Skip to main content

Fans of small off-road trucks should rejoice. We now have a new GMC Canyon AT4X package available for the GMC Canyon. The Canyon is a capable small truck. But with the AT4X package it could raise the stakes on the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, the Pro-4X Nissan Frontier and maybe even the Ranger Raptor.

We don’t know much about what the AT4X will bring, but we do know that the AT4X trim is the top off-road trim on the Sierra full-size truck. And it’s a beast.

There’s a lot of little details in a teaser of the 2023 Canyon AT4X

GMC has released a teaser image of the 2023 Canyon AT4X off-road truck.
GMC Canyon AT4X | GMC

The new Canyon AT4X is expected to bring all that General Motors has to offer for the smaller Canyon. But, for now, we will have to speculate based on the one teaser image GMC released. It certainly looks like it can take on the fantastic Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.

What does the X add to the 2023 Canyon AT4X? From the picture, which is all GMC is giving us for now before the reveal this summer, we can surmise some goodies. The AT4 package today has 31-inch Goodyear Duratracks, while the AT4X adds Wranglers, which have a bit more shoulder for off-road bite.

What really makes the wheel stand out is the bead-lock option. Beadlocks are wheels that come with a special ring that locks the bead of the tire on the rim. That means you can air-down your tires and make them super squishy and soft for going through, for example, sand. The lock keeps the tire from slipping off the rim at low pressure. It’s a feature that you generally only see on off-road specific trucks and SUVs, like Raptors or Wranglers.

The AT4X has extra black fender flares, too, which likely means the Wranglers are wider tires.

It’s unclear whether the new Canyon will get the magic Multimatic shocks of the Sierra AT4X.

What is the AT4 package?

2022 GMC Canyon AT4 in white
GMC Canyon AT4 | GMC

The AT4 has a one-inch suspension lift. In the photo, though its hard to tell, it looks like there’s even more lift. In GMC photos, the lower body line of the AT4 is about wheel-hub high. On the X, the same body line sits above the hub.

Speaking of that body line, there’s some clear extra cladding on the bottom of the truck. GMC doesn’t say whether the nerf bars in the teaser are standard or optional. Regardless, they look cool.

The GMC Sierra AT4X is the top-dog Sierra

2022 GMC Sierra
2022 GMC Sierra AT4X | GM

The Sierra full-size truck became an off-road beast when the X was added to the AT4 package. The truck offers a two-speed transfer case, and other goodies like underbody guards.

What makes it unique is its front and rear lockers, which is something that no other full-size truck offers. It also comes with larger wheels and tires. The big truck also gets Multimatic dampers that are magic on a truck this big. GM uses the Multimatic dampers on its high-performance cars, like Camaros, and trucks like the ZR2 Chevrolet.

We can expect similar upgrades to the Canyon as we see on the Sierra AT4X. The Sierra AT4X gets a new bumper and grille on the front end and lighting.

We don’t know much yet about the 2023 Canyon AT4X package. But we do know that it will be more expensive than almost any other Canyon. On the Sierra, the X is a $14,000 upgrade over the $60,100 AT4 package.

Related

The 2022 GMC Sierra AT4X Is Going Extreme With Off-Roading Upgrades

Best in Trucks & SUVs
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.