GMC has determined there’s gold in them thar trails, witnessing Ram hoovering up dollars from off-roaders and wannabe off-roaders with the Rebel variation of its 1500 pickup.
The tri-lettered half of The General’s truck duo latched onto the off-road life in the previous Sierra with a trim called All Terrain. It’s back and beefed up on the revamped 2019 model but, taking a page from the Cadillac Book of Alphanumerics, it is now called the AT4.
This new version of the Sierra is bestowed with various visual addenda such as black chrome finishes and the scattered bit of red trim. What sets it apart from other Sierras, GMC says, is its two-inch suspension lift and Rancho shock absorbers. Standard equipment on the AT4 includes the brand’s familiar 5.3-liter V8 engine. A choice of tires include 18-inch Goodyear Duratracs or 20-inch rubber, although (somehow) the tires on the model shown here look like casters from a piano. Surely they will look more substantial in person. The “squircle” wheel arches continue.
Interestingly, it will also be available with the macho 6.2-liter V8 or the Duramax 3.0-liter inline-six turbo-diesel. These engines are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. A system called Traction Select allows the driver to choose from preset drive modes that have been tailored for different terrain or weather conditions, not unlike what’s found on some burly SUVs. GMC says selecting one of these modes adjusts Sierra’s transmission shift points, throttle mapping, and StabiliTrak to optimize performance for whatever terrain the driver is trying to traverse.
GMC’s interesting MultiPro tailgate makes an appearance and the AT4 cribs the CarbonPro from its Denali brother. This latter detail speaks to two thoughts. First, GMC must have invested heavily in the development of a carbon fiber box and some pencil-necked accountant within the company is screaming that the costs be recouped. Second, the company seems determined not to repeat the Pro-Tec debacle of 15 years ago by more aggressively marketing the CarbonPro box and offering it on multiple trims.
“The 2019 Sierra AT4 is designed for the customer who wants an elevated presence on the road and the capability to venture off life’s beaten path,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global GMC. “It’s also the beginning for the AT4 brand, which will be seen on every vehicle in our lineup in the next two years.”
Reading into this, that means there will be an AT4 version of the Canyon, which would make for an interesting welterweight foil to Chevy’s own Colorado ZR2. Nothing in the release says that future AT4 models won’t receive additional equipment, so it is indeed plausible that the Canyon could earn the trick suspension from its ZR2 cousin. The Sierra AT4 shown here does not possess such off-road goodies.
Taking Mr. Aldred’s point to the next level, we should also expect an AT4 trim GMC’s various cadre of SUVs and crossovers including, not to put too fine a point on it, the Yukon and Yukon XL. An off-road(ish) version of these two brutes would please this author to no end. The other half of GM showroom offers a supremely cool (if eye-wateringly expensive) Tahoe RST which is not trail-focused at all but certainly makes the point that GM is not afraid to throw a few high dollar pieces at its largest SUV platform.
I would not call this Sierra AT4 a competitor to the Raptor, even with the fabulous 6.2-liter under the hood, as the GMC is not equipped with the same level of off-road kit that accepts repeated beatings on the Ford. It is, however, in this author’s truck-focused mind, an alternative to the Ram Rebel.
The AT4 is expected to appear on dealer lots this Fall.
[Images: General Motors]
As a retired Soldier that shot a few AT4’s over my career I’d be inclined to yell “Backblast Area All Clear!” prior to cranking it up just out of habit. Perhaps they will come up with a more hardcore version called the Javelin.
And it will have a TOW mode, lol. Yes, I remember TOW, TOW2, and Javelin. I worked for the contractor.
The front end doesn’t look as ugly in that last picture. But, still ugly.
Those wheel non-arches. God bless. Please, GM- fix the glitch.
Yeah, WTH? At least the Silverado is going to semi-round wheel arches. These are just weird.
What are those 13″ wheels?
They look hilariously tiny. You can almost fit an extra wheel in that gap. The wheels must be decently sized (17’s?) but they had to make room for the 21″ upgrade on the High Denali Country Ranch Limited Edition trucks.
Maybe that’s how they get you to upgrade to the 21″ by making the standard look bad.
*yawn*
Hahaha! I feel the exact same way any time a new blip of information comes out pertaining to anything Jeep/Wrangler.
LOL…seriously.
I’ve always wondered why GM and Ford never offered factory lifts. Now, just gotta get those wheels and tires sized right.
Back when the FX4 trim line first came out (2003ish), the Bilstein’s it was offered with gave the truck an extra inch of clearance if memory serves. I had a mere Lariat without those goodies. Beyond that, I don’t think the extra beefy shocks from either manufacturer offered more height.
Shocks don’t increase height, taller springs and/or arched leaf packs do. The shocks are taller for increased damping that the increased spring travel provide.
Those wheels/tires actually look like they were photo-shopped to be smaller….comically smaller.
I love the 14” wheels.
They should be wired Daytons…..low…ridah!
You’re right, those wheels look absurd on this truck. They wouldn’t be bad if the wheel opening and fenders weren’t enormous. Very disproportionate.
What is with GM and glossy black “off road” vehicles? Hey guys! Let’s build a vehicle for taking out into the rocks and brambles! And let’s paint it in whatever color is going to best highlight the accompanying scratches! (I’m thinking 80% of the Suburban/Tahoe Z71s I see are painted black…)
Darth Vader is very satisfied and pleased with the black-on-black color scheme.
Real people aren’t so excited.
Sorry, not beefy looking enough.
The Rebel is light years better. I don’t know if this is supposed to compete with the Raptor either, but misses that by double the distance this misses the Rebel.
Even the new Silverado TrailBoss trim has this thing beat by miles.
Generally I find the Sierra a nice looking truck, but maybe that’s in the “classy” trims cuz in butch/beefy guise this is just not good.
No one in his right mind would take one of these ‘off-road’. 4X4 =/= off-road.
Top to bottom, inside and out…I can’t get over how ugly these things are.