Upon arriving the next morning after 2014 GMC Sierra official launch at Ski Dubai, we were asked to make our way downstairs where abra’s transported us to the location of our test drive briefing. A few moments later we headed out with our respective groups and had 9 beautiful Sierra’s to choose from.

I made my way to the brightest one of all, the red Sierra. There was just one red Sierra and it was going to be driven by none other than yours truly. It was a single cab and looked identical to the one I was eyeing at Ski Dubai the day before. Though it was the base spec, this allowed me to see what exactly is being offered as standard equipment.

Although we had cloth seats, this meant I could try out the new dual-density foam seats designed to stay comfortable over long hours and continue to look great after years of use. The Sierra’s new high-wear cloth is designed to last longer and resist staining. The biggest advantage was that a spilled drink will bead on the fabric and not soak in.

After getting comfortable, I was pleased to find our 'base' car was equipped with parking sensors, a crash warning system, lane departure warning system, cruise control and hill descent control. Under the hood, we had the smallest engine of all, a 4.3 litre V6 EcoTec3 engine that packed in 285 horsepower and 413 Nm of torque. In its simplest form, EcoTec3 simply means the engine features standard direct injection, continuously variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management, whereby it seamlessly switches to run on four cylinders during light-load driving to enhance fuel efficiency. Talk about intelligent? I think so! In four wheel drive mode, the 4.3 litre V6 is also capable of towing an impressive 3,266 kgs. Can it tow the 170 ton cargo plane that Nissan Patrol towed a few days ago? Hmm....

We set off on an exciting 102 km path to our first activity point in Al Dhaid stopping halfway for a driver change. When on the highway, the Sierra commands respect with its sheer size and towers above almost all other SUV’s. This is particularly obvious when besides a Mitsubishi Pajero. With GMC trying extremely hard to reduce wind noise by redesigning the side mirrors to reduce wind turbulence, triple-sealing inlaid doors, as well as additional sealing around the grille and headlamps, the results are brilliant.

Put your right foot down and though you can barely hear the engine, the Sierra will charge forward with an extremely smooth delivery of power. Getting up to high speeds is quite effortless but you don’t need to fret since the 2014 Sierra has four-wheel disc brakes with Duralife brake rotors, which feature a hardened and strengthened surface to reduce corrosion and are expected to last twice as long as conventional rotors while providing quieter braking with less vibration.

When we arrived at Al Dhaid, there lay a rather large, steep and challenging hill we had to climb. We switched the Sierra into 4H; kept a steady foot on the throttle and it was astonishing as to how easily it made its way to the top jumping over sizeable rocks. Once at the top, we were treated to a beautiful view of endless dunes and mountain range but we didn’t have much time to admire it. It was time to activate hill descent and navigate our way through a few blind corners taking the Sierra onto angles I would expect it to flip at. Once we made our way back down, it was time for a driver change and experience the hill climb from the passenger seat.

Following a brief car swap, we rode in the back of a silver crew cab Sierra and we were pleasantly surprised to say the least. Since the B-Pillars have been brought forward, rear seat passengers benefit from easier entry into the vehicle as well as a few inches in leg room. This particular Sierra was equipped with the 5.3 litre EcoTec3 engine that produced 355 horsepower and 519 Nm of torque. It also had a significantly larger infotainment screen with navigation and 3 USB ports. Though it was comfortable and spacious in the rear, we were a bit shocked to discover the lack of rear A/C vents. With it being 45 degrees outside, in the middle of the desert and no A/C vents, it was a little stuffy to say the least.

We arrived at Mahafiz and it was time to take the Sierra onto the dunes. Following a short break to deflate the tires, we set our red beast into 4L, switched off traction control, switched off stability control and it was time to see if it could handle the desert. We explored some challenging terrain and reached speeds of up to 70km/h between dunes yet the Sierra remained absolutely unfazed. It handled everything we threw at it and continued gliding over dunes effortlessly while sliding its tail out whenever we wanted it to. Check out the short video clip we managed to snag during the process:

Once we were done, we set the lane departure warning system on and made our way to the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. It was then that we experienced GMC’s first-ever Driver Alert Seat, which generates vibrating pulse patterns on the left and/or right side of the lower seat cushion bolster to alert the driver of potential dangers, such as an un-signaled lane change or approaching another vehicle too quickly. However, since vibrations to our end aren’t our thing, we switched the system off relatively quickly.

When we arrived to the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, we were treated to a delicious 3 course lunch along with great company. All in all, it was a very enjoyable and well planned event and we were glad to be a part of it. Although the Sierra will only be available for sale from the first week of November, this gives you enough time to start saving up for the model you desire; AED 107,983 for the Regular Cab, AED 115,428 for the Double Cab, AED 120,915 for the Crew Cab and AED 198,392 for the mighty Denali.

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