GMC has introduced the 2023 Canyon in an AT4X package.

The next-generation GMC Canyon will get the AT4X off-road variant, GMC confirmed in a press release Thursday.

The new Canyon, which will be unveiled in summer 2022 and will likely go on sale as a 2023 model, will be the second GMC model to receive the AT4X treatment, after the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 full-size pickup.

The Canyon AT4X will be equipped with 17-inch beadlock-compatible wheels, but GMC has not revealed any other details.Expect the AT4X to be a bit more hardcore than the current GMC Canyon AT4. Introduced for the 2021 model year, the AT4 will feature a 1.0 inch suspension leveling kit, rocker panel protection, and front and mid skid plates have been added; for 2021, GMC also showed off a heavy-duty AT4 concept car designed for overlanding.

The AT4 turned out to be somewhat milder than some expected. When it was originally teased, expectations were high that it would be a reskinned Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. Perhaps the AT4X will come close to that.

The current generation of both the Canyon and Colorado date back to the 2014 model year, so they are definitely ready for a redesign to keep pace with fresh mid-size pickups like the Ford Ranger and Nissan Frontier.

The new model is believed to be based on an updated version of the current model's 31XX platform, but spy shots of the Colorado show slightly larger dimensions. Sticking with the current platform means that powertrains could easily take over, and the 2023 Canyon and Colorado may continue with the current gasoline and diesel inline-4 and gasoline V-6. Hybrid options might also be added to the lineup.