I don’t often give a shit about how a lot a automotive weighs. So long as it’s not some low-slung sports activities automotive it actually isn’t one thing I put plenty of thought into, however typically it’s simply unimaginable to disregard. That’s the place I’m with the 2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali. Usually, I wouldn’t care that its curb weight is 8,987 kilos, nevertheless it’s simply inescapable on this huge electrical pickup truck, to the Sierra’s detriment.
There’s plenty of stuff the Sierra EV Denali has going for it: Intelligent packaging, a class-leading vary, an almost value applicable inside and stable tech. However its driving expertise is downright disappointing, and plenty of that has to do with how goddamn heavy it’s, amongst different issues. Loads of engineering has to enter making a automobile this heavy even vaguely OK to drive, however typically the legal guidelines of physics are simply an excessive amount of to beat.
Full Disclosure: GMC flew me out to Northern California, fed me and put me up in a really good lodge so I might drive the 2025 Sierra EV Denali.
I wouldn’t often begin off a pickup evaluation by discussing the way it drives, however the 2025 Sierra EV Denali’s driving dynamics are tough sufficient that I must get to it proper off the bat. It’s simply merely not ok for the $100,495 price ticket this truck instructions.Proper now, the one manner you get a Sierra EV is in Denali spec with an enormous 205-kWh battery pack. There’s a smaller battery coming later, however I didn’t drive that so it’s not my enterprise. The twin-motor setup pumps out 760 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque, and it has 460 miles of vary in response to GMC, which I believe will show to be right in the true world. It’s sufficient juice to get the 9,000-pound behemoth from 0-to-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, which is respectable, however what isn’t respectable is the way in which the truck dispatches that energy.
In Max Energy Mode, which is used for laborious acceleration on the push of a button on the display, the truck will rocket off the road, however its mixture of suspension that’s too mushy, tires which might be too skinny and rear-wheel steer, it feels extremely unstable. The steering wheel is quite numb, and also you get rapidly overwhelmed by it tugging back and forth as a result of it goes too gentle and torque steers because the again finish performs hopscotch down the street. It’s downright scary. You can not loosen up when accelerating laborious within the Sierra EV Denali, or you’ll rapidly turn into acquainted with a guardrail and God. It’s the identical drawback my colleague Daniel Golson encountered within the Sierra’s twin, the Chevrolet Silverado EV.
The issues turn into a bit higher in Tour and Regular modes, the place every little thing is turned down a notch and the steering will get very gentle – lighter than Max Energy mode for positive – nevertheless it nonetheless stays pretty twitchy. Whether or not you’re going round a nook or accelerating to move somebody on the freeway, you’ve actually obtained to maintain each arms on the wheel or this truck will shift throughout your lane. Round city, issues are higher with regards to the steering. The rear-wheel steering system makes tight maneuverability a cinch, a very welcome function in a 233.2-inch-long truck like this. It’s additionally obtained a Crab Stroll operate, which is a really cool little trick I completely loved utilizing.
Nonetheless, sluggish speeds are the place the adjustable air suspension, which will be raised or lowered two inches in both path, type of falls aside. GMC by some means managed to make its “luxurious automotive feeling” suspension each too mushy when accelerating and crashy over bigger bumps. Even on a easy street, you are feeling the Sierra EV undulating. I feel plenty of this difficulty will be blamed on the wheel and tire setup. In any respect 4 corners you’ve obtained 24-inch rims that sit on 275/50 all-season tires. A chunkier, wider tire would most likely alleviate a number of the crashiness and unsteadiness whereas accelerating. That wouldn’t actually repair the physique management points, nevertheless it’s a begin.
Nonetheless, there’s loads to love concerning the Sierra EV Denali. Its powertrain, like most GM Ultium automobiles (or no matter they’re known as now), is fairly stable. Like I already stated, it’s obtained heaps of energy and extra vary than you’ll ever actually need. It helps 800-volt DC quick charging at as much as 350 kW, which GM says will add about 100 miles of vary in simply 10 minutes. Be warned, although, the corporate isn’t quoting a 10-to-80-percent battery cost time as a result of it most likely takes a protracted goddamn whereas to replenish a 205-kWh battery. One upside of the battery, aside from the 460 miles of vary, is its potential to energy your property in an influence outage. You’ll want an entire bunch of GM’s proprietary tools, nevertheless it’s a neat social gathering trick however.
One thing else the Sierra’s powertrain does nicely is regenerative braking. There are two depth settings along with having the ability to flip it utterly off, and each of them supply full one-pedal driving. One is simply stronger than the opposite. I might typically depart the automotive in its highest setting, however it’s a bit jerky if you first let off the accelerator. Even in fully-off mode, there’s a paddle on the left aspect of the steering wheel you should utilize to have interaction regen as you want. It’s progressive too, so the extra you squeeze it, the sooner you decelerate.
Being a high-end Common Motors product, the Sierra EV Denali comes with GM’s finest piece of expertise: Tremendous Cruise. Like in each different software, Tremendous Cruise offers you the very best Degree 2 hands-free driving available on the market. It really works wonders each in visitors and whereas cruising down the freeway. It’s even fairly aggressive about robotically becoming sooner lanes for you, which is nice in case you’re somebody like me who hates being behind others.
One other factor the Sierra EV Denali has going for it are its beauty. The outside positively appears to be like like a GMC truck with its upright grille that the model calls a protect, C-shaped operating lights and total huge presence. The 24-inch wheels, whereas compromising consolation, do admittedly look superb. With regards to different EV vans available on the market, I’ve gotta say I feel that is the very best wanting one cash can purchase. It’s positively a greater looker than the Chevy Silverado EV, and it’s miles prettier than the sales-leading Tesla Cybertruck. I additionally dig that, not like most ICE-powered vans, it’s one seamless physique panel alongside the aspect as an alternative of getting a niche for the mattress.
Inside, I’m joyful to say the inside and tech is sort of ok for the Sierra Denali EV’s price ticket. Just about every little thing you contact is actual steel, quality-feeling leatherette or actual open-pore wooden. The one hints of price reducing will be discovered on the decrease door panels, the highest of the dashboard by the heads-up show housing and seize handles. What are you able to do?
It’s all laid out quite nicely, too. Within the center you’ve obtained an enormous 16.8-inch vertical display, which is actually top-of-the-line programs within the enterprise. It’s simple to make use of, there are laborious buttons for quantity and local weather management, and it’s customizable sufficient that your entire most-used options will fall simply handy. It’s flanked on the motive force’s aspect by a 11-inch digital gauge cluster show that’s additionally loads customizable and might present a full navigation map. In my driving place, the highest edges are reduce off by the steering wheel, however your outcomes could range. Above that may be a 14-inch head-up show that could be very clear and offers you all kinds of related data. I simply want its housing wasn’t so nasty wanting.
Like all big vans, inside house and storage is a high-point. By my depend, there are 11,000 cupholders contained in the Sierra EV Denali, together with a couple of in its 11-cubic-foot power-operated frunk. Rear passengers even have oodles of room even with the entrance seats way back to they will go. Sadly, the heated and cooled entrance seats aren’t probably the most supportive issues on the earth, and so they lack a therapeutic massage operate (which this truck ought to have), however they’re not going to kill your again on a protracted drive.
All of that goodness performs second fiddle to the truck’s social gathering piece: The Multi-Flex Midgate. Certain, it’s a bit little bit of a gimmick, however who doesn’t love a kind of? Like on the Silverado EV, you may take away the rear firewall and window to create as much as 10 ft and 10 inches of room from the again of the entrance seats all the way in which to the tip of GMC’s Multi-Professional Tailgate. With the tailgate up, it’s nonetheless obtained 9 ft of storage. For reference, with the Midgate in place, the Sierra EV’s mattress is 5-foot-11.
It’s additionally not an excessive amount of of a ache within the ass to take down and put it again up. First, you flip the 60/40 split-folding rear seats down. Then you definately press a button to launch the rear glass, which isn’t as unwieldy as you’d suppose, and clamp it into place on the rear firewall. From there, simply push one other button and it comes down. For those who don’t want the complete Midgate down, you may depart the rear window in place, too. The entire course of is simpler than taking the doorways and roof off of a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco. GM actually thought it by way of, and whereas it received’t all the time be helpful, it’s a enjoyable social gathering trick.
With regards to pricing, nicely, the Sierra EV Denali isn’t low-cost. I do know, that’s stunning to you. The Max Vary truck begins $100,495 (together with $2,095 for vacation spot), and the one actual choices are paint colours that vary from $495 to $3,995 for a really fairly colour known as Moonlight Matte, in addition to a tonneau cowl and a mattress rack. There’s a cheaper Denali Prolonged Vary mannequin with 390 miles of vary coming later in 2025 that begins at $91,995. I do know these costs appear excessive, however go searching — practically each huge electrical truck prices this a lot if no more.
There’s lots to love concerning the 2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali. It appears to be like good, it’s obtained plenty of energy, it has stable tech and its vary is nearly the very best within the biz. I simply can’t assist however suppose it might have been manner higher if GMC reduce down on a number of the specs to make a lighter truck. The Sierra’s weight is type of a self fulfilling prophecy — it’s so heavy as a result of it has a giant battery, and it wants such a giant battery as a result of it’s so heavy. The one option to change these information is to utterly re-engineer the truck, and that’s simply not taking place.
Due to that, we’re caught with a truck that’s practically superb, nevertheless it’s held again by its personal dynamic limitations. I do know, you don’t purchase a 9,000 pound truck for good driving dynamics, however after they verge on harmful in on a regular basis circumstances, it’s one thing that must be talked about. I don’t actually know the way GM will treatment this case or if it even will attempt. I’m pretty sure GMC will promote each single one they construct, and I perceive it. Total the Sierra EV is an effective truck, it simply desires to kill you a bit bit, so that you higher maintain on tight.
