On paper, the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid seems like a perfect union: a full-size pickup that gets 20 mpg around town, using both a whomping V8 for proper truck labor and a pair of electric motors during the stop-and-go. It's a truck that makes more power and gets better mileage than a non-hybrid Sierra or a 2011 Ram 1500, and can tow a 3-ton load behind it. Sounds like an ideal truck for urban cowboys working the city by day and dunes on the weekends, right?
The answer depends whether you prefer green in your wallet or within your social circle. The Sierra Hybrid's impressive around-town fuel economy -- typically 6-7 mpg higher than competitive non-hybrids -- is arguably the best reason to buy. Its dual electric motors can motivate the truck up to nearly 30 mph before the 6.0-liter V8 takes over, making stoplight lurches and freeway gridlock largely a gasoline-free activity.
The two-mode hybrid powertrain on the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid is no small engineering triumph. The system juggles the operation of the engine (including cylinder deactivation), two electric motors, and multiple gearsets and clutches. It also coordinates a complex four-speed electrically variable transmission, essentially a combination of a conventional automatic transmission and a continuously variable one (CVT). A nickel-metal hydride battery pack (located underneath the rear bench seat) provides the charge for the electric motors, and a regenerative braking system recharges that battery pack during deceleration.
With the electric motors kicked in, the combined output is 379 horsepower. And to maximize fuel efficiency, the V8 will shut down four cylinders under certain conditions including light-load cruising or when driving downhill.
All of this technology and efficiency comes at a premium, however. The Sierra Hybrid costs significantly more than a comparably equipped gas-only Sierra and doesn't offer much of a boost in highway fuel economy. Even the miserly Sierra XFE is rated just 1 mpg less than the Hybrid's 23 mpg highway rating, while the standard 5.3-liter V8 Sierra still rates a respectable 21 highway mpg. The Hybrid's uneven power delivery and unremarkable towing capacity for its class further limit its appeal.
Considering the premium that the Sierra Hybrid commands -- and that it no longer qualifies for a federal tax credit -- it doesn't strike us as a smart purchase for most buyers. Some green-oriented businesses might like the truck's reduced carbon footprint, and contractors who do a lot of city driving might even recoup the initial price premium after a few years. For most people, though, the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid will likely remain an overpriced curiosity.