2004-2011 GMC Canyon: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

General Motors introduced its new family of compact pickup trucks with the 2004 GMC Canyon and its Chevrolet Colorado sibling. GM called these "midsize" pickups. While Chevrolet's Canyon was slightly larger than the GMC Sonoma model it replaced, it was smaller than the Dodge Dakota--the largest pickup in the compact class. Available in regular, extended, and crew-cab body styles, Canyon and Colorado had separate trim details but shared a platform and two new GM truck engines. Replacing a 120-hp 2.2-liter as the base four-cylinder was a 175-horsepower 2.8-liter. A 220-horsepower 3.5-liter inline five-cylinder edged aside the prior 190-hp 4.3-liter V6. Both new engines had dual overhead cams rather than the previous overhead valves, and both teamed with a manual or automatic transmission. Each was available with rear-wheel drive or with 4WD that had low-range gearing but had to be disengaged on dry pavement. Canyon's regular cab seated up to three. Extended cabs came with dual rear-hinged back doors and seating for five, while the four-door Crew Cab seated up to six occupants. Crew Cab pickups had a 5-foot-long cargo box, while others had a 6-foot bed. Antilock braking was standard. Available for the first time on a GM pickup were curtain side airbags that covered all seating rows. Available on all body styles, with either 2WD or 4WD, was the optional Z71 off-road suspension, which added elevated ground clearance. Canyon did not offer the Colorado's ZQ8 sport-suspension option. All Canyons had 15-inch wheels and were available with a locking rear differential. Traction control was a new option for 2WD versions. Additional options included heated leather seats, OnStar assistance, and satellite radio. Sold alongside Canyon for the 2004 model year were heldover GMC Sonoma Crew Cabs. Canyon's performance and accommodations mirrored those of similarly-equipped Colorados. With the Canyon, GMC competed against the Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma, as well as the Dodge Dakota.