At the State Fair of Texas, Chevrolet brought its new lineup of next-generation Silverados, including the luxurious High Country, much like the one Tim has on order. But you may be asking yourself: do I want a Chevy Silverado High Country, or do I want a GMC Sierra Denali? With both brands showing their trucks at Fair Park, I put the 2027 Silverado 1500 High Country head-to-head with the 2027 Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate. This is a walk-around comparison of the display trucks, not a road test. We still need time behind the wheel to compare ride, handling, and real-world fuel economy.
Front-End Styling: Bronze Accents vs. Dark Chrome
Starting up front, the High Country wears a grille that is unique to this luxury model. You will find the new High Country logo on the driver’s side headlight, bronze trim (Chevrolet calls it Tritan Satin), and a lot of black accents. Those accents are really hard to see on the all-black truck Chevy parked inside the building, but the blue High Country sitting outside near Big Tex shows them off much better.
The headlight design stacks the turn signal up top, with the headlight down low and a C-shaped running light stretching out toward the side. Down below, you get black tow hooks instead of chrome, satin chrome-look trim wrapping around the lower bumper, and fog lights in the corners. Overall, it is a nice evolution of the redesigned Silverado.
Over at the GMC booth, the Denali Ultimate is the ultimate expression of luxury for the Sierra. It gets a dark chrome grille and a blacked-out GMC logo instead of the red badge found on other trims. I appreciate that GMC painted this one white, because you can see every black accent as you move down the truck. There are black vertical tow hooks (no chrome here, either) and a black painted lower bumper. Below that, you get plastic, which is a little less premium in my personal opinion. The headlights use a question-mark design with the headlight and running light packaged together.
Wheels, Wheel Arches, and Side Profile
Both display trucks ride on 22-inch wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Alenza tires. The High Country’s multi-spoke design mixes colors and textures, and the wheel well liners should help cut down on road noise inside the cab. The Denali Ultimate gets its own exclusive wheel, and yes, it says “Denali” right on it.
Down the side of the High Country, you will find black painted wheel arches, black mirrors, black High Country badging tucked up under the mirror, and a black Chevrolet body side molding that stays black no matter what exterior color you choose. The sail panel at the back of the cab is black too, and it houses the cab lights and the full-width LED brake light. The wheel arches are rounded, though not completely round. They are a bit squatty.
That is where you see a big difference on the GMC. The Sierra’s wheel arches are more octagonal, with straighter, more linear lines up top. The Denali Ultimate still uses chrome Denali badging on the doors, and it sits lower than the High Country badge.
Interestingly enough, neither truck changed its rear suspension in a big way. Both of these General Motors trucks still use proper, old-school leaf springs out back. According to Chevrolet, the High Country does get Adaptive Ride Control to help smooth things out.
Powertrains: New V8s and the Baby Duramax
Because the High Country on display is four-wheel drive (4WD), it can be equipped with the new 400-cubic-inch 6.6-liter V8. You have to get 4WD to get the 6.6, otherwise the new 5.7-liter V8 is the standard engine on this truck. Chevrolet rates the 6.6-liter at 481 horsepower and 501 lb-ft of torque, while the 5.7-liter makes 402 horsepower and 428 lb-ft.
The Denali Ultimate GMC brought to the fair has the 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel, the “baby Duramax,” if you will, rated at 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft. Tim and I both absolutely love this engine. He had it in his 2023 Silverado, but the High Country he has on order gets the new 6.6-liter V8 instead. GMC also had the new 350-cubic-inch 5.7-liter V8 on display for the broader Sierra lineup, but the Denali Ultimate comes with the 6.6-liter V8 as standard or the available 3.0-liter Duramax. The High Country also offers the Duramax, so both of these luxury trims give you a choice between the big V8 and the diesel.
Beds and Tailgates: Traditional vs. MultiPro
This exact High Country does not have the Multi-Flex tailgate (the tailgate within a tailgate), so you just get a traditional one-piece tailgate. You do get two 250-pound max D-rings up top for extra cargo security, plus the Chevytec spray-on bedliner. There are measurement tick marks in the bed to keep you from telling fish stories, but I would not do any woodworking with them. They are just too wide to be precise.
The rear window is a single-piece glass with a sliding opening, much like what we see on the current Ford F-150. The heated rear window is a useful touch, too. That raised panel on the tailgate where the bowtie sits is black, too. Below that, there are corner step bumpers and quad exhaust tips. Gone are the old tips that looked like HDMI ports, which is a nice updated touch.
For comfort and convenience, the High Country has power-deploying running boards with a nifty trick. Push the button with the truck powered on, and they pivot back so you can climb into the bed. There are also buttons on all four doors to lock and unlock the truck.
Around back, the Denali Ultimate also gets a black panel and black badging, and it has the MultiPro tailgate. GMC updated the buttons, so one button drops the whole tailgate and the other opens just the inner gate. You can push both if you want. To open it all the way into a step, hit the big one first and then the small one. From there, you can use the inner gate as a load stop or as a desk. GMC added an integrated ruler, but it has the same issue as the Chevy. The tick marks are big, so you will not be running a woodshop back here.
You can option Bluetooth speakers for the tailgate, and there are diagrams printed on it so you know how to use the MultiPro. GMC also told us the infotainment system warns you about opening the inner tailgate with a hitch installed. That is a welcome reminder, but you should still check hitch clearance before lowering it.
Inside the Silverado High Country
Inside, the High Country has an all-new interior with Chevy’s EvoTex Ultra material, a soft, suede-like leather alternative. There is no leather in this truck, but it gives off a very premium vibe, almost like leather. There is contrast stitching throughout, and I love all the differentiation of materials and design lines. They keep it very interesting. The front seats are heated, ventilated, and massaging with two-person memory, and they are very comfortable.
The steering wheel has a nice thick rim, so it actually feels like you are grabbing something, and Super Cruise is standard on the High Country. The steering wheel controls are a single panel, but the truck knows exactly where you are touching. They are backlit, including the Super Cruise button. That is a bit of cost savings, and Chevy uses the same approach on the window switches and door locks. There is also some gloss black here, which is not my favorite. It already needed a little cleaning after all the fairgoers checked it out.
All Silverados get this same dash design, with or without the passenger screen. Lower trims get a secondary glove box in that spot instead. There is a suede-like insert above the head-up display and a 16.3-inch center touchscreen that every model gets. Plenty of features live inside that screen, including the lighting controls. On the home screen, you can push and hold to change what is displayed, such as maps, vehicle status, tire pressure, or trip info, while still leaving the rest of the screen for Apple CarPlay.
Down below, you get physical controls for the dual-zone climate, an integrated trailer brake controller, and two-speed transfer case controls since this one is 4WD. There are two wireless chargers with MagSafe, which is a very nice touch. Because the shifter is on the column, the center console is adjustable. It opens nice and wide without a button or latch, flips into a workstation, and can be optioned with a cooler or a safe. There is storage throughout, along with USB-C and HDMI ports for the 11.5-inch passenger screen. That screen is highly polarized, so I cannot see it from the driver’s seat. Someone can ride shotgun and watch movies while I drive.
Inside the Sierra Denali Ultimate
The Denali Ultimate takes a different approach inside. You get the signature topography design on the door panels, speakers, and headrests, plus Ultimate badging on the heated, ventilated, and massaging memory seats. Like the Chevy, there is no leather here. It is a premium leather alternative, though GMC does not have a brand name for it.
The steering wheel is very similar, with all the same controls and Super Cruise. You do not get the strip of suede on the dash, but you still get a head-up display. The screens are all the same sizes, just in a different orientation. GMC added a button that moves the center screen to reveal a secondary glove box hidden behind it. You do not get that on the Chevy, which gives up its secondary glove box for the passenger screen.
The Denali Ultimate does have a passenger screen, and it sits behind a panel that opens up to give you a full screen view. I could not show it at the fair, but I saw it on media day. It is extremely polarized, just like the Chevy. Down low, everything is gloss black, so expect lots of fingerprints. There is some nice wood grain (GMC uses open-pore forged birch), and the MultiPro center console folds into a work desk that slides forward and back, with the same storage on either side.
Overall, it is a different design using many of the same parts and screens in a different layout. I was a little worried when I saw this dash online that it would feel big and imposing. In person, it does not. It feels very premium, even though it is the opposite of what GMC told us with the 2007 truck, when it dropped the dash down to nearly the window line. There is a bigger gap here, but it is not imposing from the driver’s seat. You can see more in Tim’s first look at the Denali Ultimate cabin.
Back Seat: Same Story, With One Big Upgrade
In the High Country, the back doors are just as nice as the front doors, with all the same materials and plenty of storage. I very much appreciate how easy it is to get under the rear seat. Unlike Ford trucks, you do not have to pull a lever to lift the seat. There is a B-pillar grab handle, tons of legroom for me at 5-foot-10, USB-C ports and heated seat controls on the back of the center console (with more gloss black), and another set of USB-C ports down low with a little storage.
There are map pockets on the backs of both front seats, but the seatback storage from the 2026 and older trucks is gone, so you lose a little storage there. You still get a fold-down armrest with two cupholders and a spot that looks perfect for a juice box. Look up, and you will see the first panoramic roof in a full-size Chevy truck, which is very welcome in this segment for anyone looking for a more luxurious atmosphere.
The Sierra Denali Ultimate is the same story. You get gloss black on the back of the center console, the topography design on the seatbacks, and the same seatbacks without the rear storage. The under-seat storage is just as easy to get into without pulling a latch. You just lift it up. I can even flip and close the other side without walking all the way around the truck, which I really like. Neither General Motors truck has a completely flat floor, either. There is a small tunnel, so if you love the flat load floor in the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150, keep that in mind. GMC also uses different floor mats than previous-generation Denali Ultimates, but they are still a nice premium touch.
Silverado High Country or Sierra Denali Ultimate?
These are two of the most luxurious trucks from Chevrolet and GMC, and they share a lot underneath: the same screen sizes, Super Cruise, leaf spring rear suspension, and available 6.6-liter V8 and 3.0-liter Duramax engines. Where they differ is personality. The High Country leans into bronze and black accents, a suede-trimmed dash, and a passenger screen that is always on display. The Denali Ultimate goes darker and more upscale, with its topography design, real wood, a hidden glove box behind the center screen, and the MultiPro tailgate.
Price is part of the decision, too. Chevrolet lists the 2027 Silverado 1500 High Country starting at $74,495, while GMC lists the Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate at $87,895. Both figures include the $2,795 destination freight charge but exclude taxes, title, license, and options. These are starting prices, not prices for identically equipped trucks: the High Country starts with the 5.7-liter V8, while the Denali Ultimate includes the 6.6-liter V8.
The High Country is worth a look if you like its bronze-and-black styling and want a lower starting price. The Denali Ultimate asks more, but its hidden screen storage, topographic cabin details, and standard 6.6-liter V8 give you reasons to consider it. Tim has his High Country on order. As for a winner on ride and refinement, that will have to wait until we drive them. Which one would you choose?
