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Buy this Ford vs Ferrari GT40 Movie Car2020 GMC Canyon Review: A Smooth Ride Lacking in Safety Features
The 2020 GMC Canyon offers many engine and drivetrain options making for a smooth ride with heavy-duty towing capabilities.
What’s New for the 2020 GMC Canyon?
The 2020 GMC Canyon is mostly unchanged from the 2019 model. GMC added a remote-locking tailgate and a tire fill alert to the standard features on higher trims. A new exterior color was also added – Carbon Black Metallic.
A new off-road trim will be added in 2021. Check out our 2021 GMC Canyon Review.
2020 GMC Canyon – media.gmc.com | Shop 2020 GMC Canyon on Carsforsale.com
The Breakdown
High towing and cargo capacity
Car-like handling
Many engine, drivetrain, and powertrain options
Not enough safety features
Poor safety ratings
Many features only available on top trim model
More standard safety and interior features
2020 Canyon Specs
- 200 horsepower from base engine
- 191 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 6 available trims
- Standard 7-inch infotainment touchscreen
- StabiliTrak stability control system
- Rearview camera
- 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty
2020 GMC Canyon Powertrain
The 2020 GMC Canyon gives buyers three engine options. Base models come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission (automatic is an option) that produces 200 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque. The base engine is adequate for light-duty work and everyday driving needs.
The 3.6-liter V-6 engine is a better bet for those needing a more heavy-duty option producing 308 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and delivers quick acceleration and can tow and haul a great deal more than the base engines.
For even greater towing capacity and fuel efficiency, the Canyon offers a 2.8-liter turbodiesel paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. This 2.8L I-4 engine produces 181 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.
For a mid-size truck, the Canyon handles curves well and offers a smooth ride absorbing most bumps and uneven terrain. It performs well around town with its sharp steering and firm brake, and its compact body lends well to tighter spaces.
Looking for a deal? Check out Budget Buy Under $10,000: Canyon vs Ranger.
Towing & Payload
The base models of the Canyon with four-cylinder engines can only tow a meager 3,500 pounds with a payload capacity of 1,599 pounds. If your towing needs are greater, the 3.6-liter V-6 will tow up to 7,000 pounds.
Maxing out the Canyon’s towing capacity at 7,700 pounds—and one of the highest in its class—is the turbodiesel engine with rear-wheel drive. The four-wheel-drive diesel GMC Canyon will still tow up to 7,600 pounds.
See our Top 10 Best Towing Trucks for Under $20,000.
2020 GMC Canyon Fuel Economy & MPG
The base GMC Canyon 2.5-liter gasoline engine gets the best results at 20/26/22 mpg city/highway/combined in RWD. Four-wheel drive drops down to 19/24/21 mpg.
The 3.6-liter V-6 achieved 18/25/20 mpg and 17/24/19 mpg with RWD and 4WD respectively.
The turbodiesel models will save the most at the pump with figures of 20/30/23 mpg and 19/28/22 mpg for RWD and four-wheel drive models respectively.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
The GMC Canyon delivers a wide range of comfort and cargo space among its 6 trim options. The SL trim is geared more toward fleet purchasers and only comes with vinyl seats and flooring.
The Canyon and SLE models add cloth seats and a few more comforts but going with the SLT, All Terrain or Denali will add the option of leather seats, more space, and more luxury options. The base trims only have seating for two, but extended cab models add two rear seats while the crew cab models have a three-seater rear bench.
All models have generous front passenger seating with 45 inches of legroom, but the rear seating in the crew cab only offers 35.8 inches creating a cramped ride for most adults.
Although it is lacking in passenger space, the Canyon is at the top of its class in cargo space. The shorter bed on the base trims is 61.7 inches offering 41.3 cubic feet of cargo space. The longer bed, which is standard on the extended cab and optional on the crew cab, measures 74 inches with 49.9 cubic feet of cargo space.
Entertainment & Technology
The Canyon’s base trims are adequate when it comes to entertainment and technology. Its 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system is well integrated and aesthetically pleasing and comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and voice control. The SLE and above models take technology to the next level with a larger 8-inch touchscreen, mobile hotspot, premium audio system and wireless charging pad.
Safety Features
Safety features on the GMC Canyon do not measure up to its competitors, with only the bare minimum coming standard on base trims. All models come with six airbags, a rearview camera, and anti-lock brakes.
An optional package includes lane-departure and forward-collision warnings, but automatic braking is not available on any trim. All models do come standard with Teen Driver, which allows certain parameters to be set for secondary drivers and provides a report of driving habits.
The Canyon also falls short in its safety ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Canyon an overall safety rating of four out of five stars, with four stars in the frontal crash test, three stars in the rollover test, and five stars in the side crash test.
The Canyon’s competitor, the Honda Ridgeline, might be a better option if safety features are a priority. See our comparison: Head-to-Head: 2022 GMC Canyon vs Honda Ridgeline.
2020 GMC Canyon Trims & Pricing
SL– $22,200
The GMC Canyon SL only comes in the extended cab with two seats and rear-wheel drive. Also standard is a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two USB ports, a six-speaker audio system, Teen Driver, rear vision camera, tire fill alert, vinyl upholstery and a power-adjusting driver’s seat.
Canyon – $25,700
The Canyon’s Base model—also named Canyon—is available in Extended and Crew Cab. It adds the option for a V-6 engine and four-wheel drive and comes with cloth upholstery.
SLE – $29,100
The Canyon SLE adds an 8-inch touch screens infotainment system (navigation available), with the options of satellite and HD radio, two more USB ports, leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel, cruise control, automatic climate control, remote start, forward collision warning and lane departure warning and a remote tailgate locking option.
SLT – $35,900
The Canyon SLT adds a V-6 engine, standard leather seats, 18-inch wheels, remote start, and a power-adjustable passenger seat. It also adds rear parking sensors, wireless device charging, and a sliding rear window.
All Terrain – $36,600
The Canyon All Terrain models come equipped with all the SLE features but adds a standard V-6 engine and four-wheel-drive. It also adds skid plates, recovery hooks and an off-road suspension kit.
Denali – $40,500
The Canyon Denali adds ventilated front seats, Bose audio, navigation, a heated steering wheel, forward collision warning, chrome assist steps and chrome 20-inch wheels.
Check out even more mid-size truck options in our comparison of the best mid-size trucks of 2021.
Warranties
GMC offers a three-year/36,000-mile and five year/ 60,000 mile powertrain warranty.
What we think
2020 GMC Canyon – media.gmc.com | Shop 2020 GMC Canyon on Carsforsale.com
In its upper-level trims the 2020 GMC Canyon is a good option for a basic mid-size truck with heavy duty towing, payload, and powertrain capabilities. With its car-like handling the Canyon offers a smooth ride, but it unfortunately falls short in safety features and ratings making its competitors the Honda Ridgeline and Ford Ranger a better option in the long run.
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