2026 GMC Sierra EV AT4 First Drive: Taking the Electric Pickup Off-Road

• The 2026 GMC Sierra EV gets two additional trims: a base Elevation and off-road-focused AT4.
• The Sierra EV AT4 comes with a 2-inch suspension lift and 35-inch all-terrain tires.
• All of the Sierra EV models are more expensive for 2026.

How much more capable is the Sierra AT4?

The Sierra EV AT4 adds 35-inch all-terrain tires, red front recovery hooks and a spray-in bedliner along with special dark accents and a red illuminated GMC badge. It gets an additional 2 inches of ground clearance over the base Elevation trim, along with exclusive Terrain modes and the company's newest mechanical oddity: CrabWalk. That feature allows the rear wheels to steer in parallel with the fronts, meaning the Sierra EV AT4, like a Hummer EV, can juke sideways at an angle to clear obstacles, park obliquely or just impress your friends.

Like the Denali, the Sierra EV AT4 offers the MultiPro Midgate expandable bed that opens the rear cabin wall to allow for nearly 11 feet of cargo length. The AT4 can tow just over 12,000 pounds — GM says more than half of Sierra buyers tow monthly — and charge at 350 kW on DC fast chargers, which GMC says adds 100 miles of range in about 10 minutes. Also optional are a 10.2-kW generator and a panoramic glass roof that is neither dimmable nor coverable. 

What's the interior like?

The Sierra EV AT4's cabin is dominated by black and dark gray materials, with just a touch of chrome. The armrest, dash and seats all look impeccable, very clean and horizontal, but less cozy than your average GMC. The seat cushioning is on the stiff side but mostly comfortable over a 90-minute drive. However, the front of the seat bottom doesn't adjust so it sometimes feels like you're leaning forward or not sitting high enough to see properly over this massive truck's hood.

The focal point of the cabin is a 16.8-inch portrait-style infotainment touchscreen, though there is thankfully a row of physical buttons at the bottom for climate controls, as well as a large volume knob planted on the screen. GMC uses a ton of monotone app icons, which are harder to pick out, especially if you're using the system while driving, but the infotainment tech is nicely dialed in overall with quick swipe actions and no freezing or glitches. One bummer: Like General Motors' other EVs, the Sierra AT4 doesn't have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The Sierra's cabin feels massive. The double-wide center cubby could almost fit a basketball, and the back seat could fit three basketball players shoulder to shoulder. As with most GM trucks, there are multiple storage spaces in the front and back for phones and other gear.

Incredible power

The Sierra AT4 Extended Range delivers 625 horsepower while the AT4 Max Range — the one I'm testing — has 725 hp and 770 lb-ft of torque. That's good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint of 4.5 seconds in Hammer mode, which is stupidly quick for a vehicle this large. (The Sierra EV Denali did 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds in our independent testing.) 

Like other GM EVs, the Sierra slows down briskly in its standard one-pedal regeneration mode and uncomfortably hard in the High setting. However, it does come to a stop smoothly, gently easing off braking force in the last few feet.

Unlike the Denali, the AT4 has a fixed suspension that makes it surprisingly stiff on surface streets and bouncy off-road. The steering effort varies from very easy when going slow on trails to surprisingly heavy and tight on the highway.

The AT4 does have the necessary mechanicals for going off-road, including a Terrain mode that uses the friction brakes to hold the vehicle on a rock or incline. It also has front, rear, towing and bed cameras to see what's going on around the vehicle on or off the trails. And the rear steering is amazing while maneuvering off-road, allowing the full-size pickup to take tight trail corners like a much smaller truck. The Sierra EV AT4 almost feels like it pivots around its center axis.

An expensive way to go electric

For 2026 the Sierra EV will be available in all three trims including Elevation ($64,495), Denali ($71,795) and AT4 ($81,395), including $2,095 for destination and handling. Those prices are for the Standard and Extended Range models. Max Range models — with 478 miles of EPA-estimated range — are more, with the most expensive Sierra Denali EV starting just over $100,000. For now, the EV qualifies for a federal tax credit.

Those Sierra EV prices are higher than what you'll pay for a comparable Chevy Silverado EV or Ford F-150 Lightning, but again, the GMC has always offered more luxury than its competitors. The off-road-ready AT4 only enhances this truck's appeal.