The GMC Sierra has always been a popular and reliable pickup that can conquer difficult terrain. But there’s a very special Sierra that took that idea to the extreme. The 2020 GMC 1500 AT4 CarbonPro edition went all the way to the Arctic Ocean and the Wyoming desert to prove it’s got the stuff. 

The 2020 GMC Sierra AT4 and the Alcan 500 Winter Rally

Three friends, Paul Duchene, Mark Scholz, and Jeff Zurschmeide, decided to put their 2020 GMC Sierra AT4, equipped with the CarbonPro™ bed, to the test. The CarbonPro bed offers top-of-the-line toughness with best-in-class scratch, corrosion, and dent resistance. Their vehicle was powered by a Duramax® 3.0L Turbo-Diesel I-6 engine, and the challenge was to drive the GMC Sierra 3,000 miles across Canada to get to the Arctic Circle. 

One reason they chose the 3.0-liter Turbo-Diesel was its excellent fuel economy. During the drive they have to go hundreds of miles between fill-ups, so the estimated 26 mile per gallon on the highway was a must.

They also appreciated the advanced four-wheel system that functions in cooperation with the GMC Sierra’s traction control system. They drove on packed snow, solid ice, snow on top of ice, and loose gravel with confidence, enjoying the extra 2 inches of clearance on the GMC Sierra 1500 AT4. 

The GMC Sierra takes Wyoming

This rugged truck also had no trouble with the terrain in Wyoming according to the post on GMC.com. The GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 CarbonPro edition lets you go off-road with no trouble whatsoever, so it’s the ideal vehicle for Wyoming’s wild terrain.

The AT4 is purpose-built, with a 2-speed AutoTrac transfer case. This capable vehicle also has Hill Descent Control that provides smooth decent using anti-lock braking technology and other features. 

What the Wyoming adventurers loved about the 2020 GMC Sierra AT4 was the powerful torque at low rpm. The Duramax 3.0-liter Turbo-Diesel I-6 engine achieves 95% peak torque at just 1250 rpm. That means the engine has an easy time taking on mountainous roads and hilly terrain trails.

The traction select system has several preset drive modes that drives can choose according to road and weather conditions. There’s also an automatic locking rear differential. 

The 2020 GMC Sierra

The 2020 GMC Sierra has four different trim levels, Sierra, SLE, Elevation, SLT, and AT4. GMC’s off-road pickup, the AT4 that was tested above, has a lot of extra features not found on its sister Sierras. One of those extras is the 2-inch factory lift combined with its off-road suspension for plenty of additional clearance.

Technology in the 2020 GMC Sierra features include a 15-inch Head-Up Display that projects information on the windshield, and an advanced infotainment system that merges with both Android and Apple smartphones.

There an available camera that gives you a view all the way around the truck, with 15 different camera angles. There’s also an available rear camera mirror, and an available bed view camera. Trailering technology includes advanced towing capability, an in-vehicle trailering app, and smart trailer integration. 

The GMC Sierra AT4 starts at $50, 890, so it’s at the very high-end for pickups. However, it’s a true off-road performer, and for those looking to trek to the Arctic or the high desert of the U.S., a truck with this kind of capability might be worth the price. 

With awesome off-road features like a beefed-up suspension, advanced all-wheel drive, and the patented CarbonPro pickup bed, the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 took on every challenge it came up against.