Americans buy trucks at a rate that might seem obscene to people in other countries. In response to that fanaticism, automakers roll out countless upgrades, special editions, and trims for their truck models. That's how we end up with 17 different Ford F-150s to talk about every year. GMC is just as guilty of "truck bloat," and its product catalog is growing by yet another model. This time, the midsize Canyon pickup benefits. The 2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition builds on the Canyon AT4X with a load of off-road goodies from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), including a massive 4.5-inch lift and 35-inch mud-terrain tires.
The AEV Edition builds on the already-harder-core AT4X, which comes standard with a 4-cylinder engine. The lift kit gives it more aggressive approach, breakover, and departure angles. At the same time, the truck's new software platform will enable more connected services and in-vehicle experiences, which could mean subscription services for owners in the future. The truck enters production later this year at GM's factory in Wentzville, Missouri.
The AEV Edition takes the aggressive Canyon AT4X to new levels with a 4.5-inch lift kit, beadlock-capable AEV wheels, and stamped-steel bumpers. It features towing points around the exterior and a winch-ready front bumper. Beefy 35-inch tires complete the look, and buyers get an in-bed spare, which cuts into cargo space. Underneath, GMC installs five boron steel skid plates to protect the steering gear, radiator, transmission, transfer case, and fuel tank.
Though it's a rugged off-road truck, the standard AT4X is surprisingly nice and upscale inside. It brings heated and ventilated front seats, power seat adjustments, leather upholstery, and more. GMC's 2023 redesign of the Canyon brought a more modern interior with physical controls and nicer materials than before, and the AEV Edition gets the AT4X's unique contrasting interior color schemes. AEV touches come on the all-weather floor mats and embroidered head restraints.
The new Canyon AEV Edition gets the AT4X's turbocharged 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine, which makes 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. GMC pairs it with an 8-speed automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive. The truck also gets a 2-speed transfer case, hill-descent control, and fully locking front and rear differentials.
The AT4X already had a 3-inch lift compared to the standard Canyon, but the AEV Edition adds another 1.5 inches to the truck's ride height. GMC says the upgrades improve the truck's off-road geometry with a 38.2-degree approach angle, a 26.9-degree breakover angle, and a 26-degree departure angle. A set of AEV beadlock-ready wheels and 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires complete the look.
As of this writing, neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has crash-tested the 2024 Canyon. Even so, GMC fits a number of advanced driver aids for the AEV Edition, including adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning, rear parking sensors, a hitch-guidance system, lane-keeping assistance, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, and rear pedestrian alert.
The 2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition gets an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, voice controls, and a Bose premium audio system are also standard. GMC also equips a wireless charging pad, and the truck offers a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Canyon's new infotainment system runs on Google Built-in, so the truck benefits from features like Google Assistant, Maps, and others.
The Canyon AT4X AEV also gets an 11-inch digital gauge cluster with configurable layouts and a 6.3-inch multi-color head-up display that can show safety information, vehicle speed, and other alerts. The 2024 model year also shifts to GM's Ultifi vehicle-technology platform, which the automaker says will bring more connectivity and access to desirable features using over-the-air updates. GMC says it will add new off-road tech and upgrade existing functionality using the feature.
The 2024 model year is shaping up to be an exciting one for midsize trucks. The new Toyota Tacoma hits the streets with TRD trims and many available off-road upgrades. It's also coming in a new Trailhunter trim that gets a load of overlanding goodies. The Ford Ranger will also be all-new in 2024, coming in a hardcore Raptor variant for the first time. The Canyon also has in-house rival Chevrolet Colorado with which to contend, including the off-road-oriented ZR2 Bison.
GMC is the source of information in this article. It was accurate as of July 11, 2023, but it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.
Chris Teague is an experienced writer in the automotive and technology fields. In addition to JDPower.com, his work appears at Forbes, The Drive, Your Test Driver, and others.
Although both the 2026 Toyota Corolla and Toyota Camry share Toyota engineering and many standard features, they target different buyers. To see how they compare in value, reliability, performance, ...See More
Read the Full Article
Both the 2026 Toyota Corolla and the 2026 Mazda Mazda3 come with comprehensive safety features and connected services, along with large infotainment screens and premium audio. To see how their ...See More
Read the Full Article
Touchscreens are almost universal in modern cars. However, not all display types are the same. An increasing number of the latest cars use something called an OLED display. But what exactly is OLED, ...See More
Read the Full Article
Although the 2026 Toyota Corolla and the 2026 Nissan Sentra target buyers with similar goals, they take different routes. To see how those approaches translate into real world value, reliability, ...See More
Read the Full Article