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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.

GMC Sierra Denali CarbonPro bed is finally, almost here

GMC revealed the Sierra 1500 with the optional CarbonPro bed on March 1, 2018. The bed wasn't available at launch, though. You can't buy it now, either, but it will hit dealerships with limited availability after production starts in early June, exclusively for the Denali 1500 and AT4 1500 trims. The carbon floor and sides replace the steel panels in a normal bed, providing "strength, durability, and scratch resistance" and a potential 59-pound weight saving, depending on the truck's configuration. To make sure the bed had a chance, development engineers replicated "extreme use scenarios" like dropping 1,800-pound gravel loads, 450-pound steel drums, and cinder blocks from various heights. They put a 250-pound man on a snowmobile with studded tracks, had him drive into the bed and then go wide-open throttle. We're told the result was "minimal scratching." On top of the extreme weather testing any vehicle goes through, the team also put a generator in the bed and aim the exhaust into a corner to ensure vibration and direct heat wouldn't deform the carbon fiber. Because of the finer shaping area-specific strength possible with carbon fiber, the bed provides one cubic foot of additional payload space by having its sidewalls pushed further out. The CarbonPro bed doesn't need a bedliner, and is grained at the top for better traction but smooth on the bottom for easier hosing down and dirt removal. Tie-downs at the front of the bed work with molded indentations to hold motorcycle tires, and slots in the sidewalls hold two-by-sixes. The truck maker says the carbon-lined payload area confers "best-in-class dent, scratch and corrosion resistance," but we suppose the nation's pickup truck army will prove that or not. The trucks likely won't have the hardest life at the start, since the Sierra Denali costs $56,790 before even a basic option like four-wheel drive. The real test probably won't come until around 2029, when third owners begin treating their aerospace-inspired thoroughbreds like dray horses.

NHTSA opens safety investigations into Toyota, GM and Honda crossovers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is evidently keeping itself very busy these days, as the federal agency has just announced it is launching or renewing investigations into Toyota, Honda and General Motors crossovers.
2006-2008 model year Toyota RAV4 crossovers are under review for allegations of rear tie-rod rust which can result in failure. NHTSA also said it is probing some 35 complaints about 2005 Honda Pilot models with inappropriate activation of the vehicles' stability control system. The alleged malfunction can cause the vehicles to slow down or stop in bad unsafe situations. At the moment, NHTSA is reviewing a petition regarding the Pilot issue, a move that will determine whether it needs to open a full-blown investigation.
In addition, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia three-row crossovers built in 2007-2009 are getting looked at for "loss of low beam headlamp" function. One complainant said the wiring in his Outlook overheated and melted. NHTSA says it has received 415 complaints about the problem and a GM spokesman confirmed that the automaker already started a "Customer Satisfaction Program" in December to address the issue.