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5 things we love about the 2019 GMC Sierra AT4

NEW YORK — The 2019 GMC Sierra AT4 proves that GM's upmarket truck and SUV brand is getting serious about offering rough-and-tumble capability to rival the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Ram 1500 and Nissan Titan. Until the Sierra AT4 rolled onstage at a media event in lower Manhattan, prior to this year's New York Auto Show, the GMC brand had been more focused on luxury touches like fancy chrome wheels and posh interiors — no surprise, considering the upscale SLT and Denali trim levels account for the vast majority of GMC sales. So now GMC wants to get muddy and adventurous? Well, yes and no. The AT4 adds hardware that'll take truck buyers off the beaten path, though this GMC isn't anywhere close to being a Spartan, no-frills work truck. To better explain, let's look at five key features we love about the 2019 GMC Sierra AT4: More than stickers and chrome The Sierra AT4 isn't a cynical marketing ploy, there is some true all-terrain toughness built into this pickup truck. A factory-installed lift kit raises the AT4 by two inches, while Rancho monotube shocks, a locking rear differential, a two-speed transfer case and standard all-wheel drive prove this GMC can dare to venture off paved surfaces — though you might risk getting mud and muck on the truck's handsome 18- or 20-inch alloy wheels. Power and economy The Sierra AT4 comes standard with a 5.3-liter V8 coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission. In the standard Sierra 1500, this engine produces 355 horsepower. GMC didn't mention engine specs here in New York, though it's possible the AT4 might get a small power bump. This engine should be plenty for most truck buyers, though GMC offers two tempting alternatives. These include a turbo-diesel 3.0-liter inline-six, along with a 6.2-liter V8. Both motors are paired to stop-start fuel-saving systems, along with a new 10-speed automatic transmission. Carbon fiber cool factor The GMC Sierra's available carbon-fiber cargo bed, called CarbonPro in GMC-speak, trims 62 pounds of weight, as compared to a traditional all-steel bed. This slick feature uses carbon composites for interior panels and, judging from GMC's videos of burly bricks and huge hammers being thrown into a CarbonPro cargo bed, it should prove more than up to the task of ... well, having someone throw bricks and hammers into the cargo area.

2020 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and GMC Yukon all spied with production lights

One of our spy photographers just caught a smattering of full-size GM SUVs out testing, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban and GMC Yukon. Previous spy photos of the next-generation of these big GM SUVs have revealed that GM is going with an independent rear suspension design, and these shots confirm the news once again with our best look at the hardware yet. Check them out from the rear, lined up like ducks in a row to see the beefy control arms down there. This will undoubtedly give the big SUVs a more compliant ride, and should bring it back into touch with the refinement from the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The new bits we get to see with these shots are production headlights and taillights that are shaping up to look pretty neat. Most distinguishable are the GMC Yukon's LED DRLs. These look a lot like the C-shaped LEDs outlining the headlights on the Sierra, but they have an extra LED strip on top of the C. The parts of the taillights that we can see look significantly different than that found on the Sierra, showing GM is planning on having a great deal of differentiation there. We can sort of see through the mesh covering the grille to what appears to be a classic horizontal bar style front opening. Chevy is predictably dialing the crazy LED strip design back for the Tahoe and Suburban. The parts that are lit up look a whole lot like the headlight fixtures on the 2019 Silverado. That truck uses a stack of lights with the actual headlights separated from the DRLs. We can see the same thing going on here, with the headlight up top and curved LED DRL strip sitting below. It's tough to say if the designs are exactly alike, but we expect to see an extremely Silverado-esque look once all the camouflage comes off. Chevrolet's taillight design differs from its donor truck like the GMC, showing off a curved, vertical series of LEDs out back. Once production lights start popping up like this, we know the vehicle is moving closer to its end game. A reveal sometime later this year could be in the cards for GM's next batch of full-size SUVs. It certainly needs them quick, as Ford rockets ahead with increased Expedition production announced earlier this week.

GMC Canyon AT4X rumored to get more extreme AEV Edition

When GMC debuted the new 2023 Canyon pickup in August, the midsize lineup gained the hardcore AT4X off-road trim the brand has been spreading throughout its wares. The new top-of-the-line model is GMC's version of the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and features the same off-road goodies, like the Multimatic DSSV suspension, unique front fascia, more skid plates, front and rear locking differentials, and a Baja drive mode turning the 33-inch tires. The Edition 1 launch model adds to the production goods by bolting on a front safari bar with a 30-inch light bar, a Comeup winch, an upgraded front skid plate, reconfigurable bed rails, front and rear underbody cameras, and special badging. The Canyon AT4X Edition 1 was gone almost immediately, because of course. However, Muscle Cars & Trucks reports that something just as special could be coming for buyers in the form of a Canyon AT4X AEV Edition. American Expeditionary Vehicles already breathed all over the last-gen Chevrolet Colorado and the current Chevy Silverado, looks like GM not only intends to keep the relationship going but expand it. MCT credits a source for news that the AEV-worked Canyon will get a snorkel and 35-inch tires. Chevrolet offered a snorkel as an aftermarket piece for the Colorado ZR2 Bison, and AEV sold a ZR2 Bison version with a snorkel attached. The new report claims GMC will make the elephant trunk a factory option, fitted to the driver's side this time instead of the passenger's side because of the new engine. The 35-inch tires would be a huge add-on, giving the Canyon the same kind of footprint as the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Xtreme Recon and a couple of Ford Bronco trims. The additional two inches over the 33-inch tires on the AT4X make a big difference when the trail gets dicey. MCT says the AEV will get the same bumper as the Edition 1, which means a reduced approach angle in return for an integrated winch. The standard AT4X bumper permits a 36.9-degree approach angle, the winch-equipped Edition 1 drops that to 32.8 degrees. It's not clear which winch would hide behind that bumper, though. GMC factory fit is the Comeup Seal Slim 9.5rs rated at 9,500 pounds. AEV offers a Warn 9.5 XP-S with the same weight rating for its Colorado ZR2 Bison.  Speaking of which, since the Colorado arguably started all this, Chevy fans can expect their midsizer to acquire the same bundle as the Canyon AT4X AEV.