2027 GMC Sierra 1500 First Look: Trying to Separate From the Silverado

• What's new: The 2027 GMC Sierra 1500 is the brand's all-new bread-and-butter pickup offering, with fresh tech and a much nicer interior.
• Why it matters: Pickups are some of the best-selling vehicles in America, and GMC needs to find a way to prove the Sierra is worth the premium over the Chevy Silverado it's based on. 
• Edmunds says: The new Sierra packs a lot of tech, but there's still no hybrid and plenty more we need to know before we pass final judgment. 

Starting off feeling familiar 

For most truck buyers, it all starts with the engine lineup. The new Sierra will offer four at launch. There will be a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder as the base engine, all-new 5.7-liter and 6.6-liter V8s, and a 3.0-liter inline-six turbodiesel. All of these engines will be paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It's also safe to assume that, just like the current Sierra, rear- and four-wheel drive will be available. 

If that sounds familiar that's because it's the exact same engine lineup as what Chevrolet just announced for the recently redone Silverado. Just like Chevy, GMC is staying tight-lipped on specs, saying only that the 6.6-liter V8 will have best-in-class power. Important specs like towing, payload, horsepower and fuel economy will all have to wait until closer to the truck's launch later this year.

Just like the Chevy, GMC will offer no hybrid, at least not at launch. GMC did say the diesel will get better fuel efficiency than the hybrid pickups on the market (the Toyota Tundra and Ford F-150 PowerBoost). With the F-150 hybrid, having that battery pack on board adds a huge helping of capability that enables buyers to power everything from a house to large appliances to tailgating gear. 

The new Sierra's trim levels start at Pro and go up to Elevation, AT4, AT4X, Denali and the top-spec Denali Ultimate. GMC hasn't detailed what bed and cab configurations the new Sierra will offer, but we know for sure you'll get a crew cab and a short bed thanks to the photos. The current Sierra offers a three-passenger regular cab, a double cab with rear-hinged rear doors, and a crew cab with front-hinged rear doors; both of the four-door body styles seat six. The available short bed is 5 feet, 10 inches long; the standard bed is 6 feet, 7 inches long; and the long bed is 8 feet, 2 inches long.

The Sierra's Silverado separation plan

All of this has sounded a lot like the Silverado so far, but the Sierra starts to make a difference with its technology. The top-of-the-line Denali Ultimate is where things get crazy. It will come with not two or three but five different displays in total. The gauge cluster is a 12.2-inch fully customizable unit, and the center display is a huge 16.3-inch touchscreen that can slide up and down to reveal a hidden cubby behind it — perfect for hiding the snacks you don't want your spouse to find. 

There is also an 11.5-inch passenger display with a cover that slides up from the bottom to obscure the bottom half while it's not in use so the screen looks more like a piece of trim. It's a nice touch considering passenger displays almost always look tacky. The last two displays are the 15-inch head-up display and the 8.5-inch digital rearview mirror (which isn't technically a "display," but you see what GMC is trying to do).

Those screens will provide a lot of information for buyers to take in, but the standard three-year subscription to Super Cruise on Denali Ultimate models should help lessen the burden of driving. Buyers of top-spec Sierras will also get a 16-speaker Bose audio system. 

If there is an issue with all this display real estate, it's that GMC has thrown the controls for the climate functions into the center touchscreen. Time and time again this proves to be nothing more than an irritation, and in a workhorse like a pickup truck — where you might find yourself wearing gloves or with very dirty fingers — this seems like an even worse decision than usual. We'll know whether GMC's done a good job of integrating these controls when we get our hands on one later this year. 

The AT4X is the only other model for which GMC is giving any details. AT4 is GMC's way of saying "this is the off-road one" and the AT4X adds even more capability. Shock absorbers from Multimatic (the same company that does the shocks for the Ferrari Purosangue and the Ford Mustang GTD) should give this truck good body control when going over the rough stuff. It also gets a 2-inch lift, much tougher-looking bodywork, and 35-inch tires as standard. 

How much and when?

We know that GMC plans to bring this truck to buyers by the end of the year. As for how much, the brand hasn't said. We expect the base Pro model to creep over the $40,000 mark, while the Denali Ultimate could easily top $90,000 before buyers start adding options. Whatever the case, we'll know much more about the 2027 GMC Sierra in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned for full specs, our driving impressions and much more.