The 2021 GMC Canyon AT4 pickup just dropped a few months ago, adopting some of the off-road mojo and unique style of the larger Sierra AT4 truck. (It also replaces the previous Canyon All Terrain model.) Now, GMC is adding a new Off-Road Performance Edition that adds a little more functionality and protection to what’s essentially the same Canyon AT4 package. The tweaks will be useful for anyone who’d actually like to use the midsize Canyon AT4 off-road, but this is more optimization for that purpose than a hardcore off-road package.
Before we get into the Off-Road Performance Edition bits, here is a quick refresher of what the standard Canyon AT4 brings to the table: 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires, off-road tuned suspension, a hill descent control system, and four-wheel drive with a rear locker. Visually, the AT4 gets a unique grille, dark chrome accents, red-painted tow hooks, and badging inside. There’s also an additional skid plate, protecting the transfer case.
The AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition gets all the regular AT4 stuff, and adds (or removes) some equipment. For one, the front air dam is deleted, which helps with front-end clearance. Paired with the “suspension leveling kit”—a roughly 1-inch front lift—the truck’s approach angle improves to a hair under 30 degrees for a 35-percent improvement. Rocker panel rock rails help protect the lower sides of the truck, and upgraded front and mid skid plates up-armor the underbody.
There are also some aesthetic touches. The gloss black-finished wheels are unique to this package, and there are blacked-out AT4 logos and gloss black exhaust tips. A spray-in bedliner is standard, as are the accessory all-weather floor liners.
It should be noted that the additional skid plates that are standard on the Off-Road Performance Edition are available as an option on the normal AT4, and can be added later. The rest of the new bits are factory-installed and, for the moment, exclusive to this special trim, a GMC spokesperson told us. That’s a shame, because the rock rails would be a nice upgrade for existing trucks. Luckily, there are plenty of aftermarket options that’ll get you to the same place if you already have an AT4.
There’s no pricing information to share as of yet, but GMC says this truck will be available to order later this year.
