GM’s Trucks Are Carrying the Company. The New 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Raise the Stakes.

At GM there is an antidote to the higher costs resulting from the currently messy world: its next generation of highly profitable full-size pickup trucks that have just started production and will arrive in showrooms by the end of the year.

The 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 launch involves six plants: three truck assembly plants and three engine plants. First to start spitting them out is the Silao plant in Mexico that started its ramp up last week. Next will be the Fort Wayne, Indiana, plant that will be down for a month starting mid-December to retool for building the new models in January. Last up will be the Orion plant in Michigan in the second quarter of 2027.

Inventory will be impacted to the tune of about 35,000 fewer vehicles during the changeover but GM expects to build the same number of trucks in 2027 as it did in 2026, with incremental capacity for growth in 2028, says Mary Barra, GM chairman and CEO, providing an update on a call with reporters to discuss the automaker’s third-quarter earnings.

Barra is bullish on the new trucks given that the current pickups, which were introduced in 2018, have gained 10 points of share over the years and are seeing strong sales in their final year even though GM has kept incentives lower than some competitors. GM’s light-duty truck sales are up 9 percent, the best final-year performance they have ever had.

2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Powertrains

The next generation of these trucks have been restyled inside and out, including drastically different dashboards, and offer greater performance and efficiency among the powertrain choices. The trucks see the return of 5.7-liter and 6.6-liter displacements for their V-8s, although these engines are an all-new sixth generation of the small-block. Returning are the TurboMax 2.7-liter turbocharged gas I-4 and the Duramax 3.0-liter turbodiesel I-6.

The new trucks have nicer materials, more tech, greater trailering capability and durability under load, Barra says.

GM will follow up the Silverado and Sierra with new heavy-duty trucks and the next generation of full-size SUVs.

Despite higher inflation, consumers are still buying new vehicles. Even the record high cost of diesel is not yet proving to be a deterrent. Because of their efficiency, the cost of ownership is still lower than a hybrid truck, Barra says.

GM Third-Quarter Earnings

As for third-quarter earnings, net income more than doubled in the third quarter, driven by truck sales and demand for subscription services such as OnStar and Super Cruise. GM reported net income of $3.34 billion in the third quarter, which is a giant jump of 151 percent from a year ago. Revenue was up almost 3 percent to $50 billion, with North America as the key generator of profits-up 43 percent to $3.6 billion excluding taxes and interest and an 8.7 percent profit margin-even though U.S. sales fell by 6.3 percent as consumers here continue to show little appetite for EVs.

OnStar services generated $800 million, a 15 percent increase, and GM says it will have added 1 million subscribers by the end of the year and revenue from all subscription services could hit $10.5 billion this year. The number of Super Cruise subscribers should grow as the new trucks will offer Super Cruise as standard equipment on the high trims and make it optional on most of the lower trims. In 2028, GM will offer its autonomous driving version of Super Cruise that does not require eyes on the road, starting with the Cadillac Escalade IQ electric SUV.

Headwinds Ahead

Looking ahead, GM expects to make $8.9 billion to $9.5 billion for the full year, which would be a massive improvement over its $2.7 billion in earnings in 2025. Tariffs were a drag on earnings in 2025 and are expected to cost between $2.5 billion and $3.5 billion in 2026, but automakers are receiving rebates on some of what they paid.

The cost of commodities, especially copper and steel, have been hit hard by higher inflation costs. EV-related charges from scaling back electrification plans have amounted to about $4.6 billion so far this year and will grow by another billion in the fourth quarter. While launches of new EVs have largely stopped, Barra says the automaker is still committed to an eventual all-EV future, just not by 2035 as once envisioned.