2026 GMC Canyon Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Four versions of the Canyon are available: Elevation, AT4, Denali, and AT4X. They all sit on lifted suspensions with wide tracks (compared to the GMC’s Chevrolet Colorado twin) and smart wheels wrapped in mud-terrain or all-terrain tires. It’s a good-looking truck from every angle, with a chiseled and purposeful appearance, and prices range from $40,995 to $59,395, including the $2,095 destination charge.

With Elevation trim, the Canyon’s interior seems cheap for the price. As you move up through the trim levels, GMC dresses the cab with higher-quality materials and richer color schemes. However, the off-road performance version of the Canyon, the AT4X, has a black, white, and red theme that led a teenager to say the truck gave Shadow the Hedgehog vibes. That can’t be good, can it?

Our GMC Canyon AT4X test truck’s interior was indeed over-the-top. Swap the white contrast color for a light gray and ditch the red seatbelts, and it would be more palatable. We also found the control markings on the gloss black trim hard to read during the day due to reflections. Still, the Canyon AT4X was a delight after spending a week in a Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss, which has a cave-like interior paneled in shiny plastic.

As the top-shelf model in the 2026 Canyon lineup, our AT4X had a lofty starting price of nearly $60,000. Options included extra-cost paint and 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, which brought the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to $63,585, including destination.

GMC equips the Canyon with a capable turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine generating 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. It’s connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive (RWD) in the Elevation base model. A 4WD system with a two-speed transfer case is optional for that trim level, and standard on other versions.

All Canyon models have a standard off-road suspension with a 2-inch lift. The Canyon AT4X has more sophisticated underpinnings—including Multimatic DSSV dampers—that contribute to impressive ride and handling on and off the pavement. GMC says the AT4X provides 10.7 inches of ground clearance and increased angles of approach, breakover, and departure. Mud-terrain tires are standard on the AT4X, along with electronic locking front and rear differentials and a hill descent control system.

When it comes to doing truck stuff, the Canyon Elevation with RWD can handle a payload of up to 1,640 pounds. The maximum towing capacity is 7,700 pounds for all Canyons except the AT4X, which tops out at 6,000 pounds. The AT4X also has an unremarkable payload rating of 1,250 pounds.

The fuel economy ratings won’t impress you, either. Our AT4X’s EPA-rated 17 mpg combined is the same as a full-size GMC Sierra with 4WD and a V8 engine, and we observed 16.4 mpg on our mountainous Southern California test loop during light rain. On the highway, the faster you go, the less efficient the truck is. Depending on when you last reset the trip computer, you can watch your fuel economy average drop as the miles pile up.

Our usual off-road testing area simply wasn't safe after a week-long rainstorm, but we did take the AT4X on a different trail we normally use for crossover SUVs, which was a soupy, greasy, and muddy mess. The Canyon was an absolute blast in the muck, and the mud-terrain tires were perfect for it.

Those same tires offered limited grip in the dry, so the wet conditions forced caution on winding mountain roads. Nevertheless, the Multimatic DSSV dampers proved their worth, smoothing the ride and making the Canyon more predictable and stable in lumpy curves and corners. The thick-rimmed steering wheel is pleasing to grip, and the brakes are stout and easy to modulate.

In city driving, we could feel the tire tread blocks thumping on the street. Still, compared to the stiff and unruly Colorado Trail Boss, the AT4X rode and handled beautifully in urban and suburban environments. Better yet, you don’t need to worry about speed bumps, speed humps, potholes, pavement heaves, parking blocks, or curbs when parallel parking. Nothing fazes the suspension, and the chunky tires protect the expensive beadlock-capable (heavy-duty wheels designed for off-road use) wheels.

GMC calls the Canyon’s engine the TurboMax, and it's a powerful thing. The truck is quick enough in a straight line and effortlessly climbs mountain grades. However, it doesn’t sound good when revving, unlike the turbo-fours in a Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma. Speaking of noise, the Canyon AT4X has acoustic windshield and side window glass, which helps to hush the outside world, although there is some faint tire whir and wind noise at the tops of the windows.

Getting in and out of the Canyon AT4X is a hassle, especially if the exterior is dirty. And if you’re using this truck for its intended purpose, it will always be dirty. The problem is the rock rails under the doors. They protect the rocker panels, but they’re also useless as step rails, so you have to extend your leg over them—and if you’re not careful, whatever's on them will be on you. Nobody who joined us for a drive thought the Canyon was easy to enter or exit.

Once you hop up, over, and into the truck, the AT4X proves plenty comfortable unless you want to crook your elbow on the upper door panel sill, which is trimmed in unyielding hard plastic that belies this truck’s $60,000 MSRP. This model does feature perforated leather upholstery and power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, while a heated steering wheel and dual-zone automatic climate control further contribute to driver and front passenger comfort, and GMC pads the areas on the door panels and center console that are most likely to contact your legs. Wisely, it also equips the AT4X with standard all-weather floor liners, though the one in the back is a one-piece mat that’s hard to remove without spilling its contents onto the carpet.

The back seat isn't as accommodating as the driver's seat. If you’re tall with a pants inseam of 32 inches or more, and someone similar is sitting in the front, your knees and shins will be in contact with the front seat backs—but at least they're softly padded. We also found the rear seat cushion to be low and soft, providing a bit of leg support but also forcing an odd lateral slide when exiting.

Our test truck had rear air conditioning vents, USB ports, and a center armrest with integrated cupholders. Otherwise, storage was in short supply except for the rear seat-back pockets. Up front, there are more options for stashing things, but only the glove compartment could be called generous in size.

The Canyon’s remote locking EZ Lower and Lift tailgate is, indeed, easy to lower and lift. Our test truck included a Multistow storage compartment embedded into the tailgate’s inner panel, and the AT4X includes a spray-on bedliner for added protection. CornerStep bumpers with footholds are standard on most Canyon trims, making it easier to reach into the bed without opening the tailgate, but their spaces were taken up by sensors in our AT4X test truck.

GMC equips the Canyon with a standard 11-inch digital driver display and an 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Google built-in technology. This combination gives the interior a sophisticated appearance and user-friendly tech.

In addition to Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play Store, the infotainment system includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and a complimentary three-year subscription to OnStar One connected services, including a WiFi hotspot. Wireless smartphone charging and a Bose premium sound system are also standard with the Canyon AT4X.

The driver display offers different themes and data panels, allowing you to customize its appearance and the information it shows. You can even show the navigation system’s map there, just like in a fancy European car. To its right, the Google built-in infotainment system is a joy to use, with a single exception. It’s easy to forget how to find things, and sometimes the menu you think should contain a setting doesn’t.

For example, there is a quick-access Controls & Safety menu, but all the settings for the driver-assistance systems are located elsewhere under Settings within a Vehicle sub-menu. Also, don’t hunt around for a headlight control knob. You need to look for a small icon on the screen that looks like a light bulb to switch them on or off.

Google Assistant turned in a nearly flawless performance, responding to queries and commands quickly and accurately. Also, the wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring feature worked reliably, and the Bose sound system is a significant improvement over the standard audio offering. In addition to the volume knob on the screen, buttons on the backs of the steering wheel spokes control stereo volume and radio tuning.

Our test truck had a helpful 6.3-inch head-up display, trailer camera views, a trailer brake controller, a surround-view camera system, and underbody cameras for off-roading. As long as the cameras are clean, they work well. Additionally, you can split the center display into three camera views when necessary, such as combining the top-down view with front and rear underbody views to help navigate challenging terrain.

Every 2026 Canyon includes a Pro Safety Package and a Safety Plus Package which, together, include: forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitors (with trailer coverage), rear cross-traffic alert with rear automatic braking, rear parking sensors, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additionally, the Canyon has Teen Driver technology, which allows parents to monitor how younger drivers in the household are using the truck.

Our Canyon AT4X had all of the safety upgrades, including adaptive cruise control and the aforementioned surround-view camera and rear pedestrian alert systems. A Safety Alert Seat is also standard in the AT4X, vibrating to get a driver’s attention when necessary to address a potential threat, such as a vehicle approaching from the side as the truck is reversing.

To activate adaptive cruise control, you must press and hold the cruise control button. Otherwise, you’ll activate a normal version of cruise control that won’t automatically maintain a safe following distance to vehicles ahead (and even the adaptive version doesn’t include lane centering). While using the tech, the only complaint we had was occasionally abrupt or excessive braking in variable traffic conditions.

The 2026 GMC Canyon earned a four-star (out of five) overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The federal safety agency gave the Canyon a three-star rating for front occupant side-impact protection and rollover resistance.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) hadn’t released a full set of safety ratings for the Canyon at the time of publication. The truck earned the highest rating of “Good” in the small overlap frontal-impact test and in the updated side-impact test, and a “Poor” rating for front-crash prevention tech.