More 2027 Model Year Upgrades
As we inch closer to 2027, more details are surfacing about the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and the latest development in the models’ spec sheets is an improved ride.
General Motors will roll out an upgraded version of its Adaptive Ride Control (ARC) suspension. While the technology is already present in previous model years, the next-generation pickup trucks will feature an upgraded version that improves ride quality and handling.
This is great news on top of new powertrains, new features, and other new things for the 2027 models of GM’s full-sized twins. Some will be skeptical, some may expect a recall, but the news looks good for now.
GMC
Adaptive Ride Control
Otherwise known as ARC, for short, is GM’s play on Continuous Damping Control (CDC). The system can change suspension damping on the fly, making it slower or faster and improving ride quality across road conditions. The system relies on wheel position sensors, a dedicated control module, and an actuator that opens and closes a valve in the dampers to continuously adjust suspension damping while driving.
It’s a cheaper, less complex version of Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) technology, which trickled down from supercars and found its way into more “normal” cars. While MRC is the top of the heap in the adaptive suspension space, it’s more expensive and requires magnetorheological fluid. ARC, meanwhile, uses traditional dampers with a valve and an electronic actuator.
Chevrolet
Better in 2027
An additional wheel position sensor has been added, bringing the total from three to four in the entire system. The new sensor will be positioned at the rear of the Silverado and Sierra and will provide another data stream to the computer, giving it an even better picture of the damping the suspension needs to deliver.
With more “resolution,” so to speak, more data streams will enable more precise adaptability. While the current system is already good enough, an extra layer of information would enable further optimizations.
GM’s Executive Chief Engineer for the 2027 Silverado and Sierra weighs in. Mark Dickens said in an interview with GM Authority that “you really have to drive it. The tuning improvements with the extra sensor deliver substantial improvements in ride and handling.” Hopefully, the Autoblog team can feel those improvements when GM unleashes its new full-sized twin trucks soon.
GMC
