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Who sold the most heavy-duty pickups in 2012? PickupTrucks.com investigates

Domestic manufacturers enjoyed a good year for heavy-duty pickup sales in 2012. PickupTrucks.com has taken a close look at exactly how those sales broke down between each manufacturer and between three-quarter and one-ton pickups. Ford sold some 67,786 F-250 Super Duty models last year with the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD falling just behind at 56,359 units. The Ram 2500 HD came in third at 41,918, while the GMC Sierra 2500 HD earned itself fourth place with 27,616 deliveries. While Ford held onto the top spot in the one-ton market, Ram easily nailed down second place by selling more 3500 HD models last year than General Motors sold Silverado 3500 HD and Sierra 3500 HD trucks combined.
So, did GM manage to sell more trucks than Ford with its two brands? Very nearly. Ford sold a total of 119,338 heavy-duty pickups to GM's 111,555. Ram, meanwhile, moved a distant 77,583. But perhaps more interesting is the diesel take rate in this segment. PickupTrucks.com says 80 percent of all domestic one-ton trucks roll from the dealer lot with a turbo-diesel under the hood. Head over to the site for a closer look at the breakdown.

GMC SIerra Denali is ready to live the high life

Between the information for the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado High Country and the accidently leaked picture on GMC's consumer site, it didn't take much imagination to envision what the 2014 GMC Sierra Denali would be like. But here it is. Going on sale this fall, the 2014 Sierra Denali will continue to be the most luxurious pickup truck in the General Motors portfolio, while getting more power and technology than ever before.
Like previous models, the 2014 Sierra Denali stands out from lower Sierra models with a big cheese-grater chrome grille, 20-inch chrome wheels and body-color bumpers. Inside, the Denali gets plenty of leather with contrasting stitching, but this is where GMC really steps up from the Silverado High Country with real aluminum trim and a new customizable eight-inch driver display in the gauge cluster. Standard features will include heated and cooled front bucket seats, the Intellilink infotainment system with Bose audio, while the options list offers a Driver Alert Package (with forward collision alert and lane departure warning), a rear-seat entertainment system and a Z71 Off-Road Package.
As for power, the standard engine will be the 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 with its 355 horsepower, and the optional engine will be the new 6.2-liter V8. Although official power figures for the bigger engine aren't in yet, GM is finally putting some estimates on paper expecting around 420 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque to go with a 12,000-pound towing capacity. The new Sierra Denali will be available in either two- or four-wheel drive. Scroll down for more details listed in the official press release.

GM tinkering with Silverado, Sierra model mix amidst strong early sales

Variety, as they say, is the spice of life. That's a lesson that is currently being taught to General Motors, because despite a strong showing from its 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, the General's pickup sales still can't best those of cross-town rival Ford.
With 59,163 trucks moved, GM fell just over 1,000 units short of toppling Ford, and one of the main reasons for that, according to GM's chief sales analyst, was due to a lack of variety in the engines and body styles available on dealer lots. "We are still over-weighted toward crew-cab V8 trucks. Our light-duty mix will moderate over time as our launch progresses," said Kurt McNeil.
Loading dealers with the popular combination of the 5.3-liter V8 and the four-door, Crew Cab body style was intentional during the truck's launch, but as supplies of leftover 2013 models, which are being sold at heavy incentives, are beginning to wane, both budget-conscious and high-dollar buyers are looking elsewhere instead of at the volume model pickups.