The redesigned 2023 GMC Canyon is a loads higher midsize truck than its predecessor, which was out there available on the market for eight model years beginning in 2015. Bigger out and in, the third-generation Canyon, along with its Chevrolet Colorado firm cousin, is considerably additional refined on pavement and boasts vastly improved inside prime quality. These two key parts alone make the Canyon an outstanding each day driver, regardless of trim. Are we making an attempt on the brand new part chief?
It’s attainable, nevertheless the Canyon has two new opponents on one of the simplest ways – the redesigned-for-2024 Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma – so the jury stays to be out. GMC has designed and engineered an outstanding truck whose shortcomings are so minor we found ourselves getting nitpicky.
GMC flew us out to at least one amongst America’s biggest off-roading spots, Asheville, North Carolina, the place there are enticing rolling hills and considerably muddy terrain. DrivingOnRoad drove two Canyon trims, each aimed towards very completely totally different shoppers: the luxurious Denali and the AT4X off-road animal. We’ll outright admit the AT4X is way more gratifying to drive. The muddy aftermath pictures below converse for themselves. Time inside the Denali was restricted to scenic mountain roads crowded with bike followers having enjoyable with a stupendous Sunday journey, nevertheless we predict the Denali has heaps going for it.
With quite a lot of odd safety and driver-assist methods, 4 regular driving modes, and class-leading vitality, is the model new Canyon the complete midsize truck bundle?
Exterior: Rugged And Handsome
GMC was usually referred to as the mannequin selling rebadged Chevys at a premium. That’s all so far. The model new Canyon has its private distinctive design language that we describe as a combination of rugged and handsome. It appears to be equally good parked on the driveway and the backcountry. 4 trims are equipped: Elevation, AT4, Denali, and AT4X.
The Elevation is the so-called base trim, nevertheless it comes full of regular choices. It’s not a bare-bones work truck identical to the ‘WT’ trim equipped on the Colorado. All Canyons embrace LED headlights and daytime working lamps, with LED fog lamps on all nevertheless the bottom trim. GMC happily didn’t go overboard on the Denali’s chrome, limiting it to the grille, side mirrors, and assist steps. Solely a crew cab with a typical mattress configuration is obtainable all through the range. The Elevation and AT4 get a set of 18-inch wheels, nevertheless the AT4 will get bespoke Darkish Grey devices. The Denali packs 20s, and the AT4X receives 17-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch Mud Terrain tires for obvious causes. We’ll get to that shortly.
There’s moreover the AT4X Model 1, though it wasn’t out there to sample, and when it does turn into on the market, it will be in terribly restricted parts. Whenever you’re ready to shell out the dough, GMC has added an LED delicate bar, black safari bar, pink restoration hooks, a winch, and a effectivity entrance skid plate to the AT4X for the Model 1. There are moreover 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels and reconfigurable mattress rails.
The Canyon is taller and wider than its predecessor, and this interprets on to its handsome stance. Dimensions frequent to all fashions embody a 213.2-inch measurement, a 72.4-inch width with out mirrors, and a 131.4-inch wheelbase. High differs, with the Elevation and AT4 coming in at 79.8 inches and the Denali at 80.4 inches. The AT4X is the tallest, at 81.6 inches. That’s longer, slimmer, and taller than the outgoing model – and the wheelbase is over three inches longer inside the new model.
Flooring clearance has moreover elevated and now ranges from 9.6 inches on the two base fashions to 10.5 and 10.7 inches for the Denali and AT4X, respectively. Just because they don’t have the ‘AT4X’ badge, does not imply the three lower trims aren’t extraordinarily succesful off-roaders with a healthful 33.3-degree technique angle and a 22.3 departure. GMC decided to remove the doorway bumper’s air dam to boost technique angles.
For the first time, the Canyon has an optionally out there vitality sunroof. The well-designed MultiStow Tailgate storage system may also be new and can improve the mattress’s efficiency. Identical to the Colorado, the Canyon’s mattress has as a lot as 17 tie-downs, a 110-volt vitality outlet, and an optionally out there spray-on bedliner.
Inside: Rather a lot Improved Nevertheless Not Wonderful
It’s a night and day comparability between the outdated Canyon and the model new. A price range plastics are principally gone, and there are some soft-touch provides all by, though we nonetheless suppose GMC might need gone a bit extra to make the cabin additional befitting a truck which will worth nearly $60k.
It’s a good inside – don’t get us fallacious – nevertheless it would not switch the part forward as a whole. There are some good textured provides all through the dashboard all by the trim range, in distinction to inside the lower Colorado trims. GMC moreover recognized to us that each trim has its private distinctive character. As an example, the Denali has some pretty laser-etched wood trim panels and high-quality leather-based upholstery. The AT4X boasts a good looking Obsidian Rush inside with white accents and ‘AT4X’ embroidery on the seatbacks.
As a result of it must, the Denali comes notably well-equipped with goodies like a heated steering wheel, power-heated and ventilated entrance seats, a seven-speaker Bose audio system with an amplifier, and a multicolor head-up present.
The dashboard’s ergonomics are great nevertheless, as we well-known with the Colorado, we don’t like the reality that the headlights are literally managed by the use of the touchscreen in its place of a each day swap or button. We take into consideration some householders will adapt, nevertheless this can probably be a provide of some controversy. Based on our experience inside the Denali, we found this to be problematic on account of we would have liked to anticipate the system to mechanically activate the LEDs when driving by way of a darkish and slim mountain tunnel. There was a delay of some seconds sooner than they illuminated, and this may occasionally very effectively be a attainable safety topic. Fortunately, visibility on the time wasn’t horrible, nevertheless that’s nonetheless one factor GMC needs to cope with.
The rear seats provide ample headroom, nevertheless there’s not as loads legroom as we wish. Nonetheless, it’s a midsize truck, so we would have liked to protect our expectations in look at; youngsters won’t have any factors once more there, nevertheless tall adults will disagree. As quickly because the model new Ranger and Tacoma are launched we’ll have a additional right comparability to make as as to if the Canyon is aggressive proper right here.
Infotainment: A Principal Enhance
All Canyons come regular with an 11.3-inch coronary heart touchscreen equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Elevation and AT4 have an eight-inch driver’s present, and that’s upgraded to an 11-inch show display on the Denali and AT4X. There’s moreover a 6.3-inch head-up present, nevertheless it is only for the latter two trims.
The configurable infotainment system on no account had any delays, and we found the menus often easy to navigate. We truly beloved driver-focused tech, identical to the ten cameras positioned throughout the truck that may change into helpful for lots of sorts of circumstances. GMC equipped the AT4X we drove with a type of secret off-road weapon: HD Embody Imaginative and prescient is regular, nevertheless the optionally out there waterproof underbody cameras with a washing system are a game-changer. As we had been driving by way of insanely muddy and difficult off-road terrain, this digicam was immensely helpful in guaranteeing there was sufficient ground clearance. It was moreover entertaining to take a look at the digicam’s lens get caked in mud by the use of the off-road present.
Driving Impressions
There’s only one engine all through the trim range in a single state of tune: a small nevertheless potent 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 310 horsepower and a class-leading 430 lb-ft of torque. Satisfying reality: the Canyon has additional vitality and torque than the 2023 Toyota Tacoma V6, Ford Ranger EcoBoost, Nissan Frontier V6, and Jeep Gladiator V6. It moreover beats these 4 with a class-leading towing performance of seven,700 kilos.
That vitality is routed to each 2WD or 4WD methods by way of an eight-speed computerized transmission to an open differential on the Elevation, a limited-slip differential on AT4 and Denali, and a power-locking entrance and rear differential on the AT4X.
We drove the Denali and AT4X nevertheless had way more time (and gratifying) inside the latter. The Denali is comfortable, luxurious, and succesful on-road. Its suspension absorbed small and medium-sized bumps merely advantageous, and on no account for a second did we actually really feel like we had been in a truck. It’s clear GMC went to good lengths to inform aside the Canyon from the elemental Colorado WT. Nevertheless, we’d not dare take any of the three lower trims to the off-road route GMC designed for the AT4X portion of the event.
We drove extreme into the mountains the place the paths are solely passable by the exact type of automotive. The AT4X’s 10.7 inches of ground clearance, MultiMatic DSSV shocks, underbody skid plates, 36.9-degree technique angle, and other people 33-inch MT tires prevented us from getting stranded in some pretty furry circumstances.
The drive mode selector subsequent to the gear shifter has 5 modes, nevertheless this terrain required Off-Road, Terrain, and the AT4X-exclusive Baja. Off-Road is self-explanatory, and selecting Terrain makes points like low-speed rock crawling a breeze. We did some high-speed off-roading, aka Baja Mode, on the route’s first leg, the place the terrain lacked massive rocks, branches, and deep puddles.
Engineers wished to indicate the AT4X’s capabilities by having us re-enter Off-Road Mode sooner than flooring the truck by way of a giant and deep puddle. Hesitation would have resulted in turning into caught inside the muddy mess that solely one different AT4X would possibly pull us out of. We floored it, and the AT4X owned that patch of earth. Regardless of the obstacles and terrain, this truck confirmed zero indicators of challenge. It might merely be the model new midsize truck champion, foreshadowing the arrival of the Sierra AT4X AEV.
Verdict: GMC Wins (For Now)
It’s straightforward for us to declare that the GMC Canyon is our new favorite midsize truck, and the Chevy Colorado will not be far behind. The excellence between the two boils proper all the way down to packaging, engine output, and pricing. It’s possible you’ll’t go fallacious with each. The Canyon Denali will match the bill for luxurious truck consumers, nevertheless even the Elevation comes so well-equipped it’s laborious to label it as the underside model.
Stepping as a lot because the AT4 will fulfill most off-road followers as a consequence of its regular swap case defend, rear-locking differential, two-speed swap case, and hill descent administration. The AT4X’s capabilities are enormous, and we suspect practically all of shoppers won’t use most of them. Arduous-core off-road followers could be thrilled, though.
We might want to see headlight controls moved out of the infotainment system in favor of an analog button, nevertheless that could be a minor grievance. Rear-seat legroom was moreover a bit disappointing. The Canyon’s largest strengths are in two key areas: off-road capabilities and whole refinement. Its widened monitor, great dashboard construction, wonderful exterior styling, and an prolonged itemizing of odd choices make it a winner. Nevertheless, there’s a new Tacoma and Ranger merely throughout the nook…
Pricing: Not All of the issues Good Comes Low price
Essentially the most price efficient Canyon you can purchase is the 2WD Elevation at $36,900, excluding trip spot. 4WD costs $3,300. The rest of the trims are 4WD-only, and the AT4 kicks off at $43,900, the Denali costs $51,000, and the AT4X at $55,500. The AT4X Model 1 costs a hefty $63,350. To match, chances are you’ll get essentially the most price efficient Colorado for $29,200 with 2WD and $32,500 in 4WD guise.
The model new Canyon is a loads higher truck than sooner than, as GMC has carried out a robust job differentiating it from the Colorado, no matter their shared powertrains and platform. The Colorado lacks an opulent equal to the Canyon Denali, whereas the AT4X is analogous nevertheless not an equivalent to the Colorado Z71. The Canyon’s additional premium inside appointments and whole packaging are good, nevertheless, no matter GMC stating the value is worth it, we’re not completely glad.
Nevertheless within the occasion you want the Cadillac of midsize vans, there is no such thing as a higher possibility correct now than the Canyon Denali. And until the likes of the Toyota Tacoma Trailhhunter arrives, the AT4X is the class king of the off-road wild bunch.