The GMC Sierra 1500 lineup has been updated for mid-2022 with fresh styling and a more refined interior, but that's not the exciting news.
The full-size pickup is now available in a crew cab, short bed AT4X model that promisees the most extreme off-road capability of any Sierra 1500. It's a mechanical twin to the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 and features all the same technical upgrades.
Key among them is a high performance suspension system designed to handle everything from cruising down the boulevard to rock crawling and high speed off-road driving.
It offers increased wheel travel and uses a special type of shock absorber built by race car builder Multimatic that was originally developed for IndyCars and Formula One cars and was used on the most recent Chevrolet Camaro Z28, but has since been adopted for off-road use and is also available in the midsize Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.
The shocks use a series of spool valves to precisely control the flow of the fluid within them. They're tuned to give the shocks progressive damping that keeps them soft on rough roads at slow speeds, but stiffens them up when subjected to quick, jarring impacts to keep the body under control in quick turns and the suspension from bottoming out over big bumps.
The ATX4 comes standard with the Sierra's 420 hp 6.2-liter V8, 10-speed automatic transmission, a two-speed 4x4 system with a full-time all-wheel-drive setting, front and rear locking differentials for maximizing traction and unique 18-inch wheels with mud-terrain tires.
It also has a two-inch body lift compared to other Sierras, 11.1 inches of ground clearance and improved underbody protection that includes a larger skid plate for the transfer case.
The cabin is dressed to the nines to help justify the AT4X's starting price of $77,395, and features leather upholstery, ash wood trim, climate-controlled massaging front seats, and a 360-degree camera system for the new 13.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system display that is the centerpiece of the new interior look.
Out back, the AT4X has GMC's Multi-Pro tailgate, which can be opened six different ways to create various storage solutions, a desk or a step. The only major option available on the very loaded truck is a $1,970 technology package that adds a video rearview mirror, head-up display adaptive cruise control and a power adjustable steering column.
Its payload rating is 1,420 pounds and it can tow up to 8,900 pounds.
The AT4X's closest competitor is the Ford F-150 Raptor, which has a wider body and an even more aggressive suspension, although its 450 hp turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 doesn't add a lot more punch. A more powerful Raptor R is coming later this year, but the Ram 1500 TRX is the current king of the hill with its 702 horsepower supercharged V8.
REVIEW: THE FORD F-150 RAPTOR IS AN ANIMAL
With some irony, the AT4X's equipment provides it with a better on road ride than some of the more street smart Sierras, although its lifted stance and knobby tires contribute to a combined fuel economy rating of just 16 mpg.
On the dirt the changes prove to turn it into a formidable machine. The power and 10 inches of wheel travel are more than adequate for climbing hills and storming fire roads, and the suspension proves to be a marvel in both situations.
It's so well-behaved that it's hard to believe it doesn't have any computer control. It softly cradles the truck without bouncing as it rides over rolling whoop-de-doos and soaks up washboard surfaces and small jumps at higher speeds.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS CAR REVIEWS
A special Terrain mode for the traction management system holds on to low gears longer when you're in 4x4 Low to provide increased engine braking to mimic the sort of one-pedal driving electric cars are capable of.
The AT4X's limitations compared to the Raptor are evident, but pretty insignificant if you're not planning to go blasting through the desert at 100 mph, while its narrower stance makes it better for tight trails and parking at the mall.
The main drawback is that, despite having all-weather floormats, the AT4X is so dressy you might be disinclined to get it dirty. I suggest you get over that feeling if you buy one, or else you won't really get what you paid for.
Type: 5-passenger, 4-door 4x4 pickup
This week, The Geek helps a reader who is running Microsoft Office on a Mac computer that is having an issue with their Outlook account.
What are the fastest new cars for under $50,000?
This unique Pontiac is finally ready to get back on the road.
This C10 is an action movie hero with performance and style to match.
The 2023 Acura Integra gets back to the brand's roots after several mistakes by its manufacturer, Honda.
A recent preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board provides specifics about a plane crash that occurred in Wauwatosa on May 26.
Delta Air Lines pilots published an open letter to customers Thursday in a direct appeal to those who may be frustrated by flight delays and cancellations
Boeing Co could embrace new engine technology for its next new airplane program, vital to fending off arch-rival Airbus SE in a lucrative slice of the air travel market. The U.S. planemaker has not publicly endorsed the so-called open-rotor or open-fan design - in which the engines blades are exposed - announced last year by CFM International, a transatlantic tie-up between General Electric and Safran. Boeing's vice president of product development, however, cautiously did so on the sidelines of a briefing this week on its flying technology testbed.
A popular route to the beach in Hollywood shut down to traffic this week for major improvements, and it won’t be open again until September.
The Prancing Horse's first SUV will make its official debut in September.
Like the Colorado ZR2 Bison, expect more AEV hardware to improve off-road performance.
He calls this thing the Hoonipigasus…
I’ve had close calls but not an accident. I thought I had so many years of experience that I most likely would never suffer one. Boy was I wrong!
Tesla’s electric vehicle (EV) rival in the Chinese market, NIO, has unveiled its new electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) this week, further intensifying the competition between the two EV companies in China. The new NIO ES7, the company’s first mid-large 5-seater electric SUV, was unveiled at a product launch on Wednesday, rivaling Tesla’s Model Y and Model X electric SUVs in China. In its press release, NIO boasted the ES7 SUV is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in just 3.9 seconds, making it the company’s fastest SUV to date.
What You Need to Know About Selling Your Car to CarMax
Elon Musk is angry. Before getting to the reason for his anger, it should be noted that for more than a decade, from 2003 to almost 2013, the billionaire and Tesla pushed hard for the adoption of electric vehicles despite mockery from rivals and skepticism from financial markets and consumers. Musk and Tesla had, however, found an ear at the White House in the person of Barack Obama, newly elected in 2008.
Channel 9 obtained video showing the moments just before a Charlotte Area Transit System bus was shot into in south Charlotte in May.
The restomod gets a wild 510 hp and is decked out in a cool houndstooth pattern inside.
Southwest Airlines pilots on Friday added themselves to the list of disgruntled commercial aviators dealing with labor shortages, cancellations, fatigue and
Two people were taken to the hospital following a crash on I-10 that involved a garbage truck and a disabled semi-truck on Friday, the Florida Highway Patrol confirmed.