2022 GMC Sierra Denali will get Super Cruise and an interior redesign

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The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 gets Super Cruise! Exclamation mark required because this is exciting news. Cadillac was GM’s sole owner of Super Cruise from the start, and while we knew it was coming to the Hummer EV, we didn’t know a fast-selling full-size pickup would get the technology.

GMC says it will launch Super Cruise on the 1500 Denali, the most expensive and luxurious version of the Sierra. It’s slated to arrive for the 2022 model year, but GMC qualifies that by saying “end of the 2022 model year.” That means it will likely come towards the end, with 2023 slated to be the first full year of Super Cruise in the Sierra 1500.

GM also claims it could tow the version of Super Cruise coming to the Sierra. Yes, hands-free towing, folks. We are also a bit antsy. The technology is the same as that of the latest generation Super Cruise in the Cadillac CT5 and CT4. It is an improved version with more features than the first generation system that won Autoblog’s Technology of the Year award a few years ago.

However, there are still questions to be answered. GM has said nothing about what it will cost on the Sierra 1500. We are also in the dark when it comes to other Sierra 1500 trim levels; and what about the Silverado 1500? It makes sense that GM would give the Sierra Super Cruise first, but it’s now definitely compatible with the Chevy version of the truck too. As for other GMC products, GM is quiet when they will be blessed with Super Cruise. The redesigned Yukon would be the most obvious candidate as the flagship product, but GM says the program’s timing worked best to launch on the Sierra 2022, not the Yukon. It is likely that the SUV will be updated with the system in the near future.

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In addition to Super Cruise, GMC’s photo also shows that the Sierra 2022 will get a fully digital instrument cluster. It is certainly an optional item, but could very well be standard on Denali. GM has turned the speedometer and tachometer to opposite sides, but their digital versions still have that straight GMC look to them. You can see the Super Cruise image in the center and all gauges have descended to the bottom of the screen.

But wait, there is more. The photo also shows the beginning of a completely new interior design, different from the current Sierra, standard Yukon and Yukon Denali interiors. It is immediately and distinctly different everywhere we look. The vents immediately to the right of the handlebar are new and horizontal where they used to be vertical. These are similar in design to the Yukon Denali, but the push button switch is nowhere to be seen – it’s probably still a big stem on the column. Instead, we see a volume rocker and the start of a touchscreen. And if the screen starts there, it’s probably a big one. GM has even gone so far as to restyle the hood over the instrument panel. Like the rest of the surrounding areas, it is nothing like the current Sierra. We have placed one next to the other. Sand away.

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The new interior is on the left; the current interior is on the right.

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