2016 GMC Canyon Diesel Road Test and Review

2016 GMC Canyon Diesel Front Three Quarter 05 ・ Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Although the current climate of low fuel prices and consumer mistrust has somewhat slowed its momentum, we've entered an era where automakers operating in the American market are willing to experiment more broadly with turbodiesel drivetrains. Witness the 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel, the first pickup truck outside of the full-size segment to offer a turbodiesel option since the Ford Ranger's brief flirtation with alternative fuel in the 1980s. The GMC Canyon Diesel adds another dimension to a line-up of smaller trucks that, paired with the virtually identical Chevrolet Colorado, has given General Motors its most comprehensive pickup package in over a decade. It's important to note that the Canyon Diesel is no 7/8ths heavy-duty ride, either, as GM has elected to divorce diesel from its traditional task-focused marketing peg and instead flaunt its class-leading fuel efficiency. The end result is a truck that seems custom-built for day-to-day commuting - providing you can justify the extra $3,730 at ordering time.

From Thailand, With Love

Given that turbodiesel engines get a lot more love from buyers outside the United States, it's not surprising that GM chose to source the 2.8-liter unit found under the hood of the 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel from its Southeast Asian operation. The extra-American origins of the Canyon Diesel's power plant hint at the estrangement of the pickup's mission statement from what most buyers have come to expect from a turbodiesel truck - a message that's driven home even further by the GMC's four-cylinder design.   Although common almost everywhere else, on this continent four-cylinder turbodiesels have traditionally been the exclusive province of passenger sedans. Would a diesel V-6 have fit in the Canyon's engine bay? Undoubtedly, but the decision to go with a smaller motor shows just how serious General Motors is about avoiding the HD image and instead focusing on keeping its mid-size pickup as lightweight and frugal at the fuel pump as possible. With 181 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque on tap, the 2.8-liter turbodiesel doesn't lack the motivation necessary to haul more than just its own bones around town, but its definitely not an over-engined stump-puller like the also-new, full-size Nissan Titan XD's Cummins diesel V-8. The Canyon's lump also features a full complement of anti-vibration and noise-reduction features, aided by enhanced acoustic isolation of the cabin and a unique transmission design intended to quell the traditional rock and roll of diesel designs.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Best-In-Class Fuel Mileage

By avoiding the installation of a boat anchor between the 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel's front fenders and all of the associated suspension beef that would come with that, General Motors was able to tune the 2.8-liter, four-cylinder engine to maximize efficiency without slicing away too much muscle. Officially, the Canyon Diesel is rated at 22 mpg in stop-and-go driving and 31 mpg on the highway (when ordered in two-wheel drive trim), which leapfrogs it ahead of not just the gas-only editions of the Canyon and Colorado pickups, but also the recently-redesigned Toyota Tacoma and the ancient, but still on-sale Nissan Frontier. In fact, in highway cruising the Canyon Diesel, which makes use of a six-speed automatic transmission, is seven miles per gallon better than the Tacoma while offering substantially more torque. In the real world, diesel owners often report better than EPA-estimated mileage, but it depends a lot on your driving environment. During my time with the turbodiesel pickup I unfortunately fell victim to incredibly cold winter weather - the natural enemy of efficiency no matter what fuel is being burned - which meant I wasn't able to approach the Canyon Diesel's published numbers.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Power Without Flash, Torque Without Sizzle

As with comedy, in the automotive world power is all about the delivery. The 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel sticks to the script when it comes to the behavior of its four-cylinder motor, which means you'll get where you are going eventually. The 369 lb-ft of torque produced low in the RPM range by the 2.8-liter engine comes on like a slow burn, providing you with enough pulling power to get moving off of the line with reasonable authority. Once up to speed, however, you'll quickly discover the limits of the Canyon Diesel's desire to accelerate, and the truck feels pokier than models outfitted with its available 3.6-liter V-6 (an engine that, despite producing 100 lb-ft less torque, enjoys a nearly 125 horsepower advantage over the turbodiesel edition). Anyone familiar with the personality of a diesel sedan will have no surprises behind the wheel of the GMC, but those who are more accustomed to large-displacement truck engines could be in for an adjustment period.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Beware the Chilling Effect of Diesel in Winter

Something I feel compelled to mention about the 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel caught me by surprise during the efficiency-sapping cold snap that I noted earlier. While I never had any issue starting the truck's turbodiesel engine - even when it was 40 degrees below zero on the thermometer - on the most frigid days I had a miserable time getting the cabin to warm up to a comfortable level. Even with the climate control system set to maximum heat, at best I experienced a middling amount of warm air blowing out of the GMC Canyon Diesel's vents. There's no mystery as to why this happened. Diesel engines simply don't get as warm as their gasoline counterparts during normal operation, and freezing temperatures only make matters worse. It was only on the most extreme days that the Canyon couldn't keep up with my craving for warmth, as -10 F and -20 F were handled by the pickup's heater without hesitation. For some buyers this will never be an issue, but for those doomed as I am to suffer through a northern climate, it's a must-know.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Crossover Qualities Abound

Further enhancing the 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel's potential as a fuel-sipping daily driver is its crossover-like ride. More so than any other pickups sold in the United States, the GMC Canyon and its Chevrolet Colorado sibling soften the reluctant cornering capability and large turning radius inherent in body-on-frame trucks. Despite being fairly big by any rational measure, the Canyon Diesel feels smaller from behind the wheel and lacks the ponderous character of a full-size pickup. This is most noticeable when driving around town, as the GMC parses crowded streets and low-ceilinged parking garages with an alacrity not found amongst its heftier counterparts. In many ways, this makes the Canyon the perfect introduction to the pickup world for SUV and crossover owners seeking the utility of an open cargo bed and low-range four-wheel drive, but not interested in (or incapable of parking) a road-going behemoth.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Full-Size Practicality, Mid-Size Proportions

Most pickups haul air, but should you choose to actually take advantage of the 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel's baked-in practicality, you won't be disappointed. In addition to offering a choice of bed lengths (five feet, two inches, or six feet, two inches), the Canyon Diesel also ups the mid-size truck's maximum towing capacity from 7,000 lbs to 7,700 lbs (four-wheel drive editions subtract 100 lbs from that figure). This number doesn't just butt up against some of the more capable sport-utility vehicles on the market - including models with a substantially larger footprint than the Canyon - but it also more than doubles the average American trailer load. While it might not match the gaudy 10,000 lbs of towing offered by a few full-size trucks, only a small percentage of owners ever pull anything even remotely close to that weight. It's safe to say that the GMC Canyon Diesel is a match for the big boys in actual operating profile, if not on paper, and it also comes with the added bonus of a built-in trailer brake controller and a diesel exhaust brake that's quite useful when rolling down a steep grade.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Big Back Seat, Comfortable Cabin

Pickups and SUVs have displaced wagons and full-size sedans thanks in part to the pairing of generous cabin room with excellent storage for luggage and oversized items. The 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel's passenger compartment isn't quite as generous as that of the GMC Sierra or Chevrolet Silverado, yet the four-door crew cab is capacious enough to handle four adult riders without complaint. It's also a relatively easy vehicle to get in and out of, especially compared to some of the monster trucks out there that almost require a stepladder for ingress and egress. You can't get the turbodiesel engine in the smaller extended cab Canyon, nor can you spec it when ordering anything less than SLE trim. The SLT edition of the truck that I drove was very well equipped, featuring heated leather seats, the GMC IntelliLink infotainment system, a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, and a navigation system - in short, every bell and whistle you might want in a premium pickup. The price to pay? Over $45,000 in top spec, a number that will give more than a few turbodiesel fans pause.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Surprisingly High Level of Advanced Safety Technology

It's worth noting that the 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel SLT that served as my tester was also outfitted with a surprisingly high quotient of high tech equipment - especially when it came to safety. Not only did the pickup feature parking assistance, a rearview camera, and an adaptive cruise control system, but it also offered a lane departure warning feature along with a forward collision warning system (as part of the Driver Alert package). These are features you can't get on certain luxury cars, let alone crossovers, but General Motors has done a masterful job of democratizing access to its safety gear across almost its entire line-up.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

2016 GMC Canyon Diesel Pros/Cons

Pros: •    Excellent fuel economy •    Comfortable, crossover-like ride •    The most torque you can get in a mid-size truck •    Easy to drive •    Smaller proportions are city-friendly •    Available four-wheel drive •    Advanced safety gear is on the menu •    Great towing capacity Cons: •    SLE and SLT trims + $3,730 for diesel engine = expensive window sticker •    Acceleration is average at best •    Cold weather saps cabin heat •    Low price of gasoline makes diesel premium harder to justify

Photo by Benjamin Hunting