The next-generation GMC Canyon will get an AT4X off-road variant, GMC confirmed Thursday in a press release.
Scheduled for a summer 2022 unveiling, and likely to go on sale as a 2023 model, the new Canyon will be the second GMC model to get the AT4X treatment, after the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 full-size pickup.
The Canyon AT4X will have 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, but GMC didn't disclose any other details. Expect the AT4X to be a bit more hardcore than the current GMC Canyon AT4, though. Introduced for the 2021 model year, the AT4 adds a 1.0-inch suspension leveling kit, rocker panel protection, and front and mid skid plates. GMC in 2021 also showed a heavily accessorized AT4 concept vehicle aimed at overlanding.
The AT4 proved to be somewhat milder than some hoped. When it was initially teased, hopes were high that it would be a reskinned Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. Perhaps the AT4X will get closer to that.
The current generations of both the Canyon and Colorado date back to the 2014 model year, so they are definitely ready for a redesign to keep pace with fresher mid-size pickups like the Ford Ranger and Nissan Frontier.
New models are thought to be based on an update version of the current models' 31XX platform, but spy shots of a Colorado indicate slightly larger dimensions. Sticking with the current platform means powertrains can be easily carried over, so the 2023 Canyon and Colorado may continue with the current gasoline and diesel inline-4s and gasoline V-6. A hybrid option may be added to the lineup as well.