2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X
Price: $97,428.00
Colour: Desert Sand Metallic
While I make no claims of expertise in the realm of off-road driving, I do enjoy getting out to the bush on a regular basis. Rock crawling and crossing deep rivers isn’t what I usually get up to, but I like a good forest service road. The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X is built for just such an experience. It’s the off-road variant of the AT4 and comes equipped with some useful bits and pieces should you decide to answer natures call. It’s also, given its stated purpose of design, absolutely ridiculous. When I’m denting, scratching and otherwise abusing my 4×4, said vehicle is usually as basic and old as I can manage. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is going to buy this car and head straight for the Serengeti. The AT4X trim is just another marketing exercise for people to purchase, put on the driveway and impress their neighbors with.
power & performance
You have to hand it to GM for consistency when it comes to the AT4X. In keeping with the ridiculous nature of the vehicles design, the engine is equally silly. The 6.2L V8 (the only option you can have on this trim) produces 420hp and 460lb/ft of torque. The power output itself is fine but the accompanying fuel economy is laughable. As soon as I left the last gas station I’d break out into a cold sweat hoping I’ll make it to the next fuel stop before running out. This powerplant is absolutely hopeless. It chews through fuel like it’s the 1960’s and gas costs next to nothing. This thing gives the Nissan Armada a run for its money.
The power on hand is perfectly suitable to the stated task of this vehicle. Said power is also readily available from any number of other engines that are smaller, far more modern, more reliable and much more fuel efficient. If you’re going to insist on putting this size engine in a truck like this, then there should be some sort of payoff for it. Namely, way more power. I’m not the type who believes pickups need a million horsepower, but I do expect a reasonable amount out of an engine this size that robs my wallet the way it does.
exterior
I’ve long been a critic of GM cars. I didn’t like the way they looked or how they were built. Recent generations have improved immensely, and the Sierra has benefited greatly from this renaissance. The AT4X is a particularly good-looking variant. The little bits and pieces they add to it all complement its appearance and give us a good-looking beast. The 2” factory lift does wonders to give the car a more rugged stance. Yes, the wheels and tires look a little small post-lift, but you get lots of room for suspension travel and that’s important.
One of the best features on the AT4X is the multipro tailgate. This little piece of origami on the back is actually useful. The F-150 has a step and handle built into the tailgate as well but it’s largely useless. Most times I’ve tried using it my foot slips off the step and my leg ends up where it shouldn’t. It also holds onto water and dirt which is then trapped inside the tailgate when you fold it up. The multipro tailgate is much better. The way it unfolds and ultimately sets up is so much easier to use than the Ford option. It’s a proper step so you won’t slip off it. It has speakers and audio controls as well so you can adjust to musical tastes while getting loaded for camping. It also has backstops to keep lumber in the bed which is more useful than you think given the relatively small size of the box.
The bed volume of a pickup truck isn’t something I usually worry too much about, but I did notice that the Sierra gives you almost 10 liters of extra volume than either Ford or Ram. That’s a lot. It could make all the difference when loading up firewood and camping gear for a weekend in the bush. These measurements are all for the short box versions of the respective trucks.
interior
One of these days I’m going to stop mentioning how much I’ve loathed GM interiors over the decades. Today is not that day because if I don’t tell you about how bad the interiors were, I can’t celebrate how much better the interiors are now. See how that works?
The 2022 Sierra AT4X comes loaded with all manner of goodies on the inside. Let’s start with the infotainment system. One big winner coming out of the GM camp in recent models is their infotainment systems. They were simple, clean and easy to use. The screens are responsive and nimble without any lag. The AT4X has seen that native system replaced with a version of Google Android Automotive. This is nowhere near the disaster that we see in the current generation of Volvos but it offers no real upgrade over the system it replaces.
While I disagree with leather in a vehicle with the stated purpose of exploring the road less traveled. That being said the leather they stick you with is actually quite nice. Some of the leather I’ve seen in other GM vehicles has been much harder and shinier than what you get in the AT4X. The option of ventilated and heated seats is also a bonus and probably why they used leather in the first place.
Sometimes it’s the little things in cars that really leave a mark. The storage built into the rear seats of the AT4X is great. I really like that the backs of the seats open up and you can stash your unmentionables back there. There is also the requisite cupholders in the fold down centre console.
While hanging out in the back you’ll notice the heated seat controls. While not required and really shouldn’t be in a vehicle like this, I’m glad they included them from a value perspective. If you have children like I do, those heated seats will keep them busy for hours until the buttons break. Money well spent.
I’m not a stereo snob but I do like a decent radio. The Bose system we get in the AT4X is fabulous and brought me back to the 90’s when I fired up the collected works of Mr. Mark Morrison. When not pounding the bass, my podcasts sounded great as well.
There is contrast colour stitching on the doors in the AT4X and the cross-stitch pattern they opted for is horrible. It looks sloppy and reminds me of those scenes in action movies where the hero stitches themselves up after a run-in with the local police or group of young toughs.
As much as I have been whining about equipment that is on this truck that shouldn’t, let’s look at something GMC has included that is absolutely spot on. Included with this truck is one of the most comprehensive matting systems I’ve ever seen in a stock vehicle. It almost completely covers the carpet and will keep all that mud and water out of your pristine fibers. Really great bit of kit.
quality
The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X feels like a quality truck. The interior is comfortable and has a good blend of soft-touch surfaces, nice colours and it’s a nice place to sit. It’s a tank to drive and feels very solid. GM has finally stepped into the modern world and gave us a competitive pickup truck with a quality feel.
CQI – 8. The carpet is a nice quality and is really well protected by the superior mats you get in this thing. Love those.
value
This is a nearly $100k pickup. The Raptor will cost you more. Same for the TRX. Ford and Dodge compete better with other models but they either lack equipment the AT4X has or cost about the same once you reach apples to apples.
It’s hard to say this vehicle is good value as I would never buy it because, due to its cost, I would never take it to the bush, so why buy it over other models? That being said, I think I’m missing the point. This is for posers who want to park it in the driveway and impress their neighbors. In that regard, money well spent.
final thoughts
The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X is a very nice pickup truck. It’s capable of taking you almost anywhere you’d like to go. Given the price point, it’s never going to be used for scaling mountains or crossing raging rapids. It’s going to leave the dealership, drive home and make your neighbors a little green with envy. I would have preferred then that they strip this thing down to just what you need in a vehicle truly destined for the bush. This would drive the price down to the point where you could perhaps justify buying it and running from the coming zombie apocalypse. Perhaps one day.
