CASEY WILLIAMS | Auto Reviewer
AutoCasey@AOL.com
A favorite memory of my grandfather was going with him to collect his brand-new 1984 GMC three-quarter-ton pickup, with four-wheel-drive, power windows and AM/FM radio. The single cab, long box body signaled real work, but cloth seats added luxury.
\Back then, it was the GMC truck to have, but I wish I could take my grandpa for a ride in the 2026 GMC Sierra EV AT4 I’m driving this week.
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2026 GMC Sierra EV AT4 Five-passenger, 4WD Pickup
Likes
- EV Range
- Suave style
- Luxury cabin
Dislikes - Automated start/stop
- Light controls
- Lofty price
Powertrain: Batteries, 2-motor e4WD
Output: 625hp/775 lb.-ft. torque
Suspension f/r: Air Ind/Ind
Wheels f/r: 18-inch/18-inch alloy
Brakes f/r: Regen disc/disc
Range: 390 miles
Recharge: 100 miles/10 min.
Towing: 12,300 lbs.
Assembly: Detroit, MI
Base/As-tested price: $62,400/82,090
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Even 40 years on, my grandpa would probably recognize the Sierra EV as a GMC, with its large logo on a black expanse of plastic that simulates a grille. Red tow hooks, black trim, 18-inch wheels wearing all-terrain tires and steel step plates identify the off-road-focused AT4 package. There’s also a 2-inch lift.
My grandpa could only have dreamed of the long four-door cab and front power-opening trunk with power outlets.
It’s a new day inside, too, with flatscreen gauges, 16.8-inch touchscreen and heads-up display. Layered materials are exquisite — more Cadillac than tough trucker. Heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and crisp Bose audio add luxury, as does wireless phone charging. Forget Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but there’s Google Built-in.
I’d like GMC to return proper light controls and start/stop button. Screens are nice, but buttons are better.
Taking a cue from the old Chevy Avalanch, the rear cab wall can fold inward to load longer items from front seats to tailgate. The rear window can also be removed on nice days.
Enjoy spray-in bedliner, LED lighting and power outlets in the bed for work and play. The power-opening tailgate transforms to a stairway to leap up inside.
My grandpa’s truck wasn’t nearly as flexible.
Just for fun, I pulled specs for his K2500 “heavy duty” pickup. Its 5.7-liter V8 generated 175 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft. of torque and could tow 7,000 lbs. Today’s compact Canyon pickup exceeds all of those specs, packing a turbo-four engine producing 310 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. of torque. It can tow 7,700 lbs.
Times have changed!
Our electric bruiser instantly lays down 625 horsepower and 775 lb.-ft. of torque, allowing it to zap 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds or tow up to 12,300 lbs. Two-motor four-wheel-drive tackles trails and deep snow but also claws at pavement when all demons scream. Until recently, no Corvette harnessed that much power or galloped so gallantly.
Fully charged, our extended range pickup can travel 390 miles. Add 100 miles every 10 minutes on a fast charger, but getting from 60-100 percent on a 240v home charger took about 17 hours. It’s a big battery.
But still, 390 miles!
You could lose about half of that range by clicking a trailer on the back.
That’s not all of this truck’s tricks. It rides on an adaptive air suspension that dampens bumps and enhances ground clearance. A foot of snow barely bothered it. Four-wheel steering imbues the maneuverability of a mid-size pickup. Need to parallel park? Press the screen to turn all four wheels in the same direction to crabwalk to the curb.
It’s pretty safe, too, with automatic emergency braking, rear auto brake and blind spot warning. Go hands-off on approved highways with GM’s SuperCruise. Relax, sip coffee and watch fields slip by.
I’d love to have my grandpa’s old truck as “square body” pickups from that era bring big money…and lots of memories. Yet, they don’t have half the tricks of the Sierra EV AT4. And better than most, GMC has designed a future-tech pickup that still feels familiar.
You might guess that a Cadillac-grade electric pickup probably has a lush price tag. It does, starting at $62,400 and rising to $82,090 for our AT4.
Storm Forward!
Send comments to Casey at AutoCasey@aol.com; follow him on YouTube @AutoCasey.