Help Is on the Way for GM's Full-size Trucks

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

No, General Motors hasn’t tapped an army of virus-resistant robot workers from Boston Dynamics to build its bread-and-butter models; rather, the pickups themselves will undergo changes to boost appeal amid potent competition from Detroit rivals.

Sometime next year, The General’s full-sizers will reportedly correct a mistake that held the duo back upon their debut.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on any exterior changes coming to the polarizing Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra siblings. Instead, it’s the inside of the trucks that stand to take on a new look. Lackluster cabins were a weak point when the new-for-2019 trucks arrived, especially when compared to Ram’s equally new 1500.

With Ford now gearing up to ship a new F-150 to dealers, GM can’t afford to leave itself exposed on any flank. Despite their, um, aggressive styling, the Silverado and Sierra boasted cabins that felt like warmed-over retreads of what came before; in high-zoot trims, the ambiance wasn’t on par with the sticker price.

Automotive News is now reporting a looming change first announced by GM Authority late last year — a rumor the publication fleshed out last month. The pickups are due for an interior overhaul next year, AN claims, hinting at a 2022MY introduction. Citing sources in the know, GM Authority said the ’22 Silverado is in line to receive the center stack and console found in the next-generation, 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban. It’s assumed the Sierra will snag choice interior bits from the GMC Yukon.

In the case of GM’s new crop of full-size SUVs, the interiors underwent vast changes, while the exterior saw an evolutionary design update. It’s the opposite of what occurred with GM’s trucks.

It’s expected that the automaker’s HD trucks, new for the 2020 model year, will see similar changes come 2022 or 2023.

[Images: Steph Willems/TTAC, General Motors]

Steph Willems
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  • APaGttH APaGttH on Jul 27, 2020

    Didn't GM have to do with GMT800, giving the interiors a major overhaul in design and equipment in 2003? There wasn't anything inherently bad with the first half GM800 interiors, but they definitely felt and looked like they were designed by Playskool. Aesthetically not pleasing, but desirable if you're using a truck as a -- truck. The current GM interiors are abysmal.

    • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Jul 27, 2020

      @APaGttH - Valid points. I always get a laugh out of the "soft touch plastics" complaint made by many journalists. I grew up in pickups that had metal interiors. The dash pad and arm rests were usually padded. The rest was metal or a very stiff plastic.

  • Flipper35 Flipper35 on Jul 28, 2020

    Given how GM has operated in the past if they ever get these just right they will cancel them the next year.

  • Redapple2 I gave up on Honda. My 09 Accord Vs my 03. The 09s- V 6 had a slight shudder when deactivating cylinders. And the 09 did not have the 03 's electro luminescent gages. And the 09 had the most uncomfortable seats. My brother bought his 3rd and last Honda CRV. Brutal seats after 25 minutes. NOW, We are forever Toyota, Lexus, Subaru people now despite HAVING ACCESS TO gm EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT. Despite having access to the gm employee discount. Man, that is a massive statement. Wow that s bad - Under no circumstances will I have that govna crap.
  • Redapple2 Front tag obscured. Rear tag - clear and sharp. Huh?
  • Redapple2 I can state what NOT to buy. HK. High theft. Insurance. Unrefined NVH. Rapidly degrading interiors. HK? No way !
  • Luke42 Serious answer:Now that I DD an EV, buying an EV to replace my wife’s Honda Civic is in the queue. My wife likes her Honda, she likes Apple CarPlay, and she can’t stand Elon Musk - so Tesla starts the competition with two demerit-points and Honda starts the competition with one merit-point.The Honda Prologue looked like a great candidate until Honda announced that the partnership with GM was a one-off thing and that their future EVs would be designed in-house.Now I’m more inclined toward the Blazer EV, the vehicle on which the Prologue is based. The Blazer EV and the Ultium platform won’t be orphaned by GM any time soon. But then I have to convince my wife she would like it better than her Honda Civic, and that’s a heavy lift because she doesn’t have any reason to be dissatisfied with her current car (I take care of all of the ICE-hassles for her).Since my wife’s Honda Civic is holding up well, since she likes the car, and since I take care of most of the drawbacks of drawbacks of ICE ownership for her, there’s no urgency to replace this vehicle.Honestly, if a paid-off Honda Civic is my wife’s automotive hill to die on, that’s a pretty good place to be - even though I personally have to continue dealing the hassles and expenses of ICE ownership on her behalf.My plan is simply to wait-and-see what Honda does next. Maybe they’ll introduce the perfect EV for her one day, and I’ll just go buy it.
  • 2ACL I have a soft spot for high-performance, shark-nosed Lancers (I considered the less-potent Ralliart during the period in which I eventually selected my first TL SH-AWD), but it's can be challenging to find a specimen that doesn't exhibit signs of abuse, and while most of the components are sufficiently universal in their function to service without manufacturer support, the SST isn't one of them. The shops that specialize in it are familiar with the failure as described by the seller and thus might be able to fix this one at a substantial savings to replacement. There's only a handful of them in the nation, however. A salvaged unit is another option, but the usual risks are magnified by similar logistical challenges to trying to save the original.I hope this is a case of the seller overvaluing the Evo market rather than still owing or having put the mods on credit. Because the best offer won't be anywhere near the current listing.
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