The crew at GMC has determined to launch one more off-road particular of its Sierra 1500 pickup truck, persevering with GM’s collaboration with aftermarket outfit American Expedition Vehicles. The AT4X AEV is a hotted-up AT4X, which is itself a hotted-up AT4.
This brings up a query – is GM slicing its off-road pie into vanishingly small segments?
Consider the next. On the bowtie aspect of its truck showrooms, one can choose from a dizzying array of filth highway trims on the Silverado: Z71, Trail Boss (in Custom or LT), ZR2, and the upcoming ZR2 Bison. Most of these are replicated on the smaller Colorado midsizer. Across the tile ground at GMC, customers can discover the likes of X31 Off-Road, AT4, AT4X, and now AT4X AEV. Rinse and (largely) repeat for 4×4 variants of the little Canyon.
This shouldn’t be a grievance. Your creator welcomes each single off-road-focused truck a producer can produce, whether or not that’s a factory-built brawler or some kind of clean canvas with which to construct a Moab monster. However, spare a thought for purchasers who aren’t as indentured to the off-road way of life as this author who perpetually has filth below his fingernails and axle grease on his Levi denim denims. Trying to elucidate the distinction between an AT4, AT4X, and AT4X AEV to a befuddled buyer is prone to be a trial, resulting in them both strolling out the door in confusion or just shopping for the one they assume appears to be like greatest. And you higher imagine the latter occurs as a rule – main customers to palm the keys of a truck wherein they may by no means use even a proportion of its functionality.
Speaking of functionality, let’s land the aircraft and circle again to the preliminary purpose for this put up: The new GMC. Teaming up with American Expedition Vehicles, the identical crew with whom GM labored to create the ZR2 Bison, has resulted in a Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV with beefy new metal elements in comparison with a non-AEV truck. Stamped entrance and rear bumpers are able to take a beating from that rock you didn’t see and your spotter missed, a quintet of hot-stamped boron metal skid plates over costly undercarriage bits just like the t-case and rear diff, plus distinctive wheels and 33-inch Goodyear off-road meats.
The grille and entrance fascia are stated to have been tweaked to allow them to be force-fed that bumper and people tires, whereas the everyday smattering of trim-specific branding is scattered in regards to the exterior. There are purposeful enhancements to measures like method angle, which climbs by greater than 1 / 4 in comparison with a inventory truck, rising to 32.5 levels. The venerable 6.2-liter V8 and its 420 horsepower stay untouched.
Look for them later within the 2023 mannequin yr, barring meltdowns within the provide chain.
[Image: GMC]
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Source: www.thetruthaboutcars.com