GMC Canyon goes off-road, but with extras
AT4 brings premium feel to midsize pickup family
GMC’s Canyon midsize pickup family will add an upscale AT4 off-road model and new features for its top-of-the-line Denali model for the 2021 model year. Sales should begin in spring.
GMC is rapidly adding the off-road AT4 models across its vehicle lineup to complement the upscale Denali model, which has boosted the brand’s image and padded profits. GMC already sells AT4 versions of its Sierra full-size and medium-duty pickups and Acadia three-row family SUV.
While the Acadia AT4 isn’t intended for serious off-roading, the Canyon AT4 gets mechanical upgrades including a skid plate to protect its transfer case and a rear electronic locking limited slip differential, which manages power to the rear wheels to keep the vehicle moving in difficult terrain.
The Canyon AT4 should help GMC’s midsize pickup compete with off-road oriented versions of the Jeep Gladiator and Ford Ranger, both of which went on sale in 2019.
“The Canyon AT4 will bring outdoor enthusiasts looking for a premium midsize pickup to GMC,” Buick and GMC vice president Duncan Aldred said.
Other equipment on the Canyon AT4 includes:
❚ 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac
tires
❚ 17-inch aluminum wheels
❚ Off-road tuned suspension
❚ Hill descent control
❚ Larger grille
❚ Red tow hooks
❚ AT4 headrest stitching
The Canyon AT4 replaces the Canyon All Terrain, which offered the same offroad equipment but never caught on.
“This is a truck created with outdoor enthusiasts in mind,” Aldred said.
The Canyon Denali likely will aim a little upmarket of the AT4. It’ll be downtown, not upcountry, with such features as 5-inch chrome assist steps, appreciated by city folk, but detrimental to offroad ability, where lots of ground clearance is more important than stepping in and out of the cab easily.
Another visible change to the Canyon Denali is what GMC calls “a more sculpted and layered” grille.
Interior features include:
❚ Standard heated and ventilated front seats
❚ Standard heated steering wheel
❚ Open-pore ash wood
❚ Aluminum trim
❚ Unique stitching
❚ “Cocoa/Dark Atmosphere,” a new interior color scheme
The AT4 and Denali will be available with either 3.6L gasoline V6 or 2.8L diesel four-cylinder.
Canyon AT4 and Denali prices and fuel economy will be announced closer to when sales begin. GMC builds the Canyon alongside the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup in Wentzville, Missouri.