Pickup trucks aren’t the heavy-duty work vehicles they once were. Instead, they’re nearly as upscale and high-tech as luxury vehicles. While the GMC Sierra 1500 is available in a Denali trim, the automaker thinks that it’s time to raise the luxurious quotient. For 2022, the Sierra 1500 will available in a new Denali Ultimate trim, which GMC calls the “most advanced and most luxurious pickup” in the segment.
The new Denali Ultimate trim isn’t coming out of the blue. Ever since Ram upped its luxury game with the 1500, the Sierra 1500’s Denali trim has felt like it’s been a step behind. Seeing this, GMC decided to introduce the Denali Ultimate trim that brings more tech features and some more premium materials.
On the inside, the 2022 Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate features full-grain leather upholstery on the instrument panel, door panels, console line, and seats. There’s a microsuede headliner, stainless-steel speaker grilles, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, and 16-way power-adjustable front seats with a massaging feature. The exterior gets some unique styling elements that include 22-inch wheels, power assist steps, chrome trim pieces, and a special front fender.
While the interior enhancements are nice, the Denali Ultimate really flexes its muscles when it comes to tech features. The trim comes with a 15-inch head-up display, a rearview camera mirror, standard Super Cruise, a 13.4-inch touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Super Cruise features hands-free trailering capability, so owners don’t have to worry about their 13,000-pound load behind the truck when it's doing the majority of the driving. The entire Sierra 1500 lineup comes with more standard safety features, which now includes GMC Pro Safety. The suite includes automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and lane departure warning.
Under the hood, the Denali Ultimate features a 6.2-liter V8 engine that makes 420 horsepower. A 10-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive are standard. The fancy trim also comes with adaptive suspension, GMC’s six-way MultiPro tailgate, and the CarbonPro composite cargo box.
Compared to the 2021 Sierra 1500 Denali, the 2022 Denali Ultimate is a massive upgrade. Last year’s model came with an eight-inch touchscreen, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, and GMC’s MultiPro tailgate as standard. A 15-inch head-up display, a rearview camera mirror, and GMC’s CarbonPro cargo box were optional. So, GMC has really made sure the Denali Ultimate has the upscale features and tech to match others in the segment.
Pricing for the Denali Ultimate starts at $80,395, which includes destination. The Denali Ultimate trim will go head to head against the Limited trims from Ford and Ram. The F-150 Limited costs $74,800, while the Ram 1500 starts at $60,255. Compared to those options, the Denali Ultimate is by far the most expensive choice. The Ford and Ram, though, aren’t available with the same tech features. We’ll have to see if the Denali Ultimate’s materials are as classy as the ones found in the Ford and Ram’s, but the truck certainly has the features to stand out in the high-end pickup scene.