GMC Could Offer Off-Road Distinction With Sierra All Terrain HD
Not to be completely outshone by the Ford SVT Raptor and Ram Runner off-road trucks, GMC is still out showing off its Sierra All Terrain HD concept truck.
General Motors officially said that it has no production plans for the truck at this time, and during a summer of high gas prices, this is not the vehicle a car company wants to firmly stand behind. Still, once fuel economy stops being the buzzword on every consumer's mind, the Sierra All Terrain HD may begin to look more appealing. The long term plans for GMC likely include smaller vehicles like the Granite concept, but the Sierra All Terrain HD is a truck that GMC can quickly bring to market utilizing many parts that are already in production.
The fact that the Sierra All Terrain HD is still making its way on the auto show circuit gives the impression that GMC is still looking for public reaction to the truck. So now that the (Dodge) Ram Runner is officially available and the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is well seasoned, it is worth taking a quick look at how this GMC may stack up against the off-road competition.
Both the SVT Raptor and the Ram Runner are inspired by the prerunners designs - vehicles that are built to compete in off-road dirt rallies such as the Baja 1000. The All Terrain HD concept is slightly different. Where the Ford and the Ram look to shed weight to keep svelte in the sand, the GMC looks to add a little more versatility.
GMC does not list the weight of the All Terrain HD concept. It is a good guess that it is the heaviest of the off-road bunch because the GMC does not incorporate fiberglass body panels like the Ford and Ram. The powerplant also does a bit of weighing down. The 6.6-liter diesel engine can use its 397 hp and class leading 765 lb-ft of torque to keep the truck out of trouble, but this motor also adds a few hundred lbs over the gas units utilized by the competitors.
The tires on the different trucks also tell what terrain the developers had in mind. The SVT comes with BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA/KO 35-inch tires, and the GMC Sierra All Terrain is being tested with BF Goodrich KM2 Mud-Terrain 35-inch tires. It may seem like a small difference, but the rubber on the Ford lists sand as a specialty, while a mud tire like those on the GMC can sometimes act like a shovel digging a truck deeper when driving in sand.
The point is if the Sierra All Terrain HD concept were to ever come to market, it would mean that all three of the full-size truck manufacturers would have a serious off-road machine. The GMC will always draw a comparison to the Ford and Ram because it is GM's counterpoint to the domestic hardcore off-road trucks. Although the Sierra All Terrain HD concept is a different truck specializing in a different landscape, the comparison to the rest of the Big Three may not be off the mark for the average consumer. With the exception of a few hardcore sand trail enthusiasts, all three can fit the bill for those who like to venture off the pavement.