2021 GMC Sierra Pickup Trucks Feature

Additional exterior cameras make for a safer, more convenient towing experience, and besides, who doesn't want Jack-Knife Alert on a truck?

• GMC has announced the addition of a camera-based trailer-length indicator, plus a rear side-view enhancement feature, on 2021 Sierra pickups.
• The rear side-view feature includes a Jack-Knife Alert monitor to let you know if your trailer is threatening to make contact with the rear of your truck.
• Features are standard on GMC Sierra and Sierra HD Denali and optional on SLT and AT4 models.

With more people than ever investing in trucks and SUVs to ferry their families and toys to faraway places, GMC is looking to improve that experience. The automaker has added multiple towing aids to the 2021 Sierra 1500 and 2021 Sierra HD pickup trucks that should give drivers more confidence and safety—especially when towing larger objects, such as campers or enclosed trailers. According to GM, that's more than half of Sierra buyers.

The updates for 2021 aren’t flashy, but they are functional. For towing long objects like enclosed trailers, GM has added a Trailer Length Indicator that functions through the infotainment screen. Standard on Denali and optional on SLT and AT4 models, the system uses the side-mirror-mounted cameras to check surroundings for cars or other obstructions that could prevent a safe lane change. When the turn signal is activated, the corresponding camera view is projected onto the infotainment screen, with overlaid guidance lines. Stretched out twice the length of the corresponding trailer will be a red line indicating the distance behind the trailer needed to make a safe lane change. If the system detects any cross traffic or objects in the way, it can also intervene to prevent a collision.

GM has also added a few helpful features for tight parking-lot maneuvers. The rear trailer camera will now display guidelines behind your trailer, as well as a trailer-angle indicator that shows the truck and trailer’s angular relationship to one another. Additionally, Rear Side View Enhancement allows the driver to see both sides of the trailer simultaneously via camera for a better view of the surroundings while backing up. Crank the wheel too much and the new Jack-Knife Alert will sound if your trailer is threatening to make contact with the rear of your truck.

Solo drivers will appreciate the addition of the Cargo Bed View feature that allows the driver to zoom in on either the hitch or the bed itself to assist in hooking up a traditional trailer or fifth-wheel trailer without a spotter.

In addition to these technological updates, the Sierra 1500 will now offer the MultiPro tailgate on the SLE and Elevation trims, plus a handful of new colors, and an optional 20-inch off-road wheel and tire combo. The optional 3.0-liter inline-six Duramax diesel engine has been reduced in price by $1500 and is now available for a mere $995 over the standard 5.3-liter V-8 . . . tempting. The Sierra 2500 HD AT4 will also offer a new 18-inch mud-terrain wheel and tire combo, and the Denali trims see a few additional colors and standard features.

All this to say, if you’re worried that towing a massive camper or enclosed fifth-wheel trailer seems daunting, then maybe some of the technologies would be quite useful to you.