2025 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X Redesign, Review, and Specs. The roots of GMC remain in industrial operations, heavy transportation, and military vehicles, and the 1500 is the business’s light-duty full-size pickup. It is available in a whopping eight trim degrees and with four engine selections. The lineup begins with the basic Pro trim at regarding $39,000 and reaches more than $84,000 for the off-road-ready AT4X.
For this review, I test-drove an AT4X fortified with the AEV (American Exploration Vehicles) Edition bundle, packing a 6.2-liter V8 making 420 horsepower. AEV is an off-roading devices company, and the plan consists of steel bumpers, special 12-spoke wheels, rocker panel protectors, skid plates to shield the differentials and various other susceptible hardware, and AEV logos on the seats and tailgate.
My test truck’s only options were the AEV package and an unusual Deep Bronze Metal paint. Those improvements brought the supplier’s recommended list price to $90,935 including a $1,895 destination charge to deliver the truck from the Silao, Mexico, assembly plant to the dealership. GMC offered the vehicle for this Sierra review, and I evaluated the truck in Arizona.
2025 GMC SIERRA 1500 AT4X REVIEW: THE DESIGN
GMC revitalized the Sierra in 2022, offering it a bolder outside design and– extra significantly– a current interior with a huge, highly useful infotainment screen. Considering that the AT4X is just one sounded reluctant of the Sierra’s top trim level, it obtains full-leather seats, contrasting-color sewing, multi-adjustable warmed and cooled down front seats, heated rear seats, and a synthetic suede headliner.
The quality of the products inside the GMC is above standard. Still, maybe much better, as I do not feel it goes to the level of a $90,000 vehicle. While it’s unquestionably fit for a pickup’s agitated life, it doesn’t exhibit refinement.
I found the controls understandable and first-row comfort superb– the AT4X also features rubbing pole positions. While the September climate in Arizona averted utilizing the seat heating systems, the seat cooling confirmed weak against the triple-digit desert temperature levels. GMC gives difficult buttons for all the main environment adjustments. The lid atop the facility console is big sufficient for laptop computer work, though my laptop computer– with a 13-inch display screen– really did not fit inside the facility storage space well. Door pockets supply great deals of area, and there’s more room to be discovered in the top and lower gloveboxes.
Even bigger grownups need to fit well in the rears. Back guests also have air-conditioning vents, USB ports, and two semi-hidden storage areas snuggled within the seatbacks. Those back seats pivot approximately expose a flat in-cab lots floor and open storage straight under the chairs. In between the door pockets, seatback map pockets, and cupholders, rear travelers also have lots of places to tuck away stuff.
Read: GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 2023: Specs and Changes
The only genuine trouble inside the Sierra AT4X isn’t actually inside. In my opinion, it’s arriving, as the raised suspension can make entrance and leave a trouble. What feel like steps, or powered running boards that deploy when you open up a door, aren’t running boards whatsoever. These bars simply safeguard the body, rocker panels, and framework from damages and chips while off-roading. An outstanding function to have, definitely, however I assume GMC might have engineered them to do dual duty. Optional bolt-on steps are available to assist entering and out, however they can not be kept in location when off-roading.
In exchange for the AT4X’s improved off-roading abilities, vehicle drivers compromise haul capacity, as the AT4X is ranked at 1,290 pounds of payload, whereas similarly configured Sierra four-wheel-drive (4WD) pick-ups can haul 1,660 pounds. The AT4X can tow 8,900 extra pounds, down just 100 pounds from a Sierra 1500 4WD without the beefier off-roading devices.
A MultiPro Tailgate is common, and supplies a smaller gate-within-a-gate to swiftly reach into the bed. It additionally features a fold-down action and Kicker speakers for tailgate events. You can link to these audio speakers either through Bluetooth or a USB cable. The truck bed likewise has 12 tie-down rings and a 120-volt power outlet.
2025 GMC SIERRA 1500 AT4X REVIEW: THE TECHNOLOGY
The AT4X’s 13.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system ratings well on customer kindness and performance. The system’s total processing speed is quick, the graphics are clear and crisp, and it runs Google built-in and the associated apps. In addition, my test truck provided a comprehensive trailering-assistance program, where you input different trailer stats to make lugging much easier.
Combining my iPhone with the Sierrs’s infotainment system was very easy, and Apple CarPlay introduced promptly and perfectly via a USB cable television or Bluetooth. The system includes Google Assistant, an all-natural voice recognition system with a digital aide. Prompted by claiming, “Hey Google,” this function permits you to control songs, climate setups, podcasts, or navigating using Google Maps. Also advising the system to find businesses and dining establishments with complicated names really did not flounder Google Assistant.
GMC pairs the infotainment system with a partly configurable electronic control panel that I found clear and succinct. There’s likewise a standard head-up screen together with a rearview mirror that uses either typical glass or a screen fed by a wide-angle cam. This enables you to see behind the truck even if the bed is full– but I discovered refocusing my eyes when it remained in cam mode took some acclimation. Vehicle drivers can choose between the mirror or camera by flipping the toggle under the mirror– like a traditional day/night mirror.
The AT4X likewise features a surround-view video camera that offers a clear view of obstacles when off-roading. You can call them up in various means on the center display. Because judging the extremities of such a huge truck can be difficult, this helps with exact and careful placement when out on the route.
All Sierra AT4Xs have flexible cruise control, forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and front and rear pedestrian braking. The AT4X’s adaptive cruise ship control functioned swiftly and without a hitch, grabbing lane-changing web traffic ahead and regulating distance and rate promptly and without any actual abruptness. The truck’s lane-keeping assist– it did not included lane-centering aid– functioned reasonably well. However, it allowed the truck to burst out of a lane two times on a two-lane divided freeway.
On the collision safety front, the National Highway Website traffic Safety Administration awards all the 4WD variations of the 2025 Sierra 1500 its greatest overall safety rating of 5 star. Nonetheless, as of publication, the Insurance coverage Institute for Highway Safety has not evaluated the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500.
2025 GMC SIERRA 1500 AT4X AEV EDITION REVIEW: THE DRIVE
GMC outfits each 2025 Sierra 1500 AT4X with a 6.2-liter V8 engine making 420 horse power and 460 pound-feet of torque. The single transmission is a 10-speed automated boasting a large transfer case with low and high arrays. Because the AT4X AEV considers a substantial 5,780 extra pounds, velocity isn’t in league with the supercharged Ram 1500 TRX or Ford F-150 Raptor R. Still, forward progress really feels vigorous and comes with a muscle mass vehicle soundtrack– even if it doesn’t supply the speed.
The transmission clicks off smooth changes under regular driving and with modest quality under tough acceleration. But because pouring substantial amounts of fuel into a dehydrated monster chafes my principles, I drove the eighteen-wheeler gingerly. As a benefit, the test truck returned no better than 13.2 mpg on my 73-mile loop of combined driving in Arizona. Thinking about the truck is EPA-rated at 14/17/15 mpg city/highway/combined, it underperformed on this part of my examination.
With the considerable off-roading capability called for of the AT4X AEV, you may figure on-road behavior would experience. It does not. Well, it primarily does not. Though I really did not go beyond 80 miles per hour, I discovered the knobby, 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires loud, though the extra-large side view mirrors didn’t trigger much of a mix. So while it’s not as smooth as some other pick-ups I have actually examined, the AT4X’s freeway trip top quality is reasonably great.
On second roads, I think trip quality could be better. In addition, I really did not find any kind of happiness in improvisated slaloms and chicanes on smooth roads. Over some bumps, I experienced pronounced head toss as the truck shook about its roll facility. Yet offered its mission– and almost 3 lots of weight– I assume the AT4X manages tarmac rather well.
Significantly, the AT4X AEV returns an excellent amount of feel back up the steering column– but what the steering gods offer, they taketh away. Just like all full-size vehicles, the turning span is gigantic, indicating any shopping experience will likely require backing right into areas.
Braking is the only driving quality that definitively hands out the truck’s large and hefty nature. There’s a lot of bite when you want it, yet it takes a solid leg to whoa this equine.
On the afternoon I took the AT4X off-roading, I found some challenging rough slopes to evaluate the 4WD system, front and back locking differentials, and ground clearance. Despite surface area sand and dirt making it slippery, a low-range go up a rocky hillside positioned no difficulty for the AT4X, and Hillside Descent Control made creeping down easy.
The rock developments on my descent were like giant side steps. They made use of every bit of clearance under the truck, but it never scraped. The truck’s ground clearance guaranteed no skid plate was hurt in the manufacturing of this review.
Read: 2025 Audi RS 5 Review, Specs, and Price
IS THE 2025 GMC SIERRA 1500 AT4X AEV EDITION A GOOD TRUCK?
For those looking for a full-size, light-duty associate off-roading capacity, the Sierra AT4X AEV is an outstanding entertainer. While it does not take on the Ford F-150 Raptor R or Ram 1500 TRX on large horse power, the big GMC pickup is qualified and well-appointed for real-world off-roading. However, for $90,000-plus, it should certainly be.
That said, most individuals looking for the best off-roading capability in a truck will rule out a full-size model, which is no fault of the AT4X. Full-size pick-ups are too large, heavy, and broad to fit on some popular off-roading routes. Enthusiasts with a laser focus on deep back-country action typically seek to midsize trucks such as GMC’s own Canyon, the Chevrolet Colorado, the Ford Ranger, the Toyota Tacoma, or the Jeep Gladiator.
So while the Sierra AT4X AEV is a fine selection if you can take care of the price, a smaller sized truck may be the better choice for major off-roading. They’re additionally simpler on the gas budget plan.
