6 Huge Reasons to Wait for the 2025 GMC Canyon

As prices have been spiraling out of control for full-size pickup trucks, the midsize market has gained renewed interest for those just looking for an affordable truck. If you quite like the Chevy Colorado but you’re looking for a truck with more luxurious features, you can’t go wrong with the GMC Canyon. Keep on readings as we take a closer look into why the 2025 GMC Canyon is worth waiting for these Six huge reasons.

1. 2025 GMC Canyon Specs

2. Powerful and Efficient Powertrain

For the Canyon, things are heating up in the midsize pickup truck market as many manufacturers are going to smaller powertrains for more efficiency and better fuel economy, and the Canyon is no different. Alongside its brother, the Chevrolet Colorado, the GMC Canyon went for a smaller turbocharged 4-cylinder gas engine a couple of years ago.

Although Chevy guys were a bit disappointed to see that neither Colorado nor Canyon offered a V6 option under the hood of their newer trucks, the turbo Max engine provides more horsepower and torque compared to the old V6 powertrain. Unlike the Chevy Colorado, the higher output turbo engine comes as standard for the Canyon. Even on the base Canyon trim, you won’t be able to get the lower output 2.7 turbocharged variant.

The 4-cylinder 2.7 turbo Max powertrain is able to produce 310 horsepower at 5600 RPMs and 430 ft-lb of torque at 3000 RPMs. No matter what trim you choose, you will get the same powertrain coupled with the same 8-speed automatic transmission that has an electronically controlled overdrive and a tow haul mode which increases the points of upshifts to give you a lot more power when you are towing or hauling.

This mode also changes the downshift points of the transmission for increased engine braking and decreases the use of regular brakes, allowing you to slow down more easily and prolong the life of your brakes. In the fuel efficiency department, the turbo Max in the GMC Canyon does not disappoint.

In the two-wheel-drive version, which is only available on the base elevation trim, the Canyon gets 23 miles to the gallon on the highway and 19 in the city. Combined, you’ll be getting around 20 miles per gallon, pretty impressive for a midsize truck. With the four-wheel-drive variants, the fuel economy is slashed by only 1 mile per gallon as it gets a combined 19 miles to the gallon. We should also mention that these are all EPA figures. Users have reported higher MPGs in their real-world day-to-day driving.

Ultimately, you get a fuel tank of 21 gallons, which gives you quite a lot of range compared to the competition. The turbo engine offers the most power and torque in its class. The 2.4 turbocharged inline-4 in the Tacoma only offers 278 horsepower in its non-hybrid version, and the 2.3 EcoBoost in the Ranger gets you 270 horsepower.

The Frontier from Nissan can get 310 horsepower like the Canyon, but its V6 powertrain is wholly inefficient compared to the turbo Max and it actually tows less, which we will get to next.

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3. Best in Class for Towing

Now, if you are in the market for a midsize truck and you’re planning to tow a lot of stuff, the 2025 GMC Canyon should be your go-to choice. With a turbo Max powertrain, you’ll be able to tow up to a maximum of 7700 pounds, a really impressive figure from a 4-cylinder turbo midsize truck.

We should mention that this maximum tow rating is achievable with all trims except the AT4X, which can only tow up to 6000 pounds as it trades off-road prowess with lowered towing capacity. The 7700 figure is a top of the line in this class. Other models from the competition can tow significantly less. For example, the Toyota Tacoma has a maximum tow rating of only 6500 pounds.

The Ranger from the blue oval company, on the other hand, can tow up to 7500 pounds, slightly lower than the GMC Canyon. The Nissan Frontier underperforms the most when it comes to towing, though. Even with a 3.8 V6 engine under its hood, it can only tow up to 6640 pounds in the correct configuration. The GMC Canyon also offers a respectable payload rating of 1,600 pounds. Long story short, if you’re looking for a midsize truck to tow your trailers, the GMC Canyon is the one to get compared to its alternatives.

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4. All the Tech You Could Need

For those interested in technology, the 2025 GMC Canyon has got you covered with many technological features coming as standard for all trims. All trims from the base elevation to the top-of-the-line Denali get the same large 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment screen that has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and most importantly, it has Google Maps integration for a seamless navigational experience. As for the instrument cluster, for the 2025 model year, all trims get the same 11-inch digital instrument cluster.

This came as an extra for the higher trims in the previous model years, but in 2025, all trims will be getting the same instrument cluster as standard, which is always good news in our book. If you are an audiophile, you should definitely look at the higher AT4X and Denali trims as they come with a booming seven-speaker Bose setup compared to the non-Bose six-speaker arrangement you would get with the lower trims of the Canyon.

A 360-degree camera is a very popular technology that many people are looking for on their trucks, especially with the bigger and bigger blind spots vehicles seem to have these days. The GMC Canyon comes with a 360-degree camera as standard for the higher trims, but it is optional for lower trims. Also, if you opt for the Canyon Pro Safety Package, which again comes standard for the higher trims, you will be getting a forward collision alert, an indicator for following distance, lane keep assist and lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking.

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5. Incredibly Capable Off-Road Trims

The GMC Canyon comes with two different off-road trims: AT4 and AT4X. Similar to trims of other manufacturers such as Ford with its FX4 off-road package and Raptor, the AT4 and AT4X offer a truck that handles light-duty trails with ease or a fully-fledged off-road beast. If you don’t have an intention of taking your GMC Canyon to rock crawling or water crossings, we suggest going with the AT4 trim and saving some money instead of splashing out for the AT4X.

The AT4 comes equipped with a 170-amp alternator, whereas the AT4X comes with a 220-amp alternator, so you can hook up a lot of auxiliary stuff such as off-road lights, winches, and other accessories to your AT4X, whereas the AT4 will be very limited on the kinds of accessories you’ll be able to wire up to it. If you’re planning on towing, though, the AT4X has a noticeably lower tow rating at 6000 pounds, whereas the AT4 will be able to tow the maximum 7700 pounds without any issues.

For more serious off-road features, the AT4X is definitely the better option compared to the AT4. The AT4 comes with off-road tires and wheels, but the wheels are not bead-locked, whereas the wheels on the AT4X are bead-locked, which is indispensable on more technical trails. The AT4 comes standard with a 2-inch lift, whereas the AT4X comes standard with a 3-inch lift, which raises the ground clearance to a whopping 11 inches. You can pay extra and get skid plates for the AT4, but they come standard for the AT4X. With the additional AEV package for the AT4X, you will get underbody protection for all vital parts such as the oil pan, gearbox, and the fuel tank.

The most important difference between the off-road trims, though, is that the AT4 comes with an automatically locking rear differential, whereas the AT4X comes with manually locking differentials for both the front and rear. Both trims come with underbody cameras to help you monitor whether any obstacles will damage any important component of your truck in the trails.

The GMC Canyon offers options for all kinds of off-road enthusiasts. Whether you’re a weekend warrior going through light trails or you’re a serious off-roader going rock crawling, having more options for all kinds of tastes and preferences is always a plus in our opinion.

6. Many Trims Options and Competitive Pricing

The 2025 GMC Canyon will be coming with the same four trims as the 2024 model year. As you might already know, the SLE and SLT trims are discontinued to have a simpler lineup. The base trim will be the Elevation trim, which is also the only trim that comes with a rear-wheel-drive setup. All other trims come with four-wheel drive as standard.

The two-wheel-drive Elevation will be starting at $38,500 for the 2025 model year. If you would like to have four-wheel drive, the price will jump to $41,500. The light-duty AT4 trim is estimated to start at $45,500, and you’ll be able to have a lift and suspension kit with off-road skid plates for extra.

The top-of-the-line luxury Denali trim will be starting at $53,500. If you want the most comfortable ride with the most amount of luxury, this is the trim you should be getting. At the very top, you have the most off-road-oriented AT4X trim, estimated to start at $56,500 in the 2025 model year. If you’re looking for a truck that will conquer any kind of off-road challenge, you should also consider getting the $10,000 AEV package.