Will differentiation be enough for 2014 Silverado and GMC Sierra?

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- It has been a long time since GM dazzled the marketplace with a hot pickup truck, but the recent introduction of the 2014 models – set to be in the market later this year – offers some promise for the country's number two truck seller, according to Linda Water Nelson, editor of INSIDEout: Cars & Trucks and sports vehicle editor for Texas Fish & Game Magazine.

"It is a sure thing that legacy GM truck buyers will be excited about these new trucks, but adding market share is critical.  Three new engines will be available for each, although no fuel efficiency numbers have been released yet", the vehicle reviewer said.

MPG, tow capacity and payload numbers have not been released yet, and GM may be taking extra time tuning the requisite components.  This is particularly important since there is now a 2014 Toyota Tundra (being introduced next Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show) which is currently a mystery, and because GM needs a win on these trucks to up its stakes in the pickup truck derby, she said.  The GM trucks will be available for media drives in May.

"What GM has done with great success so far is tease us with pre-production vehicles that do show the more-emphasized differentiation between the Chevy and GMC brands, which begin production in April.  GM has taken a lot of heat lately for trucks that looked far too similar.  These new trucks share a robust but different look -- front and rear -- with grille, bumpers, exterior lighting and other refinements do separate them fairly dramatically. 

On the inside, the GMC offering is lush with a luxurious amount of rich wood trim, and it does offer an alternative at the high end of the market where it was previously seen as dated.  The Silverado interior is a major step up, also, Water Nelson says. 

"I am holding back with kudos on the redesign of the interiors since the media has only seen the top-of-the-line interiors on both brands.  It will be the less pricey interiors on the Silverado, which is intended to have a starting price of about $22,000, that will define its promise", she added. 

A 25-year veteran of the auto industry, Linda Water Nelson's regular column, …and on the seventh day, wheels, appears at fishgame.com/blogs/svblog.

Media contact: Linda Nelson, [email protected]

SOURCE InsideOut: Cars & Trucks