2011 GMC Canyon

The 2011 GMC Canyon is largely unchanged. This compact pickup truck shares its basic design with the Chevrolet Colorado. Canyon offers regular- and extended-cab body styles with a 6-foot bed. Four-door Crew Cab models with a 5-foot bed are offered as well. All are available with rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive that should not be left engaged on dry pavement but includes a low-range gear for off-roading. Trim levels, depending on cab configuration, include Work, SLE-1, and SLT. Regular- and extended-cab Canyons come with a 185-horsepower 2.9-liter 4-cylinder engine. This engine is also standard on the rear-drive SLE-1 crew cab. Optional on those models and standard on all other crew cabs is a 242-horsepower 3.7-liter 5-cylinder. Extendeds and crews also offer a 300-horsepower 5.3-liter V8. A 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission is available with the 4-cylinder. The 5-cylinder and V8 versions use the 4-speed automatic. Maximum towing capacity is 6,000 pounds. Regular cabs seat up to 3. Extendeds have rear-hinged back doors and seat up to 5 with two rear jump seats. Crew Cabs have 4 conventional doors and seat up to 6 with a folding rear bench. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, and curtain-side airbags. Optional for some models is a ZQ8 Suspension Package, which includes the V8 engine, sport suspension, and 18-inch wheels. A Z71 Off-Road Suspension Package includes off-road-ready suspension and tires. This report is based on evaluations of the 2010 GMC Canyon.