Manoli Katakis 
The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and 2021 GMC Sierra full size truck families are getting a new technology suite of towing software features that aim to improve safety and customer experience. Features such as Jack Knife Alert, a zoom feature on the cargo bed camera system, trailer length indicators, and side view enhancements are just a few of the features on the half-ton and HD models that you can read more about here. And soon, the entire all-new GM SUV family will have these features, too.
“SUVs come on board over time, and they’re going to have the same functions and features that the trucks are getting now,” said Frank Bruneel, GM software engineer for towing technology in an interview with MC&T. “(The technology) will launch not necessarily across the board, but definitely over time you’re going to see the same trailering suite on (T1 SUV) as well.”
It makes sense. The full-size GM SUV family – consisting of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban, 2021 GMC Yukon, 2021 Yukon Denali, and 2021 Cadillac Escalade – serve as highly functional multi-role vehicles that can aptly tow, haul cargo, and haul three rows of people. All at the same time, if the occasion calls for it. There’s another technology feature that vehicles like the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and 2021 GMC Yukon possess: GM’s Global B electrical architecture.
While its cybersecurity continues to be a nightmare for the aftermarket, it nevertheless delivers processing power that’s 5x more powerful than the maxed-out Global A electrical architecture that the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and 2021 GMC Sierra currently ride on. With Global B, customers can receive over-the-air updates on software systems, and even install new apps and features. This could increase the vehicle lifespan as a result, and would likely mean that there would eventually be even more improvements to GM’s towing suite.
While Bruneel did not elude to this exactly, he did confirm that the new towing technology in the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and 2021 GMC Sierra is built on :the same electrical architecture from model year ’19.” Global A. That being the case, OTA updates are not going to be a possibility at first.
“We’re not there yet,” he said.
Even so, it’s easy to read the tea leaves, and get a good idea of where things are headed from a technology standpoint regarding the T1 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Because where eventually the T1 GM SUV family will get the towing tech of the trucks, the trucks will eventually get the Global B electrical architecture of the SUVs. Stay tuned to MC&T for ongoing developments.
Great news. I will be getting a new Denali asap and will need a ton of towing capacity for obvious reasons. Good to see the GM family staying abreast of the technology.
The maximum towing capacity with 4 WD and the max trailering package is 8100 lb.