construction is what enables the vehicle to actually support the heavier use. Payload capacity reaches 4,306 pounds for Sierra and 7,374 pounds for Silverado (it has more bed options), while towing numbers are up to 17,900 when using fifth wheel, both for 2500 versions. The 3500 duo raises these numbers to around 8,890 and 23,200.
The only point where the most ecological drivers might get disappointed is the powertrain, although it would be unrealistic to expect downsizing technologies from this kind of vehicle. All the options were carried over from the outgoing pick-ups, which means the standard option is once again an 6.0L V8, which is paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox and generates 360 hp for 2500 models and 322 hp for 3500 ones, and 380 lb-ft for both – this one also offers a bi-fuel option, prepared to receive compressed-natural-gas conversions. The other option is the 6.6L Duramax V8 unit, which uses diesel to reach 397 hp and 765 lb-ft and repeats the Allison gearbox. All these pick-ups are expected for early 2014.