2018 GMC Canyon Denali essentials: Plenty of truck in a smaller footprint

What is it: The 2018 GMC Canyon Denali is a midsize pickup with the creature comforts of a family sedan, the grunt of a diesel work truck...and the price of a full-size pickup. If you don't want to spring for the diesel you can also get a 200-hp 2.5-liter four or a 308-hp V6. The 2.5-liter four is available with a manual; otherwise you get a six- or eight-speed automatic.

Key Competitors:Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Honda Ridgeline

Base Price: $44,065 As-Tested Price: $48,290

Full Review: GMC Canyon Denali first drive

Highlights: Diesel punch paired with plenty of creature comforts and that (apparently) coveted Denali badge. The Canyon, realistically, it's all the truck you need. The 2018 model is a carryover with just a few new bits, including black leather on All Terrain models.

Our Opinion: New model year, new truck? Nope. Digging through the GMC Canyon's "new for 2018" features, we're left with...a washer fluid level sensor, now standard across all Canyon trims. That's not much of a leap forward, but the truck arguably needed little in terms of refinement -- something a quick glance at our 2017 review makes clear. On paper and in practice, there's almost nothing to gripe about when it comes to these midsizers, save for price.

The big change on this tester is the addition of the 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel, which doesn't settle concerns over pricing (quite the opposite) but does add a respectable dose of capability. It's a $3,730 option, which pushes the as-tested sticker to a startling $48,290. Ridiculous, until you look and see what full-size trucks are going for these days (and maybe still ridiculous even after that). The motor itself is a little clattery, but not out of character for a pickup. Those used to either the very well noise-isolated diesels of full-size trucks or the smooth oil-burning sewing machines made by the Germans (...but look where that got them) will find this Duramax to be more of a presence than the modern vehicle buyer is used to. You adjust to it quickly.

2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road Essentials Easy to Drive Hard to Parallel Park

Depending on what you need the truck for, the Duramax just may be worth the price tag. Trailering capacity, 7,600 pounds as-equipped, can't touch a full-size truck, but it's well within the realm of anything an occasional hauler will need to do courtesy of the diesel's 369 lb-ft of torque. That's 600 lbs. more than a comparable 3.6-liter gasoline Canyon can do. Add in the fuel economy (you shouldn't have trouble hitting or exceeding that 23 mpg combined figure during daily driving) and the Canyon's more-than-manageable footprint, at least compared to the full-size trucks on the lot today, and the package starts to look pretty appealing.

But, just as we said last time around, don't expect a bargain. The Denali badge adds less to the package than on other vehicles in the GMC range; you get a slightly different appearance, but that's about it. I'd advise you to save that money by sticking with the non-Denali Canyon -- or, if you can put your brand-consciousness aside, hopping into the Chevrolet Colorado. That truck starts at less than $42,000 when equipped with the diesel, which feels a lot more reasonable than this truck's hefty $48,000-plus price tag.

-- Graham Kozak, features editor

Graham Kozak - Graham Kozak drove a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot. He thinks all the things they're doing with fuel injection and seatbelts these days are pretty nifty too.
See more by this author»

On Sale: Now

Base Price: $44,065

As Tested Price: $48,290

Powertrain: 2.8-liter DOHC turbocharged I4 diesel, 4WD, six-speed automatic

Output: 186 hp @ 3,400 rpm; 369 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,996 lb

Fuel Economy: 20/28/23 mpg(EPA City/Hwy/Combined)

Options: 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel ($3,730), red quartz tintcoat ($495)

Pros: Does almost as much as a full-size pickup in near full-size comfort, with a smaller footprint

Cons: The price tag is dang near full-size, too

Let's block ads! (Why?)