GMC Canyon: The Premium Twin of the Chevrolet Colorado

The GMC Canyon is a mid-size pickup from General Motors, sold as the twin of the Chevrolet Colorado. The first Colorado and Canyon arrived in 2004, the North American generation launched for 2015, and a third generation followed for the 2023 model year.

This profile follows the Canyon from its shared origins and the Isuzu link, through the North American generation with its own grille, to the ZR2 off-road trim and the third generation.

Where did the Canyon come from?

The Canyon and its Chevrolet twin were introduced in 2004 to replace the S-10 and the S-15 Sonoma compact pickups. The Chevrolet name came from the US state of Colorado, while the Canyon took its name from a deep chasm between cliffs.

GM's North American operations, GM Brazil and Isuzu shared the design work. Isuzu had already sold its own version worldwide from 2002, and the first trucks left the line in October 2003. The cooperation echoed a 1970s arrangement in which the Chevrolet LUV was a rebadged Isuzu Faster.

All of the family was built on the GMT355 platform. Most vehicles for markets outside North America were built at a GM plant in Rayong, Thailand, while every North American model came from Shreveport Operations.

A pickup built on a shared chassis that still found its own grille, its own trims and its own off-road edition.

How well did the first Canyon sell?

Colorado and Canyon US sales peaked in 2005 at 163,204 units. That year they ran almost 35% ahead of the Ford Ranger and were just 3.3% behind the Toyota Tacoma, which had become the new best-seller.

The picture changed in 2006. The twins still led the Ranger by 27.5%, but their sales lagged the Tacoma by almost 34%. One 2005 Canyon, owned by the Senate candidate Scott Brown, became well known because it featured in his television advertisements.

What did the first-generation Canyon offer?

North American models offered manual and automatic transmissions, with rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. Most came with the 2.8 L (171 cu in) LK5 inline four as standard, while a 3.5 L I5 came with the Z71 package on four-door versions and was optional on the rest.

The Canyon used its own trim names: Canyon, SLE and SLT. The Colorado used Base, LS and LT, so the two twins were distinguished by badging as much as by mechanics.

Three cab styles were offered. A regular cab had a 6 ft (1.8 m) box and seated two or three, an extended cab had the same box and seated four or five, and a crew cab had a shorter 5 ft (1.5 m) box and seated five or six.

How did the suspension options differ?

The base Z85 suspension gave a comfortable ride. The Z71 off-road suspension added a locking rear differential, heavier-duty shock absorbers and extra ride height for better clearance.

The ZQ8 Sport suspension sat lower and was firmer for better handling, and it came with 17-inch wheels, a colour-matched bumper and grille, and low-profile fender flares. It was offered only on 4x2 models.

A Xtreme edition of the ZQ8 used a different front and rear bumper, side skirts and 18-inch wheels. It continued a trim package from the Chevrolet S-10 that came before it.

What changed with the 2007 and 2009 facelifts?

For 2007 the Colorado and Canyon were facelifted and given new engines, the 2.9 L LLV I4 and the 3.7 L LLR I5, which were introduced because of numerous head problems. New colours and new tyres and wheels arrived at the same time.

For model year 2009 the truck was facelifted again and a 5.3 L LH8 V8 was added. That V8 was rated at 300 hp (224 kW), with 320 lb-ft (434 N-m) of torque. In 2009 a Bluetooth hands-free phone system was offered for the first time as optional equipment.

How safe was the early Colorado?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the extended Colorado a Good overall score in its frontal offset crash test, while the crew cab was rated Acceptable. In the side impact test the crew cab was rated Poor, with or without side curtain airbags.

Side curtain airbags became standard on all 2010 models, but side torso airbags were never offered.

What was the Isuzu i-series?

The Isuzu i-series was a midsized pickup manufactured from 2005 to 2008 and sold exclusively in the United States. It was launched at the 2005 New York International Auto Show and replaced the Hombre, which had been out of production since 2000.

The i-series was based on the Colorado and Canyon, and two models were offered at launch. The i-280 used the 2.8 L I4, while the i-350 used the 3.5 L I5 and could be had with an extended or crew cab. For 2007 they became the i-290 and i-370.

Sales were poor. Just 1,377 were sold from the start of production through February 2006, and the i-series was discontinued when Isuzu withdrew from the US market after the 2008 model year.

How did the Colorado reach Australia and Thailand?

GM Thailand began making the Colorado in March 2004, with styling that differed a little from the North American version. Its facelifted model was later exported to Australia as the Holden Colorado from 2008.

The Holden Colorado replaced the D-Max-based Holden Rodeo, because the split between General Motors and Isuzu meant the Rodeo could no longer continue. Power came from a 2.4-litre four-cylinder and the Australian-made 3.6-litre Alloytec engine, while the diesel was an Isuzu 4JJ1 unit of 3.0 litres.

The second-generation Holden Colorado went on sale in June 2012 in Australia and New Zealand, sourced from the Rayong factory. Production of the Colorado in Thailand ended in 2020, when General Motors stopped operating there.

When did the North American generation arrive?

The North American model was unveiled on 20 November 2013 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Wentzville Assembly started building them in 2014, and dealer lots filled from mid to late 2014 with early 2015 models.

General Motors spent $380 million to expand the Wentzville plant by 500,000 sq ft to support the new truck. In September 2014 it added workers after dealers placed advance orders for 30,000 Colorado and Canyon trucks.

The North American frame was 40% lighter than the global version and used high-strength steel, and the body was made longer. The launch engines were a 2.5 L Ecotec I4 and a 3.6 L LFX V6, and a 2.8 L Duramax LWN turbodiesel was added in 2016.

How did the GMC Canyon differ from the Colorado?

The GMC Canyon was introduced on 12 January 2014 and made its public debut at the Detroit auto show the following day. Dealers began selling it in the second quarter of 2014, as a 2015 model.

Compared with its cousin, the Canyon had the same features, but a higher MSRP and more options. Its front grille closely resembles that of the full-size GMC Sierra, and the base model used the 2.5 L Ecotec I4 with a six-speed manual.

Buyers could add active aero grille shutters, OnStar with 4G LTE and on-board Wi-Fi, forward collision and lane departure warnings, and a Teen Driver feature that caps speed and audio volume.

Denali styling was planned for the mid-size truck as a 2016 model. Spy shots of a Canyon with Denali styling were posted on 16 February 2015, and the Denali later became one of the Canyon's trims.

What trims did the Canyon offer?

For 2021 the Canyon and the Colorado both received a facelift. The Canyon's trims were reduced and renamed as Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4 and Denali, while the SLE and SLT names were dropped.

The base Canyon was offered only as a 2WD model with a six-speed manual transmission, and the manual was discontinued in mid-2019 when a six-speed automatic became standard. The Canyon came with three trim levels and either two-wheel or four-wheel drive.

What is the ZR2 trim?

The ZR2 concept was shown at the 2014 LA Auto Show. Positive feedback led to a production-ready version at the 2016 LA Auto Show, and it joined the 2017 lineup.

The ZR2 is tailored heavily towards off-road performance. It has a 3.5 inch wider track, a 2 inch lift, Multimatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve dampers, electronic locking front and rear differentials and aluminium skid plates for the radiator, oil pan and front differential.

The ZR2 also has rock sliders, 31-inch tyres on new 17x8 wheels, and an off-road mode that changes throttle progression, shift calibration, traction control and stability control. Engines were the 3.6 L LGZ V6 and the 2.8 L Duramax LWN turbodiesel.

In 2018 the ZR2 was featured on Motor Trend Head 2 Head, where it faced a 2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon. Four Wheeler named the Colorado ZR2 its 2018 Pickup Truck of the Year.

How did the ZR2 lead to military trucks?

GM Defense and the US Army TARDEC partnered in 2016 to develop and test the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 fuel cell electric truck. It was designed with low acoustical and heat signatures, on-board water production, exportable electric power and off-road capability.

The US Army's Infantry Squad Vehicle takes much of its design from the diesel ZR2, and about 90% of its parts are commercial off-the-shelf items.

What changed in the third generation?

The third generation debuted in July 2022 for the 2023 model year. It is available only as a crew cab with a single bed length, and it shares its L3B engine and frame with the full-size Silverado.

Despite being a mid-size truck, the third-generation Canyon is somewhat bigger than the full-size Silverado in some dimensions, because it is built around the same chassis and frame.

What are the GMC Canyon specifications?