2027 Silverado and Sierra Get Smarter Suspension Upgrade

As the 2027 model year approaches, more details are surfacing about the refreshed 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 for its full-size pickup lineup. While the technology is already present in previous model years, the next-generation trucks will feature a revised system designed to improve ride quality and handling across varied terrain.

This upgrade arrives alongside new powertrains, updated features, and other revisions planned for the 2027 models of GM’s full-sized twins. The enhanced suspension represents a notable step forward for buyers who rely on these heavy-duty and light-duty trucks for both daily driving and demanding workloads.

Adaptive Ride Control, known as ARC for short, is GM’s approach to 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. It 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 behavior while driving.

It operates as a less complex alternative to Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) technology, which originally trickled down from supercars and eventually found its way into mainstream vehicles. While MRC remains the top tier in the adaptive suspension space, it is more expensive and requires magnetorheological fluid. ARC, meanwhile, uses traditional dampers paired with a valve and an electronic actuator to achieve similar goals at a lower cost.

For the 2027 model year, an additional wheel position sensor has been added, bringing the total from three to four across the entire system. The new sensor will be positioned at the rear of the Silverado and Sierra, providing another data stream to the computer and giving it a more complete picture of the damping the suspension needs to deliver.

With more resolution, so to speak, the extra data streams will enable more precise adaptability. While the current three-sensor setup is already effective, this additional layer of information allows engineers to further optimize how the truck responds to sudden bumps, heavy payloads, and highway cruising.

GM’s Executive Chief Engineer for the 2027 Silverado and Sierra, Mark Dickens, highlighted the real-world impact of the hardware change. “You really have to drive it,” Dickens said. “The tuning improvements with the extra sensor deliver substantial improvements in ride and handling.”