10 Things You Need to Know About the 2016 GMC Sierra Denali 1500

Listen to some politicians, and you’d think the country was on the verge of economic collapse. At the same time, GMC says that its luxury-oriented line of trucks and SUVs, dubbed “Denali” after the mountain formerly known as McKinley, accounts for 25 percent of all its sales. When it comes to the Sierra HD pickup truck, which is the heavy-duty version of GMC’s full-size pickup truck, nearly half of buyers choose the pricey Denali trim level.

What gives? It would appear that truck buyers have money to spend, and many of them are choosing to spend it on a GMC Sierra Denali. Before you drop a minimum of $52,285 on one, there are 10 specific things we think you ought to know about the updated 2016 Sierra Denali 1500.

You don’t drop well over 50 large for a pickup truck without expecting something in return, and GMC delivers when it comes to the Sierra Denali 1500.

Starting on the outside, the Denali has a look all its own, with special wheels, a unique grille, and added brightwork designed to set this most expensive version of the Sierra apart from other models.

Inside, premium perforated leather is wrapped around 12-way power adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation. The driver grips a heated steering wheel, and a Bose premium sound system is standard equipment. GMC also installs soft-touch material for parts of the dashboard, and real brushed aluminum trim adds an extra touch of class.

For 2016, GMC is offering the Sierra Denali 1500 with a new Ultimate Package, which jacks up the price but is, apparently, no cause for concern among luxury truck buyers.

Ultimate models have big 22-inch aluminum wheels, chrome tow hooks, a trailer brake controller, tri-fold power side steps, and a power sunroof. GMC’s Enhanced Driver Alert option package is also included for the Denali Ultimate, installing a forward collision warning system, a lane departure warning and lane keeping assist system, and a safety alert seat that vibrates to help get the driver’s attention whenever a potential threat exists.

Automatic high-beam headlights and parking sensors for the front and rear bumpers are standard for this version of the Sierra, too, but no matter how much money you’re willing to spend, you cannot get a blind spot warning system or a rear cross-traffic alert system.

GMC raised the price of the 2016 Sierra Denali 1500 by $1,075 compared to last year, but at the same time, the truck maker reduced the powertrain warranty from 100,000 miles to 60,000 miles and also chopped the free maintenance program from four free visits to just two.

Perhaps adding insult to injury, GMC also started charging extra for all metallic paint colors, whereas in 2015 only two colors required buyers to shell out additional cash.

Because of its cab configuration and the extra weight associated with all of its standard luxury features, the Sierra Denali 1500 tows and hauls less weight than other Sierra models can.

At a maximum, a Sierra Denali 1500 equipped with a 5.3-liter V8 engine, a 3.42 rear axle ratio, 2-wheel drive, and a short cargo bed will tow 9,400 pounds of trailer and haul 1,760 lbs. of payload. That’s 1,600 lbs. short in terms of towing and 500 lbs. short in terms of payload compared to the most capable Sierra 1500 model.

Meanwhile, the least capable Ford F-150 Limited with a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, a 3.15 rear axle ratio, 2-wheel drive, and a short cargo bed tows 10,600 lbs. of trailer and 1,720 lbs. of payload.

GMC builds the Sierra Denali 1500 in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. The engines and transmissions are sourced from U.S. manufacturing facilities, but 51 percent of the parts that go into this truck are produced south of the border.

GMC upgrades the Sierra Denali’s IntelliLink infotainment system for the 2016 model year. Equipped with a faster processor that responds sooner to user inputs, the system also adds new Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone projection technology.

Connect your smartphone to IntelliLink using the USB port. This transforms the IntelliLink display screen into a version of your device, showing familiar icons and supported applications. The goal of this technology is to make it easier and more natural to make and receive calls, to receive and compose text messages, to stream music, and more.

In addition to offering updated IntelliLink systems, GMC installs a new wireless smartphone charging pad in the Sierra Denali 1500. The pad is located on the top of the center storage console cover, and the idea is that you can place a compatible device on the tray in order to wirelessly recharge it.

From personal experience, I can tell you that I would need to buy a Qi wireless charging case for my iPhone 6 in order to use this feature. The price of that upgrade is $42. Considering this added cost, and the fact that GMC warns that wireless charging can interfere with the operation of medical devices such as a pacemaker, I’m pretty happy using a cord and a USB port to recharge my phone.

A 355-horsepower, 5.3-liter V8 engine is standard for the Sierra Denali 1500, and a 420-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 engine is optional. Both engines are equipped with direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, and Active Fuel Management technology in order to maximize fuel economy.

Active Fuel Management is a cylinder deactivation system. When accelerating, towing, and hauling, each engine operates on all eight cylinders. Under low load driving conditions, such as when cruising at a steady rate of speed on a freeway or coasting down a hill or to a stop, the engines switch to 4-cylinder operation in order to conserve fuel.

As a result of this technology, the EPA expects the 5.3-liter V8 to return as much as 16 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 18 mpg in combined driving when paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and 2-wheel drive.

The more powerful 6.2-liter V8 isn’t much thirstier. It also comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission, and with 4-wheel drive should get 15 mpg in the city, 21 mpg on the highway, and 17 mpg in combined driving.

According to the federal government, a Sierra Denali 1500 delivers 5-star levels of protection in every single crash-test assessment, coupled with a 4-star rollover resistance rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated the Sierra only for performance in the moderate overlap frontal-impact test, for which the truck earns the top rating of “Good.”

Several driver assistance and collision avoidance technologies are offered for the 2016 Sierra Denali 1500, but a blind spot warning system, a rear cross-traffic alert system, and an automatic emergency braking system are not among them.

If you’re interested in buying a luxurious pickup truck and you’ve decided that the Sierra Denali 1500 is the right one for you, keep in mind that it comes only in a crew cab style. This isn’t unusual, though. Shop the competition and you’ll find the same thing.

What is the competition? Glad you asked. Alternatives include the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country, the Ford F-150 Limited, the Nissan Titan XD Platinum Reserve, the RAM 1500 Limited, and the Toyota Tundra Platinum.