Fans of the small truck rejoice, the 2015 GMC Canyon will soon be here to help the 2015 Chevy Colorado fill the void in your heart that yearns for new understated American pickups!
So maybe my renders are still less than realistic, but a Colorado with a GMC face is pretty much what I expect to see when the cover comes off the Canyon at the Detroit Auto Show 5:15 PM on January 12.
The Canyon will have lots of toys. In a conference call last week, GM talked about fancy-pants accessories including mobile in-vehicle WiFi connected to OnStar as features they hope will help drive sales of their "upcoming products." You might not have to be one of the five guys with an ICON Thriftmaster to have WiFi in your truck this year. I also don't see any reason the Canyon wouldn't be available with the same 8-inch touch screen and array of USB slots Patrick told us about in the 2015 Colorado.
I don't think it's a leap to claim we "know" the styling of the Canyon will closely resemble that of the Colorado, however, in a breakfast meeting GM's Mark Reuss said there would be more differentiation than just a badge. That's a good thing because the little Chevy is a handsome truck, and frankly I think most GMCs are prettier than their bowtie counterparts for a lack of that divided face.
We can also expect the same cab options and bed lengths.
GMC and Chevrolet engine options have historically had some differences, so we might see something besides the Colorado's 2.5 and 3.6 when the Canyon's hood is open for a hungry pack of automotive journalists for the first time.
Will there be a manual? I feel like we would have seen it already in the Chevrolet, but GM might be using the Canyon reveal as chance to showcase the platform's three-pedal option.
And since the Avalanche is no longer with us, this will probably be the platform for the 2016 Escalade pickup. Just kidding, pray with me that does not come true.
I wouldn't expect an SS version or revision of the Syclone, but let's take a moment to fantasize about a miniature, less-expensive Raptor-style off-road toy. Not likely, but I don't think a Denali luxury model is beyond the realm of possibility.
2015 GMC Canyon: What We Know