2019 GMC Sierra Road Test and Review

These are exciting times for pickup fans. In the second-biggest segment in the automotive industry (behind crossover vehicles), the heated competition is driving innovation. Witness the 2019 GMC Sierra full-size pickup. Like its General Motors stablemate, the Chevrolet Silverado, the Sierra is all-new for the coming model year, riding on a new platform (T1), with a new exterior, new interior, new engines, new trim level, new technologies — new everything. This is a total makeover, not a gentle refresh.

GMC traces its roots to 1902. The name GMC was trademarked in 1911, and the first GMC pickup trucks were offered in 1912. Sierra has been a GMC nameplate since 1987, first as a trim level and then as the model name beginning in 1999. The latest Sierra marks the beginning of the pickup’s fourth generation. Let’s take a closer look at the 2019 GMC Sierra.

The groundbreaking innovation of the 2019 GMC Sierra, without a doubt, is the new MultPro Tailgate. Standard on Denali, SLT, and AT4 trim levels, the MultiPro Tailgate is a six-function unit that is so smart and useful that you’ll wonder why nobody thought of it before.

It opens in the traditional fashion, hinged at the bottom, and counter-weighted with dampers for a smooth, gravity-powered descent, triggered by the key fob’s power release or by a button on the gate. A section at the top of the gate, about 9 inches tall, can flip up to be a primary gate load stop. That would be a worthy innovation in itself. The aftermarket has dozens of bed-extenders and load stops, but none approaches the elegance of the MultiPro solution. But wait — there’s more.

Here’s where the innovation kicks into overdrive: With the MultiPro Tailgate open, the inner section of the gate folds down to let you get closer to the bed for easy loading. A full-width step folds out from the inner section, and a handle folds out from the driver’s-side bed wall to help you step up into the bed. You can also fold the inner section of the bed out with the gate latched up, which creates a standing-height work surface and enables second-tier loading in the bed. Finally, you can fold the load stop up while the inner gate is folded down, helping to keep second-tier cargo from sliding out.

Not to overstate how great this feature is, but it could generate a substantial sales bump for the Sierra in 2019.

The 2019 Sierra’s exterior design has been revamped to emphasize the “Like a Pro” theme of GMC’s marketing. Designers focused on a beveled arch shape, easily identified on the wheel arches, as a visual motif that repeats all over the vehicle (outside and inside). You can see it in the signature LED daytime running lights, in the taillights, grille, tailpipes — all over the truck. The motif subtly unifies the Sierra’s design and helps differentiate it from the Chevrolet Silverado.

Several functional details also stand out. Corner rear bumper steps, inset into the structure of the bumper, are deeper than they were in 2018 — making them easier to use, especially if you’ve got big feet or are wearing work boots. The fold-out running boards (standard on the Denali and available on other trims) can be coaxed back farther toward the truck bed to make accessing the box easier. Smart, subtle details make the truck.

One of the benefits of the new platform, which moves the front wheels farther toward the front of the vehicle, is that the cabin has become roomier. GMC only brought out Crew Cab models to the launch event that we attended in Newfoundland, Canada, but the advantage in the front row should carry over to Double Cab and Regular Cab models, too.

Space in the Crew Cab's rear seat is cavernous, with nearly three additional inches of legroom than 2018 Sierra. Storage options are plentiful throughout the cabin, including a big center console, seatback pockets, door bins, two glove compartments, convenient under-seat bins in the rear, and storage compartments behind the rear seatback cushions. Denali models feature luxury appointments, including leather seating surfaces, real wood and metal trim, and a high level of fit and finish.

Six engine/transmission combinations will be available for the 2019 Sierra: a 4.3-liter V6 with a six-speed automatic; a 5.3-liter V8 with a six-speed automatic; a new 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with an eight-speed transmission; a new 5.3-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management and an eight-speed automatic; a new 6.2-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management and a 10-speed automatic; and a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbodiesel with a 10-speed automatic. (The diesel engine will be available later in the model year.) Both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations will be available in all trim levels, except Denali and AT4, which will be four-wheel drive only.

Dynamic Fuel Management is a new GM cylinder deactivation technology that has 17 cylinder activation combinations, and which is said to optimize fuel efficiency without compromising performance. The new 5.3-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8 engines are the first GM engines to use this system in production. 

The Sierra uses an electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion system for steering, a tried and true option. The front suspension is independent, using coil-over shocks with twin-tube shock absorbers. The rear suspension gets a solid axle with semi-elliptical, variable-rate, two-stage multi-leaf springs and splayed twin-tube shock absorbers. An X31 package uses Rancho monotube shocks front and rear. The AT4 trim level comes with a factory 2-inch lift kit installed for superior off-road clearance. The Denali gets an exclusive version of Adaptive Ride Control, GMC’s version of Magnetic Ride Control, which adjusts damping in milliseconds in response to road conditions and driver input for greater ride comfort.

The Sierra is up to 360 lbs lighter for 2019 than 2018, with a fully-boxed steel frame that is 88 lbs lighter than previous versions with 10 percent greater torsional rigidity. Weight and stiffness both contribute greatly to handling characteristics.  

A substantial percentage of Sierra owners use their pickups for towing, so GMC has made a suite of technologies available to make it easier and safer: the ProGrade Trailering System. Hitch Guidance with Hitch View uses the Sierra’s backup camera to provide dynamic guidance lines not only for the truck but also for the trailer hitch. You can zoom in on the hitch for those final inches of alignment, and you can also catch a quick view while in motion to make sure your hitch is still connected.

There are also side-view cameras that face rear from the side mirrors to sight down the side of the truck and trailer while backing, and you can also buy a hard-wired auxiliary accessory camera to mount on the rear of the trailer for a view of the road behind. Wireless trailer tire pressure monitoring is also available for the first time.

The 2019 Sierra is bigger, longer, and wider than before, but it doesn’t feel that way on the road. Our test drives took place in Crew Cab models in the Denali trim, equipped with the new 6.2-liter V8. Newfoundland was a great venue for showing off the Sierra’s driving character. The power from the new engine (420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque) came on seamlessly, and the Dynamic Fuel Management system operated undetectably in the background.

The outward view from the Sierra was great for sightseeing. Maneuvering the big truck through the small fishing villages that dot Newfoundland’s coast was uneventful. A full day of driving invoked little fatigue, a tribute to the comfort of the front row. A brief stint on soft surfaces behind the wheel of the off-road-focused AT4 model was promising, though the available course was not challenging enough to reveal much about the new Sierra.

The Sierra will be available in at least six trim levels for 2019: Sierra, SLE, Elevation, SLT, AT4, and Denali. Elevation and AT4 are new trim levels. Elevation is a Double Cab model only, with monochromatic door handles, bumpers, and grille surround, and a black grille insert, tow hooks, and side window trim. The AT4 is the off-roader of the bunch, with a two-inch lift kit, standard four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case, a locking rear differential, skid plates, Rancho monotube shocks, 18-inch wheels, hill descent Control, a traction select system, and more.

Regular Cab models get an 8-foot-long bed. Double Cab models come with a 6-foot 6-inch box, while Crew Cab models can be ordered with a choice of 5-foot 8-inch or 6-foot 6-inch boxes. An exclusive carbon fiber box will be available for Denali models later in the model year. Pricing for vehicles and packages will be announced closer to launch.

The 2019 GMC Sierra is the best truck GM has offered to date, and that’s saying something. There’s an elephant in the room, though, and its name is Ford F-Series — the best-selling pickup truck in America for the past million years or so. Like it or not, every full-size pickup gets measured against it. Ford took a big step with the latest F-150 generation with its extensive use of aluminum in its body and structure.

Innovation isn’t always rewarded in the pickup truck market. If it was, the Honda Ridgeline would dominate. Truck buyers are resolutely brand-loyal and rarely change horses midstream. That said, anyone considering a new full-size pickup truck purchase right now should see the Sierra in person, try out that MultiPro Tailgate, and ask themselves whether they’re willing to wait until their favorite brand comes up with an answer — or to buy the Sierra now.