Sierra HD Leads APEAL Study

Continuing to call out perceptive truck owners, the 2015 GMC Sierra HD has led the pack in the Large Heavy Duty Pickup class of the 2015 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study done by JD Power. GMC also came out well in other categories with the 2015 GMC Terrain coming in second place in the Compact SUV category.

The JD Power APEAL study looks at how pleased owners are with the overall performance and driving experience of their vehicles. It evaluates this by examining customer surveys that look at 77 different characteristics that are then scored on a 1,000-point scale to determine a final overall brand score.

Regarding this achievement, GMC’s US Vice President, Duncan Aldred said, “These and similar awards affirm that our customers recognize and appreciate the precision engineering, design and technology that go into every GMC. Sierra HD trucks are engineered without compromise to deliver the capability, refinement and technology that inspire confidence with every task.”

GMC made sure to provide special care on the Sierra in the areas of comfort for lengthy trips and ensuring driver confidence by including features like automatic braking on grades and an integrated cruise control system. GMC did this because it found that many owners of its heavy duty trucks use them quite a bit for long-distance hauling and towing. These standard features help Sierra owners maintain a steady speed when going up and down steep grades that can be encountered when hauling and towing through hilly or mountainous terrain.

In an additional attention to detail, GMC has outfitted Sierra HD trucks that have the Duramax diesel engine with a feature that allows owners to enable the diesel exhaust brake. This feature allows owners to use the variable vanes in the turbocharger to make the engine produce additional back pressure in the engine to assist in slowing the vehicle’s speed. This diesel exhaust brake combined with automatic downshifts in the transmission assists drivers in keeping a steady pace even when negotiating steep and lengthy downhill slopes found on some highways. As of June of 2015, roughly 48 percent of all Sierra HD pickups sold in the US were Sierra Denali HD trucks equipped with the Duramax engine. So this feature is quite common across the ownership of Sierra HD pickups.

On top of the exhaust brake feature that some Sierra HD pickups are fitted with, GMC has amply provided a rear view camera that allows drivers to get a glimpse of what is behind them and can be a really big help when it comes to hooking up a trailer to the truck for long-distance towing.

Overall, it is easy to see why the Sierra HD remains a favorite pickup among discerning truck buyers. With all the great features and safety items the Sierra is equipped with, it will probably continue to lead its class for some time to come.