GMC of Detroit’s General Motors Co. has unveiled new towing technologies for its 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Sierra Heavy Duty.
“Trailering is essential for pickup truck customers,” says Rich Latek, marketing director of GMC. “More than half of our Sierra customers use their trucks to primarily tow equipment for outdoor adventures. We continually listen to customer feedback, which tells us they want class-leading safety, technology, and comfort to tow what they need, whether it’s a boat, an RV, or a trailer hauling off-road toys.”
The updates arrive as demand increases for outdoor activities that require a trailer. The RV Industry Association recently found that more than 46 million Americans are planning to take an RV road trip in the next year. As a result, shipments of RVs have been increasing this summer, and towable RVs make up about 90 percent of those sales.
New or enhanced trailering technology on available on the 2021 GMC Sierra light-duty and heavy-duty models includes:
- Trailer length indicator – New for 2021, when enabled and driving forward with the turn signal activated, the center console screen displays a red overlay twice the length of the trailer and shows when other vehicles are present and may interfere with lane changing.
- Jack-knife alert – Also new, jack-knife alert tracks the position of the trailer in relation to the vehicle. If the front of the trailer approaches the rear of the vehicle, an alert is displayed when there may be a jack-knife situation.
- Rear trailer view with guidelines and trailer angle indicator – Rear trailer view has been enhanced to include guidelines that assist when backing a trailer into place and a trailer angle indicator to show the relationship between the truck and compatible trailer. The feature requires the customer-installed available GM auxiliary accessory camera.
- Rear side view enhancement – When driving forward on the 2020 GMC Sierra, rear side view provides a split view of the left and right sides of the truck and compatible trailer that is automatically biased based on the trailer’s angle. In the 2021 GMC Sierra, drivers will have access to this view while driving in reverse.
- Cargo bed view enhancement – New cargo bed zoom view and bed hitch guidance are now available, which can be helpful for aligning and hooking up a gooseneck/fifth wheel trailer.
Other additions to the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 include increased availability of the MultiPro Tailgate on SLE and Elevation trims, as well as a new selection of colors. New available features on the GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 include 20-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires and an off-road high-clearance step.
The available 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel offers 460 lb.-ft. of torque and an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon on the highway.
New additions to the 2021 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty include enhancements to the trucks’ premium trims. HD surround vision and bed view camera technology are now standard on the Denali. The new Sierra HD Denali Black Diamond Edition will have 20-inch high-gloss black wheels and new power-retractable assist steps.
Similar to the Sierra 1500, the Sierra Heavy Duty AT4 will now have available 18-inch Mud Terrain tires and an available off-road high clearance step accessory.
Other additions to the Sierra HD include the MultiPro Tailgate standard on SLE and three new colors.
