Car and Driver Takes the Canyon AT4X AEV To the Limit

The Canyon AT4X AEV is so overtly focused on off-road capability while remaining street-legal that Car and Driver admits in its first paragraph that this isn’t a vehicle that anyone really needs. They then slough off such rational concerns because, when in its element, this truck is just too much fun. They tried to explore the truck’s limits, and Ewing GMC tells you what they found.

What It Is

First, a reminder of what the Canyon AT4X AEV is. Of its elongated name, Car and Driver states, in a heading, “More Letters, More Equipment.” Starting with the Canyon part, it’s GMC’s mid-size pickup, all of which are powered by the high-achieving TurboMax 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4 that produces 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. Also, like all Canyons, it has a 4-door cab and a 5-foot, 2-inch bed. The AT4X designation adds standard 4×4, Multimatic™ DSSV Dampers, front and rear electronic locking differentials, an AT4X-exclusive Baja Drive Mode for fast trail running, and a camera system that includes front and rear underneath views for slow crawling over obstacles. The AT4X adds more than that, but much of it is succeeded by the third part of its name. AEV refers to American Expedition Vehicles, which has provided aftermarket off-road equipment for various vehicles. Pulling from their catalog, the $10,100 AEV package adds :

• 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires with an additional AEV in-bed vertical spare tire mount
• Updated front fascia and larger fender flares to enable larger, wider tracks and ultra-high, best-in-class 12.2-inch ground clearance
• 5-inch (114mm) factory-installed lift — 1.5-inch (38mm) more than the Canyon AT4X
• Heavy-duty, AEV stamped-steel front and rear bumpers with heavy-duty recovery points and winch-capable front bumper
• Five ultra-high strength, hot-stamped boron steel skid plates (positioned along the radiator, steering gear, transmission and transfer case, fuel tank, and rear differential) for optimized underbody protection
• Three additional auxiliary control switches for the integration of off-road and overlanding accessories.
• Exclusive AEV beadlock-capable Salta wheels
• AEV branding across the vehicle, including on bumpers, embroidered head restraints, and all-weather floor liners

Off-Road

Car and Driver describes their off-road experience: “We also spent a few hours piloting the AT4X over slippery rock-covered off-road trails near Big Sky, Montana. The trails required a slow 5- to 10-mph roll but admittedly weren’t anything a Jeep Wrangler Sport or a Ford Bronco Big Bend couldn’t handle. The most technical sections required the use of 4Lo. Using the Canyon’s one-pedal Terrain mode in L1 or L2 brings aggressive automated stopping when you lift off the gas. L3 is more like a normal drive crawl and doesn’t immediately stop the truck, making it the smoothest. Still, Terrain strikes us as something you’d engage for the occasional slippery descent rather than an entire section of trail.”

On Road

Surprisingly, Car and Driver was nearly as impressed by the truck’s behavior on the road to which they give much of the credit to the almost magical ability of the AT4X’s Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers, which they state “…make this deluxe pickup an absolute peach in the streets. Even across the most medieval sections of I-94 near our office, the AT4X AEV’s dampers take the pain away.” They also found that despite the chunky tires, the Canyon was “..supremely quiet, with a 67-decibel interior sound measurement at 70 mph—something that Broncos, Wranglers, and Gladiators, all the machines that come with removable tops and doors, can’t achieve.”

Car and Driver acknowledged that the off-road hardware and big tires impact fuel mileage and that the big spare tire mounted in the cab directly behind the driver does hamper the rearview. To which they suggest that GMC add a digital rear-view mirror to the package.

Their overall impression of the Canyon AT4X AEV is that it is as capable an off-roader as you will find from the factory that you can put state tags on and it won’t punish you outside the weekend when you use it as a daily driver. You are essentially getting two trucks in one with no compromise in capability, which makes its starting MSRP of $65,995 more justifiable.

The Canyon AT4X AEV is a specialty model that is often not in the Ewing GMC inventory. But you can start by looking at AT4 models and inquire with one of our sales professionals, who will likely locate one and bring it for you to experience.