The modern pickup truck is a workhorse and capable of completing any task its owners need to accomplish. Modern trucks are rugged and undoubtedly competent when it comes to taking on the challenges of towing, hauling, and grinding it out on a mountain trail. But there are two sides to the modern-day truck, the beast that takes a beating while towing a heavily-loaded trailer and the luxurious trim that offers all of the creature comforts of a plush sedan. You see, back in the day, you could only have it one way; a workhorse truck with few convenience and comfort amenities or the expensive luxury ride found only in sedans. But thanks to the likes of the 2022 GMC Canyon Denali, truck owners can now have their proverbial cake and eat it too. And if you think that owning a luxury truck is just a passing phase, all you have to do is look at the data to see that it is more than just a trend; it is a way of life that is here to stay.
What We Know About Luxury Trucks
One of the first things people think about when they are interested in a luxury truck is the price. Let’s face it; it costs money to wrap your hand around a heated steering wheel or to enjoy ambient lighting in the cab. While a contractor who will be utilizing a truck for work purposes won’t think twice about paying extra for options such as a more powerful drivetrain or a beefier suspension, drivers who are buying a truck for the daily commute might hesitate to slap down extra cash for leather seats and a leather-wrapped shift knob. Or so you would think.
The fact is that even as the price of a luxury truck is nearing the six-figure range, more and more people are buying them, a lot more. According to statistics, luxury truck trims like the GMC Denali and AT4 are outselling Cadillac models – all of them. And it’s not like people are trading in BMWs or Mercedes Benz models when buying a luxury truck; they are trading in their traditional sedans and SUVs. Dig a little deeper, and you will discover that the Denali and AT4 trims account for nearly half of GMC’s sales numbers.
Everybody is Doing It
You don’t have to turn back the clock very much to visit a time when celebrities and athletes cruised around in the latest luxury car, complete with spinning wheels and ground effects. For those with disposable income, expensive and stylish sedans were all of the rage. But as pickup trucks gained popularity among the masses, we also saw considerable gains in luxury truck models. The thing is, luxury trucks have been embraced by drivers from all walks of life.
Sure, we all are aware that what you drive has a significant impact on how others see you. There was a time when a pickup truck’s swag came from features such as the aggressive look, big wheels, and aftermarket lift kits. While there is still a certain amount of swag associated with these types of truck features, the really cool kids on the block boast pickup trucks with heated seats and insanely giant infotainment touchscreen systems.
To lay this out a little more clearly, you might think you are the king of the block with your massive pickup truck that boasts a powerful V8 and tremendous towing capacity. But your neighbor from down the street just brought home a GMC Canyon Denali with machined aluminum wheels, a Bose premium audio system, and heated and ventilated leather-appointed seats. And to make matters worse, their Denali also has a powerful diesel engine with towing chops and an impressive payload. It looks like you just lost your neighborhood truck status.
Why All of the Fuss?
Why is there this surge of sales in the luxury pickup truck segment of the market? That’s a vast and complicated question that would take pages of text to explain. But in short, people are gravitating towards luxury truck models because they can. That is, modern trucks are quality machines that will be on the road for much longer than their predecessors 20 or 30 years ago. It is not a stretch to say that a brand new 2022 GMC Canyon Denali will likely still be chugging along 15 or 20 years down the road.
Modern trucks are a long-term investment that promises your money’s worth. And if you are going to drive your truck for a long period of time, you might as well get the cream of the crop. If you are going to fork out big bucks for an already expensive truck that provides the power and capability that you need, you might as well spend a bit more to get all of the bells and whistles.
What Does the Future Hold?
If you think that luxury trucks are expensive, just wait until the electric models become a thing. We are already seeing the likes of the GMC Hummer EV and the Rivian R1T piquing the interest of truck enthusiasts. While we will likely see a drop in prices for electric trucks in the future, they will hit the market with a hefty price tag – the 2022 Hummer EV starts at $112,595. The good news is that you will save money by not having to stop at the gas station on a regular basis, which means that you are better able to afford the luxury model.
If you think that luxury trucks max out in comfort and style within the trim level, think again. The only thing better than a top-of-the-line luxury truck model is when you decide to add on an additional package or choose a special edition model. In the rockumentary “This is Spinal Tap,” fictional character Nigel Tufnel, played by Christofer Guest, proudly shows off a custom Marshall amplifier with a volume knob that goes to 11 instead of the traditional 10. The idiom “this goes to 11” applies to luxury truck models. Just buying a luxury pickup isn’t enough unless you can get even more with an additional package or special edition.
While the interiors of most pickup trucks have become quite comfortable and luxurious, luxury models will take that even further. It isn’t going to be quite enough to offer leather seats in a luxury model; it will soon be leather seats with fancy stitching. There will also be advancements that make driving even more comfortable. We will see that lumbar support seats will be replaced with seats that actually give you a massage while you are driving. You will be more comfortable behind the wheel of your luxury truck than you will be lying face down at your local spa getting an hour-long treatment.
Luxury Trucks are Here to Stay
Even if you aren’t much of a pickup truck person, you can’t deny that you aren’t at least a little bit interested in luxury trucks. If anything, you are tempted to look at the new GMC Canyon Denali because it will stroke your ego a little. There is good news. There was a time when only the affluent would be seen driving around town in a luxury car, but today it is within reach for many Americans to proudly own a luxury pickup truck. Give that some thought and close your eyes and visualize what you would look like behind the wheel of a GMC Canyon Denali.
