GMC Sierra 2023: America’s luxury GM ute Australia does not get

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Since 2020, General Motors Special Vehicles (GMSV) has been selling the Chevrolet Silverado in Australia, doing battle with the Ram 1500 and 2500 that also hail from Michigan in the United States. 

But with Ford set to enter the local market next year with its F-150, and Toyota eyeing up the prospect with the Tundra, is there room for another American ute?

That next entry (if it did end up happening) would likely come in the form of the GMC Sierra, which has always been mechanically identical to the Silverado, but offered as a slightly more premium truck. 

Like the Silverado, the GMC Sierra was subject to a mid-cycle refresh back in 2021, which saw it updated with a few new bells and whistles on the inside and out. 

Over in America, the Sierra is sold with the same engine options as the Silverado, which include the 6.2-litre petrol V8, a 5.3-litre petrol V8, a 2.7-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder, and a 3.0-litre turbo diesel. 

The Duramax inline-six diesel is good for 206kW/623Nm, and seems to be the choice for those looking to tow over in America. The larger 6.2-litre V8 makes 313kW/624Nm is currently offered in the Silverado as standard in Australia. 

A 10-speed automatic transmission comes mated to the petrol V8s as well as the turbo diesel as standard, but the smaller 2.7 gets an eight-speed automatic unit instead.

The 2021 update saw an all-new fascia appear on the front of the Sierra, featuring sleek new headlights, and a wider grille. 

Bigger changes happened in the inside of the Sierra, where the cabin was completely redesigned for 2022. The 13.4-inch infotainment system gets a Google-powered operating system that includes functions like Maps, Voice Assistant, and the Play Store. 

Behind the steering wheel sits a 12.3-inch digital cluster, which can be used to show ‘Super Cruise’ information on compatible American roads.

Considering that the Sierra is mechanically identical to the Silverado, it should come as no surprise to hear that it can tow the same amount. If it did end up making it over to Australia, it’d be rated at up to 4.5-tonnes. 

Over in America, pricing at the entry points of the Silverado and Sierra line-ups are quite similar, but it’s in the range-topping variants where the differences become clear. 

The highest spec Silverado offered by GMSV locally is the LTZ, which starts at AUD$112,990 in Australia, and USD$61,690 in America. In comparison, the highest spec offered on the Sierra in America is the Denali Ultimate, which starts at USD$83,695 (AUD$123,000 at the time of writing in September 2022).