Midsize 2023 GMC Canyon Slims Down Options, But Not Its Price
Channel: kamran sumqayitli
Date: 2023-03-04

Midsize 2023 GMC Canyon Slims Down Options, But Not Its Price
The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon might seem all but forgotten, aging midsize pickup twins that, you might be surprised to learn, still sit at the top of our rankings for the segment. Both of the already good trucks are getting full redesigns for 2023, however, plus a renewed focus on tough-looking (and actually tough) off-road variants, including the ZR2 and AT4X models. While some might lament the loss of the midsizers' entry-level extended-cab variants, as well as their available diesel engine, their pricing might make you forget about both. Having already covered the new Colorado's pricing, here's a look at the mechanically similar, equally new 2023 GMC Canyon's costs:

Looking over what we can compare from 2022 and 2023 requires nuance, as GMC has pared back so many of the old truck's engine and cab and bed configurations. The new Canyon is only available with a four-door crew cab and a short bed, with a single (new) turbocharged 2.7-liter gas I-4 engine offered in various states of tune, reducing the choices from 28 possible body and powertrain combinations to only six. Gone are the extended-cab body; 74-inch (six-foot, 2-inch) long bed; gas-fed 3.6-liter V-6 and 2.5-liter I-4 engines; and the diesel 2.8-liter Duramax I-4. The 2023 Canyon's lone two-wheel-drive variant is the base Elevation model, which offers four-wheel drive as an option. Every other Canyon gets 4WD standard.
The base model of the 2023 GMC Canyon is the 2WD version of the Elevation, which is bad news for anyone looking to get into a new Canyon for under $33,000 again. With no options, the base Canyon runs $38,095—which makes it $9,200 more expensive than the 2023 Ford Ranger XL 2WD SuperCab. Even if you add two full doors to the Ranger by opting for an equivalent crew cab model, it's still over $7,000 cheaper than the basest 2023 Canyon Elevation. Against its import rivals, the GMC Canyon's entry-level pricing is $8,180 more than the equivalent 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 2WD Double Cab and $6,310 more than the 2023 Nissan Frontier 2WD S Crew Cab. Even the pricey-for-the-segment 2023 Honda Ridgeline Sport costs $1,250 less.
Within the Canyon lineage, however, prices are looking good. The 2023 Canyon Elevation is $780 cheaper than the 2022 Elevation 2WD powered by its V-6 engine; the four-wheel-drive 2023 Elevation is likewise $1,095 less expensive than the 2022 equivalent. Next up, above the Elevation, sits the Canyon AT4, which gets standard 4WD and goes for a more butch look. In 2022, GMC sort of broke out the leather and cloth seat versions of the Canyon AT4 as distinct trim levels. However, technically, going for leather also adds the "AT4 Premium Package," which inflates the cost difference between the new truck and the old one. The 2023 AT4 with cloth seats will set you back $45,395, an increase of $1,085 over the 2022 model; add leather and the required Premium package, and the 2023 version costs $47,235—$1,805 more than before.
The AT4 Premium package adds a memory function for the driver's seat, six-way front passenger seat, power lumbar, rear seat center armrest, driver's seat back pocket, wireless device charging, heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and the Safety Plus Package (which also adds rear cross traffic braking, rear park assist, and blind zone steering assist). Nearly all of these items were previously standard, minus the safety bits, more-way passenger seat, and wireless phone charger.
The range-topping Denali sees a bigger price increase for 2023, its MSRP jumping by $2,605 to $52,495. While you do get a new 11.3-inch infotainment screen with a seven-speaker Bose Premium Audio system, laser-etched wood trim, and adaptive cruise control, feature-for-feature the truck isn't hugely different. Of course, the 2023 redesign drastically steps up the Canyon's interior game, so there's some value in that—especially for a luxury-focused model like the Denali.

Compared to the luxury midsize trucks you can buy from GMC's competitors, the Canyon Denali's pricing is less rosy. The Ford Ranger Lariat 4WD is $10,055 cheaper, the Toyota Tacoma Limited is $7,580 less, and even the Honda Ridgeline Black Edition saves you $4,920.
The one most GMC fans are excited for is the 2023 Canyon AT4X, which will go head-to-head with its twin, the Chevy Colorado ZR2, as well as the upcoming Ford Ranger Raptor, Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, and the Nissan Frontier Pro-4X, though that last one might not be on quite the same level.

With its 10.7 inches of ground clearance, magical Multimatic DSSV Dampers, 3-inch lift kit (over the Elevation's standard ride height), 33-inch mud-terrain tires on beadlock-capable 17-inch wheels, front and rear electronic lockers, underbody skid plates, underbody cameras, and exclusive Baja drive mode, it's set up for hardcore off-road duty. The AT4X therefore commands the most premium price in the Canyon family, a rich $56,995.