Big Diesel Power With A Touch Of Class We're not exactly sure when it happened, but pickup trucks have long since elevated themselves beyond mere tools of the trade. Once bare-bones, utilitarian hardware with more capability than comfort, the truck has evolved into a status symbol. Move out of any urban center and into the surrounding sprawl, and lifted, diesel-chugging, three-quarter-ton pickups are fairly commonplace nowadays. And we're not just talking about rides parked outside work sites, mind you. These days, you're every bit as likely to see them parked outside the local Panera. ... Read More

Vital Stats

Engine:: Turbo Diesel 6.6L V8
Power:: 397 HP / 765 LB-FT
Transmission:: 6-Speed Auto
MSRP:: $61,774 as tested

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Ford Power Stroke wins Ward's diesel shootout 1285104540

Wards Auto has crowned its king of the 2011 diesel pickup engine crowd. The editors pitted the mills in the 2011 Dodge Ram HD, Ford Super Duty and the GMC Sierra Denali HD against each other in one epic battle royale at the Robert Bosch LLC test track, and while each of the three oil-burners did a smart job of hauling payloads and the like, Wards clearly ...
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Autoblog Podcast #194 - Bentley Continental, Lamborghini teaser, Mexico's Mastretta and budget Toyota sports cars 1283980500

It's Episode #194 of the Autoblog Podcast, and Chris, Sam and Dan talk about the 2011 Bentley Continental, what Lamborghini has in store for the Paris Motor Show, Mexico's Mastretta MXT and budget sports cars from Toyota. Two questions cap it at just over an hour this week. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #194 - Bentley Continental, Lamborghini ...
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2010 PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty Shootout: And the winners are... 1281931260

When it comes to all things pickup truck-related, our pal Mike Levine from PickupTrucks.com has his finger on the pulse of what's happening. Every year, Levine gathers all of the currently available contenders in a particular segment of the truck market for a shootout. With General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all having launched heavily reworked heavy-duty ...
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GM discovers flaw with HD pickup hill-hold assist, fast-tracks fix 1279663380

Last week, PickupTrucks.com held one of its periodic load lugger shootouts where it brings together the heavy haulers from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler to see which pickup truck is the top dog. After running acceleration tests at Milan dragway, editor Mike Levine and the crew moved the fleet of nine trucks to the GM Proving Ground in Milford, MI. ...
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GMC Sierra Denali 3500 debuts at Pickup Shootout 1279045620

You want the heaviest of heavy-duty pickup trucks and you want to drive in the lap of luxury. If that sounds like you, have we got some great news to share. The 2011 GMC Sierra Denali 3500 pickup truck is now officially official, and the first such unit is currently being tested in tandem by the heavy haulin' folks at PickupTrucks.com and our very own ...

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GM reconsidering 4.5-liter Duramax diesel for use in HD pickups 1276606620

As you may have noticed, automobile sales are picking back up after their seemingly perpetual nosedive of the last two years or so. The same holds true for fullsize pickup trucks, and we're hoping that this resurgence will bring back some of the more interesting developments that had to be shelved due to monetary constraints. Chief amongst these wishes ...
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First Drive: 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty trucks set new HD standard 1276531080

Usually whenever we head out to a new vehicle press launch, we have to sit through exhaustive technical and marketing presentations before we get a chance to climb behind the wheel. However, General Motors put us straight into a dual-rear wheel GMC Sierra 3500 crew-cab diesel upon our arrival in Baltimore. On the docket? A 130-mile trek from Baltimore ...
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GM announces best-in-class towing, payload figures for heavy-duty Silverado, Sierra 1274197020

General Motors has just announced the hauling capacities for the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickups. The new trucks can now pull up to 21,700 pounds in fifth-wheel configuration and lug around 6,635 pounds worth of payload, thereby making them the new best-in class champions. The traditional tow rating sits at 17,000 pounds. What did ...
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GM adds two more Sierra HD Denali models 1273255020

General Motors has just announced that the GMC Denali line will get a little more diverse starting next year. Buyers will now be able to have their 2011 Sierra Denali HD 2500 in two-wheel drive guise for the first time, and the Sierra Denali HD 3500 will join the ranks as well. Until now, customers haven't been able to get all of the fancy bells and ...
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Rumormill: Ford's Power Stroke diesel getting power increase to beat GM Duramax 1269435720

Volatile gas prices and increasingly stiff emissions standards were supposed to kill the auto industry's horsepower wars, or so we thought feared. Recent news out of the General Motors and Ford camps appears to prove otherwise. The second act in the battle for power supremacy took a turn for the better last November when The Blue Oval announced that the ...