GMC has announced that its advanced, carbon fiber composite bed will debut this June in the CarbonPro Editions of the Sierra Denali 1500 and Sierra AT4 1500.
The first application of its kind for carbon fiber composite, the CarbonPro bed is said to deliver “best-in-class dent, scratch and corrosion resistance.”
“CarbonPro is made of the same raw material found in seven-figure supercars and even aerospace applications. Coupled with offering the world’s first six-function MultiPro tailgate, the 2019 Sierra packs a one-two hauling punch for whatever the situation demands,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president, Global GMC.
Besides being tough and durable, the CarbonPro bed is also 25 percent lighter than a conventional steed bed, helping the 2019 Sierra shed 60 lbs (27.2 kg). As a result, payload increases by at least 59 lbs (26.7 kg), depending on the configurations and equipment. Furthermore, its grained surface means there’s no need for bed liners, potentially saving more pounds. Rear wheelhouse liners are not needed either because of CarbonPro’s increased dent resistance.
Other benefits of the CarbonPro bed include a “best-in-class cargo volume,” as it adds 1 cubic foot (28 liters) compared to 2019 Sierra’s standard roll-formed steel bed thanks to its sidewalls being pushed out farther. Finally, GMC points out that the CarbonPro bed’s indentations are specifically designed for tires of dirt and street bikes and feature two additional tie-down locations at the front of the bed.
GMC says it has subjected the CarbonPro bed to rigorous validation testing including dropping large and heavy loads on it from varying heights and driving a snowmobile with metal studs on the track into the bed and accelerating it at full throttle to test scratch-resistance.
The only downside we see so far (as pricing has not been announced yet) is that the CarbonPro bed has limited availability. The innovative bed debuts on the Sierra Denali 1500 and Sierra AT4 1500 only as part of CarbonPro Editions for the 2019 model year. For 2020, the CarbonPro bed will be available in greater quantity, but only on the two aforementioned trims.