What kind of vehicle is the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500? What does it compare to?
The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 full-size truck climbs upscale to distinguish itself from the related Chevy Silverado. GM’s twins square off against the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra, and Nissan Titan.
Is the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 a good truck?
Review continues below
GMC has updated all but the base model Sierra for 2022, but we’ll withhold our TCC Rating until we test drive it. The 2021 model’s 5.2 out of 10 rating trailed rivals due to its lack of standard safety features, limited convenience features, and costly climb up the feature ladder. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500?
GMC updates the 2022 Sierra inside and out, adding more torque to its smallest engine, updating the infotainment system, and introducing two new premium trims at the top of the lineup.
The Sierra 1500 is sold in Pro, SLE, Elevation, ATX, Denali, and the new ATX4 and Denali Ultimate trims. The ATX4 improves upon the off-road capability of the ATX and adds more luxury. The Denali Ultimate goes beyond the luxury of the already luxurious Denali. The Sierra comes with rear- or four-wheel drive; regular, extended cab, or crew cabs; and short, standard, and long beds.
GMC outfits the ATX4 with spool-valve dampers, front and rear electronic locking differentials, springs that allow more suspension travel, and a Terrain mode for 4Lo that allows one-pedal driving when rock crawling. Inside, it gets leather upholstery with white piping and red stitching, dark wood trim, a synthetic suede headliner, 16-way power massaging seats, and a 15.0-inch head-up display.
The Denali Ultimate has the head-up display, massaging seats, and headliner from the ATX4, plus extended leather upholstery, etched topographical maps of Mount Denali on the dash and seats, and GM’s Super Cruise driver-assist system that allows hands-free driving, even while towing. It also comes with GM’s Carbon Pro carbon-fiber bedliner.
All trucks above the base Pro grade get a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a choice of viewing themes and a new infotainment system with a 13.4-inch touchscreen that incorporates Google apps and comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. They also feature GM’s 6-way power tailgate.
GMC increases the towing capacity of two of its four engines. That starts with the base engine, a 2.7-liter turbo-4 that improves from 383 lb-ft of torque to 420 lb-ft while the 310 hp figure remains unchanged. That helps improve max towing capacity from 9,100 to 9,600 lb with rear-wheel drive. The 285-hp 4.3-liter V-6 that was the base engine doesn’t return.
The optional 3.0-liter inline-6 turbodiesel stands pat at 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. GMC makes it compatible with its max towing package this year, which raises its towing capacity from 9,200 to 13,200 lb with the extended cab. The diesel gets 30 mpg on the highway.
GMC also offers a 5.3-liter V-8 that makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, and a 6.2-liter V-8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The 6.2 comes standard in the new ATX4 and Denali Ultimate models. An 8-speed automatic transmission teams with the 2.7-liter turbo-4, while the other engines run their power through a 10-speed automatic that adds shift paddles this year.
Styling is tweaked for 2022 as well. The square wheel arches and squared off lines remain but the blocky grille is wider, the clamp-shaped headlights are thinner, and the front bumper and fascia are slightly revised. The Sierra’s square cuts enhance its bold stance. Inside, the new larger touchscreen better fits with the large truck proportions, and GMC improves the materials of the SLE, Elevation, and SLT trims.
Safety equipment also improves on the 2022 Sierra; it now comes standard with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitors, and automatic high beams.
How much does the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 cost?
The 2022 GMC Sierra starts at $32,495 for a base Pro model and tops out at $80,395 for the Denali Ultimate. The 2022 GMC Sierra goes on sale in spring 2022.
Where is the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 made?
In Indiana, Michigan, and Mexico.