GMC Canyon AT4 OVRLANDX Off-Road Concept Teases Adventure Pickup Possibilty
GMC's trucks are on a roll right now, and the automaker has revealed plans for a new, luxury off-roading midsize model. The GMC Canyon AT4 OVRLANDX Off-Road Concept may be short on vowels but it promises plenty for those who enjoy overlanding, including a factory-lifted chassis and burly 33-inch rubber.
So, the regular Canyon gets lifted, and a new, wider off-road chassis. That helps deliver a 27.7-degree approach angle and a ground clearance of 10.0 inches; there's water fording support for up to 32.1 inches.
GMC has added extra underbody coverage and off-road rocker panel protectors, a heavy-duty front bumper, and an AEV rear off-road bumper. There's also cast-iron control arms, integrated front recovery points, wheel flares – with integrated task lamps – and a swivel-mounting rear spare tire bracket. Guy lines help protect the windshield from low-hanging branches.
Under the hood is GMC's 3.6-liter V6 gas engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. In regular Canyon form that's good for 308 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque arriving at 4,000 rpm, and allows the pickup to tow up to 7,700 pounds. The concept truck also gets Multimatic DSSV dampers, and front and rear electronic locking differentials.
It's the extras where GMC really allows itself to have some fun, mind. There's a stainless steel truck bed cap and a roof-mounted tent, complete with a 270-degree awning. The front bumper gets a built-in winch, and there are traction boards, jerry cans for gas and water, and an off-road jack and mount.
A cooler and kitchenette, solar panel for power off the grid, and truck bed storage system with drawers add some practicality. Meanwhile, inside there's a new leather interior to remind you that this is still a GMC, and so intended to be more upmarket than, say, a Chevy pickup might be.
While GMC is referring to the OVRLANDX concept as just a "vision" right now, it's also pretty upfront that this isn't far from being a new expansion of the AT4 nameplate for the automaker. It's seen great success there already with Denali – for luxury models – and AT4 – for off-roaders – elsewhere in its range. Demand for both now comprises a big chunk of GMC's sales, with more than 30-percent of Canyon buyers so far in 2021 choosing the AT4 trim.
The automaker has been open about the fact that it sees space in the market for even higher-end versions. So far that ambition has focused on even more luxurious Denali trucks and SUVs, but a more aggressively off-road focused AT4 could also go down well. After all, we've seen how successful Ford's Raptor series is, demonstrating that American pickup buyers do like to push the limits when it comes to factory-installed equipment.
