The 2026 Sierra 1500: What’s New

Having been fully redesigned in 2019, with a styling update in 2022, the GMC Sierra 1500 model lineup remains largely unchanged for 2026. Ewing Buick GMC provides the details.

The most significant change is the removal of Amazon Alexa, which was mostly redundant with other systems in the Google Built-in infotainment operating system and OnStar. Otherwise, the interior remains mostly the same, featuring a 7-inch center touchscreen on Pro models. The rest of the lineup offers an almost twice as large 13.4-inch display, available on one of two different dash designs. Among the trim levels above the Pro, the Elevation, SLE, and SLT grades feature an attractive horizontally laid-out set of center dash controls. The AT4, AT4X, Denali, and Denali Ultimate models receive a revised, more premium-looking dash layout.

The powertrains remain unchanged, with no fewer than four engines available across the model lineup. These include:

• 2.7-liter Turbo Max turbocharged inline-4 producing 310 @ 5,600 RPM horsepower and peak torque of 430 @ 1,500 rpm
• 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 producing 355 @ 5,600 rpm horsepower with a peak torque of 383 @ 4100 rpm
• 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 producing 420 @ 5,600 rpm horsepower with peak torque at 460 @ 4,100 rpm.
• 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6 producing 305 @ 3,750 horsepower and peak torque of 495 @ 2,750 rpm.
• The Turbo Max is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, whereas all other engines are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

One small mechanical change is the revised sport exhaust calibration, available for the Sport mode in the SLT, AT4, Denali, and Denali Ultimate models equipped with the 6.2-liter V8 engine, and it is standard on the AT4X model. This enhancement helps deliver a more aggressive exhaust note, making it an appealing feature for truck enthusiasts interested in upgrading to high-quality performance exhausts for an even more engaging driving experience.

The only other model-year change is with exterior color choices:

• Glacier White Tricoat is replaced by White Frost Tricoat
• Thunderstorm Gray is replaced by Coastal Dune

The Sierra 1500 continues to be available with Regular, Double, and Crew cab options. The lower trims offer more cab choices, with all three available on the PRO, while the SLE and Elevation models can be equipped with either a Double or Crew cab. The SLT, AT4, AT4X, Denali, and Denali Ultimate come standard with the Crew Cab.

The bed sizes range from the 69.92-inch short bed, which is mostly paired with the Crew Cab, to the 79.44-inch standard bed available with the Regular Cab and as the only bed size for all Double Cab models. The 98.2-inch-long bed is available only on the Pro model with the Regular Cab.

You can find nearly all the 2026 Sierra 1500 models and configurations in the Ewing Buick-GMC’s vast inventory.