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Writer's pictureTony Lesesne

2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 X really pushes the boundaries


The GMC Sierra 1500 at4x is a big bold beautiful beast. It's one of those trucks that gives you so much confidence that it could be dangerous. Driving a truck like this gives you a lot of testosterone and provides you an air of invincibility. Am I going overboard here? Yeah, it was that much fun and it's got that much juice.

The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X has off-road features such as four-wheel drive, two-speed transfer case, hill descent control, an upgraded suspension with two-inch lift, adjustable traction control, skid plates, all-terrain tires, and recovery hooks.


By @TonyLesesne

Imagine riding high in the drivers seat as you're looking down on traffic. Up ahead, you can easily see the activity in the distance. The truck's cab, which is designed in what the automaker calls an Obsidian Rush scheme, has massaging leather seats that keep you loose in even the tensest driving situations.

This is a truck and that also inspires off-road engagement with those big fat tires and the super high ground clearance. It adds electronic front and rear locking differentials and at $81,700, the AT4X trim is also the only pickup in its class with front and rear e-locking differentials sends power where you need it most in low traction situations; mud, gravel or sand. E-lockers are designed to provide the necessary torque and increased traction when wheel slippage is present. These differentials also send increased torque to a wheel — in either the front or rear axle when it loses traction.

The lockers help with control going up and down steep inclines. Now I didn't test it on steep inclines but did get it out onto some pretty ugly, bumpy, gritty roads that were a breeze for the GMC Sierra 1500 at4x.


Standard 6.2L V8 Gas Engine makes 420 Horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of Torque, Paired with a 10-Speed Automatic Transmission with a towing capacity of 8,700 lbs; Bed length: 69.6″ It gets an estimated 16 mpg in the city, 16 mpg on the highway, and 16 mpg combined.

Steering and brakes are well-weighted and precise, and even with the increased ride height, the Multimatic suspension keeps body roll to a minimum. Combined with the awesome 6.2L V8 and decent 10-speed transmission, the solid inputs and ride make for more fun than would be expected in a pickup truck. Impressed.

While the AT4X is geared towards off-roading, it has a 33-inch wheel and tire package, a 51-mm (two-in) body lift, and 282 mm (11.1 in) of ground clearance and also gets Multimatic DSSV dampers.

Rugged Goodyear Wrangler mud-terrain tires are fat and impressive but they are not winter-rated, so braking and traction may vary with the driver. Other standard features include tubular rocker panel guards, a spray-in bedliner with AT4X logo, 12-speaker stereo, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, microsuede headliner, wireless phone charging, a heated steering wheel, LED headlights, a head-up display, and GMC’s contorting MultiPro tailgate.


For those who like to party, the MultiPro tailgate features its own sound system that can pair with your phone for Bluetooth audio streaming.


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