GMC hints at face of 2019 Sierra

DETROIT -- The face of the redesigned 2019 GMC Sierra will feature evolutionary signature U-shaped LED headlights and more prominent taillights, according to teaser images the brand released Monday on social media.

The two images feature illuminated lights on the next-gen pickup, which is set to make its global debut Thursday in Detroit. Most notably, the headlight stack, including the U-shaped LED daytime running lights, appears to be larger than before and similar in style to the redesigned 2018 GMC Terrain compact crossover.

The debut of the 2019 Sierra, which also will include the high-end Sierra Denali, comes less than two months after General Motors officially introduced the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado on the eve of the Detroit auto show.

GM executives have promised more differentiation between the sibling pickups than before, with a wider range of Silverado models and Sierra's move upscale.

Despite expected exterior and interior differentiation between the pickups, the Sierra's specs and powertrains are expected to be similar to, if not the same as, the Silverado's.

GM has said the redesigned Silverado is larger than current models yet as much as 450 pounds lighter. It features a longer wheelbase, more interior space and a new high-strength steel bed with increased cargo volume and an available power up-down tailgate that can be operated from the key fob, an interior button or by hand.

GM will offer six powertrain combinations, including a 3.0-liter inline-six diesel and 5.3- and 6.2-liter V-8s with a technology called Dynamic Fuel Management that can shut off cylinders, in a variety of combinations, to optimize performance and fuel economy.

The diesel engine -- the first in a full-size Chevy pickup since the late 1990s -- and 6.2-liter V-8 will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. GM provided no details of other transmission pairings or engines.

In 2017, U.S. sales of the Sierra slipped 1.7 percent to 217,943; Silverado deliveries rose 1.9 percent to 585,864.

Production of the pickups is expected to start in the fall at GM's plant in Fort Wayne, Ind. GM also builds the trucks in Mexico, but it has not announced production details.

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