GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Debuts With Big Tires, Better Clearance

• AEV and GMC reveal the Canyon AT4X AEV Edition.
• The AEV Edition has a total 12.2-inch ground clearance thanks to new 35-inch tires and a lift.
• Other changes include new bumpers, wheels and five skid plates.

It’s a pretty serious truck. At the nose sit not one but five skid plates, each made of super-strong boron steel. Ideally, owners won’t need the skid plates protecting the transmission, transfer case, steering components, gas tank, diff and radiator, but they're all nice to have. To ensure the skid plates rarely come into contact with anything nasty, the AEV Edition gets a 1.5-inch lift over the Canyon AT4X. That alone is 3 inches taller than a standard Canyon thanks to the added clearance from the 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires. All told, you’re looking at 12.2 inches of total ground clearance.

These tires, beadlock-capable wheels, and the steely bumper accoutrement are sure to add some extra weight and rolling resistance. Despite that, GMC says the Canyon’s 2.7-liter four-cylinder is sufficient. It’ll produce the same power as the Canyon’s highest trims — 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. That torque should be more than enough, and all of it is routed to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The aforementioned front bumper is matched by a steel rear bumper. Both improve approach and departure angles, respectively. At the nose, the boron steel bumper can also be fitted with a winch in case you get extra stuck. AEV also fits new fender flares to accommodate the larger wheel and tire setup, and in a move potentially influenced by Ford, GMC adds integrated auxiliary switches. In case the accessories didn’t make AEV’s involvement clear, its branding is present throughout the truck.

Tech is abundant here too, fitting of what will probably be one of the Canyon lineup’s capstones. The AT4X-exclusive Baja drive mode is present, as is a new launch control feature. In short, it reads the surface the truck is on to better optimize grip during tough starts. This is clearly more for slow, loose-surface starts off-road than it is for two-stepping rally stage launches. Notably, GM’s new Ultifi software platform — which essentially integrates the car's infotainment to better enable over-the-air updates — will be included in 2024 models.

Pricing has yet to be announced. What we do know is that the AT4X starts under $57,000. In light of that, we’d estimate the AEV Edition to land in the mid-$60,000s.

Edmunds says

The Canyon AT4X AEV Edition leans into one of the market’s most popular segments. Everyone wants to get away from everyone else, and factory-built off-roaders have become a popular way of accomplishing this. We’ll have to wait for the truck to debut to sort out just how worth it those AEV upgrades are because they’ll surely command a premium.