The GMC Canyon has long been...somewhat of an afterthought. It hasn't been a bad truck, but Toyota sells about ten times as many Tacomas. And even within General Motors, the Canyon has gotten crushed on sales by its sibling, the Chevy Colorado; in fact, it's been GMC's worst-selling combustion passenger vehicle by far.
GMC aims to change that with a 2023 redesign by going all-in with a comprehensively better (and more on-brand) pickup.
GMC wants the Canyon to be the premium midsize truck — both within GM and outside it. There is no base model Canyon. All Canyons receive the Colorado's two-inch suspension lift and wider track upgrade. All Canyons pack the high-output version of GM's 2.7-liter turbocharged four-pot engine (previously seen in the Silverado and Sierra), with 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. And the Canyon now gets its own apex predator off-roading trim to compete with the Colorado ZR2, the three-inch lifted AT4X.
GMC brought me with other journalists out to "Camp Canyon" outside of Asheville, North Carolina, to drive the all-new 2023 model for the first time. I sampled the Elevation, Denali and AT4 trims on mixed-terrain drives, and spent a full morning driving the new AT4X trim on and off-road. And there's a lot to be impressed with.
The 2023 GMC Canyon AT4X: What We Think
GMC hit the mark with the Canyon. The Canyon is not revolutionizing the midsize truck. But it's a clear upgrade in pretty much every way over what came before — except fuel economy. As of this writing, you could make a case for the Canyon AT4X being the most premium option in the segment...but with Ford and Toyota launching new high-end off-road trucks very shortly, that could change.
If I were to plunk down for a Canyon, I would either opt for the 4WD Elevation trim, which will still be a pleasant and capable truck. Or, I would eat the cost and go full-on AT4X. Whether you're off-road or on-road, the Multimatic DSSV dampers are worth the admission price.
The Canyon's four-pot engine is potent
GMC ditched the Canyon's V6 and diesel engines in favor of GM's turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four. It stands out on paper: you previously had to choose between horsepower and torque, but the new four-pot offers both. The 310 hp is about the same as the outgoing V6, and the 430 lb-ft of torque is 61 lb-ft more than the outgoing diesel. Nothing in the segment currently matches it...though stay tuned for what Toyota does with the Tacoma's iForce Max hybrid.
In practice, the four-pot performs very well. The Canyon is a truck, not a sports car. So the torque comes on more gradually; think more robust reservoir you can tap for a highway pass than rocketing off the line. The eight-speed automatic transmission is smooth, delivering an intuitive power build and low cruising revs on the highway. And the non-AT4X Canyons can all tow up to 7,700 pounds ( though the AT4X still pulls a solid 6,000 lbs).
The one quibble with the new engine — and one the anti-four-cylinder peanut gallery will harp on — is that it doesn't sound perfect. It doesn't sound quite as strained as it does lugging around a full-size truck, but it doesn't have the rumble and growl you'd get with a V6 — and that's something you'll notice every time you travel uphill or deploy the gas with any zest.
The Canyon feels solid and comfortable on-road
You can often tell a car's strengths and weaknesses by what manufacturers have you do with them. GMC's drive route went straight to a dirt backroad where you could hit divots an adult could curl up and nap in; they knew they had a solid truck on their hands.
Body control is strong in the corners. The steering is well-weighted. The transmission gets into the gear you need to be in without fuss. It stays composed over bumps — you may feel them more in the Denali with its lower-profile tires, but it's not egregious.
The AT4X trucks we drove had big 33-inch mud-terrain tires. That makes the truck marginally noisier on the highway. But the counterpoint is that the AT4X has the Multimatic DSSV dampers, which deliver a sublime on-road ride quality and add off-road capability. Cruising on the highway was smooth sailing, something seldom said by even the most cultish Tacoma enthusiasts.
The Canyon AT4X brings serious off-road capability
We took the AT4X on about a three-hour run through backwoods trails. It wasn't three hours of exhaustive insanity, but there were some gnarly sections with technical rock climbs, a mud pit, sharp bumps and loose surface sections to speed up and let loose with the Baja mode. The Canyon AT4X handled everything easily — and without causing any chronic back issues to flare up.
The standard Canyon has 9.6 inches of ground clearance. That bumps up to 10.7 inches with the AT4X's three-inch lift. The Goodyear Wrangler MT tires were extra grippy. The truck had a lot of flex and articulation to get over obstacles. And the Multimatic DSSV dampers kept everything pleasantly comfortable. When in doubt, calling on the 430 lb-ft of torque was a great way to muscle over or through just about anything.
In classic GMC fashion, the Canyon AT4X goes heavy on the tech. You get several off-road drive modes, and an abundance of camera angles and screen views to play with. Off-road controls like the differential locks are large, clearly labeled and easily accessible toggles.
The Canyon is a handsome-looking truck
Widening and lifting a truck can enhance its capability. But the main reason for doing so is to make the truck look cool. The Canyons all being lifted and widened means that Canyon designers could incorporate that into the design and make that lift look natural (rather than like an unfortunate decision one would spot on a Texas interstate).
Even in AT4X spec, the Canyon has a stately and refreshingly design. Badging and graphics are restrained. You don't get angry detailing and a massive black hood scoop. It's still a truck. But it looks like a more polished product for professionals — the sort of people who buy Sierras and Yukons — rather than a truck you're going to strap dirt bikes in the back of and haul ass to the desert with — not that there's anything wrong with the latter.
The Canyon interior is more functional than luxurious
Trucks keep things straightforward on the inside (something other vehicle genres should aspire to). The Canyon's interior is basic and functional. You have a lot of easy-to-reach buttons. GM upgraded the tech over the previous generation with digital instrument displays and a bigger 11.3-inch touchscreen. The seats remained comfortable over long bumpy rides.
But the Canyon's cabin does have a couple of issues. The first is size. The Canyon is a substantially-sized truck. But it still has a cramped interior. I felt okay in the cockpit at 5'11" and was sort of able to sit behind myself. But taller drivers may have issues. Even tucking a relatively slim backpack in the footwell behind the seats was not a straightforward process. Fitting kids could get tight. And a tonneau cover is probably a must-have option.
The interior also didn't feel that premium — at least compared to competition outside the midsize truck realm. A Canyon isn't a Sierra; there's less money to throw around on both the engineering end and the buying end. The different trims do offer pops of premium leather and, in the Denali's case, laser-etched open-pore wood. But those fine features lose effectiveness when juxtaposed with airline-grade plastic in your sight lines on top of the dash and door sills.
The Canyon also made no strides in fuel economy
I noted that GM moved to the four-pot for performance, and that is the justification for it — because it's not more efficient. Trucks are blockier than other vehicles. Lifting and widening them only makes them less aerodynamic. Those two factors make the Canyon less efficient than the outgoing generation.
The EPA rates the standard Canyon for 17 mpg city and 21 mpg highway; the outgoing 2022 4WD V6 earned 24 mpg on the highway. Adding the MT tires on the AT4X drops that 21 mpg to 20 mpg on the highway. Our trucks — albeit with a lot of off-roading, idling and lead-footed journalists piloting them — were averaging more like 14-15 mpg.
What are some Canyon AT4X alternatives?
Chevy has its own version of this truck, the Colorado, with its off-roading ZR2 trim. Every midsize truck is judged against the Tacoma, which has nearly 40 percent of the market share and will hit 2024 with a new TRD Pro and a new Trailhunter overlanding trim. Ford is debuting the new Ranger with a Raptor edition. Nissan has its off-roader, the Frontier Pro-4X. And Jeep still has Rubicon and Mojave versions of the Gladiator.
The 2023 GMC Canyon AT4X
- Powertrain: Turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four; 8-speed automatic; 4WD
- Horsepower: 310
- Torque: 430 lb-ft
- EPA Fuel Economy: 17 mpg city, 20 mpg highway
- Ground Clearance: 10.7 in
- Starting MSRP: $56,995
