The GMC Sierra is all-new for 2007, redesigned from the ground up. The new Sierra is built on a new platform, stiffer than before for better ride and handling. The exterior styling is all new and a new interior offers the buyer many more options, including a choice of two dashboard styles.
The 2007 GMC Sierra will be presented in a Denali trim, making it a comfortable, sumptuous and high-performance truck. A Sierra Denali can take care of business and family matters, as well as perform serious towing and hauling tasks. Sierra Denali offers the same type of exclusive content as the GMC Yukon Denali premium gaming utility.
Keep in mind that until production of the new truck ramps up, GMC dealers will sell the obsolete Sierras as 2007 GMC Sierra Classic models. They deserve not to be with the logo of the new 2007 version.
GMC Sierra is available in eight powertrain configurations, five suspensions, three frame styles, and a choice of interiors. It is available in standard, extended and double cab versions. Possible engine selections include: a 4. 8-liter V8, a 5. 3-liter V8, and a 6. 0-liter V8.
The popular cab is designed for fleet buyers who need a basic paint truck; Your standard cab work truck can be supplied with a popular bed (6 feet, 6 inches) or a long bed (8 feet). The checkered van can be ordered with two individual seats or a 3-person bench.
The extended cab features two rows of seats with hinged rear doors that open 170 degrees. The extended cab can be supplied with a short (5 feet, 8 inches), popular or long bed. The extended cab can be supplied with five or six seats. .
The crew cab has two rows of seats and four front-hinged doors, like those on a Yukon. The crew cab can be equipped with seating for five or six and comes with the short bed.
The Denali comes in a team cab edition and exclusively with a 6. 2-liter V8 engine that develops 400 horsepower with a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
Standard equipment on the paint truck ($17,860) includes AM/FM radio, daylight running lights, tire tension tracking system, comfortable suspension, 17-inch wheels, chrome bumpers, air conditioning, vinyl seats and a one-year OnStar membership.
The SLE ($24,050) adds a CD player, cruise control, cloth seats, a rear-window defogger, auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and outside temperatures, leather-wrapped steering wheel, fog lamps, handling/trailering suspension, carpeting and power door locks/windows/mirrors, while the SLE2 ($28,695) adds dual-zone air conditioning, a floor console, six-way power driver and front passenger seats, audio controls on the steering wheel, premium cloth seats and machined aluminum wheels.
The SLT ($30,855) adds a six-CD changer with Bose audio system, leather-trimmed seats, heated windshield washer, forced 12-way bucket seats and polished aluminum wheels.
Options come with curtain head airbags ($395), XM satellite radio ($199), locking rear differential ($325), Stabilitrak ($425) and forced sunroof ($685).
Safety features come with the mandatory two front airbags and a tire pressure tracking system. Optional curtain airbags automatically inflate when sensors detect a violent impact to provide added coverage in the event of a rollover or secondary collision. Also available: front passenger side airbags and motive power; Anti-lock brakes, StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation technology, Autotrack active motion case, ultrasonic rear parking assist, OnStar emergency notification.
The design of the front end of the 2007 GMC Sierra emphasizes the truck’s wide stance. The GMC emblem is set amid dark horizontal bars in the middle of an upright and chrome-surrounded grille. The headlamps are a pair of stacked, jeweled lenses. The front bumper features round fog lamps and a wide air intake and wraps around the sides of the truck to the front lower edge of the front wheel wells.
The Denali has its own chrome grilles, either on the top component or on the air vent under the front bumper.
The bonnet features a pair of long, narrow V-shaped protrusions and leads to a steeply sloping windshield. The windshield is tilted backwards to improve aerodynamics and on-highway fuel consumption.
The side view features long, slightly domed fenders running around the headlights. The sides of the shipping area are higher than previous models and the exterior of the tailgate is sculpted, improving the rear view of the truck. Stacked taillights are located on either side of the tailgate.
Nine colors are available in a truck that feels larger and more powerful than its predecessor, but also has improved aerodynamics that help give the Sierra a highway fuel economy score of up to 22 miles per gallon with the 5. 3-liter V8 engine. under the hood.
An optional load control system is available for the bed with side rails and boxes, dividers and fasteners for shipping and load control.
The GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado are built on the GMT900 platform, which shares most of the Yukon SUV’s mounts. The trucks take advantage of a unique rear frame segment that is 245% stiffer. The Sierra and Silverado share mechanical components, with the exception of the Sierra Denali’s exclusive features.
Compared to the previous generation GMT800 truck, the new frame is 234% stiffer in terms of torsional rigidity, 62% stronger in bending and 136% stiffer laterally. This produces a smoother ride and better handling. It also allowed engineers to clear the area between the truck bed and the passenger compartment, as well as the area between the fenders and bumpers, improving aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
For 2007, the front suspension replaced torsion bars with coil springs and the rack-and-pinion guide box fixed to the engine crossmember frame. The truck also features a new rear axle design with more vertical and externally fixed surprise shocks for greater dynamics. control.
The 2007 GMC Sierra has interior features popularized through the Yukon Sport Utility Vehicle, offering a much more exclusive environment for the driver and passengers. However, GMC hasn’t forgotten about owners who use their trucks for work. We had the option of choosing a natural or luxurious-inspired inland hotel, more to the taste of the Yukon.
The “natural pickup,” as it’s called, has a unique dashboard that’s more driver-oriented and features giant door gears and handles, designed to be handled smoothly by those dressed in paint gloves. The dashboard of the Pure Pickup features a two-stage glove compartment system, with the most practical box large enough to hold a pair of paint gloves and a few smaller items. The interior of the natural pickup includes a 40/20/40 split front bench seat with the center segment folding down for the truck.
The sumptuous SUV-style interior places the audio and ventilation system controls more smoothly within the reach of the front passenger and features two individual front seats with a constant center console with matching garage compartments.
GMC says the interior of the new Sierra is 20 percent quieter than its predecessor, thanks to enhanced insulation materials, much like those used in the company’s sport utility vehicles, and to aerodynamic improvements that reduce wind noise.
The rear seats are designed for three other people in the Extended Cab and Double Cab trims, with comfortable rear legroom of 34. 3 inches in the Extended Cab and 38. 7 inches in the Crew Cab.
Access to the rear seating area of the extended cab is eased by rear-hinged doors that open to nearly flush with the rear quarterpanels. Sitting in the back seat of the extended cab is made more pleasant thanks to the fact that the windows in the rear access doors power fully down.
We drove 3 versions of the 2007 GMC Sierra near Scottsdale, Arizona, and found them all comfortable. The 5. 3-liter V8 provided plenty of power for the extended-cab SLE models we drove and the 6. 0-liter V8 more than enough for the SLT Crew Cab.
Among the suspensions, the Z83 offers the smoothest ride, while the Z85 is a bit stiffer and aimed at those pulling trailers. The Z71 is designed to decorate off-road riding. The Z60 configuration is meant for what GMC calls “maximum highway driving. “Performance” and includes giant 20-inch wheels. NHT Geometry is designed for Sierra owners who want to tow heavier trailers.
The SLT Crew Cab 4×2 we drove was equipped with the Vortec Max 6.0-liter V8 engine, and a 3.75 rear axle. It was fitted with Stabilitrak, side-curtain airbags, a locking rear differential, and a convenience package that includes adjustable pedals, remote vehicle starting system and rear park assist. The SLT we drove had the NHT suspension designed for maximum capacity trailering, with a special steering gear, shock absorbers, rear axle and tires.
The suspension was comfortable and insulated potholes and bumps well as we drove on gravel roads, with good-sized rock masses, through the Arizona desert, north of Phoenix.
But the van was also comfortable and capable of driving aggressively on narrow, paved roads that wound over Yarnell Grade and through the mountains as we took the scenic drive to Prescott.
One of the trucks we were driving had a bed loaded with heavy loads and the brakes were enough so that nothing dramatic happened when we had to make a sudden and quick stop.
The GMC Sierra is all-new for the 2007 design year. It features new exterior styling and interiors that can be ordered for natural pickup truck frames or for more sumptuous family tasks. Those who plan to use their van for painting, hauling a lot of family members and tow boats would probably prefer the SUV-style interior, but van veterans who use their van for painting will likely opt for the natural, more driver-centric pickup truck concept.
NewCarTestDrive. com correspondent, Larry Edsall, GMC Sierras on desert roads north of Phoenix.
GMC Sierra SLE, SLT, Denali.
Flint, Michigan; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Oshawa, Ontario; and Silao, Mexico.
6. 0-liter engine ($1,095); curtain airbags ($395); locking rear differential ($325); towing package ($350); Single tailgate ($95); Convenience Package ($540).