2019 GMC Sierra packs more off-road with new AT4 package

Having already debuted the range-topping versions of the 2019 GMC Sierra pickup, General Motors pulled the wraps off another new Sierra, one that might actually see some mud on its tires.

Ahead of the 2018 New York Auto Show, GM presented an off-road version of its 2019 GMC Sierra — the AT4 — similar to the Chevrolet Trail Boss Silverado revealed late last year. Now GMC has its own version. The AT4 treatment, GM says, will apply to most other GMC models in the coming two years.

Not in league with hard-core off roaders like the Chevy Colorado ZR2, Ford F-150Raptor or Ram Power Wagon, the AT4 nonetheless gets some off-pavement cred to go with its factory two-inch lift. Standard equipment includes 4WD, a locking rear differential, skid plates, Rancho shocks, 18-inch wheels and Goodyear DuraTrac off-road tires that should make the AT4 much more capable in the backwoods than the base truck. Also standard is a two-speed transfer case, hill descent control and a traction select system.

More in line with the Ram Rebel and Toyota‘s TRD Pro lineup, the AT4 is essentially the kind of premium truck plenty of buyers want but can’t usually get off the showroom floor, leaving them to go aftermarket once they decide to add some heft with a lift, suspension and tires. No word, of course, on what the upgrade will cost.

But the AT4 does come standard with the Sierra’s new MultiPro Tailgate, which more or less redefines what a tailgate can do. With a fold-out portion inset into the regular tailgate, the tailgate can be used like a step or table, and can make cargo easier to access or to prevent it from slopping around. It’s easy to operate and even has lights in the steps.

The AT4 Sierra looks different from other Sierras, with black chrome finish on the fog lamp bezels, fender surround and grille insert, body-color grille surround, door handles and bumper, red vertical recovery hooks and unique interior trim accents.

The standard engine in the AT4 is a 5.3-litre V8 that made 355 horsepower last year and can run on as little as one cylinder. Optional are a 6.2L V8 and a new, 3.0L inline-six turbodiesel, with output expected at 450 lb.-ft. of torque. The 6.2L V8 and 3.0L diesel will pair with a 10-speed automatic transmission; the 5.3 is expected to get an eight-speed. A carbon-fibre bed — not a bed liner, but a bed made entirely of carbon fibre to reduce weight and provide excellent scratch and dent resistance — is also an option.

Other options include a multi-color heads-up display, mud tires, a rearview mirror camera and several safety features, including a surround vision camera that helps to see out front when, presumably, navigating rocks or fording streams. Expected to go into production in June or July, the Sierra AT4 gives an already strong line of new GM trucks yet another appealing model in the line up.