When a new Chevy Silverado arrives, a new GMC Sierra inevitably arrives. The General Motors twins share a lot – engines, platforms and so on – but with the three-letter brand becoming more advanced they are now more distinct than ever. The 2027 Sierra Denali Ultimate is proof of that, but before we get into what makes these rigs so attractive, let’s go over the basics.
GMC has revamped the exterior of the half-ton Sierra with a sleek headlight design similar to the electric version. Rather than relying solely on the LED signature to shape it, the lamp is physically thinner at the top before tapering towards the bottom, where it gets wider and wider. Each trim—Pro, Elevation, AT4 and AT4X, then Denali and Denali Ultimate—gets its own grille, too.
You could argue that the interior matters just as much, if not more, than the exterior in half-ton trucks these days. GMC knows this, which is why it went all-in on the 2027 Sierra Cab. The 16.3-inch center screen is the obvious focal point, and on the Denali Ultimate, it articulates as if it’s on some kind of swivel TV mount. This is supported by a 12.2-inch digital gauge cluster on the left and an available 11.5-inch passenger screen on the right. Factor in the 15-inch head-up display and the 8.5-inch rearview mirror along with the camera feed, and you’ve got over 60 inches of screen in this thing. But don’t mistake “more screens” for “more luxury.”
GMC has doubled down on it this time with latticed wood on the Denali Ultimate, not to mention trim-specific colorways and stitched details like topographic patterns on the seats and door cards. That truck also has an available 16-speaker Bose sound system with AT4X, which rocks a pair of speakers inside the driver and front passenger headrests. I’ve only seen this before on the Yukon Denali Ultimate and Infiniti QX80, but I’m probably missing some other luxury vehicle. Either way, this is a first for a pickup truck.
Another major interior update is the MultiPro center console. It folds and flips to provide deep storage or a flat-top work station, while it also has two available MagSafe wireless chargers. And because the shifter is on the column, GMC didn’t need to design a fancy folding lever like Ford did for the F-150.
The powertrain lineup of the 2027 Sierra 1500 is identical to its Silverado counterpart, with the new 5.7-liter and 6.6-liter small-block V8s being the significant additions. The 2.7-litre Turbomax four-cylinder remains the standard engine on lower trims, while a 3.0-litre Duramax diesel inline-six is also present. We don’t have any official power numbers yet for the next-generation gas V8s, but GMC reiterates Chevy’s claim that the 6.6-liter is the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in the full-size pickup segment.
The 10-speed transmission is now the only option as GM has eliminated the eight-speed on Turbomax trucks.
GMC hasn’t left its off-road models, the AT4 and AT4X, alone for 2027 either. New this year are increased tire sizes – 34-inch Goodyears on the non-X truck and 35-inchers on the top dog – as well as the Multimatic Jange Control dampers with DSSV units that make the X and Silverado ZR2 so special. You will be hard pressed to find a better four-wheeler than this.
We don’t yet know how much the new Sierra will cost, but expect those details, along with small-block power specs, to arrive before the end of the calendar year. GMC plans to launch the 2027 model by then, but that’s as specific as the automaker wanted.
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