Super Cruise and other trailering enhancements make the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 a towing dream.
Story By: Tyler Tate
Photos Provided by: Tyler Tate/GMC
Their motto is “Tow like a pro.” But let’s be honest, unless you trailer every week, towing like a pro can still feel like towing like a rookie.
The all new 2022 GMC Sierra is set to help you tow like a pro even if it is your first time. The new 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 arrives this fall, featuring significant updates to design, capability and technology – including the latest version of Super Cruise available on the Sierra Denali.
But best of all, Super Cruise works when you are trailering. With over 200,000 miles of compatible roads across the U.S. and Canada, you can relax a little more and let the truck do the work for you as you drive out to the dunes or to a race weekend.
For the 2022 GMC Sierra, new capabilities include:
Trailering – Customers will be able to trailer their boat, camper and more while driving hands-free.
Automatic Lane Change – The technology can indicate when a lane change is optimal and initiate the maneuver, while following signaling protocols. However, at this point in the introduction of the technology, automatic lane change only works when it is the vehicle alone.
Enhanced Navigation Display – Super Cruise compatible roads will be displayed in the in-vehicle navigation systems for vehicles equipped with the embedded Google Maps app and show routes available for hands-free driving, during route selection
New Trailering Technology – Jack-Knife alert, enhanced hitch zoom features and more make trailering an easy solo adventure now.
What is Super Cruise?
General Motor’s Super Cruise is a new technology that allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel in certain road conditions and on certain compatible roads by utilizing a driver attention system and precision LiDAR generated map data in addition to real-time cameras, sensors and GPS.
The driver attention system uses a small camera located on the top of the steering column and works with infrared lights to determine where the driver is looking whenever Super Cruise is in operation. If the driver attention system detects the driver has turned their gaze away from the road ahead for too long, the steering wheel light bar will prompt the driver to return their attention to the road.
“We’re excited to expand Super Cruise to even more new models with additional capabilities to provide our customers with even more opportunities to go hands-free,” said Mario Maiorana, Super Cruise chief engineer. “The additional Super Cruise-enabled vehicles and new features are an important step toward our goal of enabling hands-free driving 95% of the time and getting people more comfortable with letting go of the wheel.”
Today, it’s available on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, the Chevy Bolt EUV, and a few other GM products.
While admittedly, it’s hard to feel comfortable with your hands off the wheel, you will slowly find your confidence in it within a few dozen miles of letting it take over. Once the speed limit is set to a speed you feel comfortable driving, Super Cruise can be engaged through the steering wheel and the guidance system holds both the truck and the trailer down the middle of the lane perfectly.
2021 GMC Sierra Innovative Trailering Tech
At a time when towing is on the rise due to the extreme growth in sales in the UTV market, the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Sierra Heavy Duty will offer several new available features that build on the trucks’ strong suite of customer-focused trailering technologies.
“Trailering is essential for pickup truck customers. More than half of our Sierra customers use their trucks to primarily tow equipment for outdoor adventures,” said GMC Marketing Director Rich Latek. “We continually listen to customer feedback, which tells us they want class-leading safety, technology and comfort to tow what they need, whether it’s a boat, an RV or a trailer hauling off-road toys.”
New or enhanced trailering tech available on both 2021 GMC Sierra light-duty and heavy-duty models includes:
Trailer Length Indicator: New for 2021, when enabled and driving forward with the turn signal activated, the center console screen displays a red overlay twice the length of the compatible trailer and shows when other vehicles are present and may interfere with a lane-change maneuver.
Jack-Knife Alert: New for 2021, Jack-Knife Alert tracks the position of the compatible trailer in relation to the vehicle. If the front of the trailer approaches the rear of the vehicle, an alert is displayed when there may be a potential jack-knife situation.
Rear Trailer View Now features Guidelines and Trailer-Angle Indicator: Rear Trailer View has been enhanced to include guidelines that assist when backing a trailer into place and a Trailer-Angle Indicator to show the relationship between the truck and compatible trailer. Rear Trailer View requires the customer-installed available GM auxiliary accessory camera.
Rear Side View Enhancement: When driving forward on the 2020 GMC Sierra, Rear Side View provides a split view of the left and right sides of the truck and compatible trailer that is automatically biased based on the trailer’s angle. In the 2021 GMC Sierra, drivers will have access to this view while driving in reverse, making it easier to see surrounding vehicles and objects while positioning a trailer.
Cargo Bed View Enhancement: New Cargo Bed Zoom View and Bed Hitch Guidance are now available, which can be helpful for aligning and hooking up a gooseneck/fifth-wheel trailer.
