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2003 ICOTY Awards - Pickup Truck

Most Athletic - GMC Sierra 1500 HD
2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD

The world's best athletes are strong, flexible, bendy. And while bendiness isn't a trait we often seek in an automobiles -- let alone reward with a trophy -- the full-size trucks from General Motors equipped with the innovative new Quadrasteer system are so nimble that you'd swear they had a hinge in the middle. And it is that technology that has landed GM the Most Athletic Award for 2003.

Quadrasteer allows the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction as the front wheels during low-speed maneuvers, cutting the turning circle down to something closer to that of a Honda Accord than a full-size, extended wheelbase, 6-passenger truck. At highway speeds, the wheels turn slightly in the same direction as the fronts, smoothing out lane change action and aiding high-speed stability. Quadrasteer's benefits are most noticeable at low speeds, but anyone who pulls a trailer is going to appreciate Quadrasteer in virtually every driving circumstance.

Quadrasteer, which can also be deactivated via a button on the dashboard, can also be ordered on the new Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup, the Chevrolet Suburbans, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL. It is standard on the GMC Sierra Denali and Yukon Denali.

The Sierra's other laudable attributes include well laid-out, spacious interiors with comfortable front seats and a rear bench seats that actually accommodate real adults. Suicide-style rear doors make loading bulky securable cargo items into the cab an easy-access affair. And no full-size pickup could pull it's weight-literally-in this business without a strong engine. And the Sierra offers four torquey engine options, including three V-8's that are among the best in the business.

It has been said that although GM is a company of many talents, building trucks is what it does best. And after one lap around a tight parking lot in a Quadrasteer-equipped GMC Sierra, you'll be a believer, too.

Most Respected
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Most Likely to Change the World
ECO- Friendly Car of the Year
Honda Civic

Most Likely to Survive Anything
SUV of the Year
Hummer H2