Sharp-eyed commuters in the City of Angels got a sneak peek of the 2019 GMC Sierra today as the burgundy bruiser cruised the streets of California.
Like its fraternal twin the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado that bowed at this month’s Detroit Auto Show, the Sierra will get a major redo for 2019. A significant revision keeps some conservative construction methods, mixing a hefty dose of steel with a pinch of aluminum on the hood, doors, and tailgate – anything that swings, basically.
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On the GMC, it certainly appears that a blocky, upright grille will run counter to the Silverado’s new rounded face. Bookending the sky-high mug are a pair of headlights with a slight c-shape to them, very much in keeping with the units found on the Terrain crossover.
These spy photos show us a familiar sliding rear window and CHMSL, very similar to the one found on Chevy’s new Silverado. Taillight designs are tougher to determine, with the camouflage doing its job concealing the test mule’s rear lenses.
It’s almost certain that like the Chevy, GMC’s Sierra will get a couple of V8 choices, a 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter. Right now, one can spec a mid-level SLT with the mighty 6.2 and a bench seat, a combination this author dearly hopes is carried over to the new truck. The big V8 and the new 3.0-liter inline six turbodiesel benefit from start/stop technology. It’s likely base models will continue with a six-speed automatic and go up to a 10-speed auto on higher trims.
Beyond the square mug, expect the next Sierra to ape the Silverado in many aspects, including cab and bed configurations. The new Chevy added several trim levels, increasing selection to eight distinct trims; we openly wonder if GMC will do the same. With the introduction of the off-road-focused Trail Boss line for the bowtie, it’ll be interesting to see if GMC follows suit with a trail buster of its own or if it’ll leave the rock-crawling to its brother.
The Sierra should appear either at Chicago or New York auto shows this Spring (your humble author is wagering on the Chicago show) and go on sale sometime in the second half of 2018.
