Like all big American-made pickups, the Sierra comes in two and four-wheel-drive, in light-duty (1500) and medium-duty (2500) loading and towing capacities, with short and long-bed bodies, and with fendered or full-width beds. There are standard-length two-door cabs and extended-length cabs with two more auxiliary doors in the rear.Engine choices for 1500 models range from a basic 4.3-liter V6, up through a 4.8-liter V8 (standard in extended cabs), and a 5.3-liter V8. Hard-working 2500s come with a 300-horsepower, 6.0-liter V8.
As before, Sierras come in SL, SLE and SLT trim levels. SL-trim trucks with the 4.3-liter, 4.8-liter, or 6.0-liter engines can be ordered with a five-speed manual transmission; all SLE and SLT models, and even SL-trimmed 5.3-liter models, come with a four-speed automatic.
New for 2001 is the fully equipped Sierra C3, a separate model packing a 325-horsepower version of the 6.0-liter V8, along with automatic transmission and an exclusive, sophisticated full-time all-wheel-drive system. The C3 offers more towing capacity and a greater payload capacity than the 1500 models. A black-painted machine-textured grille and body-colored mirrors, door handles, and moldings distinguish the C3 from other Sierras. GMC plans to sell about 15,000 a year.