One word has quietly disappeared from some of GMC Sierra’s most expensive interiors: leather. For the 2026 model year, GMC openly promoted full-grain leather in the Sierra Denali Ultimate and AT4X, while the Denali used perforated Forge leather seating surfaces. With the redesigned 2027 Sierra 1500, those familiar descriptions have been replaced by much vaguer language.
GM order-guide reporting now identifies the Denali, AT4X and Denali Ultimate upholstery simply as “Luxury Seats.” GMC’s own public specifications emphasize premium seating, elaborate stitching, forged wood and other upscale finishes, yet do not clearly state what covers those top-trim seats. The change does not automatically mean the new upholstery is worse, but it creates an unusually important unanswered question in trucks carrying luxury-vehicle prices.
The Word “Leather” Disappeared Between Model Years
The contrast with the outgoing Sierra is unusually clear. GMC’s 2026 marketing specifically described the Denali Ultimate as having an Alpine Umber interior with full-grain leather seating. Elsewhere on the same official page, GMC said the regular Denali used perforated Forge leather seating surfaces, while the Ultimate received full-grain leather with plaited contrast stitching. Buyers did not have to interpret vague terminology to understand what material they were getting.
For 2027, GM order guides reported by GM-Trucks.com replace those descriptions on the three upper trims with “Luxury Seats.” The AT4X changes from full-grain leather to Luxury Seats under trim code E6Z, while Denali and Denali Ultimate receive their own Luxury Seat codes. GMC’s official 2027 launch materials talk extensively about premium seating and redesigned interiors but do not identify those seats as leather. That makes the wording change more substantial than a simple marketing refresh.
Denali Ultimate Makes the Change Hardest to Ignore
Nowhere is the missing material description more noticeable than in Denali Ultimate, GMC’s flagship Sierra. The redesigned 2027 truck receives a standard 6.6-litre V8 producing 481 horsepower and 501 lb.-ft. of torque, 14-way heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, a 16-speaker Bose system with head-restraint speakers and more than 60 inches of combined digital displays. GMC also specifies engineered open-pore forged birch wood and extensive Ultimate-specific detailing.
Yet amid that unusually detailed specification sheet, the upholstery composition is not identified. That stands in sharp contrast to 2026, when full-grain leather was prominent enough to be listed as a key Denali Ultimate feature. The U.S. starting price for the new flagship is $87,895 including the $2,795 destination freight charge in GMC’s launch pricing. At that level, buyers are purchasing more than towing capacity and technology; material choices become part of the luxury proposition, making precise descriptions especially relevant.
Denali and AT4X Are Making the Same Switch
The change extends beyond one showcase trim. For 2026, GMC described the AT4X as using full-grain leather and the Denali as having Forge perforated-leather seating surfaces. Order-guide reporting for 2027 instead assigns “Luxury Seats” to both trucks. That means three separate high-end Sierra variants have simultaneously lost explicit leather terminology rather than the change being confined to a single colour or interior package.
The AT4X is particularly interesting because GMC continues to position it as the pinnacle of Sierra off-road capability. The 2027 version includes 35-inch mud-terrain tires, front and rear electronic locking differentials, Multimatic hardware, a new Baja drive mode and a distinctive Timber Mahogany interior. Denali, meanwhile, receives three new interior colour combinations and luxury front seating with Denali badging. Both cabins remain highly detailed and expensive. What changed is GMC’s willingness to identify the seat covering itself with the same specificity it used only one model year earlier.
AT4’s Move to CoreTec Shows This Is a Broader Material Shift
The Sierra AT4 provides a more straightforward example because its replacement material actually has a name. The 2026 AT4 was offered with perforated front leather seating surfaces. According to the 2027 GM order-guide comparison, the redesigned AT4 switches to CoreTec, while Elevation also uses CoreTec instead of the cloth or leather-appointed combinations available previously. The base Pro remains available with traditional vinyl or cloth.
That distinction matters because CoreTec should not automatically be treated as proof of what GMC is putting into Denali Ultimate or AT4X. The order guides deliberately use different terminology: CoreTec for Elevation and AT4, and Luxury Seats for the premium trio. GM Authority describes CoreTec as a man-made, leather-like upholstery, while reporting that the Luxury Seats receive a more elaborate treatment. Until GMC publishes the actual composition of the latter, assuming the two materials are identical would go beyond the information currently available.
Chevrolet Is Changing Its Seat Materials at the Same Time
The Sierra changes are occurring alongside a similar strategy on the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado 1500. GM’s 2027 order guides replace perforated leather in the Silverado ZR2 with Evotex, while High Country moves from perforated leather to Evotex or an Evotex/Evotex Ultra combination, depending on configuration. Even the Silverado’s former Leather Package retains its option code but becomes an Evotex Package under the new ordering structure.
That broader GM movement makes the Sierra decision look less like an isolated trim adjustment. Chevrolet has already been expanding Evotex into other vehicles, including the 2027 Traverse High Country, where Evotex Ultra replaces the previous perforated leather-appointed upholstery. What cannot yet be concluded is that GMC’s unidentified Luxury Seats are simply Evotex under another name. GMC has chosen different terminology, and its public Sierra specifications do not provide enough technical information to establish that the formulations are the same.
GMC Has Described the Goal Better Than the Material
There is some additional context, but it still stops short of a complete answer. GT Garage Talk reported after interviewing Chevrolet and GMC executives at the 2027 truck launch that no light-duty Silverado or Sierra trim would offer factory leather seats. The outlet said GMC leadership characterized its new upholstery as a “premium leather alternative” and discussed durability and easier cleaning as goals behind the material strategy.
That helps explain why an automaker might reconsider natural leather in a vehicle expected to encounter muddy clothing, pets, food spills and constant climbing in and out. It does not provide the information normally found in a detailed material specification. GMC has not publicly identified, in its main 2027 Sierra launch documentation, the precise composition of the Denali, AT4X and Denali Ultimate Luxury Seats. Buyers therefore have a description of the intended experience—premium, durable and upscale—without an equally clear explanation of what the upholstery physically consists of.
GMC Is Still Spending Heavily on the Premium Look and Feel
Dropping the leather label has not meant stripping the cabins of upscale detailing. GMC says every 2027 Sierra trim receives a redesigned interior, with real wood available in the lineup, forged wood in Denali Ultimate and carbon fibre in AT4X. Denali gains detailed stitching and three distinct colourways, while the AT4X receives enhanced bolstering and a Timber Mahogany theme. Independent coverage also notes more elaborate piping, quilting, embossed details and stitching on the Luxury Seats.
That distinction is important because upholstery composition alone does not determine whether a seat feels expensive or holds up well. A well-engineered alternative material could potentially deliver excellent comfort, stain resistance and durability. Early impressions are encouraging but limited: one journalist who sat in the redesigned trucks said the material felt soft and premium while explicitly declining to guess what it was made from. Long-term wear, temperature performance and durability will require considerably more than a short static inspection to judge properly.
The Seat Hardware Changed Along With the Upholstery
There is another change hiding underneath the new material. GMC’s 2026 Denali Ultimate featured 16-way power front seats with heating, ventilation and massage. The redesigned 2027 Denali Ultimate is officially specified with 14-way heated, ventilated and massaging front seats. Order-guide reporting says the AT4X makes the same move from 16-way to 14-way, although GMC has not detailed which two adjustments disappeared in the transition.
That does not necessarily mean the new seats are less comfortable. Different seat architecture can combine adjustments differently, and GMC says the AT4X receives enhanced bolstering. The massage function remains on the flagship seats, while ventilation is still standard across AT4, AT4X, Denali and Denali Ultimate. Still, the numerical reduction is worth separating from the upholstery debate. Shoppers comparing a 2026 truck with its 2027 replacement are dealing with both a different material description and a revised seat mechanism rather than a simple cosmetic redesign.
Canadian Pricing Makes the Material Question Even More Significant
For Canadian buyers, the issue arrives on trucks with six-figure pricing. GMC Canada lists the 2027 Sierra AT4X at C$109,599 MSRP and the Denali Ultimate at C$115,599. Its published “total price,” which incorporates listed charges including freight and other fees, reaches C$113,665 for AT4X and C$119,665 for Denali Ultimate. The Denali is listed at C$96,599 MSRP and C$100,170 total price.
Those figures put the Sierra’s premium trims firmly into luxury-vehicle territory. A customer approaching C$120,000 for a Denali Ultimate may reasonably examine details that matter less in a work-focused base truck: wood authenticity, audio hardware, seat adjustment, upholstery composition and long-term wear. GMC has been remarkably specific elsewhere, identifying everything from forged birch wood to the 16-speaker Bose system and the size of individual displays. Against that level of detail, describing the actual seating surface only in broad luxury language stands out even more.
Early Buyers Should Check the Seat Specification Carefully
GMC says the first 2027 Sierra 1500 models are expected to reach dealerships before the end of the 2026 calendar year. Anyone ordering early should therefore avoid treating familiar trim names as proof that familiar materials remain underneath. GM-Trucks.com’s reported order-guide codes include E6Z for AT4X Luxury Seats and E8E for Denali Ultimate, with multiple Luxury Seat codes offered on Denali depending on interior configuration.
Requesting the exact seat-trim code and a written description from a dealer could help prevent assumptions during the transition between model years. Equally important, “not leather” should not automatically be translated into “inferior.” Modern engineered upholstery can have practical advantages, and GMC appears to be putting substantial effort into the visual and tactile execution. The unanswered issue is simpler: a company selling a flagship truck at this price should give customers enough information to know precisely what material they are sitting on.
