The off-road segment is the hottest in the industry.  Everyone wants a piece of the Jeep life and automakers of all-kinds are jumping in including Subaru with their upcoming Wilderness sub-brand.  And of course, the Canyon AT4 is designed with outdoor adventures in mind – an all-terrain package that’s available on every GMC with the exception, ironically, of the Terrain but that’s coming as well for 2022.  Their small pickup has been updated this year across the board, and now the AT4 adds off-road confidence through standard 31” Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires, a specifically tuned suspension with an Advanced Hill Decent Control System, an automatic locking rear differential and a transfer case skid plate.  It possesses a bolder exterior design with dark chrome finishes, a larger grille and red recovery hooks.  But this truck doesn’t stop there.  With the addition of the Off-Road Performance Package you get a suspension leveling kit for the front end.  Combined with the removal of the front air dam this Canyon’s approach angle is a friendlier 30 degrees.  It’s also paired with rockers for added body protection and more skid plates for the middle of the truck.  There are also unique 17” gloss black wheels, Carbon Black AT4 logos and a gloss black exhaust tip.  All-weather floor liners and a spray-in bed liner round out the upgrades at an added cost of $3,195.  It’s a great looking truck in Summit White powered here by the standard 3.6-liter V6 producing 308 horsepower through an 8-speed auto, returning 19mpg.  You can also spec this AT4 with a diesel at a significant price increase but either way the AT4 is only available as a full 4-door Crew Cab with either a short or long box. With the next gen Nissan Frontier right around the corner and a recently introduced, beefed-up Honda Ridgeline and Ranger Tremor Off-Road Package already on sale, there are a lot of compelling choices in this segment that will give the Canyon AT4 a run for its money. 

Denali is to the city as AT4 is to the wilderness. It’s another GMC sub brand that is being spread throughout their entire lineup and here on the Yukon includes all-terrain tires, skid plates, a more off-road friendly front fascia, an off-road driving mode, hill decent control and of course 4-wheel drive with an auto setting and low range. Couple those attributes with the optional air suspension with an extra 2” of lift and a limited slip differential and the Yukon cuts through deep snow like a hot knife through butter. Pricing starts at around $66,000 and when you load it to the roof with all kinds of goodies – including the optional panoramic – you end up here at $75,960. With the Traction Select System and wheel-specific 4-wheel drive, the Yukon AT4 feels like the beast you expect it to be but with the polish of a luxury SUV on-road. AT4 is a cool idea and will no doubt continue to bear fruit for GMC throughout their entire lineup.

2021 GMC Yukon First Look By Auto Critic Steve Hammes. When the Escalade is a little too rich for your blood and a Chevy a tad too plebian, GMC is right there to perfectly meet your large SUV needs.  The all-new 2021 Yukon and its extra-long brother the Yukon XL have plenty of new tricks up their sleeves including an even more luxurious Denali model and the addition of the more rugged AT4 trim. Families will appreciate the Yukon’s nearly 5” longer wheelbase which substantially expands 3rd row legroom and max cargo volume.  The Yukon XL also grows in those regards but more modestly.  A new sliding 2nd row seat makes getting in and out of that 3rd row easier than ever.  Of course, the new independent rear suspension also plays a role in the smarter packaging as well as elevating the Yukon’s ride sophistication. Built in Texas, the 2021 Yukon and Yukon XL go on sale this summer.  https://testdrivenow.com/2021-gmc-yukon-first-look/

Driven by cheaper fuel prices and a resurgent appetite for all things large, the truck segment is in the midst of a renaissance like never before: they’re bigger, smarter, more capable and increasingly luxurious with jaw dropping price tags. And this one is a real monster – the all-new GMC Sierra Heavy Duty.
The price of this truck starts at $57,700 and with options checks in at a healthy $77,155 so Professional Grade doesn’t come cheaply.  But this is no doubt a very impressive ¾ ton pickup with off-road chops, huge presence and the trailering tech to match.

I finally made it to summer vacation which, as you know, means I’m up in Maine. And this year’s workhorse is the 2019 GMC Acadia; a 3-row, midsize SUV that was last redesigned 3 years ago. It has done a yeoman’s job of everything I’ve asked of it thus far and if you’re considering one here are 10 things you need to know.