- Both the GMC 2500HD and 3500HD receive updated styling inside and out for the 2024 model year.
- The Duramax V-8 diesel model gains horsepower and torque while its gas-drinking counterparts add a 10-speed automatic transmission.
- GMC added the Denali Ultimate trim to the top of the heavy-duty lineup and announced the off-road AT4X will join the lineup later in the model year.
Heavy-duty GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD gets a refresh for the 2024 model year, complete with a redesigned front end, a more luxurious interior, and a new transmission. The addition of two trim levels, one for off-road adventures and the other for a more comfortable work truck experience, will give HD truck buyers even more luxury options.
Ability Upgrade
GMC adds to the arms race that is a heavy-duty truck power figure by making updates to the Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD 2024. However, the power figures for the 6.6-liter V-8 engine are unchanged for 2024; The pounding V-8 continues to produce 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque. What has changed is that GMC ditched the old six-speed automatic in favor of the 10-speed automatic, which was used in conjunction with the diesel; GMC claims the new transmission fits the engine power curve better.
The 6.6-liter Duramax V-8 diesel engine produces 470 horsepower and close to 1000 pound-feet of torque, producing 975 pound-feet. Those numbers are up from 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet on the outgoing model. According to GMC, this extra power (and efficiency) is thanks to various engine improvements, including a more efficient turbocharger that helps deliver 25 percent more low-end torque than current-generation trucks. The maximum tow ratings for the 2500HD and 3500HD are 22,500 and 36,000 pounds, respectively. Choosing the crew cab variant of the 2500HD sacrifices 600 pounds of towing capability, bringing the maximum figure to 21,900.
Luxury Accommodation
Heavy duty work trucks are first and foremost for, well, jobs. But GMC is known for adding a premium touch to help it succeed. Whether you’re talking heavy-duty or half-ton versions, the Sierra has long been a more luxurious alternative to its sibling, the Chevy Silverado. The newly added Denali Ultimate sports exclusive 20-inch machined aluminum alloy wheels with glossy black accents. Inside, there’s open-porous Paldao wood to accompany the visible full-grain leather throughout and comforts including a massage chair and powered sunroof. Cosmetic touches include a unique grille with GMC badge finished in Vader Chrome, plus a custom fender badge featuring the topography of Mount Denali. Slightly more unexpected are the redesigned headlights, which play an animation when the driver approaches the vehicle, turns it on, or uses the turn signal.
There are six new paint options as well as new wheel designs for the SLE, AT4 and Denali trims. Inside, the heavy-duty Sierras adds an optional larger 13.4-inch center screen alongside the new optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. All but the base trim level Pro infotainment system integrates Google apps and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless capabilities. There’s also a new 15-inch multi-colored heads-up display.
The Sierra HD already has the expected safety aids including a forward collision warning system and lane departure, but now adds (optionally) rear traffic braking and trailer side blind-spot monitoring. More importantly for heavy-duty trucks with towing capabilities like this, there are several new trailer assist features. Cameras help the driver adjust the hitch or fifth wheel, and there is an optional accessory camera for the rear of the trailer to give drivers a view behind them. Also new is adaptive cruise control on trailer and alerts to notify drivers if they have exceeded their truck’s gross vehicle weight rating.
Like Off-Roading? Luxury Off-Roading
The AT4X is something to look forward to, but this Sierra HD model aimed at off-roading won’t arrive until later in 2024. Other heavy-duty Sierra trucks—Pro, SLE, SLT, AT4 (pictured above), Denali, and The Denali Ultimate—set to start arriving in dealers during the first quarter of 2023. GMC doesn’t intend to release any pricing until close to their release date, but current Sierra 2500HD models start at around $40,000, with the Denali trim climbing past $70,000. We expect Denali Ultimate to rise well above that number.
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