1972 Gmc Sierra 1500 Pickup on 2040-cars

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2021 GMC Sierra adds towing tech, new HD Black Diamond Edition

Trailer towing is the focus of several new technologies coming to the 2021 GMC Sierra pickup, with the new features available both on the Sierra 1500 and the Sierra HD. The 2021 Sierra also sees expanded availability of GMC's MultiPro tailgate, a price cut for the available 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel six, and a new Black Diamond Edition of the Sierra HD. Pickup truck makers are engaged in a trailering-technology arms race. Already, the GMC Sierra offers its ProGrade Trailering package that features a "Transparent Trailer" virtual camera view and a Rear Trailer View that uses an auxiliary camera mounted on the back of the trailer. To that, GMC is adding a Trailer Length Indicator that can alert drivers of another vehicle in the adjoining lane during a signaled lane-change. A new Jack-Knife Alert warns the driver if the front of the trailer approaches the rear of the tow vehicle. The warning appears in the center screen and can also trigger a seat vibration. The previous Rear Side View split-screen now also works when reversing and adjusts for the angle of the trailer. The Cargo Bed View now includes a zoom feature and hitch guidance for connecting gooseneck trailers. Finally, the previous Rear Trailer View adds a trailer-angle indicator and dynamic guidelines. In other equipment news, the six-position MultiPro tailgate is newly available on the Sierra 1500 SEL and Elevation trims and standard on the Sierra HD SLE. The fancy Sierra HD Denali adds Surround Vision and Bed View cameras to the standard-equipment list. Standard and optional engine choices for the Sierra are unchanged for 2021, but the price of the optional 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine in the Sierra 1500 is reduced by $1,500. For 2021, on models where the 5.3-liter V8 is standard (SLT, AT4, and Denali), the upcharge will be $995. For the SLE and Elevation, where the 2.7-liter V6 is standard, the cost to upgrade to the diesel is now $2,390, again a decrease of $1,500. Lastly, the Sierra HD adds a Denali Black Diamond Edition. It includes 20-inch gloss-black wheels, power-retractable side steps, premium audio by Kicker, an Auxiliary Trailer Camera, trailer tire-pressure monitor sensors, and premium floor mats with removable carpet inserts. It comes in any color you want so long as it's Ebony Twilight Metallic. The Black Diamond Edition is pictured above. Related Video:    

Chevrolet Silverado reportedly getting the GMC Sierra's MultiPro tailgate

GMC reinvented the pickup tailgate when it added a six-way option named MultiPro to the current-generation Sierra it introduced in 2019. It kept this clever feature to itself as a way to differentiate the Sierra from the Chevrolet Silverado, but a recent report claims it will begin sharing it in the not-too-distant future. Enthusiast website GM Authority learned from anonymous sources familiar with Chevrolet's product plans that the Silverado will soon receive its own version of the MultiPro tailgate. It will be called either MultiFlex or Multi-Flex, a name Chevrolet has already trademarked, and it was initially scheduled to make its debut for the 2021 model year. Its arrival might be delayed until the 2022 model year due to the coronavirus pandemic, however. Chevrolet's Silverado and GMC's Sierra are nearly identical under the sheet metal, so adding the latter's six-way tailgate to the former will be a relatively straightforward and cost-effective process. Interestingly, GM Authority wrote engineers could add a seventh function to the tailgate, though it didn't reveal what they have in store. It's also not sure whether both trucks will get the new feature, or if it will exclusively be offered on the Chevrolet. 2022 will bring major updates to the Silverado and the Sierra, potentially including — as we've previously reported — an independent rear suspension. Interior upgrades will allegedly be part of the mid-cycle changes, too, but we still don't know if the Silverado will receive the tough carbon fiber cargo box available in the Sierra. In the meantime, motorists in the market for a Sierra will temporarily have fewer options to choose from. GMC has asked its dealers to stop taking orders for the regular- and double-cab variants of the truck, according to a separate report from GM Authority. Putting the slower-selling regular- and double-cab trucks on hiatus will allow dealers to build up their inventory of crew-cabs, which sell far better and are in relatively short supply. These restrictions will remain in effect until the 2021 model year, which starts on September 14 for double- and crew-cab models and on September 21 for regular-cab trucks. All three body styles will be available in 2021. Related Video:

Hacker jury rigs Amazon Echo into voice-controlled remote start

A lot of automakers have smartphone apps to start, lock, or unlock a connected car. Some automakers will even let you do that with a smartwatch. Then, there's YouTube user Jryanishere, who decided to use Amazon's chatty Echo voice-controlled, internet-connected information thingy. Yes, we said thingy, because we aren't really sure how else to describe the Echo. While the Echo system has received a hearty ad campaign – featuring Alec Baldwin asking Amazon's virtual assistant, Alexa, questions and ordering socks – we think this might be the first really useful thing we've seen it do. Using a MacBook, a Raspberry Pi, an Echo, an OBDLink plug-in, and his 4G LTE-equipped GMC, Jryanishere has basically made a voice-controlled remote-start system. Now, like so many voice-controlled things, this strikes us more of an extravagance than something that's functionally worthwhile. After all, the remote start on the a GMC keyfob isn't exactly rocket science. You can check out the Echo in action up top. Jryanishere gives a pretty thorough breakdown of how the setup works in the video above, but if you're at all into this sort of technological mischief, you'll want to watch (and check out the hilariously detailed blog explaining the job). Related Video: