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2019 GMC Sierra AT4 First Drive Review | Off-road overkill

The road ahead is dirt with a rut here and a rock there. Brush keeps a respectable distance on the right side, the edge on the left gradually falls away into the valley below. The grade is nothing your treadmill couldn't duplicate and traction is pretty good. Honestly, a couple in their Subaru Crosstrek could pop up here for a picnic. The 2019 GMC Sierra AT4 we're driving is therefore complete overkill. But at least it looks the part as it trudges up this uncharacteristically verdant mountain with San Diego in the distance to the north and Mexico to the south. Its special, dechromed AT4 grille has a purposeful appearance, but tastefully lacks the show-off machismo of Ford and Ram's off-roading models. The red tow hooks are a nice touch and the dark-accented 20-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain rubber are just the right size beneath a suspension that is raised an extra 2 inches from every other Sierra. That would be one of the key elements that differentiates the AT4 as the Sierra's off-roading model – GMC's answer to the Chevy Silverado's Trail Boss trims. In fact, their mechanical enhancements are identical. Besides the 2-inch lift, the suspension features off-road-tuned Rancho monotube shocks. There's also a locking rear differential, a two-speed transfer case, skid plates and those tow hooks. The 5.3-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management is similarly standard, but unlike the Silverado Trail Boss, the Sierra AT4 offers the 6.2-liter V8 good for 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque as a roughly $2,500 option. That's the engine we have and it delivers the expected punch, complete with a satisfyingly snarling exhaust note. However, as observed in back-to-back drives with these two available engines during the Silverado launch, the 6.2 certainly isn't necessary. The 5.3-liter is seriously capable and the bigger engine is largely for those who want to have the biggest number possible emblazoned on the fender. It's overkill, which in this particular environment, is fitting. Besides the available engine upgrade, the AT4 also goes beyond its Trail Boss counterpart by dipping into the Sierra Denali's tool box. Its MultiPro tailgate is standard equipment, allowing for six different configurations, the most notable of which include a means of more easily reaching into the bed and a drop-down step that eases entry into the bed. GMC's considerable touting of that last element is rife with hypocrisy given GM advertisements that mocked Ford's similar feature.

Mixed sales results, but automaker stocks rise on need for cars in Houston

DETROIT — The Big Three Detroit automakers on Friday reported better-than-expected August sales and issued optimistic outlooks for demand as residents of the Houston area replace flood-damaged cars and trucks after Hurricane Harvey, sending their stocks higher. General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler posted mixed August U.S. sales, with GM up 7.5 percent and Ford and Fiat Chrysler down. Japanese automaker Toyota improved sales by nearly 7 percent, while Honda fell 2.4 percent. Still, analysts focused on the potential for Detroit automakers to cut inventories and stabilize used vehicle prices as residents of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, are forced to replace tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of vehicles after the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Mark LaNeve, Ford's U.S. sales chief, told analysts on Friday that following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 "we saw a very dramatic snapback" in demand. That said, Ford sales fell 2.1 percent in August. It sold 209,897 vehicles in the United States, compared with 214,482 a year earlier. Sales were down 1.9 percent in the Ford division and off 5.8 percent at Lincoln. Demand was down for cars, crossovers and SUVs. It was not clear how many vehicles in the Houston area will be scrapped, LaNeve said, saying he had seen estimates ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 to 1 million. Ford's Houston dealers may have lost fewer than 5,000 vehicles in inventory, he said. Ford is the No. 1 automaker in the Houston market, with 18 percent share, according to IHS Markit. The company plans to ship used vehicles to Houston dealers and has "every indication we would have to add some production" of new vehicles to meet demand, LaNeve said. Investor concerns about inventories of unsold vehicles and falling used car prices have weighed on Detroit automakers' shares most of this year. Now, automakers can anticipate a jolt of demand from a big market that is a stronghold for Detroit brand trucks and SUVs. "It's got to be a positive for the industry," LaNeve said. Investors appeared to agree. GM shares rose as much as 3.3 percent to their highest since early March. Ford increased 2.8 percent at $11.34, and Fiat Chrysler's U.S.-traded shares were up 5.2 percent $15.91, hitting their highest in more than five years. GM reported a 7.5 percent increase in U.S. auto sales in August, helped by robust sales of crossovers across its four brands.

GM Defense shows Hummer EV-based military truck concept

GM Defense wants to convince the U.S. military that it has even more of what the military needs. During this week's Modern Day Marine 2023 exposition in Washington, D.C., GM Defense showed a new tactical vehicle concept based on the GMC Hummer EV platform. Called the Electric Military Concept Vehicle (eMCV), it uses the same Ultium platform and drivetrain as the retail Hummer EV. That means a 200-kWh battery (usable) powering three motors making 1,000 horsepower, with the two motors in back capable of torque vectoring, the single motor in front fitted with a locking diff. Upgrades over the dealership version include Fox shocks working larger 37-inch tires and heavy-duty brakes. The redrawn front and rear bumpers improve approach and departure angles. The tube chassis and lack of body panels would shed some of the Hummer's prodigious weight, nevertheless, range is reduced as a result of the other mods that reduce aerodynamic efficiency. Among said mods to the six-seater is a 46-inch gun ring and a swing side-arm mount when it's time to clock in. The estimated range drops to 300 miles from the 329 on the retail Hummer EV. Being mostly electric – more on that in a moment – the eMCV has features Silent Drive and Silent Watch driving modes could get fighters on-station with minimal noise.Plugged into a fast charger capable of 350 kilowatts, GM Defense says 12 minutes gets 100 miles of range. But when silence isn't a necessary factor, this is a series hybrid. GM Defense added a 12-kW diesel generator that can provide "limited charging and propulsion," which could also help charge "mission-critical equipment." A while back, the Army purchased a commercial Hummer EV for evaluation. The military didn't request this new concept, a GM Defense spokesperson telling Defense News it was built as a sign of potential. "We're trying to showcase what is in the realm of the possible just so we can get the discussion going and help shape [the military's] future requirements," the spokesperson said. "They get to see the different sizes and how to customize it, the different options." The eMCV sat on the trade show floor next to GM Defense's All-Electric Military Concept Vehicle, a Chevy Colorado-based Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) powered by a 60-kWh battery juicing an e-crate motor with 200 hp and 266 pound-feet of torque. The eISV was also built as a demonstrator without military input.