Though unchanged on the outside from ‘08, the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 lineup has benefited from a few new features under the hood and in the cabin as well as the addition of a new hybrid trim. Standard electronic stability control (StabiliTrak) on all V8’s, an available 6.2-liter FlexFuel V8 engine and available 6-speed automatic transmission that gets an EPA-estimated 13/19 mpg in RWD and 12/19 in 4WD. Optional Bluetooth and XM NavTraffic are also new for ’09.

As is customary, the ’09 Sierra 1500 offers a plethora of trims. Two interior choices - “pure pickup” and “luxury interior” - are available, along with various powerplants, wheelbases, bed lengths, cab configurations, and of course, the choice of rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. This adds up to some 23 trim levels, encompassing SLE, SLT, and the extended-cab-only (the rear doors do not open independently of the front) SL. Wheelbases range from 119 inches to 157.5 inches; SLEs and SLTs come with regular, extended, and crew cabs; and bed lengths range from 69.3 inches for the extended cab short bed to 97.6 inches for the regular-cab long-bed.

The Sierra 1500 RWD SLE features a 3-passenger regular cab, a 78.7-inch bed, and a 119-inch wheelbase, as well as the 295-hp Vortec 4.8-liter V8 and 4-speed automatic with overdrive and tow/haul mode that gets 14/19 mpg. Other standard equipment includes 17-inch chrome-style steel wheels, power windows and doors, air-conditioning, an MP3-compatible CD player, 4 speakers (extended and crew cabs have 6), XM satellite radio, one year of free Onstar, and a tilt wheel. The SLE is available in 134-inch, 143.5-inch, and 157.5-inch wheelbases, with an extended or crew cab and 4WD. With the standard powerplant and standard bed, the RWD SLE can tow 5,200 pounds and has a payload capacity of 1,842 pounds.

The ’09 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT features a 315-hp 5.3-liter Vortec V8 and 6-speed automatic overdrive transmission and, like the SLE, can be delivered in RWD or 4WD configurations. SLTs also offer essentially the same standard features as the SE, but are available only in extended or crew cab configurations, and come with the same three wheelbases. With the standard engine, bed, and extended cab, the SLT has a payload capacity of 1,734 pounds and a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds.

The Sierra 1500 SL trim offers the 4.8-liter V8 and 4-speed automatic with three wheelbases, but only in the extended cab configuration. The huge Sierra 1500 Denali - essentially an up-powered SLT with unique interior and exterior trim - also comes only in the single crew cab configuration, offers the 403-hp 6.2-liter FlexFuel V8, and will tow a more-than-respectable 10,700 pounds. New for 2009 is the Sierra 1500 Hybrid, which features a 6.0-liter, 367-hp V8 coupled with an electric motor and continuously variable transmission that can be powered in either gas or electric mode, needs no plug-in, and will tow 6,100 pounds.

The '09 Sierra 1500 line also includes a no-frills Work Truck trim level in both RWD and 4WD, with the same three wheelbases, cab configurations, and bed lengths.

Engine options for the GMC Sierra 1500 lineup in 2009 include a 5.3-liter V8 SFI engine with fuel management system and the 5.3-liter with FlexFuel capability. Each puts out 315 hp and gets 15/20 in 4X2 configuration and 14/19 in 4X4. Also available are a heavy-duty trailer-tow package, the Z71 off-road suspension and heavy-duty rear-locking differential package (GMC Sierra 1500 Off Road), 17-inch off-road or 20-inch touring wheels and tires, a 6-disc MP3-compatable CD player, heated exterior mirrors, a bed-liner, and tonneau cover.

Owners of the ’08 Sierra 1500 praise its huge number of trim levels, Vortec V8, and a plush interior that out-classes most other pickups. They complain of a center “dead spot” in the steering wheel when cruising and that assembly quality was not what it could be.

Safety features on all 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 trims include 4-wheel ABS, front driver and passenger airbags with the passenger sensing system and, new for 2009, electronic stability control (StabiliTrac) on all V8-equipped trims. The Sierra 1500 received five stars in NHTSA front driver and side crash tests.