Trucks have evolved from the unrefined, bare-bones, and utilitarian brutes of yesteryear. In this day and age, the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate represents what the modern truck buyer ultimately expects in a high-end pickup: a refined and luxurious vehicle capable of doing truck things while offering the latest tech that the auto industry has to offer.
I’ve stated before that I’m not quite a truck guy, but with that said, spending time with this Sierra Denali made me realize how much of an aspirational vehicle it is, especially for actual truck people. It definitely caused a stir in my neighbourhood; people I haven’t spoken to in years approached me to compliment and ogle at this chrome-trimmed full-size luxury truck.
Of the Silverado-Sierra duo, the Sierra is the more handsome truck with a more cohesive front end design — or Vader Grille, as GM calls it—compared to the in-your-face styling of the Silverado trucks. Complimenting our tester’s Onyx Black metallic paint is a set of 22-inch chrome wheels, which are much nicer than the all-black wheels of our previous Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate tester. A pair of Ultimate badges on the front fenders is a sure reminder that you’ve got the baller-spec of trucks.
The Sierra Denali’s interior is hands down as comfortable as it gets, with 16-way power adjustable front seats featuring heating, ventilation, and massage functions, plus heated seats in the rear. This baller-spec truck is covered in brown baseball glove leather seats dubbed Alpine Umbra with honeycomb stitching and white piping, exclusive to the Denali Ultimate trim. Black leather surfaces, aluminum accenting and a black alcantara headliner adorn the rest of the interior. This two-tone colour combination is very pleasing to the eye and contrasts nicely against the black exterior. Complementing this beautiful interior is the matte Paldao Laminate wood trim engraved with the coordinates and topography of Mount Denali in Alaska, a classy reminder that you are in fact sitting at the peak of the Sierra Denali lineup.
Leather and wood trim aside, the Denali Ultimate is equipped with GM’s latest tech features. In your immediate line-of-sight is a configurable 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 15-inch heads-up display. The infotainment is an ultra-wide 13.4-inch touchscreen that comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All the screens are well-integrated and intuitive. The default infotainment software is Google-based for maps, search, and assistant functions. It’s easy to use as software updates and revisions have been made to make it more responsive and less cumbersome to use compared to the previous model years of the Denali Ultimate.
The standout feature is hands down Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free driving tech. When all the safety conditions and parameters are met, it offers a true hands-free driving experience. It properly places the big Sierra in a lane, executes safe lane changes, and maintains speed according to the flow of traffic, all without the driver’s input. Although it’s unnerving to use at first, it worked flawlessly when I used it. Initial criticisms with GM’s Super Cruise was the system’s refusal to operate when drivers wore sunglasses, but that has now been updated. The new infrared camera on the steering wheel had no difficulty this time around sensing my eyes through polarized sunglasses. In essence, this system is nothing short of astonishing and is definitely the industry-standard for semi-autonomous driving.
For those not fully confident in Super Cruise’s abilities, the adaptive cruise control on the Denali Ultimate is similarly the best that I have ever used in any vehicle. You can set your desired cruise speed at a standstill, and when traffic starts moving, you can activate it with a push of a button. It can even tell you how much Super Cruise is available on a route that you set through the integrated Google Maps software.
If you’re a mild control freak and don’t want the vehicle to drive itself in any capacity, the Denali Ultimate is a relaxing driving experience with 150 pounds of additional sound deadening compared to a Silverado. Although it’s not as quiet compared to a full-blown luxury sedan like a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the overall feeling is a slight nod to classic Americana without the power-choked nature of malaise-era V8s. Power comes from a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre pushrod V8, with with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque on tap. It’s more than plentiful when you need it,and relaxing when you just want to cruise and cover long distances. If you want to putter around town with more resonance, the standard active exhaust system on the Denali Ultimate allows for some extra bark at a push of a button without being too obnoxious.
Despite the archaic nature of this pushrod V8, GM engineers have done the best they could to optimize efficiency without the assistance of a hybrid set-up or forced induction. Adding direct injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation allows this behemoth to achieve impressive fuel economy, with our tester averaging 12.9L/100km in mixed driving. Paired with the 10-speed automatic transmission, this powertrain duo is simply sublime.
Suspension dynamics and roadholding are as good as a modern luxury truck can get, though you can only do so much to dampen a full-size, body-on-frame truck. The attractive 22-inch wheels add firmness to the ride, along with the inherent choppiness around town of a truck with an empty bed in the rear. As long as you manage your expectations, the Denali Ultimate does a great job overall at getting you around without much fuss.
At the end of the day, this is still a full-size truck first and foremost when you peel back all the fluff. It’s capable of towing up to 13,000 pounds, more than plentiful for towing a 30-foot Airstream. The myriad of cameras and sensors allows the driver to manoeuvre through tight spaces and monitor the load in the back, giving the driver a high degree of confidence in taking the Denali Ultimate for cross-country journeys. Additional features that Denali buyers have come to expect are the retractable running boards that pop out as you approach the vehicle, along with GM’s signature split tailgate design that can double as a step into the bed or a hangout spot for cracking cold ones on the weekend. The cherry on top is the integrated Kicker sound system with auxiliary ports and Bluetooth connectivity to blast some Fleetwood Mac to your heart’s content.
In a world of hybridization, turbocharging, or foregoing the internal combustion engine altogether, GM proves that you can still keep the traditional pushrod V8 alive with clever engineering and innovation. The Denali trim has always been known as being the most luxurious and tech forward of the bunch, with the Ultimate package adding that extra layer of opulence to the experience all while still being able to do truck stuff. This is why the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate is still the de-facto choice of luxury trucks. If you can swallow the $111,304 as-tested price tag of our tester, you sure as hell won’t be disappointed in what this truck has to offer.