The 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid crew-cab pickup strikes us as an answer to a question that not many people were asking. Thanks to the same dual-mode hybrid technology employed in GM's full-size SUVs, the Sierra Hybrid 2WD nets a remarkable 21 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway, and it can even accelerate -- albeit very slowly -- up to 29 mph using only its battery-powered electric motors. However, it's only offered in the crew-cab body style, it costs thousands more than a comparably equipped Sierra 1500 SLE crew cab, and GM's upscale full-size truck/SUV dashboard layout is unavailable despite the Hybrid's elevated $38,000 base price. Moreover, although the 332-horsepower, 6.0-liter hybrid power plant sounds imposing, its somewhat odd power delivery and decent but unremarkable towing capacity may further limit its appeal. As an exercise in environmental awareness, the Sierra Hybrid is admirable; as a consumer product, we're not sure it makes much sense.
Technologically, the Sierra Hybrid is a marvel and much more advanced than the original, mild-hybrid Sierra produced from 2005-'07. A complex four-speed electrically variable transmission -- essentially a combination of a conventional automatic transmission and a continuously variable one (CVT) -- works in tandem with a 6.0-liter V8 and two 60-kilowatt electric motors to propel the Sierra's considerable mass. A 300-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack (located underneath the rear bench seat) provides the juice for the electric motors, and a regenerative braking system recharges that battery pack during deceleration.
While official output is 332 hp, GM claims that the electric motors bump combined output to a healthy 379 hp. On top of all that, the V8 is endowed with cylinder-deactivation technology, enabling it to run in four-cylinder mode under many circumstances. The Sierra Hybrid's "dual-mode" nature means that the gas and electric motors can work either separately or in concert -- the gas engine shuts off at low speeds when it's not needed, and it seamlessly comes online when acceleration or higher-speed operation is required. Overall, you're looking at an approximate 40-percent improvement in city fuel economy compared to a regular Sierra, though the improvement in highway mileage is much less dramatic. In fact, the economy-minded Sierra XFE is rated at 21 highway mpg, just 1 mpg shy of the Hybrid's 22 mpg highway rating. Meanwhile, the regular Sierra with the 5.3-liter V8 yields 20 highway mpg.
The Sierra Hybrid's technology is highly impressive for a vehicle that begins life as a simple work truck. Nonetheless, the bottom line is bemusing. A $2,200 federal tax credit helps considerably, yet the base Sierra Hybrid 1HY still costs $3,000-$4,000 more than a comparably equipped Sierra 1500 SLE crew cab with the 4.8-liter V8 engine, and the gap widens further if you delete extraneous Hybrid standard features like a tonneau cover and automatic climate control.
In fairness, the Sierra 1500 Hybrid should have significant appeal for certain buyers. Green-oriented businesses might like the truck's reduced carbon footprint and public-image-boosting "Hybrid" badges, and contractors who plan to do a lot of city driving might even earn back the initial price premium before too many years have gone by. For most people, though, the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid seems destined to remain an overpriced curiosity.
