The first GMC truck to bear the top-rated Denali name made its debut this week.
What’s in a name, Shakespeare once asked? And so did we when we heard GMC would be spreading the “Denali” nameplate around in 2011.
We’ve just had a brief drive in the brawny, sexy new 2011 GMC Sierra Denali HD, which marks the first use of the exclusive Denali name on a heavy-duty GMC pickup, a truck which makes its world debut this week.
We immediately recognized the new model, thanks to the trademark Denali four-bar chrome grille with round air inlets that distinguish the Sierra Denali HD on the outside, along with body-color bumpers, chrome door handles, chrome accents and 18- and 20-inch polished forged aluminum wheels. The exterior is offered in three colors: Black, Stealth Gray and White.
Heavy Hauler!
Designed to compete against the Ford F-250HD King Ranch and Dodge Power Wagon models at the top of the heavy-duty pickup ladder, the new Denali we drove is powered by the 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8 delivering 397 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 765 foot-pounds of torque down at 1,600 rpm, with a heavy-duty Allison 1000 6-speed transmission.