For the bulk of Nissan’s twenty-five-year history of the Frontier, the truck has been a bit of a redheaded stepchild in a segment dominated by Toyota’s venerable Tacoma. Sixteen years with minimal updates led to a general lack of appeal for a vehicle whose utilitarian functionality was overshadowed by a stale and dated product. Add to this the growing demand for mid-sized trucks which propelled the reemergence of Ford’s Ranger, engaged the likes of American Expedition Vehicles to collaborate with GMC and Chevrolet for the Canyon/Colorado, and expanded the Jeep brand line-up with the versatile Gladiator, and it became apparent Nissan needed to up the ante or be left in the figurative dust.
How do you take a full-size truck and make it the ultimate vehicle for vehicle-based and overland adventure? You outfit it with AT Overland’s Aterra XL Flatbed Truck Camper, set your navigation system to virtually anywhere in the world, and explore.
As I traversed a rocky outcropping along a steep, winding trail at Grey Wolf Ranch in the Texas hill country, I engaged the Bronco’s rear locking differential and let the truck’s Trail Turn Assist take over as the truck guided itself along a 90 degree turn in the path. Featuring torque vectoring in the rear axle, the Ford Bronco has the ability to pivot a rear wheel and produce a new zero radius turn. It was at this point I realized just how capable Ford’s Bronco truly is.
There are only a handful of vehicles available stateside that have the capability to go from a dealer’s showroom floor to virtually anywhere in the continental United States without requiring modification to the suspension, powertrain, and tires. After spending some time behind the wheel of GMC’s new Sierra AT4X, I’m convinced this truck can be added to that list.
When it comes to pickup trucks, no other state in the union has an appetite for or utility of trucks like we do here in Texas. Whether its hauling materials to a job site or dressing up for a night on the town, trucks are King in the Lone Star State. For years, GMC trucks have been a staple throughout the various metroplexes, the rolling limestone of the hill country, the sandy coastlines and beaches, and our high desert mountains. The 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali is the latest iteration in a series of pedigreed trucks in a state where trucks are just as important as a pair of boots.
