Category: News

GMC revealed the new 2023 Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition today at Overland Expo Pacific Northwest. The AEV Edition pushes the already highly capable, premium off-road Sierra 1500 AT4X trim to new heights, and provides unique styling cues and extreme off-road capability.

“GMC has been a pioneer in the premium off-road space and this Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition raises the bar yet again,” said GMC Global Vice President Duncan Aldred. “Our customers want an uncompromising combination of on-road technology and off-road capability. Leveraging GMC’s unwavering dedication to providing premium trucks and American Expedition Vehicle’s expertise in engineering and integrating performance-driven parts and accessories, this truck provides extreme capability, technology and comfort.”

The new 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition is the most off-road capable factory Sierra 1500 ever. Updates include:

• AEV stamped steel front and rear bumpers with heavy duty recovery points and winch capability (front bumper)
• Five hot-stamped boron steel skid plates (front approach, steering gear, transfer case, fuel tank and rear differential)
• Unique, race-inspired, laser-engraved 18-inch AEV Salta wheels in gloss back finish with AEV’s signature recessed valve system for added protection from rocks on the trail
• 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires
• Updated front grille and fascia to accommodate the new bumper and larger tires, gloss black door handles and a black contrast inner tailgate
• Exclusive AEV branding throughout the vehicle, including on bumpers, embroidered head rests and all-weather floor liners
• Available off-road rocker panel protectors to help shield the sills and frame rails and an optional bolt-on step assist when not off-roading

“The Sierra 1500 AT4X is an incredibly formidable platform when it comes to on- and off-road performance and capability,” said AEV CEO and founder Dave Harriton. “We took our signature approach to help elevate this truck’s inherent off-road capability to the next level. We are confident customers will love the result.”

The AEV-stamped steel front and rear bumpers are constructed of 3mm, heavy-duty steel and are powder and e-coated for durability as well as UV and corrosion resistance. Additionally, this factory-installed front bumper is winch-capable, something that no other competitor in its class can match.

Five ultra-high-strength, hot-stamped boron steel skid plates help protect the underbody of the Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition. This press-hardened steel is not only 3.5x times stronger than an equivalent cold-stamped high-strength steel part, but it also provides incredible resistance to gouging and bending.

When it comes time to head off-road, the Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition’s bumpers and underbody protection deliver capability never before available in a factory Sierra 1500. When compared to the 2022 Sierra 1500 AT4X, the AEV Edition features improved off- road stats. The front approach angle increases by more than 27% to 32.5 degrees. The departure angle improves to 23.4 degrees (compared to 23 degrees) and the breakover angle improves to 23.0 degrees (compared to 22.7 degrees). The truck’s ground clearance also improves to 11.2 inches (compared to 10.8 inches).

The AEV edition is built on the Sierra 1500 AT4X trim that offers an exclusive premium interior and advanced off-road capability. Headline features include Multimatic DSSV dampers, front and rear e-locking differentials and two-speed transfer case with selectable modes for different off-road conditions such as Terrain mode for one pedal driving and Off-Road mode. All the while, the Sierra 1500 AT4X delivers excellent on- road comfort and trailering capability with a standard 6.2L V-8 engine. The AEV edition also features the luxury-focused and tech-infused AT4X Obsidian Rush interior. The cabin boasts full grain leather-wrapped power-massaging front seats, authentic Vanta ash wood trim, a 12-speaker Bose® Premium Series audio system and more than 40 diagonal inches of combined driver-focused digital displays — the most in its class.

Later in the 2023 model year, a new Sierra 1500 AT4X will be available with AEV- inspired enhancements, including a stamped steel winch-capable front bumper, boron steel front approach skid plate and 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires. These enhancements will increase the already formidable off-road capability of the AT4X through improved approach, departure and breakover angles, as well as improved ground clearance.

The new 2023 Sierra 1500 AT4X will continue to be a balanced execution that delivers extreme off-road capability when called upon without compromising the on-road comfort, technology and capability that customers have come to expect from a GMC pickup. The new Sierra 1500 AT4X will have a max payload of 1,290 pounds and max trailering of 8,700 pounds.

The Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition and the new AT4X will be available later in the 2023 model year. Stay up to date at www.gmc.com/future-vehicles/2023-sierra-at4x-aev

When most people think about the automotive world in the 1970’s, images of brightly colored muscle cars cruising up and down the local drag on a Friday night most likely come to mind. However, the 1970’s also paved the way for many of the iconic off-road platforms namesakes that are still around today. None of which are more iconic than Jeep. 

The JL370 Wrangler Classic and JT370 Gladiator Classic jeeps for sale pay tribute to the bold, in-your-face styling of the era with two retro colorways, unique exterior graphics, custom “Classic” dash panel, custom white Salta XR wheels, and more! These will be LIMITED PRODUCTION RUN packages and only available for a limited time in White or Black and based on a Rubicon trim level.

Updated 5-1-2020: AEV warehouse operations will resume in a limited capacity on Monday, May 4th. AEV remains committed to providing a safe working environment for our employees, so we have taken additional safety and precautionary measures which will impact processing and shipping times. Additionally, a number of our suppliers remain shut down or are operating in a very limited capacity, so we expect inventory replenishment on some items to be also be delayed.

Written by Chris Wood / Photos by Chris Wood, Scott Brady & Dean Osborne

From the moment the first photos of this Jeep appeared on social media, AEV knew it had something special on its hands. It was a 470-HP V8 Wrangler, equipped with all of AEV’s accessories and wrapped in Jeep’s beautiful Desert Sand paint. The look was clean but rugged, with color-matched wheels giving the vehicle a subtle military vibe. Upon seeing photos of the vehicle, one Facebook follower went so far as to post “Sweet Jesus that’s one sexy Jeep” — and so continued the overwhelmingly positive public reaction.

Given the public’s enthusiasm for the Jeep, no one could have blamed AEV if it had whisked it off to a life on the tradeshow circuit, where thousands of people could enjoy seeing it firsthand. But AEV had other plans for this Jeep, which surprisingly enough called for sending it off for use as a field-testing mule. There, this “sexy Jeep” would be subjected to thousands of miles of harsh conditions so that AEV could once again examine the performance and durability of its Wrangler accessories and the Wrangler platform.

For those who are well familiar with AEV, you know that testing is an important part of the company’s product development. Much of this testing takes place in labs and proving grounds and even though these tests can be extremely severe, AEV knows there is still no substitute for real-world field-testing. For this particular Jeep, the field-testing would involve tackling three grueling 4WD routes of vastly different character. What follows is a glimpse into each route, the unique challenges they imposed on the Jeep and a record of how both AEV’s accessories and the Jeep Wrangler faired.

Dempster Highway (Arctic Circle)

The first leg of AEV’s field-testing took place on the remote Dempster Highway. This 417-mile ribbon of dirt was constructed between 1958 and 1979 and traverses the Canadian sub-arctic wilderness of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. It is one of only two Canadian roadways to actually cross into the Arctic Circle and it serves as the only land-based supply line between the towns of Whitehorse and Inuvik. AEV chose to cross the Dempster Highway in the winter in order to benefit from the brutal, sub-zero conditions that grip the roadway.

During the winter the Dempster Highway is diabolical as it punishes a vehicle with a nearly constant blast of mud, snow and gravel. For this particular crossing, conditions were so bad at times that many portions of the Jeep’s undercarriage and body could literally not be identified through a casing of frozen muck. In fact for three days, a 6-inch layer of this stuff effectively welded the rear doors of the Jeep to the fender flares, rendering the doors inoperable. Despite this, the Jeep seamlessly soldiered on and successfully completed not only the Dempster Highway, but 300-miles of the Mackenzie River Ice Road and over 5000 highway miles going roundtrip between Seattle, Washington and Whitehorse, Canada.

Test result: Upon returning home we were extremely pleased to note that there had been zero mechanical failures on the Jeep and not a single item was loose or out of adjustment. Further, the Jeep and all of its accessories continued to function perfectly without so much as a squeak or vibration. Considering that some mornings in the Arctic had been so cold that we actually cringed before starting the engine, it was amazing to find the vehicle and its accessories operating as if the trip had never even taken place.

Oregon Back Country Discovery Route

The second leg of AEV’s field-testing took place on the historic Oregon Back Country Discovery Route (OBDR). This 1000-mile path is comprised of a patchwork of decaying wagon tracks, Jeep trails, logging roads and snippets of paved highway. It traverses Oregon from the border of California to the border of Washington and along the way serves up a remarkable variation in terrain, ranging from volcanic high desert to evergreen-shrouded mountain ranges. AEV chose to cross the OBDR just one month after completing the Dempster Highway and quickly found that the conditions that made the OBDR harsh, couldn’t have been more different from those in the Arctic.

Where the Dempster Highway had tested the Jeep with mud, snow and severe cold, the OBDR did it with high heat, silt and a merciless roadbed of potholes and rock. Even with an average speed of only 15 mph, the trails and tracks shock-loaded and vibrated the Jeep’s every component like a jackhammer on Red Bull. In an effort to further stress the Jeep, it had been loaded to 1000lbs over GVWR and for nine days it labored under this excess weight. Despite the abuse, the Jeep went on to not only complete the OBDR, but another 1000 highway miles going roundtrip between Seattle, Washington and Lakeview, Oregon.

Test result: Upon returning home we were once again extremely pleased to note that there had been zero mechanical failures, but we did note that three bolts on an AEV control-arm bracket had loosened on the trail and needed to be re-torqued. Beyond that, the Jeep and all of its accessories once again continued to function perfectly without so much as a squeak or vibration. Given how ridiculous the trail impacts had been, particularly over the lava fields in Southern Oregon, it struck us as remarkable that loose bolts, squeaks and rattles weren’t found all over the vehicle.

Dusy Ershim Trail

The third and final leg of AEV’s field-testing took place on the infamous Dusy Ershim Trail. This 33-mile Jeep track was constructed between 1956 and 1968 and snakes its way between the Courtright Reservoir and Kaiser Pass, in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains.  This trail can best be described as a virtual non-stop gauntlet of boulders, fenced in by a literal wilderness of towering pines. At twice the length of the Rubicon Trail, the Dusy Ershim Trail is widely considered the more punishing of the two. AEV chose to cross the Dusy Ershim Trail just one month after completing the OBDR and just as the conditions on the OBDR and the Dempster Highway had been dramatically different from each other, so too were the conditions on the Dusy Ershim Trail, different yet again.

Where the Dempster Highway and OBDR had combined to freeze, heat, vibrate and smother the AEV Jeep, the Dusy Ershim Trail was all about a slow, brutal slog over California’s finest granite boulders. Over its entirety, this trail served up a relentless barrage of obstacles to torment the vehicle’s drivetrain, steering, bumpers, skid plates, wheels and of course, its suspension — which had to cope with a pounding from the rocks below, the constant torque-load of the engine and of course the endless demands for maximum articulation. Despite this punishment, the Jeep went on to not only complete the Dusy Ershim Trail, but another 2000 highway miles going roundtrip between Seattle, Washington and Shaver Lake, California.

Test Result: Upon returning home we noted our first mechanical failure, which had been a seized CV-Joint on the front driveshaft. Since this kind of failure is a known problem on lifted JK Wranglers, we had been prepared and simply replaced the driveshaft on the trail. Beyond that, the Jeep and its accessories were closely examined for any signs of fatigue, malfunction, misadjustment and looseness. Amazingly, other than lots of undercarriage scuffs and gouges, no problems could be found. In fact, once again the Jeep and it accessories continued to function perfectly without so much as a squeak or vibration. Considering all the broken vehicles, broken parts and even broken glass we passed while on the Dusy Ershim Trail, we could not have been happier with our results.

Conclusions

Each year AEV undertakes extensive field-testing to re-examine the performance and durability of its products, and the Jeep Wrangler platform. Ultimately this testing helps to ensure that each product will perform properly in a wide range of environments, and it helps identify areas where the Wrangler might be improved with new products. For this beautiful Desert Sand-colored AEV Jeep, it had come through this grueling 9700-mile test needing only a driveshaft replacement and a bolt tightening, and overall it demonstrated not only how dependable the AEV-equipped Wrangler is, but how versatile. And these are key points for all of us to consider who need a single 4WD vehicle that can reliably do everything from comfortable highway cruising, to heavily-loaded overlanding, to boulder-crawling — and maybe even the tradeshow circuit! Few vehicles can truly do all these things well, but the AEV-equipped Wrangler genuinely can.

—  CW —

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Chevrolet has announced pricing for the Colorado ZR2 Bison. Designed in collaboration with AEV, the Bison takes the most capable truck in it’s class and adds even more off-road capability.

For more information about Colordaro ZR2 pricing, check out this article from AutoBlog.