GMC Sierra EV hauls 9,500 pounds, with 6-figure price tag

DETROIT — The exclusive club of pickup trucks sporting six-figure price tags is getting a new member. The $107,000 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 arrives just over a year from now.

The first of three planned trim levels, the Sierra EV Edition 1 is powered by a pair of electric motors, for a rating of 754 hp. The pickup will have a range of 400 miles, towing capability of 9,500 pounds and a brisk 0-to-60 mph time of just 4.5 seconds, GMC says.

And like the GMC Hummer EV, the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 will be able to do the crabwalk.

The top-of-the-line Denali brings a laundry list of luxury, safety and convenience features, including quilted seats, real wood trim and three screens, including one for the heads-up display. The Super Cruise hands-free driving system will be configured for trailer towing.

The truck can power a house or recharge another vehicle, such as a Chevrolet Bolt. Its 350-kilowatt charging system can inject 100 miles of range into the Ultium batteries in 10 minutes, GM says.

Following the debut of the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 pickup in early 2024, GMC will flesh out the lineup with two additional models — the entry-level Elevation and the off-road-oriented AT4 in early 2025. Duncan Aldred, global vice president of Buick and GMC, said at a media preview for the Sierra EV Denali that the Elevation model will have a starting sticker price of around $50,000.

Aldred also said GMC's marketing plan for the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 will offer first dibs to the truck to current GMC Denali pickup and SUV owners.

This strategy also addresses manufacturing constraints with the truck. It will be built in very limited numbers at General Motors' Factory Zero plant in Detroit as it ramps up output of a broad array of electric vehicles. These include the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer pickup and utility, GMC pickups and Cruise Origin delivery vehicle.

"On this one we are going to try a different tactic," Aldred said. "We'll invite our Denali owners to a private [showing] and to reserve one, and then open it up to public reservations up to a limited number." GMC wants to avoid the situation it faced with Hummer EV orders, he said, in which so many reservations were placed — about 90,000 — that lead times for the vehicle got too long.

Aldred would not give a specific production number for the Edition 1, but said it would be less than 10,000 units.

As with competitive electric trucks, the Sierra EV Denali pickup sports a front-opening "frunk" for storage, but this one is power-operated and features two drains for wet items, such as scuba gear ice bags and coolers.

The body of the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 has two other novel features, including a mid-gate design that extends the rear of the bed to inside the vehicle. The rear section of the cab folds forward and flat, increasing the bed from 5 feet, 11 inches to more than 9 feet, enabling an object, such as a surfboard, to fit in the bed.

Unlike other trucks, there is no visible seam on the side of the body separating cab from bed. It's hidden under a trim appliqué.

GMC is not concerned about the six-figure window sticker of the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1. According to GMC, the average price paid for a light-duty Sierra pickup is $65,000.

"It's pretty amazing," said Aldred. "A few years ago, when we were planning Hummer, the amount of vehicles sold over $100,000 in the entire industry was not that many. Now, that has radically changed in the last three years. There's been a rapid increase in vehicle prices and there's been an even quicker rise at the top end. We expect to sell out really quite quickly."