2024 GMC Sierra HD

Hey everyone, Brian here. I am just outside Detroit, Michigan, checking out the 2024 GMC Sierra HD. Like its brother, the Silverado HD, 2024 brings a multitude of updates. Where do those updates lie? Well, under the hood we have two updated powertrains, we have two new trim levels, a much-needed rethinking of that interior, as well as thoughtful new trailering features that bring it more closely in line with the refreshed 1500 model you see to my left. There are also some subtle exterior tweaks to go over, so let's start there. Starting with the front, obviously I do not need to crouch down to show you this thing because it is just so big, but what you'll get up front is a reworked grille, a lower fascia that's been massaged, some bumper treatments here and there, but overall the shape and the theme and design of this truck looks now much closer to the 1500 refresh that we saw a little bit earlier this year, and I think it looks really good. The one you're looking at right here, this is the brand new Denali Ultimate trim. This is the first time a Denali Ultimate has been offered on a 2500 or a 3500, and yes, you can get it on the 25 and the 3500, so that's pretty cool. As you can tell, the LED DRLs have more of a clamshell shape that looks very similar to the 1500 right over there, and the overall shape just looks very upright and very tough, which is exactly what buyers want. You can also see the new sequential animated turn signals, or I guess you could say the welcome lights, and then up top here we have an updated design to the hood scoop. There is this new chrome strip right through the center. It doesn't disrupt airflow. Actually, the amount of airflow coming into the engine did not get affected at all by adding that trim piece, and all it does is add a little visual flare, and I like that a lot. The HD also receives a ton of new wheel design options. This is the 20-inch wheel you'll get on the Denali Ultimate. That black portion in the center becomes brighter if you get the standard Denali. There's also a new 22-inch wheel design that you can order as an accessory from your dealership that is the largest wheel ever offered on a Sierra HD. Some other notable tidbits here and there are down low here we have a new 2500 badge. Of course, if you get a 3500, that'll say 3500 right here. There's an updated look to the badge that comes at the bottom of the A-pillar showing off the trim level and the engine you chose. This one, of course, says Ultimate with the Allison transmission and the Duramax diesel. We've got the integrated sidestep just right here in front of the rear wheel. Then out back here you can see the updated tail light design. The actual tailgate itself doesn't really change much. We still have the MultiPro tailgate with six different positions. That is a really unique feature in the industry, much more versatile than what you get in the Ram barn door setup. As you can see right here, we have the sequential turn signal or the animated LEDs just like they are up front. When you approach the car, you'll get a little show. Then when you have the turn signals on, it's going to give you this LED sequence as you can see right here. It looks pretty nice. Just as before, we have two engines under the hood. We have the gasoline 6.6-liter V8 that makes 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque. It is now mated to the 10-speed Allison transmission from the Duramax diesel, which means it's going to be able to be in the peak power zones much more often than the old six-speed. That's going to be a lot better for towing and a lot better for overall performance if you do go the gas route. Right here, we have the updated Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel V8. Same 10-speed Allison transmission, 470 horsepower and 975 pound-feet of torque. The low end of the torque curve has actually been boosted by 25%. That's going to really help with towing and getting off the line performance in all the kinds of situations that you're going to run into with a truck like this. Included in the updates for this engine in particular is a more efficient turbocharger, improved engine braking, new cylinder heads, and many other enhancements. This is just going to be a much more modern, refined feel under the hood, and that's great because there's a lot of competition in this space and you want to be as up-to-date as possible. If you want best-in-class towing in your crew cab-sized pickup truck, this is going to be your ticket because the 2500HD can tow up to 21,900 pounds. The other configurations of 2500 can tow up to 22,500. That's of course not going to be a crew cab and not going to be as nice as this one, but you have that option. If you want the most towing possible, you'll have to go for a 3500 single cab with the dual rear wheels and two-wheel drive. That'll get a max of 36,000 pounds of towing. Inside this Denali Ultimate trim, we have a standard-sized moonroof. If you want a pano roof, you'll have to go the Ford route. Down below, you can see this is the new Alpine Umber interior color. Over on the door panel, you'll see it's just this beautiful brown leather. Everything is soft to the touch. The attention to detail is really exquisite. On the dashboard there, that is real open-pore wood. There's some etching that shows the topography of Denali, the actual physical landmark. There's also a pretty large glove box stitching on the dashboard. This of course is the Google Android Automotive infotainment system that has 14 camera views for trailing. Of course, below that, we have physical controls for HVAC and other features. This space is pretty devoid of style or features, but the trailer brake control is right there. This spot can be fitted with a five-physical button upfitter bank. There's space right there with a USB-A, USB-C port. Then, of course, the column shifter is up there behind the steering wheel now. The steering wheel looks pretty much the same. We've got a heated steering wheel here on the Denali Ultimate trim. Then, right through there is the newer full LCD instrument cluster, which looks very nice. It's somewhat customizable, but it looks really good compared to what we had before, of course. On Denali Ultimate trims, you get a 15-inch color head-up display just right there. Then, looking at the details again, this is a leather-wrapped grab handle. The headliner is micro sway, which feels really cool and looks really nice. Looking closer at these details, more of that open-pore wood, which if you feel it, it is real. This is hand stitching right here, which is really, really nice to look at. Everything, again, feels great in the hand. This is real aluminum trim. It has a darker finish here on the Denali Ultimate. Rear seat space is also out of this world. Tons of knee room, tons of foot room, leg room, all of that down there. I don't need to worry. Headroom is also basically unlimited. The only thing I'm missing back here are ventilated seats. There are no ventilated seats on offer, but to make up for that, the front seats are massaging, unlike the Silverado HD. One other thing to note is this interior design is what you're going to find on the Denali and AT4 slash AT4X trims. The SLE and SLT will actually get a unique, less nice interior than this, and the base pro interior is going to be the interior you found on the outgoing model. The HD can also be had with GMC's pro-grade trailering system. Now, a lot of these features have already been covered in Alex's review of the newer 1500 model, so if you want to look into those a little bit closer, go ahead and check out that video, but this suite includes things like that transparent trailer view, the trailer blind spot alert, the GCW alert for vehicle and trailer weight, the adaptive cruise control that includes trailering, but just like the Silverado HD, there is no super cruise available, at least not at launch. The Sierra HD also comes with a lot of standard safety features, including forward collision alert, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking with new front pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, and a follow distance indicator. Now, like I said, adaptive cruise will be available, but we don't know exactly if that's a standalone option or if that's part of this upgraded suite, which is the HD Pro Safety Plus system, which adds rear cross-traffic braking and trailer side blind zone alert, like I mentioned earlier. The 2024 Sierra HD will start hitting dealer lots quarter one of next year with that new off-road AT4X trim coming a little bit later. We don't know pricing just yet, but as soon as we know, we will let you know, and I wouldn't be surprised if that Denali Ultimate over there ends up scraping the bottom of the $100,000 barrel. Thanks so much for watching. Make sure to subscribe to the channel, as well as the Auto Buyer's Guide podcast, the EV Buyer's Guide channel, and head to the Alex on Autos website for the written reviews, and follow us on all socials. Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you next time.