While details are minimal at the moment, we now have our first official look at the 2017 GMC Sierra Denali 2500HD model set to arrive in showrooms later this year. It’s expected to be joined by an equally updated/upgraded version of its corporate stablemate, the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD. A quick comparison with the current Denali 2500HD shows the biggest change on the 2017 is its new hood. The redesign gives the vehicle a more aggressive look and sports a functional hood scoop to feed an expected upgraded version of the current 6.6-liter V8 Duramax Turbo-Diesel.
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Available in place of the standard 360-horse 6.0-liter gasoline V8 in the Sierra 2500 HD that makes 380 lb-ft of torque, the exceptionally efficient Duramax presently churns out 397 horsepower and 765 lb-ft of peak torque. Rumor has it that we could see its pony count move closer to 425 with torque likely rising beyond the 800 lb-ft level — although how close it gets the 860 lb-ft benchmark of the 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel offered in the current Ford F-250 Super Duty is still unclear.
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GMC says we’ll just have to wait to see what other changes are in store for the 2017 Sierra Denali 2500 HD, including whether the rugged Allison 6-speed automatic that backs the Duramax receives tweaks of its own. But given the continuing popularity of the Ram 2500 and the fall arrival of Ford’s all-new, aluminum-intensive 2017 F-Series Super Duty that also boasts its own lengthy roster of functional upgrades, the segment clearly promises to get even more competitive in the months ahead.
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