Video: 2023 GMC Canyon: Up Close
By Cars.com Editors
August 15, 2022
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In the past, the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado have been pretty similar vehicles, kind of like two variations on the same theme, and that makes sense in that they were basically the same truck: same engines, same platform, same chassis, similar i...
nteriors, similar styling, as well. The biggest difference between the two really seemed to be more marketing-based. Now, that changed a little bit with the last Canyon, and the styling started to look a little bit different, but for the 2023 model year, we have an all-new GMC Canyon and we also have an all-new Chevrolet Colorado, as well. But this might just be the most different that the Canyon has ever been from the Colorado. Now, why is that? Let me show you. Now, what do I mean by the fact that it's more different than it ever has been? Well, first of all, look at this thing. It sits a lot higher, it's a lot wider than it was before, you've got great big bulging fenders, you've got 32-inch tires on all models except for the ultimate off-road version, the AT4X, which is new for 2023. It'll have 33-inch tires on 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels. The Canyon also features common styling elements with all trim levels that are meant to help it go off-road a little bit better. The bumper is a prime example of that. It's a lot higher than it was before and it has these cutouts in front of the wheels that help you go over things like boulders and obstacles off-road without damaging the corners of your bumper. It's hard to damage the corners of your bumper when your bumper simply doesn't have any corners. You've also got standard LED lighting across the board. And one thing that's missing is the air dam. You see, there's no specific on-road model for the Canyon anymore, so that air dam for fuel economy is no longer there. Well, we're not exactly sure what that's going to do for fuel economy, we don't have those numbers yet, but we do know what powertrain it's going to have. Every 2023 GMC Canyon is going to have the same engine. It's not like the Colorado, where you have one engine but three power outputs. You've just got the one powertrain for the '23 Canyon. It is the top engine from the Colorado, a 310-horsepower, 430 foot-pounds of torque, turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Now that is a lot of power for a mid-size truck and we are looking at the four different grades of GMC canyon for '23: the Elevation trim, the AT4, the Denali and the AT4X. That Elevation trim is going to come with standard two-wheel drive with optional four-wheel drive. So consider a rear-wheel-drive pickup with that much V-8 level power from a turbocharged four-cylinder. That thing is probably gonna be a rocket ship. The hero model for the '23 model year is this one. This is the new AT4X, the first time we've seen that on the Canyon, and it builds off of the AT4 off-road model with a couple of extra capabilities using some parts that have been borrowed from the Colorado ZR2. The biggest borrowed part is under here. This is the Multimatic DSSV rear suspension system which enables it to go off-road at a rather advanced clip. Now, that also means you get a fifth drive mode for the AT4X called Baja, and that should pretty much tell you exactly what it's good for. If you really want to spiff up your AT4X, you order this one. This is actually the Edition 1 model, and for a little bit extra cash, you get a little bit extra bling such as this aluminum safari bar, the 30-inch integrated LED lights up front. You've also got a steel bumper, as well, and a more advanced, more robust skid plate underneath. And it also includes a standard come-up winch in case you get yourself somewhere where you can't get out of. One of the biggest areas that they've differentiated the Colorado from the Canyon is inside. Look at this interior. It actually looks significantly different than the new Colorado's interior does. Whereas the Colorado is very rectangular and blocky, the new Canyon actually looks kind of like a mini Sierra 1500. You've got these trapezoidal designs in the dash around the vents. You've got premium materials in here that are a damn sight better than they were on the outgoing '22 model. Look at the stitching and the leather steering wheel. The leather quality of the seats is also fantastic. This being the AT4X model, the idea in here, I'm told, is that extreme winter sports are what really inspired this interior theme. And so you've got black and white leather, you've got red accents everywhere, red stitching in the seats and on the console, optional red seat belts, as well. It's meant to really bring to mind that kind of winter equipment with the red accents of, like, carabiners and clips and things like that, but not only have they differentiated it from the Colorado in terms of its interior styling, but they've also really changed it, trim level to trim level, as well. Check out the Denali, the new Denali trim level sure looks better than the last one did. The material quality in here is fantastic, and that really is in keeping with what GMC said its customers wanted. When they buy a Canyon Denali, they don't want less truck, they just want smaller truck. And that's what they've delivered. The interior in here is easily as nice as the bigger Sierra. You've actually got real wood trim on the dash and the doors. You've got excellent-looking chrome around the surrounds. The leather quality on the seats is also fantastic. So finally, they've created a Canyon Denali that is actually described as a luxury truck pretty accurately. So when is the '23 Canyon gonna get here and how much is it gonna cost? Well, ordering has just opened now, especially for this one, the new AT4X Edition 1. The Elevation, the AT4 and the Denali will show up early in 2023. The AT4X is going to show up in the spring of '23. Now, in terms of pricing, the base two-wheel-drive Elevation is gonna start at about $40,000, which is considerably more than we expect the Colorado is going to come in at, but it also has that premium engine and it has a lot more standard equipment, as well. If you want one of these AT4X Edition 1s, this is gonna set you back about $63,000, which is full-size truck money for a mid-size truck. But quite frankly, given all of its capabilities and equipment, it should pretty much live up to that price in terms of its capabilities. If you'd like to know more about the new 2023 GMC Canyon or any of the GMC lineup, you can look everything up on Cars.com.
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