2011 Sierra 1500 Sle Texas Edition 5.3l Vortec Flex-fuel Auto Leather One Owner on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GMC adds stylish new Elevation model to 2019 Sierra lineup

GMC has announced a new style-forward model for its forthcoming 2019 Sierra pickup. It's called the Elevation and it will be based off the Sierra double-cab model with a new turbocharged engine, aimed at buyers who want a little panache with their rugged capability. GMC marketing director Rich Latek says the Elevation "conveys a youthful, athletic presence" with the pickup's chiseled fenders and assertive, upright hood. As such, the Elevation gets body-color-matching door handles, bumpers and grille surround, plus black exterior accents like the grille insert, tow hooks, side window trim and standard 20-inch aluminum wheels. Headlights, tail lights and fog lamps will be given the LED treatment, with the former getting the new C-shaped designs that have already been unveiled on other trim levels. It will be offered in two- or four-wheel-drive configurations, with nearly 3 inches more leg room than the current model. A traction select system will use a dial that drivers can set to preset driving modes to adjust transmission shift points, throttle mapping and other systems. An X31 Off Road package will be offered and boasts tuned suspension, a locking rear differential, protective skidplates, dual exhaust and other features. Also available will be a ProGrade Trailering System that includes a Trailering App to help connect and tow a trailer, on top of additional tie-down points, enhanced cargo lighting and other perks for hauling camping or recreational gear. Inside will be a standard 8-inch infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with a six-speaker audio system, plus USB Type A and Type C ports for charging mobile devices. As for the powertrain, it will come with an all-new 2.7-liter turbo inline-four engine that makes 310 horsepower and 348 pound-feet of torque paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Also available is a 5.3-liter V8 that uses a new efficient fuel management system that enables it to operate on anywhere from one to all eight cylinders, depending on demand. In early 2019, a new 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six will also be offered, mated to a 10-speed automatic. The Elevation adds to Sierra models like the SLT and Denali that GMC unveiled earlier this year. The company has shaved as much as 360 pounds off the new 2019 model — plus more from the Denali, thanks to carbon fiber in the bed box — so fuel economy should see a boost, too. It goes on sale in the fall.

2019 GMC Sierra Denali and its nifty tailgate roll into dealers

We've got more details about the 2019 GMC Sierra Denali now that it's rolling into dealerships, starting with its floor price of $56,195, including destination fee, for the rear-wheel-drive models. That's a jump of $1,900 over the previous generation of its premium full-size pickup. Four-wheel-drive models start at $60,295. The crew-cab truck has grown in every dimension as well, adding about 4 inches to the wheelbase, nearly 2 inches in length and 1.2 inches in width. There's also nearly 3 inches more rear legroom. Bed options are 5-foot-8 or 6-foot-6. There are three engine options. Two are carryovers from 2018: a 5.3-liter V8 that sends 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and an available 6.2-liter V8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque and mated to a 10-speed automatic. Both come with GM's dynamic fuel management cylinder-deactivation technology to optimize power and fuel efficiency. A new 3.0-liter turbodiesel paired with a 10-speed automatic is expected in early 2019. The EPA hasn't yet released official fuel economy ratings, but GM estimates them at 17 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway for the two-wheel-drive versions, and 15/21 in four-wheel drive. The truck gets adaptive ride control which can adjust the dampers every 2 milliseconds based on real-time monitoring of the road and driver inputs for improved ride and handling. A new traction select system adjusts the transmission shift points, throttle mapping and StabiliTrak to tailor performance to different terrain or weather conditions. Inside the crew cab, there's new Forge leather-appointed seats, open-pore wood trim and dark finished aluminum decor, plus an 8-inch-diagonal HD color touchscreen with embedded navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Most of the other new stuff we've covered before, including new C-shaped LED headlights and LED tail and fog lamps, optional 22-inch wheels, full-color head-up display, trailer-hitch assist apps and cameras, and rear-camera mirror. The truck also loses up to 360 pounds from the outgoing model via a scratch- and dent-resistant carbon-fiber bed box that replaces steel, and use of aluminum in the doors, hood and tailgate.

How Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra will take on the Ford F-150 profit machine

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — When General Motors engineers were developing the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, some of them joined public tours of Ford's Dearborn, Mich., factory to watch aluminum-bodied F-Series trucks go down the assembly line. The redesign of the Ford F-Series trucks, launched in 2014, set a new standard for fuel economy and lightweight vehicle construction. But armed with stopwatches and trained eyes, the GM engineers believed they saw problems. "They had a real hard time getting those doors to fit," Tim Herrick, the executive chief engineer for GM truck programs, told Reuters. His team did more intelligence gathering. They bought and tore apart Ford F-Series doors sold as repair parts. Their conclusion: GM could cut weight in its trucks for a lower cost using doors made of a combination of aluminum and high-strength steel that could be thinner than standard steel, shaving off kilograms in the process. These pounds-and-pennies decisions will have major implications in the highest-stakes game going in Detroit: dominance in the world's most profitable vehicle market, the gasoline-fueled large pickup segment. What's more, GM is banking on strong sales of overhauled 2019 Silverados and GMC Sierras to fund its push into automated and electric vehicles — a business many investors see as the auto industry's long-term future. The risks are high given the hits automakers have taken from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies. Rising aluminum prices spurred by Trump's tariffs are driving up costs on the Ford's F-Series, while rising steel and aluminum prices likewise drag on GM results. GM also has a significant risk should the United States, Mexico and Canada fail to agree on a new NAFTA trade deal, given GM trucks built at its Silao, Mexico, factory could face a 25 percent tariff if NAFTA collapses. Major profit per truck Interviews with GM executives and a tour at its factory here in northwest Indiana provide a detailed look inside GM's plan for the most important vehicles in its global lineup. These big pickups are everything Tesla's Model 3 or Chevy's Bolt electric car is not. The mostly steel body is bolted to the truck's steel frame, rather than the one-piece body and frame electric vehicles. The majority of trucks will have a V-8 gasoline engine powering the rear wheels — like the classic GM cars of the 1950s. Some Silverados will have new four-cylinder engines, but there is no electric or hybrid offering as of now.