2023 Sierra GMC 1500 Denali Ultimate

Not sure where the truck wars end, but it’s going to be well over $100,000 I’m afraid.

The latest salvo comes from GMC, with the introduction of its 2023 Sierra 1500 4WD Crew Cab Denali Ultimate pickup. It is the most luxurious, advanced and capable Sierra ever.

All-new technologies – including trailering-capable Super Cruise driver-assistance technology – along with new levels of premium craftsmanship, help make Sierra the creme de la creme, when it comes to pickup trucks.

“Sierra’s momentum continues to accelerate, as the fastest growing model in the segment,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president of GMC and Buick. “With the 2023 Sierra, GMC is offering customers more advanced technologies, upscale appointments and increased capability across the entire Sierra lineup.”

My tester was powered by a 6.2-liter, V8 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The engine generates 420 horsepower, 460 lb-ft of torque, an 8,900-pound towing capacity, and a max 1,680-pound payload capacity.

Those are he-man numbers. Sierra Denali Ultimate seats up to five adults without a squeeze, and a week’s worth of driving produced an upper-teens miles-per-gallon average.

The Denali Ultimate package includes an exclusive alpine umber interior with superior finishes including soft, yet durable full grain leather seats with plaited stitching, wrapping the best-in-class 16-way power front massaging seats, door panels, and center console lid.

Unique exterior styling cues, along with exclusive interior trim and features, are complemented with more standard equipment — including a segment-exclusive CarbonPro composite cargo box, offering best-in-class short-bed cargo volume.

The pickup bed is accessed via a multi-flex tailgate that includes a secondary position that drops down at the half-way point, providing a flat service for work. It also features two speakers, and ports for USB as well as an AC/DC outlet. And it also folds completely down, providing a step for easy access into the bed.

The only downside I experienced was the extra care needed when parking. The truck is a beast, so time and patience are required. No busting into parking spots with this bad boy.

The Denali Ultimate is distinguished by an exterior featuring a unique grille in exclusive Vader chrome, along with exclusive 22-inch wheels, finished in low gloss black with machined accents, Vader chrome GMC logo, and unique front fender trim featuring Mount Denali.

A new, unique interior design includes a cockpit-oriented instrument panel along with a new, more functional center console that features electronic precision shift on models with front bucket seats.

A larger 13.4-inch-diagonal color touchscreen is complemented with a new 12.3-inch-diagonal configurable digital instrument cluster and 15-inch-diagonal multicolor head-up display to provide more than 40 diagonal inches of digital display, the most in its class.

Denali Sierra also offers additional safety and driver-assistance features with trailering in mind, including trailer side blind zone alert, which accounts for the length of the trailer when changing lanes and enhancements to adaptive cruise control to enable use while trailering.

Additionally, GMC Pro Safety is standard and includes forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist, following distance indicator and IntelliBeam automatic high beams.

GMC has been manufacturing trucks in the United States since 1902. The Denali Ultimate is built at the company’s Mexico and Indiana facilities.

Base Price: $83,750

Price As Driven: $86,550

Destination charge is included in base price. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturer. List price may vary at local dealerships.