2007 GMC Sierra

2007 GMC Sierra 2007 GMC Sierra
First Drive Review

As a brand, GMC has always lived in the shadows of Chevrolet. But in recent years, GM has begun to try to create some distinction between the sister brands, with Chevrolet's trucks catering, not surprisingly, to mainstream truck buyers while GMC's products are designated "professional grade" with distinct qualities specifically answering the needs of buyers that use their trucks as modern day field oxen.

Or at least that's what GM would have you believe. The reality, however, is that, save GMC's low-volume Denali luxury variants (right), Chevrolet offers better exposed, better marketed, mechanically identical products in pretty much every segment where GMC competes, rendering the so-called "professional grade" brand the veritable Jan Brady of the truck market, always vying with big sister Chevrolet for attention.

Little of that condition stands to change with the launch of GM's all-new 2007 full-size trucks, offered by both GMC and Chevrolet with little besides unique sheetmetal distinguishing them. Both are outstanding trucks and truthfully, we could have written about them together.

Sierra vs. Silverado: a sheetmetal story

The GMC Sierra's design has a rectilinear, square-jawed front end, which accentuates the prominent grille, broad-shouldered stance and gives the Silverado a powerful and muscular presence. Next to the Silverado, the Sierra's entire front-end, wide hood, bumpers, front and rear fenders, lamps, cargo box, and tailgate are unique. Common to both trucks, however, are other interesting features such as power rear windows on the extended cab models that drop down into the rear doors, both of which now are double-jointed so as to open to an angle of 170 degrees.

Mechanical bits

In the beginning, the Sierra mirrors the Silverado's offering of three cab styles, three bed lengths, rear- or four-wheel drive and no fewer than seven engines. At the low end is a 4.3-liter V-6 rated at 195-hp and 260 lb-ft, but a vast majority will be powered by one of six V-8s, starting with an iron-block 4.8-liter with 295-hp and 305-lb-ft. Next up are four 5.3-liters, offered with either iron or aluminum blocks and in both gasoline and flex-fuel flavors. GM claims that eventually, all 5.3s will be made with aluminum blocks, but for now, production capacity for the aluminum block dictates that the iron horse stick around. All four variants put out 315 horsepower and 338 lb-ft of torque. At the top of the regular (ie: non-Denali) Sierra range is a 6.0-liter V-8 with 367-hp and 375-lb-ft, which, like the 5.3-liter, features Active Fuel Management to save gas. Come early 2007, the Sierra will be offered in decked-out Denali trim, with the 6.2-liter, 400-hp, 415-lb-ft V-8 from the Cadillac Escalade. At that point, GMC will have the upper hand on Chevy for a change, but rest assured that Chevy won't take long to launch a performance-oriented Silverado SS model with the same guts. Still, the Denali will always maintain a luxury bent that Chevrolet likely will never match.