The pickup truck driver is a different breed, regardless of age, race, sex or creed. He or she might be on the lookout for a massive extended cab with just as much payload behind it — creating that pavement going freighter that rules whatever lane it chooses. They might opt for the smaller, sportier version better fitted to urban transport use.
Regardless, that driver wants the pickup to be a proper truck — not an overgrown car pretending to be one by offering to carry something off from Ikea in what passes for its payload bed. A pickup truck driver always a proper pickup, and that’s what GMC Canyon was intended to be and is in every sense of the world.
The Canyon is new to the 2015 lineup, generating a little less buzz than the award winning Colorado that also hit showrooms this year. GMC describes it as a Small Pickup Truck, but it doesn’t look like it at first impressions — and it doesn’t drive like it on extended impressions.
Related: 2014 Sierra Denali 1500 4WD Crew Cab
With the reasonable average MSRP starting around $27,000 (a nice ballpark for a new pickup), the standard Canyon gets its work done with a 2.5 liter, four cylinder engine putting out 200 horsepower. Higher trim levels push over $31,000 and offer a 3.6 liter V6. Official fuel economy numbers say you’ll get 19 street and 26 mpg out of those engines and the 21 gallon fuel tank.
As all pickup trucks should be, its rear wheel drive with a manual transmission (with optional automatic available). Equipped with four wheel drive and tow mode settings, the Canyon is fully capable of executing any of the typical pickup duties your imagination can receive.
If there’s an explanation for its “small” designation (beyond the fact that GMC makes some truly massive consumer vehicles like the Denali line), it’s the designed imbalance between crew cab and truck bed. Even a quick glance at the truck shows an ample passenger space married to a shortened payload area. That indicates an intention for a more urban mobile environment in which the Canyon will be asked to move people as much, if not more so, than goods or equipment.
Its cargo area is 74 by 57.8 inches — forging a carrying space that wouldn’t serve extended items such as building materials or landscaping items. But, it would be plenty large for sports equipment, golf clubs, party provisions or anything else city dwellers would need to move.
