Going back to 2018, General Motors was planning on building a body-on-frame midsize SUV that would have been introduced exclusively as a GMC product, but that project was scrapped, giving Ford evermore opportunity to capitalize on the vintage off-road nostalgia with the Bronco to fight the Jeep Wrangler, which is something that continues to happen.
GMC SUV: The Bronco Fighter That Almost Was
The GM midsize SUV that would have went to combat the Bronco and Wrangler was based on the 31xx-2 platform that underpins the next-generation Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, due out by the 2024 model year.
We don’t really know what it would have looked like, but a recent concept sketch from GM Design Instagram Page shows off perhaps what could have been. Go figure, the design sketch was from 2018, as indicated from the writing on the picture, and we get a taste of just how awesome this SUV could have looked. Sigh.
The GMC SUV depicted in the image features a muscular body with a body on frame architecture, big tires, and short overhangs to optimize approach and departure angles. The entire thing is completed with a rooftop cargo carrier which could be suggestive of overlapping application. Then again, if it’s used for Overlanding, that extra space certainly could come in handy. Overall, the vehicle looks like it could have been eye-candy while being an absolute blast to drive on the trails.
GMC obviously didn’t completely abandon the growing customer desire to go off-roading as the brand is about to drizzle highly competent off-road trucks in three different segments with an upcoming Canyon AT4X, the new Sierra 1500 AT4X, and a future Sierra HD AT4X. All will follow a familiar recipe, with improved ground clearance, better approach/breakover/departure angles, grippier tires, locking front and rear differentials, and Multimatic DSSV dampers.
If electric off-roading is more your thing, there’s the first-ever GMC Hummer EV Edition 1. With 1,000 horsepower and 15.9 inches of ground clearance, there’s not much the vehicle can’t handle. But that truly depends on if the customer is willing to take such an expensive vehicle on rugged terrain and risk doing some damage.
