All-new GMC Canyon shakes up mid-size truck market

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Published on Thursday, January 28, 2016

Photo by Ben Castle. GM got back in the mid-size truck market with the all-new Canyon/Colorado.  

By Ben Castle

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Since the demise of Ford Ranger, Dodge Dakota and GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado in 2011, the compact/mid-size pickup truck market has been a lonely one with just the ageing Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma soldiering on. However, for 2015, GM released an all-new Canyon/Colorado which has received the accolade of Motortrend Truck of the Year two years running and has been well received by Canadians, too, with a combined total of more than 9,000 units sold in 2015.  

The 2016 GMC Canyon is available in both extended and crew cab styles in either 2WD or 4WD with a 6’2” box; a 5’2” box is also available on crew cabs. Canyon comes with four-cylinder or V6 power, which both offer class-leading power and fuel economy. The base 2.5L, 4 cylinder engine has 200 horsepower and 191 pound feet of torque; the 3.6L V6 has 305 horsepower and 269 pound feet of torque, giving best-in-class fuel economy of 9.5 and 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres highway respectively.  Maximum towing capacity is 3,500 pounds for the four cylinder and 7,000 pounds for the V6 when equipped with the heavy duty trailering package.  A four-cylinder Duramax diesel will also join the line-up later in 2016, which promises to offer even better towing capability and will be unique in the mid-size truck market.  

Canyon has four trim levels: SL, Canyon, SLE and SLT.  A crew cab short box will cost you about $1,500 more than an extended cab or about $2,000 extra for the longer box.  The extended cab is rather cramped in the back and the two fold-down jump seats are really only suitable for small children or small adults on very short journeys!  No such trouble in the crew cab, which has more rear legroom than Frontier, Tacoma and even extended cab full-size trucks.  Like in the larger GMC Sierra, the seats can also be folded up to store items in the rear cabin. 

The range kicks off at $20,600 with the SL model, which is only available as a 2WD extended cab with the four-cylinder engine and manual transmission. You get 16 inch aluminum wheels, stability and traction control, power driver seat, air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, projector-style headlights, locking tailgate, rear camera and vinyl bucket seats and flooring.  

For an extra $3,400, the Canyon model gives you cloth seats, rear seats and carpeting, but also allows you to add an automatic transmission ($1,000) or upgrade to the V6 engine ($1,365). The Canyon model is also available as a 4WD extended cab or a 2WD crew cab with both a short or standard box.

SLE and SLT models are available in all body styles and with 2WD and 4WD.  Starting at $29,300 for the 2WD extended cab version, the SLE model gets 17 inch aluminum wheels, rear window defogger, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, auto-dimming rear view mirror, remote keyless entry, 8 inch colour touchscreen, XM radio, body-coloured door handles/mirrors, ONSTAR 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot, front fog lamps, alarm, EZ lift and lower tailgate and a locking rear differential on 4WD models.  A $3,000 upgrade to the SLT model will give you 18 inch wheels, heated leather seats, power passenger seat, climate control, automatic locking rear differential, remote start, sliding rear window and chrome door handles/mirrors. 

If you prefer the look of the Canyon’s corporate twin (Colorado), spec-for-spec prices are on average 2.5 per cent lower, but they do lack some features that are standard on the Canyon.

My test model, supplied by Murray GM in Brandon, was an SLE V6 4WD crew cab with the standard box (basic MSRP $37,160). It also came with a Nightfall edition package (18 inch aluminum wheels, black assist steps, polished exhaust tip, body-colour grille, spray-on box liner, automatic climate control and remote start ($4,566), Bose premium speakers ($685), a driver alert package consisting of forward collision alert and lane departure warning ($415) and the heavy duty trailering package ($275), which pushed the MSRP up to $43,500.  The cheaper All-Terrain package ($1,990), which includes upgraded wheels, colour-coded exterior trim, remote start, climate control and heated seats amongst other features, offers better value in my opinion.

Canyon handles and rides better than any other truck I have driven. Its agility in corners and under braking belies its size and although the driving position and view over the chunky hood is decidedly truck-like, if you didn’t look behind you, it would be easy to believe that you were driving a crossover rather than a truck. The engine doesn’t feel as strong initially as the 305 horsepower output would suggest, but this could be down to the gearing and the 3.42:1 axle ratio, which has been optimized for fuel economy. 

The transmission changes up at about 2,000 rpm normally, but if you really put your foot down, the power is there and the engine makes a pleasing growl under hard acceleration. 

You can change gear manually with the buttons on the side of the shifter, but these are a bit clunky and slow to react. During my test, I got close to the quoted 11.8 litres per 100 kilometres combined  figure, which is impressive for a two-tonne, 19 foot long truck.  It is six inches narrower than its Sierra sibling, which makes a surprising difference in city manoeuvrability, although when parking, it is still the same length as a full-size truck!

Service intervals are determined by GM’s oil life monitor, so are variable; features such as Duralife brake rotors, which should last around twice as long as normal rotors and are more resistant to corrosion promise to reduce servicing costs. GMC also offer one of the best powertrain warranties in the business (5 years and 160,000 km).

Which version should you buy? If you just need a basic 2WD work truck, an SL extended cab seems like fantastic value and undercuts its key rivals. However, most will choose the crew cab and the low cost to upgrade to the V6 also seems like a no-brainer. 2WD or 4WD is a tougher decision, as it’s an expensive upgrade ($4,000-$5,750). At $36,700, the SLE V6 4WD Crew cab seems to provide most luxuries, but I would be tempted to option the All-terrain package for a few more luxuries and to enhance the look of the truck. The diesel will be worth watching out for though and could well be the pick of the range when it comes.  If you’re upgrading from a smaller car or SUV/crossover but want some truck style and utility, Canyon gives you that whilst being less intimidating, more refined and potentially more fuel-efficient than a full-size truck.  If that’s what you’re after, I urge you to check one out.