Following the launch of the redesigned 2019 Sierra, and the creation of the new AT4 sub-brand, GMC thinks customers will begin to demand even more premium features from pickup trucks. Already, a blinged-out half-ton with all the option boxes ticked can roll into the showroom with a sticker price that flirts with $70,000, which is more than most BMWs. Even so, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight, especially with new premium safety and autonomous features being developed with rapid pace.

Speaking with MotorAuthority in New York, Duncan Aldred, global vice president of GMC expressed the belief that consumers have much bigger appetites in reserve. We haven't reached the price ceiling or feature ceiling. Customers will pay for premium features." Want more proof? In 2017 the average transaction price of a GMC Denali model was $55,600, which tops the average transaction price of the typical vehicle from Audi, BMW, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz. Aldred said 60 percent of buyers already opt for the $7,450 Denali Ultimate Package when shopping.

The 2019 Sierra 1500 brings an impressive array of features borrowed from the luxury and performance car realms. Among the standard and available equipment will be a carbon fiber bed, LED headlights, a head-up display, a rearview camera mirror, and GM's latest spec safety tech. GMC hasn't priced the 2019 Sierra 1500 yet, but it's not going to be cheap, especially in Denali trim. It's unclear if Aldred plans for GMC to be the brand that bashes through the $80,000 hard deck for half-tons, but we're sure to find out soon enough.