2024 GMC Canyon Review: Spoiling For A Fight

The unremarkable but able second-generation GMC Canyon was replaced by a redesigned car last year, bringing the Canyon into the big league with a vastly improved mid-size truck. It's based on the similarly new Chevrolet Colorado, but GMC's more upscale market positioning means no workhorse base trims, so the base Elevation trim's price is on par with most rivals' one-up-from-base trims. This is also reflected in the Canyon being available only with the high-output 310-horsepower version of GM's now-ubiquitous 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine, and in the fact that most trims are four-wheel drive, with rear-wheel drive offered on the base model only. The most formidable of said rivals are the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger, both having been redesigned for 2024 and boasting TRD Pro and Raptor derivatives to take on the Canyon's newly minted ATX4 desert runner, now available with a hardcore off-road AEV Edition package. This is shaping up to be a mid-size battle of note.

New for 2024

The redesigned Canyon went on sale in the USA last year, so the 2024 Canyon range remains virtually unchanged except for the addition of the optional AEV Edition package on the ATX4 trim, which replaces last year's Edition 1 package. It comes with a host of specialist off-road features such as 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels with 35-inch tires, steel AEV bumpers and four steel AEV skid plates, wheel flares, and 12.2 inches of ground clearance. Other than that, there are just a few detail changes to some features and specifications, such as the big 11-inch digital gauge cluster, which is now standard on every trim. The base price of the new GMC Canyon starts at $36k.

2024 GMC Canyon Price: Which One to Buy

The starting price of the 2024 GMC Canyon Elevation is $36,000 in 2WD format, and adding 4WD will cost you an additional $3,300. All the other trims are 4WD by default, starting with the $43,000 AT4 and followed by the $51,000 Denali and the $54,300 ATX4. The ATX4 AEV Edition package adds $10,100 to the ATX4's MSRP. These prices don't include GMC's $1,595 destination charge.

It goes without saying that you'll spring for the expensive ATX4 if you want to go Raptor chasing and if the budget allows, but the Denali is the nicest on-road trim if that's not your aim. The problem with that is that its $50k-plus price is well into full-size truck territory, and we don't know if the big wheels, premium audio system, leather, and additional driver assists are worth it. Otherwise, you can add some driver assists and the Bose audio system to the AT4 for around $2,300 and still come away $5k short of the Denali's price, so the AT4 is our favorite configurable, high-value trim.

Interior and Features

The modern cabin mimics the exterior’s straightforward lines, and while big digital displays dominate, traditional features such as a regular gear shifter survive.

The Elevation isn't plush inside and some of the materials feel a little cheap, but the dashboard is of solid construction nonetheless and the cabin looks very modern with its dual digital displays. This includes a large 11-inch digital gauge cluster. It lacks a few features, but this is fixed higher up the lineup, where you also get more upscale finishes and leather on the seats. Despite the recent redesign, interior space is mediocre for a mid-sizer, and the Canyon doesn't move the game on in this regard.

Off-road suspension with a two-inch factory lift is fitted even to the base 2WD Elevation, and assist steps aren't standard on the base trims, so it's quite a step up to get into the truck, considering the minimum ground clearance of 9.6 inches. Once seated, your view out is good, but there are blind spots to the rear, so you'll have to rely on the backup camera, because rear parking sensors are standard on the top trims only.

Space

As we intimated earlier, the cabin isn't very roomy, especially in the second row, despite the truck's generous 131-inch wheelbase. The 34.7 inches of legroom available to rear-seat passengers is par for the course for a mid-size truck and similar to the Ranger's, but it's not stretch-out spacious in the fashion of the full-size Sierra 1500, which offers a vast 43.4 inches in the rear. With over 45 inches of legroom, space is abundant in the front cabin though, helped by comfortable and amply bolstered seats.

Cargo

The Canyon comes in one body configuration only - a crew cab with a short bed, measuring five feet and two inches, or 61.7 inches. This means that bed space is on par with other short-bed mid-size trucks. Bed volume amounts to 41.9 cubic feet and maximum payload is 1,640 pounds, both figures a little short of the Ranger's. From the AT4 trim and up, a 120-V bed-mounted power outlet is fitted, along with the MultiStow tailgate with its integrated storage compartment that measures 45 inches long. It can be used as a cooler box because it has a drainage hole. Reconfigurable bed rails are optional on all trims. The standard spray-in bedliner of the Denali and ATX4 is optional on the other trims.

GMC has made decent provision to store knick-knacks in the cabin, with the front passengers getting a glovebox, a phone rest, two cupholders, door pockets, and a lidded storage compartment. The rear has a door pocket on each side as well but, disappointingly, a fold-down center armrest containing cupholders and a driver's seatback pocket are standard on the two top trims only and optional on the others. The 60/40-split rear seat can fold to make the rear cabin's cargo-carrying capacity more versatile.

Materials and Colors

As standard, the Elevation comes with cloth upholstery and a Jet Black interior. Various extra-cost packages to the value of over $4k must be added to get Jet Black CoreTec leatherette upholstery. The AT4 gets a bit more variation in terms of interior colors; it has a combination of cloth and leatherette on the seats and a cabin in Jet Black/Timber, the latter an attractive tan hue used as an accent color on the seats, dash, and doors. The front seats can be had in perforated leather in the same color scheme, but only in conjunction with the Safety Plus and Premium packages, which add $1,840 to the bill.

The Denali feels more luxurious thanks to standard perforated leather in Jet Black/Teak, bronze vent surrounds, and laser-etched wood trim on the dash. The ATX4 comes only with an Obsidian Rush/Ceramic White cabin with various red interior accents, such as the vent surrounds and the stitching on the seats, console, doors, and dashboard.

Features and Infotainment

While it comes with regular cloth upholstery, unheated and manually adjustable front seats, and a manually adjustable steering column that can tilt only, the Elevation is otherwise fairly well kitted out. Standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, single-zone climate control with rear-seat air vents, power accessories, an 11-inch digital gauge cluster, a 12-V power outlet, cruise control, and an off-road performance display. The top trims gain features such as heated power front seats, leatherette or leather upholstery, wood trim, a steering wheel that also offers telescoping adjustment, dual-zone climate control, a 120-V power outlet, and remote start, among others.

Even the base trim comes with an infotainment system that has Google built-in, with features such as a big 11.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM, voice commands, Bluetooth audio streaming, three years of OnStar remote access, three USB ports (of which one is in the rear cabin), Wi-Fi capability, and a six-speaker audio system. The AT4 gains an additional rear USB port. A 6.3-inch color head-up display, wireless charging pad, and seven-speaker Bose audio system are optional on the AT4 and standard on the top two trims. A tailgate-mounted Kicker audio system with Bluetooth playback for compatible devices is optional on all trims.

Performance

A single 310-hp engine is used in all trims, and though it is torquey, there is no top-peforming derivative to take on the quickest of the Canyon’s rivals.

Performance is similar across the range because the only engine in every GMC Canyon trim is a turbocharged 2.7-liter inline four-cylinder with 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. This should be good enough to give the GMC Canyon a 0-60 sprint of around 6.5 seconds, but the added weight and huge off-road tires of the ATX4 add about a second to this time. The Canyon's top speed is limited to 100 mph. There are two drivetrain configurations, but only the Elevation is offered with the 2WD option; all the other trims are four-wheel drive. An eight-speed automatic transmission does duty across all models. An automatic limited-slip diff is standard on the AT4 and Denali, while the ATX4 gets manually lockable front and rear diffs. 4WD trims come with an Autotrac two-speed transfer case.

Trailering is important when purchasing a truck, so the Canyon's maximum towing capacity of 7,700 lbs is very competitive, beating the Ranger and Tacoma. The ATX4 can tow a lower 6,000 lbs. Minimum ground clearance is 9.6 inches, increasing to 10.7 inches on the ATX4, or 12.2 inches with the AEV Edition package and 35-inch tires fitted. Off-road ability in the ATX4 is awesome, with high-speed desert running on the cards in Baja mode.

The engine is a little coarse in the manner of a big four, but that hearty Raptor-equaling torque figure makes it feel effortlessly muscular from low revs, assisted by a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. Despite the elevated ride height, body roll is well-contained, while the ride is quite comfortable, with little pattering and few shudders intruding, even from the leaf-sprung rear axle. The steering and brakes are responsive and predictable too, making this truck as easy to drive as any car. The ATX4 is a formidable off-road machine and with the AEV Edition package fitted, it's as close to a Ranger Raptor or Tacoma TRD Pro as you can get in a Canyon, with serious hardware to back up those high-speed Baja abilities, not least the trick Multimatic dampers and huge ground clearance that beats that of both its rivals.

Fuel Efficiency

As expected, the GMC Canyon with the best mpg figures is the 2WD Elevation, with 19/23/20 mpg for the EPA's city/highway/combined cycles. In 4WD guise, the gas mileage of the Elevation, AT4, and Denali is 18/22/19 mpg, but the ATX4 with its high stance and mud-terrain tires is worse at 17/20/18 mpg.

The Canyon's fuel tank capacity of 21.4 gallons should ensure a best range of around 428 miles for the base trim to a worst of around 385 miles for the ATX4.

Safety

Initial crash scores don’t lead the class, but at least the basic driver assists are standard - while a full compliment is available at extra cost, even on base trims.

So far, there is only an NHTSA safety review of the new GMC Canyon, and the results are not as good as we were expecting, with a four-star overall rating and only the side crash getting the full five stars. The rollover test scored three stars only, but this is not a surprising result, given the elevated ride height of all the trims. The IIHS is yet to evaluate the redesigned Canyon.

The Canyon Pro Safety suite of driver assists is standard on all models and comprises front-collision alert with pedestrian/cyclist detection and automatic emergency braking, a following-distance indicator, automatic high beams, and lane-departure alert with lane-keep assist. Other features include LED headlights, cruise control, hitch guidance with a hitch view, Buckle to Drive, a teen-driver feature, and a rear-seat reminder. The AT4 adds an auto-dimming interior rearview mirror to this list. The ATX4 and Denali also get blind-spot monitoring with steering assist, rear parking sensors with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera system, but all of these features are optional on the lower trims via packages.

Reliability

JD Power hasn't yet released any GMC Canyon reliability data or ratings, but the new Canyon has had a flawless recall record so far, having not been recalled even once in either of its two model years on the market.

The limited warranty of the 2024 GMC Canyon covers the truck for three years/36,000 miles, while the powertrain warranty is valid for five years/60,000 miles. One complimentary maintenance visit within the first year of ownership is included.

Warranty

Design

Being derived from a global platform, the previous-generation Canyon's soft curves were always at odds with the bold, blocky look of the automaker's locally designed full-size trucks, but this was put right with the new generation, which now looks like a miniaturized Sierra, mimicking its big, upright grille and its sharp edges and straight lines. The Elevation and AT4 ride on 18-inch alloy wheels, the Denali gets 20s, and the off-road trims 17s, with beadlock-capable wheels forming part of the off-road-tailored ATX4's AEV Edition package. The latter also includes huge 35-inch mud-terrain tires, stamped-steel AEV bumpers skid plates, a vertical bed-mounted spare, a 12.2-inch ground clearance, and flared fenders.

LED headlights are standard across the board, while all trims above the Elevation also get LED foglights and an EZ-Lift MultiStow tailgate. Grille treatment differs by trim, with black dominating on bottom trims and chrome on the Denali. Dual front tow hooks are standard - and they're red on the AT4 and ATX4. A power sunroof is an optional extra on all trims.

Verdict: Is The 2024 GMC Canyon A Good Truck?

The GMC Canyon can trade blows with the best of the competition. The top Rangers and Tacomas still have more power and torque, and some rivals offer more body configurations and powertrains, but in terms of ride, handling, and off-road ability, the Canyon is right up there, and nice features like a proper infotainment system and big dual screens are standard on all trims. While it might not sweep the floor with its rivals, it doesn't have any glaring flaws and is now a top contender in its market segment. It has to be on your shortlist if you're in the market for a mid-size truck.