2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X: Rugged Yet Refined

2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X: The 2022 GMC Sierra lineup has provided two new additions to the family: the luxury-oriented Denali Ultimate and the off-road targeted AT4X. The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X does a good job crawling and rock climbing, but it would be a shame to limit its perks to just that. Here are the best bits of the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X.

Every pickup wants to go off-road

Looking at the latest releases from US pickup truck brands – Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet – it looks like everyone wants their pickup truck to go offroad. In most lineups, there is at least one trim with off-roading specs, ready to jump off the tarmac and tackle the rocks.

The AT4X borrows plenty parts from its Silverado ZR2 cousin, including some tune-up settings for the engine and suspension. Regardless, it would be unfair to call the Sierra 1500 AT4X a “rebadged Chevy ZR2”. In fact, GMC’s pickup is plenty capable to hold its own ground out there, in the wilderness.

GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X Specs

On the outside, there are small hints indicating this is an AT4X and not the standard AT4. The mesh grille was ditched for a 3-line design, interrupted only by the GMC logo. The headlights are now C-styled, providing a wider, leaner and, surprisingly, lower appearance.

The AT4X clears the ground at 11.1 inches, 0.1inch lower than the ZR2. It has 9.8 inches of front suspension travel and 10.6 inches on the rear. There’s an approach angle of 25.5-degrees (lower than ZR2’s 31.1-degrees), a 23.4-degree breakover and 23-degree departure angles. Even though the approach angle isn’t ideal for heavy duty climbing, it will still get you out of most steep areas.

The lower Sierra 1500 AT4 trims are available with either a 2.7-liter 4-cyl, a 5.3-liter V8 or a 3-liter inline-6. The AT4X is available only with a 6.2-liter V8 sending power to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The V8 is capable of spitting 420hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. While the numbers may not blow you out of the water, it makes for a refreshing brisk ride, quick acceleration and utterly silent gear changes.

The offroad gear

Since the AT4X is aimed for off-road driving, we are all heavily invested in its grunt gear more than the outer shell. Introducing the star of the show, the Multimatic DSSV dampers. Sharing the same tech with its ZR2 relative, the AT4X shocks top of the line, designed specifically for heavy duty off-road use.

DSSV dampers provide the extreme flexibility of adaptive dampers without actually having adaptive dampers fitted to the truck. The variable-rate spring valves inside the shocks allow for fine tuning, being firm and sporty on the trail then quickly softening up when hitting the tarmac.

The rather limited suspension travel doesn’t allow the AT4X to become a true offroad speed monster, but will nevertheless get you to enjoy the ride. The AT4X comes with 32-inch Goodyear Duratrac tires and front and rear selectable locking differentials.

Switching into Off-Road driving mode will turn down driver-assistance features, letting you dance with the truck, throwing out the rear end. Terrain Mode is better suited for technical trails. Switching into Terrain Mode and the low-range 4WD, you can one-pedal drive over difficult inclines or obstacles. Once you lift your foot of the throttle, brakes are automatically applied.

Interior comfort and tech

Now that we had our fun over the rocks, let’s have a look inside the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X. The entire Sierra 1500 lineup benefits from the enhancements brought to the Silverado 1500. Sierra 1500 SLE trim and higher boast the 13.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay flanked by a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster plus the console mounted gear selector.

The AT4X sits within the Denali and the Denali Ultimate trims. The dashboard is covered in leather, seats come covered in full-grain leather and most materials in reach of occupants are soft touch. Finally, the red cross stitching on the door mounted armrests bring the right amount of contrast to the mix.

The overall interior of the AT4X sits above what the ZR2 is able to offer. The 15-inch HUD on the AT4X feels huge compared to the 13.4-inch one found on the ZR2. Furthermore, the 16-way massaging front seats of the AT14X pamper passengers to unusual amounts of comfort for a pickup truck. Seats are also heated and ventilated, with no effect on engine cooling.

Even when blasting the AC at maximum capacity and cranking up seat ventilation then taking the AT4X for a run in the desert, the engine temperature indicator didn’t budge.

Where does it fit?

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X has a $77,395 MSRP and sits $8,000 above the Silverado 1500 ZR2. It excels in terms of interior materials and passenger comfort but provides less bang for buck when it comes to offroad technology.