GMC Introduces the 2020 Sierra Heavy Duty

GMC revealed the 2020 Sierra Heavy Duty at an event yesterday evening.  The new Sierra HD is brimming with new assistance technology to aid in hauling and towing.

Technology

First up is an enhanced ProGrade Trailering system featuring 15 camera views, including a virtual transparent trailer view that can see through a trailer in tow. An available smart trailer that integrates with the iN-Command control system from ASA Electronics allows drivers to monitor trailers that are equipped with the technology.  A 15 inch diagonal heads up display that offers information regarding trailering conditions. An available rear-camera mirror. And the Multipro Tailgate that offers 6-way configuration for easier loading, unloading, and bed access.

Power

Naturally, all of that technology wouldn't be useful without the power to pull.  For that, the 2020 GMC Sierra carries over the available 6.6 liter Duramax Turbo diesel V8 with 445 horsepower and 910 lb-ft of torque.  Power is routed through a segment-first 10-speed automatic transmission.  An all-new gasoline engine will be announced at a later date.

Trim

More than half of all Sierra HDs are sold in the Denali trim. For 2020, GMC is introducing the AT4 trim to the HD lineup. AT4 enhances Sierra HD's off-road capabilities with an off-road suspension, Rancho Shocks, Eaton locking rear differential, Michelin all-terrain tires, hill decent control and hill start assist, heads-up display with off-road inclinometer, and HD Surround vision.

Inside the AT4, the trim is darkened, including darkened and textured aluminum finish on the steering wheel, center stack, and sill plates.  AT4 gets a unique jet-black interior with Kalahari color accents, and standard all-weather floor liners.  Outside, Sierra AT4 features body color front and rear bumpers, and grille surround. Chrome is darkened and the black chrome grille is offset by the red recovery hooks.

The 2020 Sierra HD will be built in Flint Michigan and go on sale later this year.  Pricing has not yet been announced.

Read more from the GMC Press Release on Page 2

DETROIT — Bigger, stronger and smarter, the all-new 2020 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty combines greater trailering capability with technologies designed to provide customers with a world-class towing experience.

“The all-new 2020 Sierra HD is the most capable heavy-duty truck that we’ve ever offered,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global GMC. “For customers who demand a premium, innovative heavy-duty truck that supports their passions, the next-generation Sierra HD can pull like a pro.”

Form and function come together in the new Sierra Heavy Duty, with features that include:

• An enhanced ProGrade Trailering system featuring class-leading available 15 camera views, including a segment-first transparent trailer view to virtually see through a trailer in tow.¹
• An available smart trailer designed to integrate the iN∙Command® control system from ASA Electronics²provides the ability to monitor and control select functions of compatibly equipped trailers through the myGMC mobile app³.
• A segment-exclusive available 15-inch-diagonal head-up display that offers useful trailering information, including vehicle speed, navigation information and an inclinometer display for the road grade.
• An available segment-first Rear Camera Mirror.
• MultiPro, the world’s first six-function tailgate, allows easier loading, unloading and bed access and is available on all trim levels.
• A larger, commanding design that provides more room for cargo and occupants.
• Best-in-class Crew Cab front headroom and legroom for the driver and other front-row occupants.
• An all-new, segment-first, Allison 10-speed automatic transmission mated to the legendary 6.6L Duramax turbo diesel.
• For those looking to take refined capability off-road, GMC fortifies the new AT4 brand with an all-new Sierra AT4 Heavy Duty available for Crew Cab configurations as both a 2500 and 3500 single rear wheel offering.

With more than half of Sierra HD customers choosing Denali, it continues to offer the ultimate expression of professional grade materials and refinement. The all-new model delivers power, intelligence and segment advancements to meet the needs of heavy-duty customers with discerning taste.

ProGrade Trailering Technology
First introduced with the 2019 Sierra light duty, the ProGrade Trailering System leverages technology advancements to offer additional features and functionality for the 2020 Sierra Heavy Duty.

“Trailering is the most important consideration for Sierra Heavy Duty customers, and the new features and technologies in the 2020 Sierra HD make it easier than ever to hitch a trailer and tow it confidently,” said Jaclyn McQuaid, vehicle chief engineer, Heavy Duty Trucks. “We’ve developed this new truck to offer the greatest trailering experience ever offered by GMC.”

An available class-leading 15 unique camera views¹, including an industry-first transparent trailer view, help optimize the driver’s view around the truck and compatible trailers to provide added confidence when towing. The revolutionary transparent trailer feature uses the tailgate-mounted camera and an available accessory camera mounted on the rear of the trailer. The resulting display helps the driver to virtually see through the trailer⁴, a benefit when navigating parking lots, merging into traffic or making tight turns.

Owners of the 2020 Sierra HD will have access to available smart trailer technology designed to allow access to select features of the iN∙Command® control system from ASA Electronics² through the myGMC mobile app, either on compatible Android and iOS smartphones or on the vehicle’s infotainment system via Apple CarPlay⁵ or Android Auto6.  Similar to the features of a smart home, the iN∙Command® control system acts as the central hub of operations to monitor and control an array of systems in trailers equipped with the next-generation technology. Depending on how a compatibly equipped trailer is configured, owners of the 2020 Sierra HD may be able to turn on the trailer’s air conditioning or water heater, check water and holding tank levels, or monitor fuel levels on trailers equipped with generators — all before arriving at their destination.

The ProGrade Trailering System also includes an in-vehicle Trailering App⁷ with Trailer Light Test, Trailer Electrical Diagnostics, Trailer Tire Pressure and Temperature Monitoring, Pre- Maintenance Reminders and Departure Checklist. Many of the Trailering app’s functions, including the lighting test and pre-departure checklist, are also available with the myGMC mobile app, a feature that offers great convenience when outside the truck or trailer.

Additional available technologies and hardware to aid trailering include:

• Auto Electric Park Brake to automatically apply the parking brake to help maintain truck position when hitching.
• All-new Park Grade Hold Assist enhances hill hold by using braking effort at each wheel for an extended period of time.
• All-new larger, door-mounted trailering mirrors with a four-bar link providing power extend and retract for the driver and passenger sides.
• Integrated trailer brake controller that works with the trailer profile in the Trailering App to recall a specified trailer’s most recent gain setting.
• Tow/Haul mode that remains engaged on the next key-on cycle, for up to four hours; includes a reminder the feature is engaged.
• Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control.
• Trailer Sway Control.
• Auto Grade Braking and Diesel Exhaust Braking.
• Digital Variable Steering Assist that dynamically optimizes power steering according to driving scenarios, including trailering, and enables features like road pull compensation.
• Trailering Info Label placed on the driver’s door jamb that clearly calls out the truck’s specific trailering information, including curb weight, GVWR, GCWR, maximum payload, maximum tongue weight and rear GAWR.⁸

Bigger and bolder
The 2020 Sierra HD has a commanding, powerful design rooted in a new architecture with larger proportions. It is taller and longer, with a more confident stance defined by a bold design that epitomizes GMC’s signature refinement and technologically driven attention to detail.  

“We took every opportunity to visually express the strength and capability that lies beneath the surface,” says Matt Noone, director of GMC exterior design. “The elevated hood line, the strong shoulders, the striking front grille — these cues communicate the strength and performance that have been engineered and built into each and every Sierra Heavy Duty.”

The all-new Sierra HD is highlighted by new signature lighting, including prominent “light blades” that deliver LED illumination for the daytime running lamps. LEDs are also used for the headlamps, taillamps, available fog lamps and other illuminative elements, including the available roof marker lights standard on all dual-rear-wheel HDs and all Sierra HD Denalis except where prohibited by law. 

Inside, the Sierra HD’s new interior has best-in-class front head- and legroom (maximum), with Crew Cab models. A higher seating position complements the truck’s taller profile to offer a confident view from behind the wheel. Additional optimized ergonomics emphasize easy, intuitive interaction with the vehicle’s available technologies, such as a heavy-duty segment-first head-up display and GMC’s latest touchscreen infotainment systems.⁹

Denali-exclusive materials — including premium leather-appointed seating, authentic open-pore wood trim and dark-finish aluminum decor — raise the interior’s refinement. The leather appointments have a distinctive, large-pebbled grain with a contrasting stitch pattern that is premium in appearance and touch without sacrificing durability, and the wood trim features an open-pore texture evocative of hand-planed furniture.   

Compared to the current model, the new Sierra Heavy Duty has:

• A longer wheelbase, a taller, more dominant hood line and taller overall height.
• A larger grille and complementing functional hood scoop to feed an advanced cooling system for the Duramax turbo diesel. 
• Class-leading heavy-duty cargo bed volume10 and 12 corner tie-downs with a new, available 120-volt power outlet.
• One-inch-lower bed lift-in height compared to the 2019 Sierra Heavy Duty, providing easier loading and fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailer hitching¹⁰.
• New, segment-exclusive cargo bed side steps on all box styles, located in front of the rear wheel openings, that complement integrated CornerSteps in the rear bumper to improve access to the cargo area.
• World’s first six-function MultiPro tailgate available on all trim levels and standard on SLT, AT4 and Denali.

All-new Sierra AT4 HD: Refined HD Capability Off-Road
The all-new 2020 Sierra Heavy Duty AT4 continues the AT4 brand’s growth with a distinctive off-road identity to complement its robust HD capability. Driven by dark chrome exterior finishes and contemporary detailing, Sierra HD AT4 features front and rear bumpers and a grille surround finished in body color. The bold grille design, with its rugged texture, is finished in black chrome and set off by the AT4’s distinctive red vertical recovery hooks.

The athletic interior also carries AT4-specific darkened trim, including dark-tinted and textured aluminum finishes on the steering wheel, center stack and sill plates, as well as a unique Jet Black interior with Kalahari color accents in the seats and live stitching. Leather-appointed seating, with mini-perforated inserts and embroidered AT4 badging on the headrests, along with all-weather floor liners, is standard delivering durability with uncompromising comfort.

The new Sierra AT4 Heavy Duty’s off-road capabilities are rooted in a unique suspension and supporting technologies that include:

• Off-road suspension, Rancho Shocks, skid plates, Eaton locking rear differential.
• Eighteen-inch wheels wrapped with Michelin all-terrain tires, with 20-inch wheels available.
• Traction Select System with specific Off-Road mode.
• Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist.
• Segment-exclusive 15-inch diagonal Head-Up Display with Off-Road Inclinometer.
• HD Surround Vision1 for low-speed views of vehicle surroundings.

Confident trailering power
GMC’s legendary Duramax turbo diesel and Allison Transmission pairing continues to offer the ultimate in towing confidence.

The proven Duramax 6.6L turbo-diesel engine offers high torque, high power, low noise and exceptional durability. For the 2020 Sierra HD, the Duramax offers an SAE-certified 445 horsepower and 910 lb-ft of torque. This already powerful engine performs more efficiently thanks to increased cooling capacity delivered in part by improved air induction. A dual-path intake system draws dense, cool air through both the prominent hood scoop and the larger front grille.

The new Sierra HD marks the introduction of an all-new 10-speed Allison automatic transmission — the first-ever offered in the heavy-duty pickup segment. The all-new 10-speed transmission with closer gear spacing allows the engine to operate in an optimal range at all times with varying load and terrain conditions.

The bigger frame, stronger propulsion and smarter technologies are expected to deliver dramatically greater towing capacity than previous models, well in excess of 30,000 pounds. More details regarding an all-new gas engine and trailering capabilities will be announced shortly.  

Coming late summer 2019
The 2020 Sierra HD goes on sale later this year in 2500HD and 3500HD dual rear wheel and single rear wheel configurations. Pricing and complete specifications will be announced later.

With a $1.5 billion investment to support the next-generation Heavy Duty truck launch, Flint Assembly in Flint, Michigan, will proudly build the 2020 Sierra Heavy Duty.