• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Auto Trends Magazine

Car reviews, industry news, & advice.

GMC SIERRA

Premium Truck: GMC Canyon Denali Crew Cab 4×4

April 11, 2017 by admin 7 Comments

GMC brings luxury touches to its midsize pickup truck.

2017 GMC Canyon Denali Crew Cab 4x4 short bed.
2017 GMC Canyon Denali Crew Cab 4×4 short bed.

It’s been three years since GMC reintroduced its midsize Canyon pickup truck, this brand’s equivalent of the Chevrolet Colorado. Both trucks have been an overwhelming success for GM and the segment’s renewal follows that achievement.

Yes, the Toyota Tacoma remains the class leader. And although the Nissan Frontier is clearly aged, that fact hasn’t kept customers away from the Nissan. Indeed, the Frontier is the value leader with its most expensive vehicle costing about $8,000 less than the competition. Within two years, both Ford and Jeep will soon field trucks in this segment once again.

2017 GMC Canyon Denali

The GMC Canyon Denali is an example of a top-tier truck with a retail price of $42,820 for the Crew Cab short-wheelbase model (plus $995 for destination). Yes, it is possible to top $50,000 with a Denali powered by the optional 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine along with a bed-mounted tubular bar. My test model cost “only” $44,155 — that in itself is a stunning figure. Nevertheless, it is very easy to save thousands of dollars off of the sticker price due to manufacturer incentives alone.’

Read “Denali” and immediately you should recognize the top-trim of the GMC line. Every GMC product features Denali, a line marked by chrome touches across the grille, front skid plate, side mirror caps, window trim, door handles, and the wheels. Inside, you’ll find leather generously used in many places — on the dashboard, the seats, and surrounding the steering wheel. Woodgrain and aluminum trim adds contrast, elevating this model.

The base Canyon truck begins at $21,880, an extended cab, rear-wheel drive model with vinyl floor covering and no rear seat. You’ll also find a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. This engine comes with with a six-speed manual transmission. Optionally, a six-speed automatic transmission is available.

2017 GMC Canyon Denali.

Standard Equipment: Exterior and Interior

Standard Canyon Denali equipment includes projector-type headlights with LED signature lights, daytime running lights, front fog lamps, front recovery hooks, and 20-inch ultra-bright machined aluminum wheels. You’ll also find side assist steps, a locking tailgate, corner step bumpers, spray on bedliner, and cargo area lamps. Power side mirrors with a heating function are also standard.

Inside, you’ll find room for five. Of course, the crew cab is best suited for holding five; the extended cab offers limited legroom. Even with space for five, the crew cab is best suited for four grown men. Plush and supportive bucket seats are up front; a 6040 split folding bench seat is in the rear.

The front seats offer four-way power adjustment and power lumbar support. Every model comes equipped with keyless entry, full power accessories, cruise control, a tilt and telescopic steering column, steering wheel-mounted controls, a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and a sliding rear window.

On the connectivity front, the Canyon Denali rocks it. You’ll find no less than four USB ports, OnStar, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth, and an available seven-speaker Bose audio system. An eight-inch color display sits at the top of the center stack and acts as the “nerve center” for all things infotainment.

2017 GMC Canyon Denali
2017 GMC Canyon Denali.

The infotainment system comes with navigation and this may be the GMC’s weakest point. The maps are accurate and colorful, but when it comes to understanding voice commands, not so much. Indeed, after more than a half-dozen tries to find my son’s soccer field, we abandoned the system and used our Siri phones to satisfy our needs. And it wasn’t just a recurring local mistake — the IntelliLink system pulled up addresses out of state again and again.

As for standard safety equipment, beyond the usual traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes, and a suite of airbags you’ll find a rearview camera. Lane departure warning and forward collision alert are also included. GMC adds in “Teen Driver,” a function enabling parents to restrict certain behaviors as well as to track the teen’s driving habits.

Two Engine Choices

The four-cylinder engine is not available in the Denali. Instead, GMC supplies a 3.6-liter V6 engine, which is also available in upper trim Canyon models. This engine makes 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque and comes with with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Two-wheel drive models make an EPA-estimated 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. Four-wheel drive models come in at 17/24 mpg city/highway.

New this year and available with the Canyon Denali is a 2.8-liter turbocharged diesel engine. What’s significant about the turbo-diesel is that the GMC (and Chevrolet) are the only models in this segment to offer one. The TD makes 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque and also delivers the best fuel economy in the segment — 22/30 for two-wheel drive and 20/28 with four-wheel drive. This engine comes with with a six-speed automatic transmission.

As for the drive, the Canyon Denali moves away from a full stop with some deliberation. The truck seems heavy and it is — the 4×4 weighs in at just over 4,500 pounds. That’s a lot of mass to move and no wonder the V6 is standard.

2017 GMC Canyon Denali

I was more than a little surprised to encounter some hesitation with the transmission as I applied pressure to the gas pedal. Typically, gears shift smoothly, but in several instances the shift changes came in longer than I expected or wanted. Slight hesitations, but noticeable nonetheless. Notably, the gear changes seemed rough when upshifting, but not when downshifting.

Parting Thoughts

Overall, the ride is as smooth as you would expect for a midsize pickup truck — not horribly bumpy, but not as smooth as a sedan. I don’t think ride quality is the biggest issue with such trucks anyway — payload, towing, and overall versatility rank high.

Off-road capabilities is important to some, but even as a 4×2 the Canyon should satisfy most customers. It doesn’t have the girth of a GMC Sierra and that’s important to some. At the same time, the Canyon isn’t anything like the tiny Chevrolet Luv trucks that once represented the bottom of the segment. Sure, some people would prefer the tiny trucks that once plied America’s roadways, but the “chicken tax” has assured us that nothing of the sort will happen. Instead, we may see a few car-based models appear down the line, with Hyundai reportedly considering one.

All in all, the Canyon Denali is a truck that blends elegance with burliness, but it comes at a steep cost. If you can live without the Denali label, a fully-optioned truck should cost you no more than $35,000. At the same time, you may find that discounting on the larger Sierra comes in steeper, bringing into play a truck you might have thought too big for your needs or at least out of your range.


2017 GMC Canyon Denali
2017 GMC Canyon Denali
2017 GMC Canyon Denali
2017 GMC Denali Canyon

2017 GMC Canyon Denali Crew Cab 4×4 Specifications

GMC Canyon Denali
Segment midsize pickup truck
Base Sticker Price $42,820
Price as Tested $44,155
Standard Engine 3.6-liter, V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Horsepower 308 @ 6,800
Torque (lb.-ft.) 275 @ 4,000
Seating 2+3
Curb Weight (pounds) 4,545
Wheelbase (inches) 128.3
Length (inches) 212.4
Width (inches) 74.3 (without mirrors)
Height (inches) 70.6
Head room (f,r — inches) 41.4, 38.3
Leg room (f,r — inches) 45.0, 35.8
Shoulder room (f,r — inches) 57.5, 56.3
Hip room (f,r — inches) 55.0, 53.4
Storage (cubic feet) 41.3
Gross vehicle weight (pounds) 5,800
Towing (pounds) 3,500/7,000 (tow package)
Fuel regular
Fuel Tank (gallons) 21
EPA Fuel MPG (city/highway) 17/24
Manufacturing Plant Wentzville, Missouri

2017 GMC Canyon Denali
2017 GMC Canyon Denali
2017 GMC Canyon Denali
2017 GMC Canyon Denali
2017 GMC Canyon Denali.
2017 GMC Canyon Denali
Photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: New Car Reviews Tagged With: 2017 trucks, Canyon Denali, CHEVROLET COLORADO, CREW CAB, FORD RANGER, four-wheel drive, GMC CANYON, GMC SIERRA, Jeep, NISSAN FRONTIER, PICKUP TRUCKS, Toyota Tacoma

King of the Pickup Trucks? Why, That Would be GM.

January 7, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

GM sells more pickup trucks in the US than any other manufacturer.

2015 Chevrolet Silverado Extended Cab.

2015 Chevrolet Silverado Extended Cab.

For the 39th consecutive year, the Ford F-Series was the best selling pickup truck model. For 2015, Ford sold 780,354 units of its full-size truck in the US, once again besting all comers. Ford likes to champion its F-150 model, but the blue oval isn’t the king of all pickup trucks. Instead, that title belongs to GM.

Indeed, GM also had a banner year selling its full-size pickup trucks, but its sales are split between two models: the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Chevrolet registered 600,544 units sold for the Silverado, while GMC sold 224,139 copies of its Sierra. That’s a total of 824,683 full-size trucks, giving GM an edge of 44,329 units over Ford.

GM also sells a pair of midsize trucks in the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon. Last year, Chevrolet dealers moved 84,430 copies of the Colorado, while GMC dealers sold 30,077 Canyons. That’s 114,507 midsize pickup trucks Ford doesn’t match as its Ranger was discontinued in 2011.

2015 Ford F-150 SuperCab

2015 Ford F-150 SuperCab

GM: King of the Pickup Trucks

Add the 44,329 full-size truck edge for GM to its 114,507 midsize truck sales and GM’s lead widens to 158,836. So, in 2015 GM sold 939,190 pickup trucks to Ford’s 780,354 total and although both are excellent numbers, GM is the indisputable king of pickup trucks.

Ram, like Ford, is another brand that does without a midsize pickup truck. The Ram (formerly Dodge) Dakota was also discontinued in 2011 and there is no replacement pending. Nevertheless, in 2015 Ram sold 451,116 units of its full-size truck, putting it in third-place among pickup truck retailers.

Fourth place belongs to Toyota whose midsize Tacoma pickup truck outsells its full-size Tundra model. In 2015, Toyota sold 179,562 copies of its Tacoma, good for first place in that segment. It also sold 118,880 Tundras, the fifth best selling full-size truck model. Together, the two models accounted for 298,442 Toyota pickup trucks sold last year.

2015 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 4WD Crew Cab

2015 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 4WD Crew Cab

Bringing up the Rear: Nissan Titan

Nissan is another manufacturer where its best selling pickup truck is a midsize model. In 2015, Nissan sold 62,817 copies of its Frontier, finishing behind the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado, but ahead of the GMC Canyon. Its nearly invisible full-size Titan model registered only 12,140 units for the entire year, representing less than a week’s worth of sales for Ford.

Titan took the sixth and final place among the large trucks; Nissan’s truck sales totaled 74,957 units for 2015. The good news for Nissan is that an all-new Titan XD and Titan are rolling out this year. A new Frontier model is expected to follow in 2017.

2016 Nissan Titan XD Crew Cab

2016 Nissan Titan XD Crew Cab

Upcoming Honda and Hyundai Offerings

One more manufacturer registered truck sales in 2015 and that was Honda. Last year, Honda sold 520 units of its discontinued Ridgeline, a midsize unibody model dropped in 2014. An all-new 2017 Honda Ridgeline debuts at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week.

In the short term, both Toyota and Nissan look to benefit from sales as each brand fields new models. Depending when the Ridgeline appears in Honda showrooms, it will once again register its share of sales, although its overall impact on the market may be minimal.

Hyundai also plans to jump in to the pickup truck market, by offering the Santa Cruz, a model that will compete directly with the Honda Ridgeline. Hyundai is expected to debut a production ready model at a major auto show this year, but we probably won’t see it until 2017. The Santa Cruz is more of a crossover than it is pickup truck, so it won’t be ideal for towing.

2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD.

2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD.

See Also — US Auto Sales Set New Record in 2015

Photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine.

Filed Under: Special Tagged With: CHEVROLET COLORADO, Chevrolet Silverado, FORD F SERIES, GM, GMC CANYON, GMC SIERRA, HONDA RIDGELINE, HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ, NISSAN FRONTIER, Nissan Titan XD, RAM PICKUP, Toyota Tacoma, TOYOTA TUNDRA

  • « Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • …
  • Page 11
  • Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Social Media

Visit our social media pages:
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Pinterest

Where is Matt Currently Published?

CARFAX (new car reviews)
NAPA Know How Blog
On the Road Again

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS

Pages

  • About
  • Automotive Brochures
  • Contact
  • Write
    • Style Guide

Categories

Recent Posts

  • First Look: 2019 Toyota Avalon
  • The Next-Generation Chevrolet Equinox
  • Cute Ute: 2018 Ford EcoSport
  • Maxima Fighter: 2018 Toyota Camry XSE
  • At the Spring 2018 Charlotte AutoFair
  • Amped Up With a 2018 Nissan Leaf
  • New Pickup Truck Shopping Tips
  • High Country Chevy Silverado Delivers a Premium Package
  • Revived Lincoln Aviator Set to Take Flight
  • All-Wheel Drive Surprise: 2019 Nissan Altima
  • GMC Introduces Off-Road Sierra AT4 Line
  • Toyota: 2019 Corolla Hatchback Returns
  • Electric Avenue: BMW 740e
  • Cadillac Exclusive: Twin-Turbo V8 Engine
  • Generation Two: 2018 Buick Enclave
  • Grand SUV: Ford Expedition Platinum
  • PHEV: 2018 Mini Cooper Countryman
  • New! 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label
  • Rolling Classic: 2018 Chevrolet Suburban
  • The Electrified 2018 Volvo S90 T8
  • Luxury Elevated: Range Rover Velar
  • Quick Stop: IIHS Begins Rating Rear Crash Prevention Systems
  • Unpacking the 2019 Volvo XC40
  • Premium Midsize SUV: 2018 Toyota Highlander
  • Automated Driving? IIHS Researchers Detect Ambivalence
  • Enhanced Performance: 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe RST
  • Live! From the 2018 Chicago Auto Show!
  • Highlights of the 2018 Jeep Wrangler
  • Bestseller: 2018 Nissan Rogue
  • How to Keep Children Safe in a Crash
  • President Trump’s SOTU Address Touts $1.5 Trillion Infrastructure Investment
  • Waymo Expands Commitment to Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
  • Genesis to Separate From Hyundai Showrooms
  • Limited Time Only: Jaguar F-TYPE 400 SPORT
  • At a Glance: 2019 Ford Edge ST
  • Hyundai Veloster N: Namyang Performance
  • At a Glance: 2019 Kia Forte
  • New Toyota Avalon Demonstrates Commitment to a Languishing Segment
  • Refreshed Jeep Cherokee Includes New Turbo Engine
  • The Next Centennial: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  • Happy Centennial: 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  • New 2019 Ram 1500 Includes Mild Hybrid Drivetrains
  • Ford Ranger Fun Facts
  • Steady as She Goes: 2018 Volkswagen Passat
  • America’s Top 10 Selling Vehicles in 2017
  • All Terrain and the 2018 GMC Acadia
  • How to Buy a Repo Vehicle
  • Super Steed: Ford Performance Enhanced Mustang GT
  • Check Engine Light On: How to Diagnose (OBD-II)
  • Behind the Wheel of the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek
April 2018
S M T W T F S
« Mar    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  

Copyright © 2018 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in