GMC is doing something we never saw coming: dropping its prices. It was recently announced that GMC will be dropping the price of the GMC Sierra Diesel 1500. While you’d assume this is simply a move to make room for the upcoming 2021 model, think again. GMC is also dropping the price of the 2021 Sierra Diesel 1500.

The price cuts

It was reported by GM Authority that 2020 and 2021 GMC Sierra Diesel 1500s will receive a $1,500 price reduction, a change that was made effective on September 3, 2020. The price cut will also apply to the Sierra’s sister truck, the Chevrolet Silverado. Both the 2020 and 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Diesel 1500 will see a $1,500 price reduction.

Price reductions with a new model year are pretty much unheard of. After all, why would a manufacturer drop the price of its most popular merchandise? The fact that GM including the new 2021 stock in the price cut makes this an interesting move. Additionally, neither the GMC Sierra nor the Chevy Silverado saw many major mechanical changes between model years. 

Both the GMC Sierra Diesel and the Chevrolet Silverado Diesel are powered by the same 3.0-liter Duramax inline-six engine rated at 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque.

Prices of the GMC Sierra Diesel ranged from $45,970-$63,185 prior to the price reduction. Prices of the Chevrolet Silverado Diesel ranged from $45,500-$61,190 prior to the price reduction.

Why did GM decide to reduce the price of the GMC Sierra Diesel?

While we don’t know for sure why GM decided to give these trucks a price cut, we can make some educated guesses. One possible reason is that GM isn’t seeing the sales it had hoped for with these two types of diesel trucks. In order to increase sales, perhaps the company decided to cut the price tags to encourage consumers to take a closer look at the truck.

One commenter on GM Authority proposed the possibility of supplier issues being a cause for the price cuts. They stated, “Supplier issues with the 5.3 & 6.2 engines preventing GM from building many configurations. Therefore making the diesel more attractive.”

It’s possible that GM is lacking necessary parts for its other engines and have decided to give consumers an incentive to purchase the diesel instead. 

Again, we can only speculate at this point, but it’s clear that something is motivating GM to increase the sales of these trucks.

Features of the 2021 GMC Sierra

Not many details have been released about the upcoming Sierra model, but that’s mainly because it’s a carryover from last year. The GMC Sierra got a redesign in 2019 and is expected to remain much the same for 2021, according to Cars Direct. We do know that the interior got a bit of a spruce, with more angular styling in the dash, as well as a dual glove compartment and easy-to-use knobs on the center stack.

In terms of safety, it’s known that GMC has decided to make automatic emergency braking standard on nearly all of its vehicles for 2021, so it’s likely that the GMC Sierra will be included in that. That’s a huge improvement over last year, when it was criticized for lacking many of the advanced safety features that its competitors include as standard. 

Included in the 2020 Sierra was standard technology like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, up to 15 different camera angles outside the truck, and the ability to adjust your driving mode based on the elements you’re currently driving through.

It’s assumed that the 2021 GMC Sierra will keep these popular features. Time will tell how the sales of the GMC Sierra Diesel will change after this price cut, but we’re looking forward to hearing more about the 2021 model.