Will The 2022 GMC Sierra Ditch The Column Shifter?
111
Sponsored Links
Just last week, GM Authority brought you photos of the updated interior in the refreshed 2022 GMC Sierra. Although the prototype model featured in those photos was covered in heavy camouflage, we couldn’t help but notice one particularly noteworthy omission – no column-mounted shifter.
As just about any fan of General Motors pickups will tell you, this is actually quite a substantial change compared to previous model years. In fact, using a stalk mounted to the steering column to shift gears has been a hallmark feature of most GM trucks for decades now. Nevertheless, the prototype 2022 GMC Sierra seen in the most recent spy photos seems to indicate that the column-mounted shifter is on the way out with the forthcoming model refresh.
While the 2022 GMC Sierra is slated to come with a few nips and tucks for the exterior design, the heaviest revisions will take place inside the cabin. With that in mind, it’s very likely that the new pickup will instead adopt a new push-button shifter similar to that of the latest next-generation 2021 GMC Yukon full-size SUV.
2021 GMC Yukon pictured here.
Further details include a new steering wheel, which appears to have a row of silver or shiny buttons added to the left-hand side. What’s more, it looks as though the steering wheel has a Super Cruise indicator added along the top of the rim, which suggests that the 2022 GMC Sierra will offer semi-autonomous self-driving capabilities and features.
The model featured here also doesn’t have a flat-panel infotainment screen mounted on the dash, but rather appears to come with a screen integrated into the center stack.
However, the big question here is about the shifter. Which leads us to ask – what would you prefer to see in the 2022 GMC Sierra? Should the pickup stick with the column-mounted stalk, or is a button-activated shifter a better choice? Let us know by voting in the poll below, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more GMC Sierra news, GMC news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
- Sweepstakes Of The Month: Win a Corvette Z06 and 2024 Silverado. Details here.
RIP Column Shifter. I wish they would keep it, even a slightly short stock if it gets in the way of the 10′ screen would be fine.
If GMC pushing luxury pickups then the column shift have to go. Leave that for lower end Silverados
Sierra is not a luxury line. The base model starts as a single cab with vinyl seats. The base Lincoln truck was a crew cab with leather seats, now thats a luxury line.
You’ve pretty much summarized the Mercedes-Benz formula and people still deem it luxury, go figure?
Wrong, notice I said “Sierra” which is a model. You said “Mercedes” which is a brand or company.
“Was” is an correct answer, nobody wanted one. People are trading Audis and BMWs for an Denali, it’s time to continue to distinct GMC from Chevy..
It will not happen until GMC can catch up with with Ford’s average transaction price. The Detroit Free press just did a study on the upper trim trucks and found that on average people where paying 4k more Ford trucks than GM trucks. Even worse, people are now willing to pay more for Ram trucks than GM trucks. Visit the website, as a matter of fact the Detroit Free Press did another article because the Ford average transaction price went up even more. People are not falling for it anymore, and they know that Ford and Ram blows GM away luxury and technology wise. Some have a hard time saying GMC is better than Chevy.
That’s because Ford only sells Ford where GM sells Chevy/GMC , Ram still gives away trucks. I see no proof you’re getting recent ATPs. For technology Ford is troubled with its electronics while Ram is selling a 2002 Dodge with different transmission and sheetmetal.
Splitting them helps GMC have a higher ATP since Chevy sells cheaper. Putting them together would lower the ATP. Next, who buys a luxury vehicle with reliability being top priority? That’s the point of a luxury vehicle, the more it has the more to go wrong. Last GM was called out this year for offering unusually deep discounts in the first quarter. This very website covered the high discounts GM offered. Go check the archives. We can no longer deny these things. It’s available for everyone to read.
“Splitting them helps GMC have a higher ATP since Chevy sells cheaper. Putting them together would lower the ATP.
” Your point?. If people want to pay for something that doesn’t say “Chevrolet” so be it.
“Next, who buys a luxury vehicle with reliability being top priority? That’s the point of a luxury vehicle, the more it has the more to go wrong. ”
Tell this to Lexus.
“Last GM was called out this year for offering unusually deep discounts in the first quarter. ”
So was the other 2, let’s not act like nobody does it.
My point is you brought those things up and I showed you that it doesn’t change anything I said earlier. Any vehicle has issues. The point is a base Toyota has better reliability than a fully loaded Lexus. No, Ford did not offer unusually deep discounts in the first quarter. All you have to do is check the GM Authority and Ford Authority archives to see who did what. Also, the GM ceo was confronted by the automotive media about it and she deflected. Google search “Ford grows truck dominance by Detroit free press “. It covers Ford’s record setting transaction price. Better yet, all we have to do is look at the Raptor. They sold at or above sticker prices for years. No other truck did that. If you look up the history of luxury truck trims you will see that Ford started it way back in the 80’s with the Eddie Bauer lineup. GM saw how successful it was and started the Denali lineup. Ford introduced the Harley Davidson and King Ranch F150 before the Sierra Denali and showed the auto industry that people wanted luxury pickup trucks. Now everyone wants in. One of the main reasons Ford has a higher transaction price because people have known for years that Ford has offered high end features on their trucks. You can’t deny these things and GM should be tired of playing catchup.
So GM is supposed to copy Ford now for trucks?. Did not Ford had to play catch up on the Midsize trucks?, believe it or not luxury items been available on pickups since the 60s, Ford may have started “package deals” but it wasn’t luxury.
Ford always offers deep incentives on F-Series quarterly to get rid of the XLTs and such, like GM for a Denali you’ll have to pay if you want a Raptor or Platinum.
As said GMC have it for luxury trucks, Ford just has Raptor which is a expensive sport truck and nobody buys Platinums.
Please get back on the subject of full size luxury trim trucks.
No, XLT has nothing to do with upper luxury trims. Besides, the articles by the Detroit free press show that Ford is also the stingiest with discounts.
Next, don’t try it, no one is paying sticker for a Denali like people were paying for the Raptor.
No one buys Platinums? This comment shows willful ignorance and deep denial. Good day sir
If they was smart do a center console shifter. Then it’s not in the way and it’s a win win. I hope gmc would do one but keep get disappointed but this push button stuff I keep seeing. Way to many issues when people forget or they hit the wrong button by mistake. They should really think about that.
That would make the truck less useful for three-across seating. Of course, so would bucket seats.
The automotive engineers thought about that. Plenty of accidents in lever type shifters where somebody misses the notch and the car backs away. NHTSA required on-dash position indicators, and some companies did gated shifters in the 2000’s because of that.
Electronic shifters were introduced en masse in a large part to allow integration of automatic safety features, such as going to park when the driver’s door opens.
Have a 2019 Terrain – has a row of pull shift tabs on bottom of center stack. Pain in the butt. Manual set and up/down all the way to the right of this row. Bigger pain in the butt. Wife liked the Terrain so we leased it, but we decided we would never again get a vehicle with this type of transmission selector. (“Possible” new 2022 Sierra selector is at left of upper stack is immediately adjacent to steering wheel, with manual set and up/down at bottom position, so this setup at least looks to be handier than the Terrain.)
Would still prefer a console stick shifter with paddles on steering wheel – had a 2016 Ford Edge and loved that feature, but too many mechanical issues/problems convinced us to get away from Ford.
1. Need a 36 gallon tank. The fun size tank is fine if you don’t drive. I’m filling up daily.
2. Column shifter needs to go.
3. Needs Massaging seats….put on 70,000 miles a year and you’d understand.
4. Needs a zoom view on backup camera.
My 2020 AT4 is a big upgrade to my old 2016 Ford Platinum except for these four things.
Wow. How much do you drive daily? I’m getting 500 miles for a full tank and i thought that was pretty good (5.3 V8)
You do cross country deliveries? That’s borderline trucker miles!
I agree with the Fuel tank size. That was one of the biggest deterrents from the New generation Silverado.
I have a 26 gallon in my LD and I only get about 400 miles per tank. I too am filling up at least once a week. From march to November I drive about 20k a year. I WISH GM would’ve offered the 34 Gallon tank in all configurations.
I disagree with your statement about the column shifter though, that is one of the highlights of the truck
Another “agree” for the larger fuel tank.
GM, please make it an option. The customers that need it, will gladly pay for it.
Column shifter is way better. More ergonomic, less in the way. Regardless, on the higher trims it’s got to go. Coolness is as important as function these days, must be a push-button, no not even a stick shifter like on the fords or a dial on the ram, must be a full blown button design like the suburban or the corvette.
A column shifter is much better in my opinion, especially since I’m a southpaw. Add to that, I have a mild case of Cerebral Palsy, which affects my right hand. The buttons and the turn knob are difficult for me. I don’t think much thought is put into practical things, unless the practical is cool.
Dial a gear or push button is horrible. Requires you to look down and focus on what you may or may not be selecting. Column shift you can do by memory while focusing on where you are about to go or back up to.
Exactly!!!!
With GMC positioning itself as a “premium” brand, I could see the logic in getting rid of the clunky column shifter. My biggest fear is the push/pull buttons will look tacky, especially on the Denali trim. I hope they dress them up accordingly. Functionally I think it works great. I have no problem using them on my 2018 Terrain.
Keep the shifter in the truck it easier than looking for a button when your trying to line up on a trailer. Shifter much better dont have to fumble around trying to rember where the hell it’s at. I bought a 2015 2500HD GMC 4X4 love the truck and the shifter. Have a 1995 1500 bought new still driving it 5 speed on the floor. I always use kiss “keep it simple stupid.
I would like to see a manual 5 or 6 speed stick on the floor tranny with a clutch pedal, so much fun sloshing through the gears.
It is fun, but unfortunately manuals are not trending up.
I dont have anything new, my vehicles usually dont even register on the dash the gear Theyre in. Things break, i feel it, I hear it, i count it to know what gear im in. Id rather go back to manuals then remembering which knob is trans and which is ac
As a BMW SUV owner considering the Sierra as my first truck, I am attracted to GMC brand trucks for their professional-grade label. GMC still has work to do in many interior areas but replacing the column shifter with push buttons is not one them. RAM trucks, with a dial shifter, currently pack in the latest technology going beyond GMC’s offering, yet RAM lacks the level of appeal GMC commands. By all means GMC should improve the Sierra’s column shifter, but don’t remove it on your trucks. It’s a nonstarter for me and goes against a brand and image decades in the making. The next-generation Sierra should be a refinement of a modern classic rather than turning a truck into an SUV.
Noneone is going to talk about A. The Cadillac steering wheel And B. The supercruise on it?
Worst interior I’ve seen or drove im selling my 2020 gmc sierra Denali, I cant belive such a beautiful exterior would get a cheap plastic rough ride with no air suspension or adaptive cruise for 82k I have 6000 miles on it im dumping it fast its no different inside than a base model Silverado. Totally imbarising as the owner of my company.
Just ordered a 2021 Ram 1500 limited until the ram heavy duty remodel in 2022.
Gmc sierra Denali is a massive waste of money, im so mad at myself assuming the interior would be more like a Mercedes and it is not, Denali is an owner’s office, not for work, needs coil suspension also.
Your joking right? So you didnt look at it before buying?
This is the dumbest thing I’ve read all week. Go back to mommy’s basement
You’re the owner of a company and you don’t know how to spell “embarrassing” or use proper grammar? Run-on sentences, capitalization mistakes throughout and failure to use apostrophes is a poor reflection on you. The GMC Sierra interior has far better execution than your command of the English language. What’s even more shameful is that the comment section actually underlines misspellings in red, yet you chose to ignore it. That is just plain laziness.
Not the brightest bulb.
No way someone would pay $82k for a 1500 Sierra unless it had a special customization package and you were a sucker to pay full price.
Also, you should go back to the dealer so they can show you how to use the adaptive cruise since you can’t figure it out on your own and can’t read the manual.
Or you’re a tool and you don’t actually have a Sierra.
Even though I like the column shifters, they’re just too damn loud to be a part of a luxury brand line up… refine n shorten maybe??? Make it a click switch instead??
Keep the column shifter
Personally I am ok with the buttons but I hate the dials.
But the one case against both is if you plow snow both are a total pain.
Wow, just like a Ram.
Push button shifters are fine, just depends on how you can shift them manually.
I bought a new silverado as my first truck and hate the column shifter. It took me a while to avoid shifting past where I want to go and it’s just ugly. Push button or rotary all the way..
They need to focus on attracting new buyers, not just existing truck owners. If I had a similar deal, I would’ve gotten a Ram over it with no hesitation.. It’s leaps and bounds better in the interior and exterior. I’m glad it’s only a lease so hopefully I can trade for an updated ’22.
I like the shifter. If it works don’t fix it. It’s just more computer stuff to go wrong. I won’t buy a new truck will keep my 2015 cause I have 4×4 shifter on the floor the way it should be. This push button technology didn’t work on the Edsel don’t put it on a truck!! Have we learned nothing in 75 years??
I’m happy with the column shifter in my 2016 GMC SLT, especially compared to the electronic console mounted shifter in my wife’s XT5. I don’t care for how the electronic shifters function. Trucks, SUV’s and CUV’s are supposed to be utility vehicles, not make believe sports cars. I much prefer having the large open storage compartment in my console, for things I regularly need easy access to (like business cards, sunglasses and nowadays, face masks), than a shifter in the console.
I buy loaded trucks (leather, sunroof, heated seats and steering wheel, etc), but I still want them to be functional. To me, a console mounted shifter of any type, isn’t functional in a truck. While I’d prefer a column mounted shifter, given the choice between dash mounted buttons, or a console mounted shifter, I’ll take the buttons.
I love my 2016, but was planning to replace it with an updated 2021. Now I’m anxiously waiting for the strike and pandemic delayed new interiors in the 2022’s.