2015 GMC Canyon searches for the style-smart pickup owner

By the logic of the modern automotive business, GMC shouldn't exist. Started 111 years ago, GMC sells only fancier versions of everyday Chevrolet pickups and SUVs, with no unique models in its showrooms. The graveyard of American car brands bulges with names like Mercury, Plymouth and Oldsmobile which could never move beyond such a strategy.

And yet, last year GMC had its highest sales in six years, and despite (or perhaps because of) benign management neglect over the years, GMC has made its flashy conservatism a selling point, never reaching for buyers far from its core audience. So for those GMC shoppers who want a midsize truck like the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado but think it looks too dull, the 2015 GMC Canyon will come as a relief.

Just like the Colorado, the Canyon will come with either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder rated at 198 hp or the 3.6-liter V-6 offering 302 hp, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission or a manual for the 2.5-liter on a low-end model. Three bed sizes, two cabs and either two- or four-wheel-drive with optional locking rear differential fill out the option sheet — just as it does on the Colorado.

Aside from the exterior styling, the differences between the two will come down to a few particulars; the Canyon can get 18-inch aluminum wheels, a more stylish seating area and in-truck Wi-Fi. Among the electronic extras, the Canyon comes with a few additional safety features, including Teen Driver, which lets parents not only set speed limits and lowers the maximum radio volume, but compiles a report car of extreme driving events while in use. While everyone else worries about what's in fashion with young buyers, GMC has shown it's more lucrative to pursue the older buyers who have money to spend — and who want something more special than those plain old Chevy.