Admittedly, workaday pickup trucks aren't normally vehicles that get our blood pumping at Winding Road. But that doesn't mean we don't find them incredibly useful (noble, even) when the need for them arises. We further recognize that the new 2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are tremendously important vehicles to General Motors, and to more than a few enthusiasts out there who need to do things like haul everything from their project cars to plywood. The General's new dynamic duo are also major profit centers for the automaker, so we're eager to get our work gloves on them to see if they'll live up to the job they're charged with.

As seen in these early press shots courtesy of AutoWeek, styling on the new models is conservatively handsome, with bluff faces belying a more steeply raked windshield and tighter panel gaps that make for a more aerodynamic package. Early spy shots had pretty much given away the game, but it's nice to see that the designs appear to be well-integrated, uncontrived and unmistakably General Motors.

(Click through to the jump for more information and more images inside and out!)

Configurability has always been a GM pickup hallmark, and that tradition is set to continue, with a trio of cab styles (regular, extended and crew) and cargo box lengths (5'8", 6'6", and 8'). Naturally, a full range of suspension setups available (five in all) is expected, including one geared specifically for high-load towing.

With high fuel prices showing no signs of waning, buyers will be pleased to see that the volume 5.3-liter V8 incorporates variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management, which nets EPA figures of 'more than 20 mpg' in both two and four-wheel drive trim, all while returning 315 horsepower and 338 foot-pounds of torque. For those that can get by with such things, a 4.3-liter V6 (195 hp and 260 foot-pounds) forms the bottom powertrain rung, and a 6.0-liter V8 good for 367 horsepower and 375 foot-pounds makes the scene as well. Predictably, an E85-capable version of the 5.3-liter V8 will also be made available.

Interestingly, the Sierra Denali will gain more functional differentiation than with the current generation, including an exclusive aluminum block 6.2-liter V8 rated at 400 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of twist. The latter is yoked to a Denali-only six-speed automatic, while the rest of the pickups soldier on with four-speed boxes. (An SLE-spec Extended-Cab model is pictured above)

While the new pickups appear to be fairly slim on the innovation front, they offer plenty of worthwhile improvements cribbed from elsewhere in GM's fold, including segment-firsts like a heated windshield wiper fluid reservoir paired with rain-sensing wipers. Other key options include rear seat DVD, remote start and so on. As a whole, the desperately-needed interior revamp promises to be of significantly higher quality and configurability.

New exterior features include deeper beds and an available load organizing system, while the interior benefits from optional power pedals, available satellite navigation and increased room and comfort all around.

Light-duty models for both Chevy and GM are expected to arrive sometime in the fourth quarter (read: soon), which should give them a healthy headstart on Toyota's upcoming Tundra full-sizer. Heavy-duty models and the upscale Sierra Denali will take a little longer in the oven, but will reportedly be ready for consumption early next year.

+ AutoWeek: Big-Time Launch