Tow Test: GMC Sierra

If you want to tow something really big, this US import could well be the answer to your dreams

Big ballsy utes are all the rage in the US, in fact last year more than 2.5 million pickups were sold in America. Of those more than 250,000 (yes, a quarter of a million) were GMC trucks.

Back here in Aus, our love affair with the ute continues unabated with around 170,000 sold last year from a total vehicle sales of 1.15 million, which means that utes accounted for 15 per cent of all vehicles sold in this country.

In terms of size and carrying and towing capacity, the biggest utes we have on the market here are the 4x4 offerings from the likes of Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Mazda Holden et al. These have a maximum towing weights of somewhere between 3000 and 3500kg, but as we found out on our recent mega 4x4 ute comparison test some left a bit wanting when loaded with some gear, a couple of people on board and decent load on the tow bar.

So enter these big, imported US-built tow tugs. The GMC on test was imported and converted by Performax, a Queensland-based company that specialises in these types of vehicles and by sound of things they’re becoming more popular.

And why wouldn’t they? Purpose-built for hard work and towing, they’re equipped with truck engines and transmissions and with a host of features to make your towing easier and more comfortable, they present a strong argument.

Our test vehicle was powered by a 6.6-litre turbocharged V8 diesel that had the impressive outputs of 296kW at 3000rpm and 1037Nm of torque at 1600rpm. A heavy-duty tow hitch comes standard as does an electric brake controller on the dash with digital readout on the info screen in front of the driver.

If that’s not enough, you also get an exhaust brake that you can switch on and off via a toggle switch on the centre console. Then there’s the Stabilitrak electronic stability control system as standard, plus the trailer sway control. Maximum towing weight is quoted at 4500kg on a standard hitch.

So you can see that right out of the factory, these rigs are purpose-built to tow.

So how does it go? To find out we hooked up a 24ft Chaparral Extreme wake boat on a tandem-axle trailer with a weight of around 3000kg and took it for a run. The first thing to notice is that the rear suspension hardly dropped at all when we put the trailer on. A slight settling of a couple of centimetres was all.

On the road, the GMC felt more composed, if anything, with the big boat on the back. The performance was hardly compromised and the ride was smooth. The exhaust brake assists the deceleration by changing down the gears as the vehicle slows and the retardation is noticeable.

Out on the open road, the big engine can easily hold highway speed with the cruise control set and a kickdown from sixth to fifth from time to time was all we noticed. At 100km/h the engine is turning over at around 1500rpm or just under max torque, so you’re really in the ‘grunt zone’. For overtaking, either with or without a load, there’s plenty in reserve… and we mean plenty!

In the cabin, everything is serene. For a heavy-duty ute, this is one comfortable conveyance. The ‘Denali’ badges denote GMC’s top spec level, and this truck is as fully equipped as a luxury sedan.

Along with the afore-mentioned towing kit, standard equipment includes electric seats, windows, and mirrors, a high-end Bose stereo system, navigation, full trip computer, tyre monitoring, filter and oil monitoring, rear camera, proximity alert with head-up display and vibrating seat alert (I couldn’t figure out how to turn that off).

For comfort there are the leather-trimmed seats with heating and cooling for the front and even a heated leather-bound steering wheel.

The rear-seat passengers don’t miss out either with plush leather trimmed seats and heaps of head and leg room. In fact, there is more room in the rear of this ute than there is in many four-door sedans. Fold the seats up and there is similar storage room to a family station wagon.

For this model, GMC tells us that they have gone for thicker windscreen glass and triple door seals to make the interior more quiet – and quiet it is. I found myself thinking how easy it would be to do long distances in this vehicle whether towing or not. Long-haul interstate or even outback runs sprang to mind.

And to that end the test vehicle was fitted with the optional long-range tank giving a total of 215 litres of diesel which translates to well over 1500km range. In fact unladen, the GMC could conceivably get from Melbourne to Sydney and return on one tank.

On the highway without a load, our trip computer was showing around 9-10 litres/100km which is quite incredible for a big banger like the GMC. Around town, it’s more like 15-16 litres/100km and add a bit more when towing, but for our test we were showing an average of around 12.5 (both towing and ‘solo’) which is still very good for a vehicle that weighs in at 3391kg tare.And while we’re on subject of economy, how about that elephant-in-the-room topic of price? Well, it ain’t cheap. The GMC Sierra Denali as you see it here will set you back around $152K at the time of writing. Performax said that this may change a bit with the exchange rate but that’s the ball park, so to speak.Like many right-hand drive conversions, there were a couple of electronic 'gremlins' such as a malfunctioning sat nav and radio, but overall fit and finish appeared top rate.

VERDICT

Sure it’s a big vehicle and not easy to park at the local shopping mall, but that’s not its forte. Give it a big job to do and it’ll do it with ease, and in style.The GMC Sierra has a presence on the road that can’t be denied, it’s sure-footed, quiet and comfortable, and while it might be expensive, as tow tug, it’s hard to go past.2016 GMC Sierra Denali

Price: $152,000 (approx.)

Engine: 6.6-litre V8 turbo-diesel

Output: 296kW/1037Nm

Transmission: six-speed automatic

Fuel: 12.7 litres/100kms (as tested)

Towing: 4500kg maximum (on standard hitch)

More info: Performax International

Tow Test: GMC Sierra

Tags