2004 GMC Canyon

Midsize pickups get a little bit bigger

Don Fuller / autoMedia.com

It may help the reader to understand that GMC is describing the all-new Canyon pickup as "More Truck, More Choices." It may also help the reader to understand that particular two-part claim is not without some merit. In the popular midsize pickup category, as defined by such year-in, year-out players as the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger and Dodge Dakota, the Canyon and its Chevy equivalent, the Colorado, really are bigger in some ways, and do offer an impressively wide range of choices.

The extended cab Canyon has four doors?the two rear ones hinged at the rear side?with available forward-facing rear seats, a flat load floor and storage space under the rear seats. First, this is a pretty much all-new product, from the frame up. There are three cab choices: regular, extended and crew cab. The regular cab offers more interior room than anything else in the segment. The extended cab version has four doors—the two rear ones hinged at the rear side—with available forward-facing rear seats, a flat load floor and storage space under the rear seats. The crew cab's four doors are all hinged at the forward side and there's a flat-folding rear bench seat. The regular cab rides on a wheelbase of 111.3 inches, the other two on 126.0 inches, and the regular and extended cab versions each have a cargo bed length of 73.2 inches, while that of the crew cab measures 61.2 inches.

There are two engine choices, both based on the 4.2-liter Vortec DOHC inline six-cylinder as applied to the Chevy Trailblazer and GMC Envoy, and each derived from, in a manner of speaking, chopping off a cylinder or two from the six. Thus, the base engine is a 2.8-liter Vortec DOHC inline four, and the up-level powerplant is a 3.5-liter Vortec DOHC inline five. These are impressive engines. The four-cylinder makes 175 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 185 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,800 rpm. According to GMC, this is not only more output than any other four-cylinder in the class, but even more than some standard V-6 engines. Opt for the five-cylinder, and you get 220 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 225 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,800, which is more horsepower than any V-6 in the class, and approaching the output of some of the smaller V-8s.

These engines have aluminum blocks and heads, chain-driven camshafts, roller finger cam followers with hydraulic lash adjusters, continuously variable valve timing, and deliver quite remarkable smoothness through the application of dual balance shafts. They score high marks for performance, throttle response, fuel efficiency and ease of maintenance; and, with thousands of them (in the form of the six-cylinder 4.2-liter version) already on the road, the durability is a proven commodity.

The SLE includes carpeting, bucket seats, tilt wheel, cruise control and rear seats for extended cab models. Perhaps a few words are necessary about the five-cylinder engine. There are some who might say that, well, five cylinders is an odd amount. It certainly is—five, of course, being an odd number. But, while unusual, there's nothing at all improper or even, for that matter, unique, about a five-cylinder engine. After all, Mercedes-Benz was building five-cylinder diesels nearly 30 years ago, Audi has offered five-cylinder cars for years, and every proper aircraft radial piston engine has an odd number of cylinders—five, seven, or nine—per bank, or row. And, on a purely spiritual level, there has never been any proof that any single cylinder has ever been even the slightest bit aware of exactly how many other cylinders were hooked up to that particular crankshaft.

There are two trim levels, SL and SLE. The SLE includes carpeting, bucket seats, tilt wheel, cruise control and rear seats for extended cab models. Transmission choices are a new five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, there is two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, and two suspension calibrations; the "standard" suspension is called "Heavy Duty," and is for the usual truck chores, and there's a "High Stance Off Road" package for those who just can't wait to go someplace where our tax dollars haven't yet paved things over nice and smooth.

Steering is power rack and pinion, and brakes are discs in front, drums in the rear, with ABS as standard equipment. On the safety side, there are dual-stage front airbags, with an airbag cutoff switch for the passenger's side (in those without rear seats) for times when there's nowhere else for the child's safety seat.

The upline optional 5-cylinder engine makes 220 hp and 225 lb.-ft. of torque, which is more horsepower than any V-6 in the class. For the cargo hauling side—which is, after all, what trucks were once built for—there are eight tie-downs in the bed, two-tier loading, and one nice little feature of convenience is that the tailgate straps can be adjusted to hold it at a 55-degree angle, which can help keep longer stuff from sliding out and, thoughtfully, will support the aft end of a 4x8 sheet of plywood that's in the upper tier position.

The eager customer will have to get himself or herself down to the friendly GMC dealer to check out all the little features, but once on the test drive one thing that should stand out should be the responsive and even quick level of performance. The four-cylinder is more than surprising, and the five-cylinder has a definite spunky feel to it. There has also been considerable time spent on the ride and handling side, as well, because the Canyon gets down the road with a level of smoothness, a quiet, sure steering feel and general overall comfort that, if not equal to a luxury sedan, is at least commendable for a midsize pickup.

If you're in any way, shape or form considering a midsize pickup for your next vehicle, you will be well advised to include your local GMC dealer, and the Canyon, on the shopping trip. (www.gmc.com)