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It’s official that GMC is releasing a new AT4X version of the 2023 Canyon. The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is obvious competitor for the new AT4X. Should Toyota be worried?

Both trucks are about the same size, about the same power from their V6 engines, and now both offer top-shelf off-road packages. The Canyon was all-new in 2014 and is getting a refresh. The Tacoma was all-new in 2015 and saw a major refresh in 2020 and has been the best-selling small truck for a long, long, time.

GMC just teased the new Canyon AT4X package

AT4X package on the GMC Canyon
2023 GMC Canyon AT4X | GMC

We can think of the AT4X package like a Colorado ZR2 with a GMC face. The ZR2 offers all of the fancy shocks, body cladding, fender flares and protection that Chevy can put on a truck.

The new 2023 GMC Canyon AT4X package has been teased by GMC in a photo that shows quite a bit. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until later this summer to see the specs for the truck. The Canyon already comes in several flavors from the basic two-door to the luxury Denali.

But we can see that the new truck package can be optioned for pretty heavy-duty off-road work. We can see that it has beadlock wheels, which will lock a tire on the rim when you air-down your tires. We can see heavy duty nerf bars. We can see that the truck has a higher lift than other Canyons.

We can’t see, however, whether it has the fancy Multimatic shocks of the Chevy ZR2 and GMC Sierra AT4X. We can’t tell what sort of technology package it will have.

Will the AT4X Canyon be like the Colorado ZR2?

2022 Chevy Colorado
2022 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Extreme | GM

Most likely, the AT4X will be a lot like the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, which is already a prime competitor of the Tacoma.

We can presume that the Canyon AT4X is a similar suspension package to the GMC Sierra AT4X. That truck has some interesting upgrades, such as front and rear locking differentials, and the Multimatic shocks. It’s an expensive upgrade over the “regular” Sierra AT4 package.

Today GMC offers the Canyon in an AT4 package that is an off-road package. But, the X will add some goodies. The Canyon AT4 can be had with a 308-horsepower V6 or a 181-horsepower 2.8-liter trubo diesel. It has four-wheel drive, unique AT4 leather seats, a one-inch lift, and 17-inch wheels with Duratrak tires.

The TRD Pro is the top Taco

A 2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro shows off its capability in a mountain region.
2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro | Toyota

Anyone who frequents off-road parks will be familiar with the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. Toyota offers several TRD, for Toyota Racing Development, packages for the Taco. You can order the Tacoma as a TRD Sport, a TRD Off-Road or Pro.

The TRD Pro, though, is the everything off-road package. The TRD Pro has tuned Fox internal bypass shocks and a 1.5-inch lift. To keep the truck tracking straight, TRD engineered new upper control arms and widened the track.

The TRD Pro has a powerful V6 and Crawl Control

The TRD Pro comes with a 3.5-liter V6 that has 278 horsepower. The Toyota does keep one option that purists love: a six-speed manual. Unfortunately with the manual you can’t get Crawl Control, which is Toyota’s low-speed cruise control for off road use.

Either truck should get you through the tough stuff, but we will have to wait to see the final specs on the 2023 GMC Canyon AT4X.

RELATED: How Much Is a Fully Loaded 2022 GMC Sierra AT4X?

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.