The mid-sized GMC Canyon was introduced in 2004 as a replacement for the GMC Sonoma. Gas mileage ratings for the Canyon are good for the current crop of mid-size pickups, with the standard engine providing 24 miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway. Along with its corporate cousin, the Chevrolet Colorado, the Canyon competes with the Dodge Dakota. The Colorado also shares its platform with the Isuzu i-Series; all three trucks are built in GM’s Shreveport, Louisiana plant.
The 2008 GMC Canyon comes standard with a 185 horsepower (HP) 2.9 liter inline four cylinder engine. A 3.7 liter inline five cylinder engine producing 242 HP is also available. Although a diesel engine is not currently an option in the Canyon, Isuzu’s D-Max pickup truck is fitted with a miserly 16-valve DOHC inter-cooled 3.0 liter turbo diesel inline four cylinder engine in other parts of the world. Mid-size truck owners would welcome GMC fitting this fuel-efficient turbo-diesel in the Canyon.