Canyon brings fresh new looks, power and technology to the mid-size pickup scene
Does being one of the newest trucks on the block make the recently re-launched GMC Canyon the best? Maybe so, maybe no. But, being a new model does enable the promise of great fuel efficiency with the most modern powertrain lineup in the segment, as well as hazard-detection safety systems virtually unseen in the competition.
Plus, there’s OnStar, and connected-car technology with Smartphone control, meaning you can start your Canyon in the Park N Fly the second your plane lands, or look up a cool attraction on your phone and send it to the truck’s navigation system. Slick.
All Canyon engines use the latest fuel saving technology, like direct injection and six-speed transmissions, to go further on every tank. The tester got the noteworthy V6: a 3.6 litre unit with a big-for-its-size 305 horsepower. A 2.5 litre four-cylinder with 200 horsepower is standard.
Like selection?
Pick 2 or 4 wheel drive, 2 or 4 doors, 4 or 6 cylinder power, several bed and body combinations and a bunch of trim levels to fine-tune beyond that.
Helping you with truck-guy things are features like the torsion-rod equipped tailgate, which opens without slamming, making nearby folks think your angry, or accidentally whacking your offspring in the noggin. The rear bumper has integrated corner steps, easing the climb when you’ve got truck-guy things to do in the back. And, if your truck-guy things involve towing, Canyon can haul up to 7,000 pounds.
Ahead of the box, the second seating row offered up adequate room for two adults, and some extra floor space and shallow storage bins beneath with the seat bottoms flipped up. The area beneath the seat bottoms is shaped awkwardly, seems to waste a fair bit of space, and made your writer wonder why it’s not just flat, a la Honda Ridgeline, which would seem handier.
Up front, the cabin is trimmed nicely, offers a bit of stitching and displays some upscale materials for a touch of sophistication. The seats look fantastic with a faux carbon-fibre weave and “All Terrain” embossment. There’s a touch of high-tech flare too, thanks to the full colour touch-screen display in the centre console, the premium-looking climate controls with integrated digital readouts, and the smaller full-colour driver computer display in the instrument cluster.
There’s also a boatload of storage on board for your things of all shapes and sizes: gloves, wallets, pens, change, beverages, sunglasses and pocket-sized technology of all sorts. In the tester, numerous charge ports, USB or otherwise, were in immediate reach, and, in what’s probably the best feature ever seen in a pickup-truck ever, there’s a card holder just behind left side of the steering for your Timmies coffee card so you never lose it. You’ll love this feature, and you’ll love the remote start that pre-heats the seats for you when it’s cold, too.
The tester’s All Terrain package sees a suspension calibration that’s tough and rugged and feels like it’s giving potholes a punch to the jaw: drive over even really rough roads, and it feels like the road is getting the lousy end of the deal. On smooth highways, the suspension is relaxed, working with the long wheelbase and commanding driving position for a comfortable confidence. If you’re checking out a model with the All Terrain package, be sure to test-drive it on the roughest roads you can find, noting whether you find the ride to feel tough and solid, not jarring or uncomfortable.
Noise levels seem about average for the segment. Your writer hoped this next-generation Canyon would have the same eerily-quiet ride I noted of its next-generation big-brother, the Sierra, but that’s not the case. Further, it’s a good thing the 3.6 litre V6 sounds decent, since if you’re on the throttle, its raspy warble is always there.
With the locking rear differential included, drivers patient with their right foot and not afraid of a touch of slippage here and there will rarely have to use the four-wheel drive, even in deep snow.
With hill start assist, which prevents roll-back on icy hills for easier uphill starts with minimal fuss, I rarely had issues with traction other than excessive stopping distances on snow, since the tester wasn’t wearing winter tires.
When more traction is required for getting moving, the automatic four-wheel drive setting sends power to all four wheels in milliseconds when needed.
Gripes? Aside from the oddly-shaped rear under-seat floor area, and the higher-than-expected noise levels, I was left with just one: the wish for a display in the fancy driver computer to check which four-wheel drive mode is engaged, if at all. The mode is indicated via the selector dial’s position, though it’s blocked by the steering wheel.
Ultimately, up-to-date power, feature content and technology, along with nice touches and a fresh look throughout, should help this new Canyon move from dealer lots with ease. Check one out, along with other recently-updated pickups like the Toyota Tacoma, and the upcoming new Honda Ridgeline.