General Motors is cooking up a brand-new next-generation GMC Canyon for the 2023 model year, and now, we’ve spotted a 2023 GMC Canyon AT4 prototype out and about conducting some real-world testing around metro Detroit.
The last time we saw the 2023 GMC Canyon AT4 was in September, at which time our spies captured a prototype model conducting high-altitude testing in Colorado. Prior to that, we saw the new Canyon AT4 testing last June.
Outside, the 2023 GMC Canyon AT4 will introduce new styling, with an aggressive aesthetic punctuated by a jacked-up ride height and pumped-up fenders. In order to maximize clearance, this prototype isn’t equipped with running boards, unlike the chrome running boards equipped by the 2023 GMC Canyon Denali prototype that GM Authority covered over the summer. Rather, the new Canyon AT4 will only offer running boards as an option, with the units themselves hugging the body closely.
Further ground clearance will be made possible with a unique front fascia designed for an aggressive approach angle. This particular prototype model looks to be equipped with placeholder lighting, or at the very least placeholder units for the primary lighting elements. However, the production model will be equipped with new LED lighting elements and vertically oriented lighting signatures.
In the corners, we spot the same six-spoke wheels and black finish as the prototype model featured in September. Wrapping the rollers is a set of Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT tires, while an even more-aggressive tire will be offered as well. In the cabin, expect a fully overhauled interior space.
As for the goodies under the skin, the 2023 GMC Canyon will ride on top of the GM 31XX-2 platform, which is an updated version of the GMT-31XX midsize body-on-frame architecture. The greasy bits will feature the turbocharged 2.7L I4 L3B gasoline engine, the same powerplant equipped by the GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevy Silverado 1500. Output is rated at 310 horsepower and an upgraded 420 pound-feet of torque, with a 10-speed automatic making for the cog swaps.
Meanwhile, the naturally aspirated 3.6L V6 LGZ gasoline engine, naturally aspirated 2.5L I4 LCV gasoline engine, and 2.8L I4 LWN turbodiesel Duramax will no longer be offered for the 2023 model year.
Looking ahead, the next-gen 2023 GMC Canyon AT4 will be joined for the first time ever by an even-more capable Canyon AT4X model, which will arrive as a GMC equivalent to the Chevy Colorado ZR2.
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Comments
These mega-cabs look sooooo ridiculous. When you can for more in the cab than the bed, it’s not a truck.
This is a crew cab, and it’s the same as the current Colorado.
Thanks Captain Obvious. The point was crew cab looks ridiculous period. And especially on mid-size trucks! Fine if you’re a gardener that occasionally halls a few plants and a bag of mulch 😂
That’s kinda what midsizers are for. Those who need transportation with a small bed. It’s still big enough to throw a kayak in or a pile of lumber as long as you tie it off correctly with flags.
It kills me all these people claiming trucks are work vehicles, cause trucks aren’t just work vehicles, their work-play-commute-off road rescue-mobile office vehicles. For most people even if they use the bed 5% of the time, they may need the 4wd 10% of the time, or the tow package 2% of the time, but that all adds up, and that’s all things a sedan or hatchback can’t do, and for the same price as a rugged SUV, go ahead and get the truck with a bed. What sucks worse than having too much vehicle is going to the rental store 20 times a year because you don’t have enough.
It is what sells like it or not.
Owning one you find it is more useful than the Extra cab as the present extra cab has two useless seats that make it even difficult to carry a dog.
People like these because they don’t use the trucks anymore for actually hauling things. They slap big ugly lift kits on them and huge rims then go off-roading in parking lots hitting the curb. Most people these days only have these for the bro-dozer effect
Most still haul some just modify. If it sells truck who cares?
There are a few people as you describe Shawn, but not all modified trucks fall into this group. Where I live out West modified trucks are very common, the majority of them are still used for pulling and hauling duties. UTV’s (RZR’s etc.) are very popular here so these type of trucks are typically used more for getting the trailer and toys to the playground than for hard core off-roading. The trucks I’m describing are normally the leveled to 6″ lift group. Trucks lifted higher than that tend to (but not always) fall into the group your describing. Either way I could care less how people choose to spend their paycheck, different strokes for different folks.
I sell parts for off road and can say many break a lot of parts not going to the mall.
I guarantee you, that just like the 19′ gen Silverado, the cab size in the next Colorado/Canyon will be overall increased, giving plenty or at least adequate room, and the idiots will still just automatically out of hand go for the king size mega double xl with the stubby bed configuration.
Calm down…breathe. You are free to buy an extra long bed if you so choose just like others can buy a short bed if they want. It’ll be okay…I promise <3
Wonder if GM realizes that not everybody needs 310 h.p. in their truck. Some of us don’t tow 18 ft. bass boats or carry around 2000 lbs of concrete mix. A lower hp engine choice might be helpful.
It’s not always pinned at 310hp. Keep rpm low, keeps power demand low, keeps fuel usage low – especially on a small turbo engine
As Andrew pointed out it is just capable of 310 hp. With the Turbonyou will use what you need.
The engine is a good balance of power and economy. You also are dealing with near 4500 pounds of truck weight too.
Wit the extra power it will get up to speed effectively and then run easy getting good mpg. Too often under powered vehicles will have an engine working hard all the time and often killing the good low rpm mpg.
My present V6 is 308 and it is a joy to drive and still returns good mpg.
Most automakers are cutting engine options with the increased development cost yo meet emissions and mpg. As time goes on less options will be available.
Well thats a first, a website dedicated to GM cars and a reader wants a vehicle with less horsepower.
In this case it’s about economies of scale. Instead of offering the 2.7 turbo and say the current 2.5 (which is actually very similar in architecture to the 2.7 turbo and shares much in common) they just offer the 2.7 turbo, which is closer in cost of manufacturing to the 2.5 than the 3.6 V6 it replaces. GM is doing consumers a favor in maximizing both costs and performance.
Im really excited sbout this truck. Specifically the engine and transmission choice. Any guesses what month and year this will be released? I assume late 2022.
In the photo this truck looks like it may have a sun roof. This will be the first for the Colarado and Canyon as the current gen does not offer it.
I am anxious for the 2.7 t engine.
I have a 2016 Z71 crew cab Colarado with the V6. Its a great truck that i had since new, but if the 2.7 is as good as the testers say in the full size trucks i will be looking to trade up for a 23/ 24 Z71 cre cab with this new 2.7 t.
I like the promise of the turbo power and the better fuel effeciency . I also have a 2.0l turbo AWD Equinox and the turbo power makes it very satisfying to drive , hope the 2.7 t in the Colarado is similar .
I do not use my truck for any serious off-roading but appreciate the capabilities . It is used routinely to haul materials from the building supplies, soils and fertilizer , out door stuff, pull a small trailer with a lawn tractor Its perfect for me , and i do not want the bulk of the current full size trucks
Anxious to test drive a new Colarado !
Is there going to be anyway to turn off the AFM/dfm on this 2.7. The truck will probably fulfill my needs but I don’t want this engine shutting down to 2 cylinders on lite load conditions. It’s just something else that could develop into problems down the road. If not I’ll go with the Silverado LM2, no dfm. Aftermarket??
Historically cylinder deactivation is pretty reliable in DOHC engines. It’s the pushrod engines where there’s no good way to do it that there are issues. I wouldn’t worry unless you see other 2.7s start to have AFM problems.
If you want to deactivate, I’m sure you coule use L10 gear position like other GM products or purchase a Range disabler if they become available. The issue will be that I’m assuming these new trucks will have the Fort Knox computer system like other new GM products so tunes may not be available.
You might get it in 2025. Why do they even talk about theses trucks that far in the future.
Jake, the 2.5L LCV and the 2.7L L3B have nothing in common, other then that both are Turbocharged direct gas injected I4’s, realistically if one reads into what GM engineers have said, the L3B is a modernized LK5 Atlas (also called the Vortec 2800) a 169.0 cu in (2,770 cc) straight-4 DOHC engine produced between 2004 and 2006, had a 93 mm bore × 102 mm stroke, the L3B is a 166.4 cu in (2,727 cc) with a 92.25 mm bore × 102 mm stroke. The 2.5L LCV Ecotec engine, codename L850 has a 88 mm bore x 100.8 mm stroke. The L850 is a light duty engine architecture more attuned to utilization in cars and light duty SUVS, whereas the L3B and LK5 are Sturdier and made for medium duty use, saying that, hopefully GM will bring forward a 4.0L I6 for use in the Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade, such an engine would produce 580hp, I base this on the 380Hp output of the 2nd Gen L3B.
GM should go all out and offer the 2.7T and the 3.0 Duramax paired to the 10 speed transmission. Count me as a buyer.
The 3.0L Duramax is too long to fit in the Mid-Sized Canyon/Colorado Trucks. The engine is so long that GM does not offer it on the Z71 Tahoe, Suburban or Yukon AT4. When asked, GM said, the 3.0L Duramax diesel could not be fitted to Z71 or AT4 SUV models due to space constraints caused by the vehicle’s unique front fascia and skid plates. These pieces cut into the space needed for the diesel engine’s charge-air cooler. So any diesel in the Mid-Sized Twins would have to be an I4, but GM has shutdown the GM Rayong plant in Thailand, that build the 2.4 and 2.8 I4 diesel engines, if there is a market for a diesel Mid-Sized truck, GM conceivably could build a 2.0L or 2.4L I4 version of the GM Duramax 3.0-Liter I-6 LM2 Turbo Diesel Engine, or buy an engine say from Cummins, a suitable engine would be the R2.8L I4, but this engine, that’s currently made in China for use on Chinese commercial vehicles, has a terrible reputation on the Asian market because of low-quality assembling and materials. Cummins for the American crate engine market, does source the iron block from their Chinese factory, but machines and builds the engine in their Columbus plant, Cummins has said, if they could get a large domestic order, they would source the engine domestically. And as anyone that travels outside of the U.S.A, knows in the international market, diesel engine’s are the top sellers in Mid-Sized Trucks and SUVS., if GM wants to keep their Twins viable in the international market, they are going to either buy a diesel from an OEM or build it themselves.
That’s sad … but for the record, my 2022 GMC Canyon 2.8 was made in Brazil.
FOR THIS VEHICLE:
FINAL ASSEMBLY POINT:
WENTZVILLE, MO U.S.A.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
ENGINE: BRAZIL
TRANSMISSION: UNITED STATES
Is the engine R428? , if it is its a VM Motori engine made in Brazil. The GM 2.5 and 2.8 engines are VM Motori designs, GM and Fiat owned the company 50/50, but GM sold off their share but kept the rights to build the 2.5L XLD25, 2.8L XLD28 and 2.8L LINUX engines in their Thai plant. GM closed the plant at the end of 2020, so GM sourced your engine from VM Motori Brazil.
Seeing the latch in the rear window is disheartening ….
If that remains, GM designers are a total loss.