2014 SIERRA DENALI PAIRS HIGH-TECH LUXURY AND CAPABILITY
An all-new 2014 Sierra 1500 Denali full-size pickup arrives this fall with an available 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8 that will produce an estimated 420 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, the most power and torque of any light duty truck engine.
Final SAE-rated power and torque numbers will be available later this year. Now entering its third generation, the Sierra Denali is the most luxurious and technologically advanced GMC half-ton pickup.
Sierra’s 6.2L V-8 will also be available for Sierra SLT models this fall. With this engine, the Sierra is expected to have a class-leading maximum trailering capacity of 12,000 pounds. Like every 2014 Sierra, it offers more power and higher expected efficiency than its predecessor thanks to a trio of technologies including direct injection, active fuel management and variable valve timing.
Design cues for the 2014 Sierra Denali follow the formula that attracted two-in-10 GMC buyers to Denali vehicles last year. On the exterior, the truck has a signature Denali chrome grille, unique 20-inch chrome wheels, unique interior decorative trim, a polished stainless steel exhaust outlet and body-color front and rear bumpers. Denali-specific interior details include script on the bright door sills and embossed into the front seats and real aluminum trim.
Sierra Denali’s high-tech interior also features an exclusive eight-inch Customizable Driver Display that can show relevant settings, audio and navigation information in the instrument panel. Sierra Denali’s standard eight-inch Color Touch navigation radio with Intellilink, located above the center console, serves as the main hub for Bluetooth-connected phones and portable devices connected through five standard USB ports.
Other features standard on Sierra Denali include projector-style headlamps with LED signature daytime running lights, a Bose audio system, heated and cooled leather front bucket seats, a heated steering wheel, front and rear park assist and a power sliding rear window with defogger.
“The 2014 Sierra Denali has a combination of performance, capability and luxury that no other pickup can match,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of GMC Marketing. “It leaves no boxes unchecked for those owners looking for the ultimate expression of ‘Professional Grade.’”
A 5.3L EcoTec3 V-8 is standard for the 2014 Sierra Denali. It produces 355 horsepower and offers better EPA-estimated fuel economy (23 mpg highway on 2WD models) than any V-8 or turbocharged V-6 pickup on the market.
Sierra Denali will be available with two option packages, including a Z71 Off-Road Package (4WD only) with monotube Rancho shocks, Hill Descent Control and transfer case shield, and a Driver Alert Package that includes Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert and patented Safety Alert Seat Technology.
Standalone options include the 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8, a sunroof and Rear Seat Entertainment.
GMC PICKUPS BUSTING MYTHS OF TRUCK AERODYNAMICS
The all-new 2014 Sierra full-size pickup truck spent more development time in a wind tunnel than any GMC pickup before it, resulting in design changes that benefit both fuel efficiency and interior quietness.
To achieve improved airflow, aerodynamic engineers like Diane Bloch examined every millimeter of the truck to find areas of improvement, debunking some popular myths along the way.
To study the way air passes over, under and around the Sierra, engineers used General Motors’ state-of-the-art Aerodynamics Lab, a 750-foot-long tunnel through which a 43-foot-diameter fan powered by a DC electric motor with the equivalent of 4,500 horsepower can generate winds of up to 138 mph. Aerodynamic advancement is one reason why the 2014 Sierra will be the most fuel-efficient V-8 pickup on the market.
“We can’t stop air; we can only guide it through the path of least resistance. It’s like electricity, without the shock,” said Bloch, GM aerodynamic performance engineer. “The biggest misconception is that it’s all about single components. But a certain side mirror design doesn’t create a certain amount of drag, its interaction with the rest of the vehicle does.”
For example, a new air dam below the 2014 Sierra’s front bumper successfully reduces drag because it directs air toward the ground and away from the truck’s rough underbody. And Sierra’s ducted flow path between the grille and radiator prevents air from swirling inside the truck’s front cavities.
Even the top of the Sierra’s tailgate and the center high-mounted stop light are optimized to guide air cleanly around the truck. And because Bloch’s team detected unwanted airflow between the cab and bed, new sealing has been added.
“We discovered that in the computational analysis we perform,” said Bloch. “The most harmful air between the cab and bed was coming over the cab and down through the gap, so we paid the most attention to that specific area.”
The pickup market has a great number of available aftermarket accessories, and Bloch says those have varying impact on aerodynamics. Add-ons like bug deflectors on the hood, wider tires or aftermarket bumpers can raise the drag coefficient, which is the measure of how air pushes on a vehicle as it moves down the road. The result: added noise and increased fuel consumption.
A long-disputed topic among truck owners is whether a tailgate raised or lowered is better for aerodynamics, but Bloch says a tailgate in the up position is more aerodynamically efficient. As air flows over the truck, it falls over the cab and pushes forward on the rear of the truck. With the tailgate down, the benefits of that airflow are diminished.
“Replacing the tailgate with an aftermarket net is worse than having no tailgate at all,” Bloch said. “Imagine dragging a solid object and a fishing net through water. The net is going to require more muscle.”
So what accessories can truck owners add to help aerodynamics? Tonneau covers for the bed help smooth airflow over the truck, and Bloch says soft covers are more beneficial than hard covers because they form to how the air wants to flow. Running boards can also help air flow smoothly down the truck’s sides.
“Round, tube-style running boards can provide a minor improvement to the truck’s drag coefficient,” said Bloch, “Fully integrated, flush-mount running boards are even better.”
2014 SILVERADO AND SIERRA GET LEAN AND MEAN
Like athletes who burn fat and build muscle to become more competitive, the 2014 ChevroletSilverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 strategically replaced traditional steel with lightweight, high-strength steels for improved capability, safety and fuel efficiency.
High-strength and ultra-high-strength steels make the Silverado and Sierra’s fully boxed frames and cabs lighter and stronger, helping the trucks deliver the best fuel economy of any V-8 pickup, up to 23 mpg highway. They also have class-leading towing capability of up to 12,000 pounds when equipped with the available 6.2L V-8.
Similarly, making the most of mass also enables Silverados and Sierras equipped with the 4.3L V-6 to tow up to 7,600 pounds, the highest for any standard V-6 in the segment, with EPA highway fuel economy of up to 24 mpg.
“Our customers tell us they want better fuel economy, but only if it doesn’t come at the expense of capability,” said Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer of the Silverado and Sierra. “By using lightweight materials like ultra-high-strength steel and aluminum for key structural parts and components in our new trucks we were able to improve both capability and efficiency.”
It’s been said that stronger muscles and bones help prevent injury, and the same can be said of the high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels that make up two-thirds of Silverado and Sierra’s cab structures, including A-pillars, B-pillars, rocker panels, roof rails and underbody. High-strength steel is several times stronger than mild steel.
These rigid materials helped Silverado and Sierra become the first pickup trucks to receive the highest possible 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its New Car Assessment Program for the 2011 model year.
Similarly, the main rails and key cross members of Silverado and Sierra’s updated frames are high-strength steel with major elements hydro-formed for reduced mass and improved strength. Their pickup boxes are made from roll-formed steel for increased strength and reduced mass, compared with the stamped beds used by major competitors.
According to U.S. Steel Corp., the use of advanced high-strength steels is the fastest-growing trend in auto manufacturing today. Parts made from high-strength steel can be as much as 39 percent lighter than parts made from traditional steel.
Strong, lightweight aluminum alloys also play a key role in Silverado and Sierra by reducing the weight of the trucks’ engines, front suspension components, hoods and other parts. All three EcoTec3 engines use aluminum blocks and cylinder heads to reduce mass for improved fuel economy.
Direct fuel injection, Active Fuel Management, or cylinder deactivation, and continuously variable valve timing, a combination not found in competitor trucks, also contribute to Silverado and Sierra’s fitness.
ALL 2014 SILVERADO AND SIERRA LIGHT-DUTY TRUCKS EARN 5-STAR OVERALL VEHICLE SCORE
The regular and double cab versions of 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500have received the highest possible 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program.
Joining the previously tested 2014 crew cab models, which also received a 5-star overall score, all cab configurations of the Silverado and Sierra 1500 series now have the highest possible Overall Vehicle Score. These models are the first pickup trucks to receive the 5-star NHTSA Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the implementation of more rigorous requirements for the 2011 model year.
“Our incredibly capable trucks have been engineered to be some of the safest,” said Gay Kent, GM general director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness. “We’ve designed the vehicle structure, strategically placed high-strength steel and developed the occupant restraint system to achieve high levels of safety performance.
“This level of vehicle performance is complemented by a full array of other advanced safety features to help protect our customers, no matter which new Silverado or Sierra they choose.”
Offering fully boxed frames and extensive use of high-strength steel, the Silverado and Sierra also offer available segment-exclusive safety features such as Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Safety Alert Seat. Safety features include:
- Forward collision alert technology helps prevent frontal crashes by alerting the driver when the truck is closing in on a vehicle ahead too quickly, giving him or her additional time to react and avoid a crash.
- Lane Departure Warning technology can alert the driver when the truck drifts over a lane line when traveling at least 35 mph.
- Safety Alert Seat can warn the driver of traffic approaching from the left or right using directional seat vibration pulses. This patented warning approach is tied to all of the on-board crash avoidance systems.
- High-strength and ultra-high-strength steels are used extensively throughout each truck’s fully boxed frame to help improve performance in crashes.
- Rear Vision Camera with Dynamic Guidelines allows the driver, when in reverse, to see the area directly behind the vehicle via the eight-inch monitor on the center stack, allowing for easier parking and backing maneuvers.
- New, standard lap belt pretensionsers in the front-seat outboard safety belts.
- Six standard air bags and 360-degree sensor system, including dual-stage frontal air bags, head-curtain side-impact air bags with rollover protection, and seat-mounted side-impact air bags.
- Available trailer-sway control works with StabiliTrak to provide the driver with additional assistance when towing a trailer. When it senses trailer sway, it intervenes with braking and/or reduced engine power to help bring the trailer under control.
- Four-wheel, four-channel, antilock disc brakes that help provide straight, more controlled stops by preventing wheel lock-up in most road conditions.
- OnStar is available, using GPS and cellular phone technology to automatically call for help in the event of crash. OnStar service also includes MyLink mobile apps, which offer vehicle information and OnStar services via the customer’s smartphone. Visit Onstar.com for details and system limitations.
2014 SIERRA SAFETY ALERT SEAT AIDS DRIVER AWARENESS
Haptic seat technology a first in full-size pickup segment
The all-new 2014 Sierra arrives this summer with available advanced active safety features never offered to full-size pickup truck owners, including Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning. The manner by which alerts from the system are delivered to the driver is equally innovative, thanks to GMC’s optional Safety Alert Seat.
With the Safety Alert Seat, Sierra owners get feedback transmitted as a vibration through the surface of the driver’s seat bottom cushion. When the Lane Departure Warning system’s camera detects the Sierra is leaving a lane without a turn signal active in that direction, a vibration in the left or right seat bolster directs the driver’s attention to the side of the lane encroachment. When a potential collision is detected ahead by the Forward Collision Alert system, both sides of the seat vibrate.
“It’s akin to someone tapping on your shoulder in a crowd to get your attention,” said General Motors Active Safety Technical Fellow Raymond Kiefer. “Using the tactile sense to communicate crash threat direction provides an effective and intuitive way to cut through the clutter of visual and auditory sensory information that drivers routinely experience.”
According to Kiefer, GM research shows that the seat may direct driver attention to the location of a crash threat more quickly and accurately than beeping alerts.
Forward Collision Alert uses a camera behind the windshield to monitor traffic ahead and estimate time to collision. A green vehicle-shaped icon on the instrument cluster lets the driver know the system detects a vehicle ahead. When the Sierra gets too close to a vehicle ahead, the icon turns orange. When approaching a vehicle too rapidly, red lights flash on the windshield and the driver is alerted either audibly or through the optional Safety Alert Seat.
Using the same sophisticated camera technology, Lane Departure Warning uses an icon of a vehicle crossing a dotted lane marker and shines green when detecting a lane ahead at speeds above 35 mph. The icon glows amber and flashes when a warning is active. Both Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning can be deactivated if the driver desires. Both, along with the Safety Alert Seat, are available on select trim levels.
Sierra’s other active safety features include standard StabiliTrak and optional technologies like a Rear Vision Camera and Front and Rear Park Assist. Sierra also benefits from available trailering safety technologies like Trailer Sway Control and an Integrated Trailer Brake Controller.
In addition to active safety features, the 2014 Sierra features six standard air bags and high-strength steel in the A-pillars, B-pillars, roof rails and other body structures to create a solid and protected safety cage around the passenger cabin.
“The 2014 Sierra is our most capable light-duty pickup truck ever,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of GMC Marketing. “With a full array of advanced features that protect owners before, during and after a collision, it’s also our safest.”