2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali First Drive: Quiet, Capable Comfort

General Motors has been making inroads in the EV market on several fronts. The Cadillac Lyriq is doing well in the competitive luxury SUV market. Chevrolet has a one-two combo in the lucrative compact and midsize SUV segment with the Equinox EV and Blazer EV. GMC started its EV salvo with the Hummer EV pickup, an attention-grabbing, chiseled brute capable of incredible feats of off-road derring-do. The Sierra EV, however, is the brand’s sleeper EV pickup. The Hummer EV is big, bold, and brash, while the Sierra EV, even in its most luxurious Denali trim like the ones we drove, is understated. Though it looks more like the internal-combustion-powered Sierra lineup, this EV version has more in common with its Hummer brethren, including the 800-volt Ultium batteries.

GMC invited us to California’s Bay Area to explore the Sierra EV Denali in its Max Range configuration, get a feel for it in all sorts of on-road environments, and play just a bit in the dirt to see how agile it can be.

The foundation of the Sierra EV is shared with the Hummer EV and also its Silverado EV counterpart, although exterior body panels are unique. The most distinguishing feature between the Silverado and Sierra is the buttress at the back of the cab. While the Silverado’s makes more of a sloping sail panel, the Sierra’s is shorter, giving the cabin a more upright look despite sharing an identical greenhouse.

The Sierra EV Denali Max Range uses a 205-kWh battery pack rated at 460 miles of range. That big battery pack also enables its twin electric motors, one at each axle, to churn out a total of 760 hp for 0–60 sprints of about 4.5 seconds. Its 800-volt charging system can accept up to 350 kW at Level 3 charging stations, allowing it to add up to 100 miles of charge in just 10 minutes. GM Energy offers a $949 PowerShift Charger for Level 2 charging at home that provides 19.2 kW to supply up to 51 miles of charge per hour. For an additional $3850, GM Energy’s V2H Enablement Kit will let that big battery serve as a power bank in case of utility outages, supplying your home with up to 9 kW to keep the lights on and the air conditioner running. GM Energy also offers in-home batteries for immediate backup power even when your vehicle is away. And it allows for solar power and grid power to be stored during off-peak hours to help lower utility costs.

One criticism leveled at the Sierra EV’s Chevrolet counterpart was its interior appointments. Although the Silverado EV showed some teething issues with its stitching and had an abundance of hard plastic, the Sierra EV Denali features soft-touch materials on the dash and on the door panels, from the door handles up to the sill. The open-pore wood dash is also a notable improvement. The door panels, seats, dash, and console are all unique to the Sierra, and the vertical orientation of the 16.8-inch center screen allows for a large map to display up top while two additional taps can be configured to display audio, towing, or other control functions. Like the Silverado EV, the Sierra EV Denali has a huge tinted moonroof as standard equipment. A screen is optional, and in the mild Central California fall weather we didn’t find ourselves wanting one. In a warmer climate, it will likely be a must-have.

The rear seat is a 60/40 bench, which allows for a pass-through for gear while keeping the rear window and either side of the rear bench in its passenger configuration. Rear legroom is ample, even with the front seats moved fully aft. There’s plenty of room to tilt the rear seat bottoms forward, flip the headrests down, and tilt the seatbacks down to fold the midgate. We tried configuring the midgate ourselves and found it simple and quick; we especially appreciated the built-in catch for the rear window that helps make sure it doesn’t fall before you’re ready. The bed is just shy of six feet long, but with the midgate open that extends to eight feet. Drop the MultiPro tailgate and that length expands to about 11 feet.

Specs: 2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali

• Price: $91,995 base Extended Range / $100,495 as tested Max Range
• Powertrain: Dual motors, one front, one rear; direct-drive transmission front/rear
• Output: 760 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque
• Layout: Four-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger full-size pickup truck
• 0–60 mph: 4.5 seconds (manufacturer estimate)
• EPA fuel economy equivalent: 67 MPGe city, 59 highway, 63 combined
• Competition: Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, Ram 1500 REV

The Sierra EV does a decent job of hiding its mass. We noted that the Chevrolet Suburban manages to be rather nimble despite its sizable bulk, although it still has a lot less bulk than the Sierra EV and its ginormous battery pack. We criticized the Silverado EV’s choice of 24-inch wheels when we drove it earlier this year. The Sierra EV Denali seems to do better, but we’re not sure if that’s because the Silverado we drove was an earlier version or if GMC spent extra time on the ride quality. After all, it’s a Denali.

Our time behind the wheel was spent on narrow suburban streets (which were technically two-way but should not have been), curving mountain roads, and urban highways. The big EV did surprisingly well through all of the varying roads and proved to be well up to the task of taking on the two-lane highways that snaked through the hills under the canopy of redwood forests. The Sierra EV remained composed, and whether we were driving or riding shotgun, the ride was smooth and comfortable. Another advantage over the 2024 Silverado EV we previously tested: The 2025 Sierra EV has a steering-wheel-mounted paddle that applies regenerative braking on demand. Between the selectable levels of one-pedal driving and the regen paddle, there’s likely a driving mode that will suit just about any driver.

We did take advantage of the opportunity to tow with the Sierra EV Denali and hauled a 5500-pound enclosed car trailer around the San Francisco Peninsula. We hate to use the cliché that you could hardly tell the trailer was there, but with an already heavy truck (the Max Range battery pack tips curb weight close to 9000 pounds) and an absurd amount of power on tap, it is easy to get up to speed. Even when heading up a grade, passing speed comes without delay or drama, allowing the driver to create space and maneuver. Although the launch edition of the Sierra EV had a 9500-pound trailering capacity, the Sierra EV Denali now has a 10,500-pound tow rating with Extended Range and 10,000 pounds with Max Range.

It seems the 2025 version of the GMC Sierra EV has addressed our chief complaints with GM’s big EV platform, and we can’t help but wonder why this wasn’t the first pickup out of the gate for the General.

2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali

Highs: Huge battery for long-range drives or off-grid backup power, effortless power for towing.
Lows: Steep price, needs better mirrors to match its towing capacity.
Takeaway: The 2025 model seems like an improvement over the Silverado EV RST we last tested, with an upscale interior and a more buttoned-down ride for just $3000 more. It’s expensive, but it also packs a lot of power and the industry’s best range.