Chevrolet Pickups Getting Luxury Trim Level

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

Following in the footsteps of the Ford F-Series multiple luxury times and Ram Laramie, Chevrolet will offer a new luxury trim level for the Silverado – complicating things for GMC, which is positioned as an upscale truck brand.

Automotive News reports that the new Silverado trim, dubbed “High Country”, comes in response to dealer requests for a model that could compete with competitive luxury trucks that costs north of $50,000. Ford has five premium truck trims, with the $44,635 Platinum accounting for 6 percent of F-150 sales. The Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum and SVT Raptor models account for a quarter of all F-150 sales, and Chevrolet is understandably eager to capture a slice of the market.

But there’s just one problem; GMC. The brand is supposed to be a more upscale truck lineup, with the Sierra, and the Sierra Denali in particular, as a fancier alternative to the Silverado. The most expensive Silverado currently available, the LTZ, starts at around $43,000, while the Sierra Denali’s base price is $45,460. The possible overlap in product lines hearkens back to pre-bankruptcy General Motors and the often messy demarcations between the different brands. On the other hand, the next generation of pickups gives the Sierra Denali a chance to move further upmarket, with the Silverado filling the void they previously occupied.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Ajla Ajla on Sep 24, 2012

    Bring back the GMC V6!

  • Dimwit Dimwit on Sep 24, 2012

    Is this a new truck? It looks like the same old GMC that they've been selling for the last 6 years. GM better get its act together. Ford will be having another new F150 soon.

    • Easton Easton on Sep 24, 2012

      The current GM trucks are painfully out of date. I was always a lifelong GM guy but when I was recently in the market for a new truck I found the Sierra gutless, roughriding, cheap feeling yet more expensive than its competitors. I ended up buying a Ram 1500 which I just found to be a better product over all. Never tried the F-150 since I can't get past the awful styling.

  • Jsal56 Jsal56 on Sep 24, 2012

    I am buying GM stock the day after the election if Obama loses. Has $10 to the upside.

  • Moparman426W Moparman426W on Sep 25, 2012

    I think the subject regarding what the automakers should have done with their divisions is one of those conversations that has been rehashed about 100 times over the past year or so on the site.

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