With a name like Off Road Xtreme, you can expect that their product testers know a thing or two about a vehicle's capability when it has left the pavement far behind. They turned their attention to GMC's most off-road-capable Canyon model, the 2025 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition, and came away impressed. Actually, let's be more specific. In the headline, it says this truck "Dominates Off-Road." This Dieffenbach GMC blog post gives you the highlights.
The article starts with a history lesson, looking back to 2016 when Chevrolet introduced the Colorado ZR2, which was the most off-road capable truck GM had produced up to that time. It featured a lift, a 3.5-inch wider track, innovative Multimatic shocks, and front and rear locking differentials. They noted that it was limited by its 31-inch tires and mentioned that GMC did not have a similar version at the time.
Looking ahead, that model would probably be similar to the current AT4X, although the latter has 33-inch tires. As capable as the AT4X is, its available AEV Edition Package takes things a big step further—enough to genuinely impress the Off Road Xtreme author.
AEV stands for American Expedition Vehicles, which both GMC and Chevrolet (with the ZR2 Bison) turned to for reaching the next level. The vehicle is lifted by an additional three inches above the AT4X, resulting in a total of 12.2 inches of ground clearance and space to install 35-inch Goodyear Territory MT tires mounted on AEV's beadlock-capable Salta wheels. The front bumper has been redesigned to improve the approach angle to 38.2 degrees and is now ready to accept a winch. If the vehicle is on the receiving end of a winch, it has bright red, fully capable recovery hooks below. The rear bumper is also redesigned to enable a 26-degree departure angle, while the lift allows a breakover of 26.9 inches. If additional clearance is required, five AEV high-strength, hot-stamped Boron steel skid plates are available.
As Off Road Xtreme points out, one consequence of the large tires is that the spare must be stored in the truck bed, mounted directly behind the rear window. Additionally, the throttle response of the 310-hp 2.7 turbocharged inline-4 is somewhat muted by the large tires. However, the engine "loafs along at 1,800 rpm in top gear at 75 mph."
Like every other article on models so equipped, they use plenty of pixels to praise the Multimatic DSSV (Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve) dampers, first highlighting how well they ride on the street by doing "an excellent job smoothing out the rough spots."
Because the AT4X is already nice inside and further enhanced by a few package perquisites for the AEV Edition package, they note that the cabin is truly impressive. "We were impressed with the upscale feel of the interior and the soft padding that covers all the important touchpoints. The AEV-specific seat trim and red contrast stitching make the interior look sharp, as well." They also praised the 11.3-inch touchscreen and the feel of the physical buttons.
Of course, the real point of this test was off-road, where the suspension impressed again: "Once on the trial, we immediately encountered steep motocross-style berms. Upon traversing the berm, the frontend popped up into the air, nosed over, and followed with a softly cushioned landing. It was so smooth it didn't even feel like we reached the bumpstops… Turning back around, we hit that berm Dukes of Hazzard style and launched the truck a few feet into the air. Teeth clenched for the landing, we were bracing for some bad noises or at least a hard impact. But the result was the same—a well-damped landing at both the front and rear."
They were also impressed by the wheel articulation and high clearance, which helped avoid obstacles. Finally, they mention a rocky creek area that "…we rarely visit in stock rigs. Many trucks either can't fit, don't have the ground clearance, or are poorly armored. But the AT4X AEV Edition was right at home and easily drove up and over many of the larger rocks without fear of getting the truck hung up or damaged."
Off Road Xtreme recognizes that all this capability comes at a price. The required Premium, Technology Plus packages, and the AEV Edition Package total over $20,000 more than an AT4, with their tester price reaching $70,200. That's plenty for a midsize truck, but as they point out, the midsize fits where full-size models can't, and its smooth highway ride means one of the most capable off-road trucks you can buy off the shelf can also work well as a daily driver.
If off-roading is your passion, talk to the sales professionals at the Dieffenbach GMC about finding a Canyon AT4X AEV Edition for you to test drive. You won't regret it.