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GMC’s AT4 and AT4X trim levels are the top off-road trims for its trucks and SUVs. The 2023 GMC Acadia also gets an AT4 trim for off-road duty. The AT4 package, like on the Sierra AT4X or AT4X AEV, is the off-road specific package for the Acadia. Though the Acadia is not the off-road beast that the trucks are, the new trim level should let it tackle trails that no other Acadia could before.

What does the GMC AT4 trim add to the Acadia?

The AT4 trim level adds some off-road ability to the Acadia SUV.
2022 GMC Acadia AT4 | GMC

The AT4 trim was introduced in 2022 and adds GM’s Active Torque Control AWD system, hill descent control, and what GMC calls “off-road inspired exterior and interior design cues.” Those cues are mainly cosmetic, not functional. Though the GMC AT4 Acadia should be able to tackle more off-road situations than the base Acadia, it’s no Ford Bronco. It doesn’t, for example, have a dual-range transfer case though it does have several off-road modes built into its software with an off-road mode that lesser Acadias don’t get.

The basics of the three-row GMC Acadia

The GMC AT4 package adds off-road ability to the three-row Acadia SUV.
2022 GMC Acadia AT4 | GMC

The 2022 GMC Acadia starts at $36,145 and the 2023 pricing is expected to be about the same. The Acadia comes standard as a six-passenger SUV, but a second row three-seat bench is a no-cost option and boosts seating to seven. The Acadia comes in four trim levels, the SLE, SLT, AT4 and Denali. The SLE is the value package with a base four-cylinder, but if you step up to the SLT you can get the V6, stability control, and several more options that make it easier to live with. The Acadia has three-row seating while the GMC Terrain is a five-passenger SUV.

Though the At4 package starts at about $42,000, it’s the least expensive trim to come standard with GM’s powerful 310-horsepower V6 and all-wheel drive.

Should you skip the GMC AT4 package and look at a Denali?

The 2020 GMC Acadia Denali midsize SUV parked at sunset with its headlights on has the luxury package.
2020 GMC Acadia Denali | GMC Pressroom

Like the AT4, GMC’s branding the Denali trim as its luxury trim level for all of its trucks and SUVs. For 2023, the Denali package returns and brings heated and ventilated front-row seats with leather trim, a heated steering wheel, a large touchscreen, and more inside. The Denali gets adaptive ride control to live up to its luxury nature and also the GMC Pro Safety Plus package that adds driver safety aids. The Denali can be ordered with either the 310-hp V6 or a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 228 horsepower in either front- or all-wheel drive.

If you’re looking for the luxury version of the Acadia, you may want to head to your local Buick dealer, however. The 2023 Buick Enclave is nearly the same SUV but comes with a nicer interior.

What is the AT4X AEV Sierra package?

This red GMC Sierra AT4X has all the off-road tech that GMC offers.
GMC Sierra AT4X | GMC

The new Sierra is getting what is essentially the ZR2 elixir and GMC is turning the truck into basically a ZR2 Bison package with the new Sierra AT4X AEV package. The package comes with GM’s magic Multimatic DSSV shocks (like the Corvette) that rebound super quickly and make off-roading look easy. The new 2023 GMC AT4X AEV package could be the Ram Rebel beater that GMC has been looking for. Unfortunately, the AT4 version of the Acadia does not have the Multimatic shocks as an option.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.