Photo: Chevrolet
The GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado are both mid-size GM trucks that share powertrains and platforms. Despite their similarities, they boast unique personalities to suit different drivers. Here’s how they differ.
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Styling
Photo: GM
The Colorado and Canyon differ the most in terms of aesthetics. The Colorado favors a rugged, squared-off appearance, while the Canyon is much more subtle and traditional.
Photo: Chevrolet
In terms of overall length and width, Canyon is a bigger truck than the Colorado. At 224.6 inches long, it’s about a foot bigger than the Colorado, which clocks in at 212.7 inches.
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Trim options
The 2021 GMC Canyon AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition
Photo: GMC
The Colorado offers three trims: the WT, LT, and Z71. On the other hand, the Canyon offers four: Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali. The AT4 is geared towards off-road exploration, while the Denali is loaded with luxury features. The Colorado’s range-topping Z71 tries to split the difference by offering both upscale and rugged features, but it doesn’t specialize as strongly as the Canyon’s two top trims.
Power and capability
Photo: GMC
The GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado offer the same trio of powertrains. They come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that offers 200 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque. You can also pick from two available engines: a 2.8-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel that puts out 181 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, or a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 308 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. They’re also evenly matched terms of towing capacity — both models max out at 7,700 pounds when equipped with the diesel mill.
Interior
Photo: GM
The Canyon is noted for having a more luxurious cabin than its rough-and-tumble cousin. Despite offering identical shoulder-, hip-, head-, and legroom as the Colorado, reviewers at MotorBiscuit described the Canyon’s front seats as more spacious and comfortable, while praising its additional storage solutions. This is most pronounced on the Canyon’s Denali trim, which offers premium materials.
Pricing
2020 GMC Canyon with Sport Bar in Polished Stainless Steel by EGR
Photo: GMC
For the 2021 model year, the Chevrolet Colorado starts at $25,200, while the Canyon’s base trim costs $26,800.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.
