Off-road machines are big business these days. Sure, the market for go-anywhere vehicles has always been a healthy one in America, but in the last decade, the increasing interest in outdoor activities (motivated in no small part by the coronavirus pandemic) has pushed more buyers into the world of taking their vehicles past the end of the road — and carmakers have noticed. These days, almost every truckmaker and mainstream-SUV-building-brand seems to be offering some sort of package, trim level or add-on designed to turn their mighty vehicles into more capable off-road machines.
But for true overlanders, bigger doesn't always mean better. The larger the rig, the fewer trails it'll be capable of traversing; tight corners, narrow gaps between rocks and overhanging trees all conspire to stymie progress. There's a reason vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner have proven so popular in these communities, and it's not just their iron-clad reliability; it's their Goldilocks size, too.
But rather than just do it all themselves, General Motors turned to the off-road equipment specialists at American Expeditionary Vehicles, or AEV, to push their pickup trucks just a little bit farther into the realm of overlanding-ready rides. GM first did so back in 2018 with the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison; since then, AEV's touch has spread across both Chevrolet and GMC's pickup lineups. For the 2024 model year, it's stretching all the way to the new GMC Canyon — which I had a chance to drive on an unexpectedly winter-like autumn day in Montana this October.
2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV: What We Think
GMC's most capable Canyon is simply that: capable. It's every bit as much at home scrambling across rocks or over logs as a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, thanks to a comprehensive arsenal of off-road-ready features, from TK-in all-terrain tires to Multimatic DSSV dampers to locking differentials front and rear to boron steel bumpers and rock rails. After putting it through its paces on a gnarly off-road trail covered with unexpected snow and other challenges, I can decisively say the Canyon AT4X AEV is as capable as buyers would expect.
But all that comes at a price: the AT4X AEV is nearly as expensive as an entry-level Corvette, putting it right in line with many a very capable full-size pickup truck. For folks who need their truck to excel at everyday tasks as well as conquer the trails, the Canyon may be too small and specialized to be the top choice. But if your wants and needs prioritize
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The Canyon AT4X AEV's off-road capability is unquestionable
Will Sabel Courtney
GMC's first drive launch event in northwestern Montana proved an unexpectedly good test for the Canyon AT4X AEV; an October snow squall passed through the higher altitudes the night before our drive and kept on dropping powder through the morning drive, leaving the tight mountainside trails slick with the stuff.
Even on terrain that proved difficult to walk on under the conditions — an infinite patchwork of wet stones, some smooth, some jagged — the Canyon proved able to move forward, slowly but steadily clawing its way over rocks that looked certain to destroy its tires or crack its undercarriage.
Will Sabel Courtney
Granted, this sort of hardcore off-roading isn't much quicker than hiking in many cases. (In fact, it's similar enough in pace that my Apple Watch kept registering the truck's movement as my own, giving me an unearned close of my Fitness app's Move ring for the day.) But don't confuse similar pace with similar difficulty; the Canyon's turbocharged engine is far less affected by altitude than my sea-level-acclimated lungs. And, you know, there's the fact that you're just sitting there instead of walking uphill.
There's plenty to credit here for the impressive off-road performance, of course. First and foremost, there's the mechanical advantages that come standard with every four-wheel-drive Colorado: a turbocharged inline-four engine making 310 horsepower and, more importantly, 430 lb-ft of torque; an eight-speed automatic with 4.56:1 and 2.97:1 ratios in first and second gears and a 3.42:1 final drive ratio; and a 4WD system with automatic, 4Hi and 4Lo ranges.
Will Sabel Courtney
Opting for the AT4X trim builds on all that by adding Multimatic DSSV dampers for greater comfort and extra off-road control, front and rear locking differentials, a lifted suspension and 33-inch off-road tires. The AEV package builds on that by adding 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires on beadlock-capable wheels (including a fifth one mounted in the bed since there was nowhere else to put it), special stamped steel bumpers front and rear with a forward one ready for a winch, boron steel skid plates and an extra 1.5 inches of lift versus the AT4X to the party, increasing the rig's capabilities even further. The final product serves up 12.2 inches of ground clearance and 36.9º / 25º / 24.5º angles of approach, departure and breakover.
On the software side, the AT4X comes outfitted with not one but three drive modes made for going beyond the pavement. Off-Road Mode primes the vehicle for general dirty use; Terrain Mode, meanwhile, builds on that by enabling one-pedal driving at low speeds for easier rock crawling; and Baja mode is designed to prep the truck for fast driving past the last street sign.
I only had the chance to sample the first two during my test, and while I can certainly say that Terrain Mode's one-pedal driving works as promised, I'll add that it might not be everyone's cup of tea. After spending the first part of the drive in Off-Road (and, y'know, 20 years of driving cars that require using at least two pedals), I found myself struggling to adapt to the lack of momentum I normally expected when lifting off the gas, leaving me short of my expected goal when trying to summit many a rock or log. Still, that's the nice thing about drive modes: you don't have to adjust them if you don't want to.
The Canyon is a fine on-road companion, too
Will Sabel Courtney
Our drive through autumnal Montana included plenty of time on the street, as well. (Although for roughly an hour of it in which we traversed a dirt road covered in heavy, still-falling snow, it didn't feel much like being on the road.) It rides smoothly and comfortably, with its giant tires and Multimatic dampers happily sopping up road warts and the turbocharged 2.7-liter engine making quick work of passing slow-moving semis. And should you find yourself in tight urban confines — admittedly, not something that happens in Montana — the tidier wheelbase and tighter proportions of the Canyon versus a full-size truck make parking easier.
Still, any plans on road tripping better include plenty of stops for gas. This may be a midsize truck, but it sucks down unleaded more like a heavy duty rig: the EPA rates it at just 16 miles per gallon for both city and highway driving. Blame those giant off-road tires; a regular 4WD Canyon manages 18 mpg in town and 22 mpg on the open road, the latter a whopping 38 percent improvement.
The interior packs plenty of accents and pizzazz
Will Sabel Courtney
As the AEV version of the Sierra 1500 made clear when I drove it, AT4X isn't just GMC's top off-road trim in terms of capability; it's also the brand's top off-road trim in matters of luxury, meant to offer a more adventurous alternative to the Denali sub-brand that has brought GMC so much success. As such, the Canyon's insides are much nicer than most drivers would likely come to expect from a rig focused on conquering terrain most trucks fear to tread, with everything from leather upholstery on the touchpoints to heated and ventilated seats to adaptive cruise control to a heads-up display.
Granted, if you're the kind of person who . I admittedly questioned the wisdom of having so much white leather trim in an off-road vehicle — my grandpa always said, "Don't buy white cars or white shoes," and this seems to brush against both parts of that maxim — but after smearing muddy fingers on it and finding it easy to wipe clean, I'm less concerned about it.
... but space is at a premium, and the price feels high
Will Sabel Courtney
Still, look closely, and there are signs of the Canyon's roots as an entry-level truck. There's leather on most places your fingers or elbow will touch, but hard plastic trim — long the bane of the GM product — is prevalent in many other spots. That's no issue in a $25,000 Chevy Trax, and it's not a huge deal in a $42,000 Canyon Elevation, but it feels unworthy of the luxury-car sticker of this baby beast — especially in contrast to the much nicer, much more stylish trim found elsewhere or the sharp, clear infotainment display.
Which brings up perhaps the biggest real issue with the Canyon AT4X AEV: the price. GMC hasn't revealed how much the AEV package costs, but considering it adds $6,895 to the price of a Sierra 1500 and $9,395 to a Sierra HD, I'd imagine it'll run at least $5,000 here; seeing as how the Canyon AT4X starts at $56,995 and easily hits $60K with options, that puts the AEV version in the $61K–$65K ballpark.
And that ultimately feels like the biggest issue facing the Canyon AT4X AEV: you're spending full-size truck money for a midsize pickup. While crew cab Silverados and Sierras and F-150s and so forth have ample room inside for four, five, even six people, you'd be hard-pressed to squeeze anyone into the back seat of the Canyon unless both driver and rear passenger were five-foot-eight or less. The bed, at 41.9 cubic feet, offers only two-thirds the space of a Sierra 1500's — and the AEV's off-road tire mounted back there eats up more of it.
Now, in fairness to GMC, you'll pay similar money for any top-of-the-line off-roader of similar size from other brands, such as a top-trim Wrangler or Bronco. But those are SUVs, not pickups; for many a truck buyer, working hard and playing hard in equal measure is part of the appeal in a way it's often not for sport-utility owners.
GMC Canyon AT4X AEV: Alternatives
Will Sabel Courtney
Assuming you've already set aside the largely-identical Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison, which also benefits from the best of GM's off-road engineering and AEV's touch, you're left with a couple other choices in the mid-size truck world. The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is the closest direct rival, though its aging V6 makes it far less appealing for on-road use. The all-new Toyota Tacoma's Trailhunter trim (say that five times fast) will likely put up a better fight when it arrives in the 2024 calendar year, as will the next-gen Ford Ranger Raptor.
