GMC Canyon AT4X review: Premium pickup is off-road enthusiast's delight

A total of 10 cameras means precious few obstacles will come as a surprise off the tarmac

It looks smart both inside and out, but don’t be fooled – GMC’s Canyon AT4X is a vehicle that is keen to get its tyres (and all the rest) messy.

The American brand’s new pickup that, believe it or not, is classified as mid-size among its brethren, is just goading you to take it off the tarmac and venture into the wild.

It’s probably a good idea not to be carrying anything in the back when you do, though, as the car does indeed seem capable of handling some seriously choppy territory.

The AT4X’s “smaller” size makes it an agreeable thing to hit the humps and bumps with a vengeance. This is all helped with the addition of Baja mode, which is a term that dates back to a similarly named extreme off-roading competition.

Here, it indicates an automatic system configuration that adjusts the steering, throttle, suspension, gear shifts, the lot, whenever you trundle into extreme environments and want to tackle them at high speeds.

All very useful when tearing up hill and down dale without the aid of a solid road. The fulsome 33-inch tyres are also a welcome addition in this regard.

• 

  The GMC Canyon AT4X is ready to go. All photos: GMC

• 

  The Canyon AT4X, literally leaving things in its dust

• 

  Negotiating a narrow path

• 

  GMC likes its bold branding

• 

  The tail-light on the AT4X

• 

  In the back of the AT4X

• 

  Those will be the 33-inch tyres

• 

  Plenty of room under there

• 

  The driver's view

• 

  GMC has built the Canyon AT4X for extreme conditions

• 

  It looks pretty good on the tarmac, too

• 

  The gearstick set-up

• 

  It's a pickup, so a tail-gate is only to be expected

So far, so dramatic, but it’s worth pointing out that all this action is generated from a mechanical set-up that borders on the discreet. The AT4X has a somewhat restrained powertrain for a pickup – there is no V8 monster under the bonnet here.

Instead, GMC opts for a relatively modest 4-cylinder 2.7-litre turbocharged engine. There certainly doesn’t seem to be any lack of power for all of that, either on the road or off it. The ride stance is predictably high, offering good vision wherever you might be.

There are also front and rear cameras facing underneath the vehicle to let you see what’s ahead when the car’s front end is high in the air. That’s just part of it, though – the AT4X has a total of 10 cameras situated around its ample shell, so there should be precious few obstacles that will come as a surprise.

Inside, the AT4X has a definite premium feel. Some pickups attempt to revisit their origins by retaining a basic arrangement inside the cabin, but that isn’t the case here. GMC has kitted the AT4X out with a head-up display, an 11.3-inch infotainment screen and an 11-inch full digital cluster.

In its entirety, the dashboard is as modern looking as you’d expect in any contemporary vehicle, and the addition of an off-road performance display is a welcome touch. The seating is largely leather, with the stylings coming in a range of visually appealing colour schemes.

For anyone who fancies a pickup above any other style of vehicle, the AT4X ticks a lot of boxes for those after the Goldilocks option – that is, nothing too big or small, just something nicely in the middle.

After all, there are plenty of drivers who find the beefiest trucks too hefty for their needs while, at the other extreme, the littlest ones leave them feeling like they may as well be driving a sedan with a big bucket on the back.