GMC Sierra 3500HD Wins Best Overall HD Truck
Beats Ford and Ram in
PickupTrucks.com’s “HD Hurt Locker” Comparison
2011-08-15
DETROIT
– The GMC
Sierra 3500HD won
PickupTrucks.com’s “Heavy Duty Hurt Locker”
comparison test, a grueling showdown among industry
heavyweights that included towing 19,400-pound
fifth-wheel trailers up and over some of the most
demanding grades in the United States.
“We procured
similarly equipped trucks from Ford, Ram and GMC and
put them through the paces, towing up and down some
of the toughest grades in the country covering a
total of 2,200 miles,” said Mike Levine, editor of
PickupTrucks.com. “When we analyzed the data,
the GMC Sierra 3500HD simply outperformed the trucks
from Ford and Ram.”
The results of the
comparison conducted July 11-18 between Denver,
Colo. and Laughlin, Nev., reflect improvements to
the 2012 Sierra 3500HD that give Sierra
best-in-class towing for both conventional and
fifth-wheel trailers.
“Customers choose
full-size trucks for their capabilities,” said Rick
Spina, vehicle line executive for full-size trucks.
“For 2012, we built on the foundation we created in
2011, with engineering changes and additional
validation designed to make the most capable
heavy-duty pickup even better. Based on
PickupTrucks.com’s test results, it looks like
we got the job done.”
For
enhanced fifth-wheel towing, engineers strengthened
the pickup box sills and other box structures, rear
springs, u-bolts and box mounts, and upgraded the
shock tuning. As a result, Sierra 3500HD now has a
best-in-class tow rating of 23,000 pounds, up from
21,700 pounds in 2011.
Sierra also will
lead the class in dually payload, with a 7,215-lb.
payload for the 3500HD regular cab gasoline dually.
Updates to the trailer hitch receiver increase
conventional towing to 18,000 pounds, up from 17,000
pounds. Both changes will be on models arriving in
dealerships in the fourth quarter.
“We know heavy-duty
pickups are one of the most-competitive segments,
with some of the most knowledgeable customers there
are,” said Spina. “For 2012, we worked on making our
trucks even more capable than before.”
|
2012 GMC Sierra
3500HD |
2012 Ford F-350
|
2012 Ram 3500
|
Max. fifth-wheel
towing (lb./kg): |
23,000 / 10,433 |
22,700 / 10,297 |
22,700 / 10,297 |
Max.
conventional towing (lb./kg): |
18,000 / 8,165 |
17,500 / 7,938 |
12,050 / 5,466 |
Max. payload
capacity (lb./kg) |
7,215 / 3,273 |
7,110 / 3,225 |
5,190 / 2,354 |
Max. GCWR
(lb./kg) |
30,500 / 13,835 |
30,000 / 13,608 |
30,000 / 13,608 |
Other updates for
2012 Sierra HD trucks include a new navigation radio
with enhanced display and a hard drive, eliminating
the need for discs with map data.
Sierra continues to
offer OnStar, a segment exclusive, SiriusXM
satellite radio, Bluetooth for phone and USB
connectivity.
Sierra delivered its
best sales month of the year in July, driven by
increased demand for heavy-duty models. Retail HD
sales are up 29 percent and total HD sales are up 34
percent year to date, and nearly as much in both
categories year over year. Retail sales for the full
Sierra lineup grew 2 percent year over year,
with total sales up 6 percent.
Similarly, Silverado leads the
class in payload, with a
7,215-lb. capacity. And as
Chevrolet demonstrated in its
recent
HDtoHD video series,
Silverado HDs strengths are
evident on the road as well as
the spec sheet.
“We
encourage customers to test
drive the Silverado HD against
the competition,” Spina said.
“Based on our testing, we are
confident that the Silverado HD
will prove to be the best choice
for real-world towing and
hauling.”
Chevrolet offers 10 2500HD
models and eight single- and
dual-rear-wheel 3500HD models,
including regular cab, extended
cab and crew-cab body styles
offered in 2WD and 4WD. All
share key architectural and
performance features, including:
-
Fully-boxed,
high-strength-steel frames
-
Available 6.6L Duramax
diesel delivers 397
horsepower and 765
pound-feet of torque and B20
biodiesel capability
-
36-gallon fuel tank and
engine efficiency to enable
up to 680 miles (1,090 km)
between fill-ups with the
6.6L Duramax turbo diesel
-
Smart exhaust brake feature
provides greater control on
grades and reduced brake pad
wear
-
An array of standard and
available control features,
including trailer sway
control, integrated trailer
brake control, hill start
assist, automatic grade
braking, intelligent brake
assist, and large brakes.
Purposeful technology
For 2012, Silverado HD offers a
number of technical features
that enhance the capability of
the truck for both work and
recreation, including a new
navigation radio. It offers an
enhanced display and now has a
hard drive that eliminates the
need for discs with map data.
Silverado also continues to
offer segment exclusive OnStar
Directions & Connections with
Turn-by-Turn Navigation and
Automatic Crash Response,
SiriusXM satellite radio,
Bluetooth for phone and USB
connectivity.
Chevrolet WiFi powered by
Autonet, available through Chevy
dealers, turns the Silverado HD
into a mobile hot spot and an
office on wheels, providing
multiple users with full
internet access inside the
vehicle or up to 150 feet from
the exterior of the vehicle.
For work sites, Chevy WiFi
offers instant access to online
ordering sites, municipal sites
with building permits and
building code information and
more. For families on the go,
passengers can connect with
friends on social media sites,
stream videos, find maps, check
weather or search for fishing
and camping sites.
Silverado HD also offers
comprehensive confidence and
control features. Trailer Sway
Control, which uses the truck
and trailer brakes and the
powertrain controls to keep the
vehicle and trailer on the
intended path, is now part of
StabiliTrak, as is Hill Start
Assist, which avoids roll-back
before accelerating on inclines.
New
Z71 Appearance Package
Even trucks that work for a
living should look good while
doing it, so for 2012 Silverado
HD will offer a HD Z71
appearance package for LT and
LTZ models that includes a
body-colored grille surround
with a chrome mesh grille,
body-colored bumpers and lower
fascia, 18-inch polished forged
aluminum wheels and other
details.