The GMC Canyon was new for 2023 and the upgrades included the AT4X off-road trim that competes with midsize rivals like the Colorado ZR2 and Tacoma TRD Pro. GMC wasn’t content to leave it at that, however, and another version of the AT4 called the Canyon AT4X AEV is on the way to your GMC dealer for 2024.
What To Know About the 2024 GMC Canyon
The entire GMC Canyon lineup has pretty much the best of everything the GMC midsize truck platform has to offer. The most powerful engine from the Colorado’s higher trims is standard on all Canyon trims. The Canyon boasts a controlled ride on any surface, but the AT4X takes it even further with its Multimatic dampers. It bounds through rough terrain with excellent body control.
Inside, the Canyon offers good tech options and a user-friendly infotainment setup. However, many simple functions require diving into the touchscreen, which is a bit more involved than if they were controlled with physical knobs.
At your local GMC dealer, starting price of the Canyon is unsurprisingly quite a lot more than the Colorado, but the GMC truck offers a higher range of performance, a taller and wider stance, and much nicer equipment overall.
Power and Performance
The GMC Canyon uses the same 2.7-liter engine as the Colorado, but it’s offered only with the most powerful tune. This means it makes 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. A RWD Canyon manages 18 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway, but these numbers drop to 17 and 20 MPG respectively on the 4WD AT4 and AT4X trims.
The Canyon comes in four trims, including the AT4, Denali, and AT4X. The base trim is called the Elevation, and for the most part, all trims offer similar levels of power and performance off-road with 4WD. All models come with a suspension lift and wider track as well. In other words, the Canyon at every level is like the upgraded Colorado models.
Top Trims Breakdown: Why Buy the AT4
All trims of the GMC Canyon are ready to work and trail-ready too if you get 4WD. However, AT4 trim includes advanced off-road equipment such as a drive mode selector and hill descent control. The AT4X includes all the equipment of the AT4 but adds an Obsidian Rush interior with white accents. The Denali is the top trim and includes a long list of standard luxury features.
Several possible packages can be added to the trims as well. For those who want more off-road upgrades, the Off-Road Lift Package is a good choice. The AT4 trim is also available with the Off-Road Lighting, Skid Plate, Recovery, and Off-Road Front Bumper packages. The Recovery Package, which comes with a winch and off-road recovery kit, is not available on the Elevation trim.
In other words, if you want the best off-road options, including a 30-inch light bar, off-road front bumpers, and performance front skid plate, you’ll have to at least move up to the AT4 trim to get most of them. Considering that it starts for about $10,000 less than the AT4X, it’s easily the best value in the lineup for off-road fun.
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