The GMC Sierra 1500 continues to defend its title as a leading full-size pickup truck. Its classic GMC styling and rugged, handsome curbside profile score major points among muscle truck enthusiasts. Even better, the GMC Sierra 1500 packs major power, tech, and safety beneath its monstrous hood and in its spacious cabin. Our Paul Thigpen Chevy GMC Buick team put together this basic rundown of standout features as well as differences between model years 2020 and 2021.
GMC 1500 Sierra: What's New for 2021?
The 2020 GMC 1500 Sierra ticked so many boxes of excellence in key areas, there wasn't much to update for 2021. The updates that took place were primarily tech features, but there are also new exterior features are worth writing home about. They include:
- More exterior paint options
- Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires
- High-step clearance
- Sierra Multipro tailgate
The 2021 GMC Sierra 1500's newest tech features make for valuable contributions to overall ride safety, especially trailering:
- Jackknife Trailering Alert
- Trailer Length Indicator in relation to other traffic
Then there are the enhanced trailering features, also new for 2021:
- Transparent Trailer View
- Hitch Guidance with Hitch View
- Bed View with Zoom
- Standard Rearview Camera
- Front Camera View
- Surround View
- Front Top-Down View
- Rear Top-Down View
- Bowl View
- Front and Rear Side View
- Rear and Inside Trailer View
- Picture-in-Picture Side View
- Rear Camera Mirror
Capability
Like its predecessor, the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 comes in six trims:
- Sierra
- SLE
- Elevation
- SLT
- Sierra AT4
- Sierra Denali
Choose between six-, eight- or 10-speed transmission married to one of five superb engines:
- 277-horsepower 3.0-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine
- 285-horsepower 4.3-liter Gas V6
- 310-horsepower 2.7-liter Turbo engine
- 355-horsepower 5.3-liter EcoTec 3 V8
- 420-horsepower 6.2-liter EcoTec 3 V8
When equipped optimally, the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 achieves a fuel efficiency of 23/30 mpg city/highway. It tows up to 11,800 pounds and boasts a max payload capacity of 2,000 pounds.
Brand New Tech for 2021
As mentioned above, the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 comes with Jackknife Trailering Alert and a Trailer Length Indicator. The Jackknife Alert displays a visible yellow alert when the truck and trailer angle approach 75 percent of a potential jackknife scenario. The alert turns red when the truck and trailer angle is 90-percent likely to end in a jackknife.
The Trailer Length Indicator activates when you're moving forward with the turn signal on. The indicator displays a red overlay equal to twice the length of your trailer when other vehicles enter your blind spot or your trajectory. The feature helps you make safer lane changes in Pembroke when you have your trailer attached.