2016 GMC Canyon

By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com / Photos GM Media

For 2016 the GMC Canyon, the segment’s only premium midsize truck, raises the bar for everything from horsepower, efficiency and refinement.

Canyon lineup
Canyon is offered in base, SLE and SLT models, in 2WD and 4WD, and with an aggressively styled All-Terrain package offered on SLE models. It includes 17-inch painted aluminum wheels wrapped with all-terrain tires, a body-color grille surround with horizontal chrome bars, a body-color rear bumper, front recovery hooks, hill descent control and specific suspension tuning. It also includes a power-adjustable front passenger seat.

In addition, Canyon is also the only truck in the segment to offer AutoTrac automatic four-wheel drive, which allows the driver to select manual 4WD engagement or automatic engagement.


Capability and comfort
The 2016 Canyon is pure GMC throughout the vehicle, with a quiet, refined interior distinguished by exceptional materials and a commanding exterior presence that emulates the technology-infused design aesthetic.

Bold front-end styling incorporates standard projector beam headlamps and GMC’s LED signature lighting. Three body configurations are offered: An extended cab model with a 6’2” bed, a crew cab with a 5’2” bed, and a crew cab with a 6’2” bed. With the tailgate down, the longer bed allows eight-foot-long items to be hauled within the vehicle.

GMC Canyon delivers the capability expected of a GMC truck, including offering a greater maximum payload – 1,620 pounds (735 kg) – than competitors and the segment’s best trailering rating: 7,000 pounds (3,175 kg) with the gas V-6 and 7,700 pounds (3,493 kg) with the new Duramax diesel, when properly equipped.

Interior
Canyon’s interior is well-equipped and comfortable, all while delivering the connectivity features essential to customers with active lifestyles. The cabin also boasts exceptional attention to detail and premium materials such as soft-touch materials and aluminum trim on the instrument panel of SLE and SLT models.

The interior design blends elements of Canyon’s full-size sibling, the Sierra, with those typically found in more personal vehicles such as sports coupes, including standard front bucket seats and a center console with a floor-mounted shifter.

Comfort is enhanced with technologies, connectivity and other features that support owners’ daily and recreational lives, including a 3.5-inch-diagonal driver information screen in the instrument cluster, and a 4.2-inch-diagonal multi-color display on SLE and SLT.

Connectivity
GMC IntelliLink is standard on SLE and SLT models, and available on the base model. It combines with OnStar to bring infotainment technology to Canyon as more and more consumers have smartphones. IntelliLink extends the OnStar experience from safety and security to information and entertainment by seamlessly integrating the capability of a smartphone into the vehicle so that hand-held phones may be safely stowed while driving.

Connectivity abounds in the Canyon with OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. It provides a mobile hub for drivers and passengers to stay connected. The hotspot is on whenever the vehicle is on and comes with a three-month/three-gigabyte data trial, whichever comes first.

Powertrains
Canyon delivers the most horsepower in its segment and the best V-6 efficiency, allowing owners to haul and tow more while using less fuel than competitors’ midsize trucks.

A 2.5L I-4 is standard and SAE-certified at 200 horsepower (149 kW) and 191 lb-ft of torque (259 Nm), with approximately 90 percent of the peak torque available from 2,000 rpm to 6,200 rpm; Canyon also offers a 3.6L V-6 certified at 305 horsepower (227 kW) and 269 lb-ft of torque (365 Nm) and an EPA-estimated 26 mpg on the highway (2WD), when properly equipped.

Both of Canyon’s engines are tuned to deliver the low-rpm torque customers depend on for hauling and towing. Each incorporates features that enhance smoothness and quietness, contributing to the new truck’s exceptional refinement; and each is backed by a six-speed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual is available with the 2.5L engine in base extended cab/2WD models.

Canyon is also offered with AutoTrac automatic four-wheel drive. It’s a segment-exclusive feature, employing an electronically controlled, two-speed transfer case that allows the driver to shift from 2WD to 4WD. The driver can select four modes, 2WD, Auto, 4WD HI, or 4WD Lo. By selecting Auto mode, the transfer case will operate in 2WD and will automatically apply traction to the front wheels (4WD) when the vehicle senses wheel slippage.

The new 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel expands the Canyon lineup to give customers more choices and the capability of exploring more possibilities on and off the road. It is offered on SLE and SLT Crew Cab models, with 2WD or 4WD.

The engine is part of GM’s global family of turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines and features a variable-geometry turbocharger for optimal power and efficiency across the rpm band and a balance shaft for smoothness. Power is SAE-certified at 181 horsepower (135 kW) at 3,400 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque (500 Nm) at 2,000 rpm.

Summary
There’s an elevation in design and materials in the Canyon’s interior that reflects GMC’s precision in craftsmanship, details such as authentic aluminum trim and high-quality stitching reinforce Canyon’s position as the segment’s only premium offering, while features such as multiple USB ports and seats designed for long-haul comfort are thoughtful elements.

The Estimated fuel economy is rated at 20 mpg City and 29 mpg Highway with the 2.8L Duramax Turbo Diesel 4 Cylinder Engine. Manufacturer’s suggested starting retail price is $37,450.00, for the 2016 GMC Canyon 4WD SLT Crew Short Box, the one I drove included: Audio System-Premium Bose, Audio System, 8” Diagonal Color Touch with Navigation & Intellilink, Bed Liner Spray On, Emerald Green Metallic Paint and Driver Alert Package, and it came in at $43,365.00 including destination charge.
mlezcano@carsntravel.com

Posted in CAR REVIEWS, GMC.

Emilio Lezcano

Journalist - Editor - Photographer
Professional Race Car Driver

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