With the popularity of pickup trucks now growing more and more by the day, it’s not surprising to see automakers dish out new features and technologies in their models. One recent example is GMC with its latest update on the Sierra 1500 and HD trucks for the 2021 model year.
With the new set of add-ons, GMC is looking to give drivers an enhanced towing capability while also ensuring safety, particularly when hauling larger objects like trailers and campers. According to General Motors, this latest design update will benefit more than half of their Sierra customers.
The new addition is what GM calls a Trailer Length Indicator, a technology that is ultimately part of the infotainment screen. It’s going to be offered as standard equipment on the Sierra and Sierra HD Denali trucks and optional on the SLT and AT4 variants.
The Trailer Length Indicator’s system uses the cameras mounted on the side mirrors of the truck to check the entire surrounding of the car and ensure that there are no obstructions to a smooth lane change. When a driver activates the turn signal, the camera view gets projected onto the infotainment screen, complete with guidance lines.
There will also be a red line stretching out twice the standard length of a trailer to indicate the distance needed for the lane change. Once the system identifies cross-traffic or obstacles, it also has the ability to intervene and prevent a collision.
On top of the new indicator system, GM is also throwing in a few more features. These include the ability of the rear trailer camera to display guidelines behind the trailer, as well as a trailer-angle indicator. There is also the Rear Slide View Enhancement that lets the driver see both sides of the trailer through the camera and the Cargo Bed View feature that allows a zoomed-in view on the hitch or the bed of the vehicle.
Other accessories such as a MultiPro tailgate on the SLE and Elevation variants of the Sierra 1500, new paint job choices, and optional 20-inch off-road wheel and tire combo are also part of the new updates.
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