With such critically acclaimed trucks as the Chevy Colorado or the Toyota Tacoma swimming in mid-size pickup waters, GMC needed its 2017 Canyon Denali on its best behavior at the LA Show.

As far as we can see, the Canyon did not disappoint. Its chrome accents, polished exhaust tips and 20″ alloys give it that imposing look that you mostly find in the larger pick-up category, while the two engines of choice (3.6-liter V6 & 2.8-liter turbo-diesel) both offer a decent amount of towing ability.

We’re also seeing a few nice active safety features such as Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure warning, which honestly are a must have for any MY2017 car, regardless of segment.

Same goes for connectivity nowadays – another category where the Canyon Denali does really well. It’s got OnStar 4G LTE + Wi-Fi, together with the popular IntelliLink system (8″ sat-nav), Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, full-color driver information center, remote vehicle starter system and two USB charging ports.

Sure, it’s not as impressive as the larger Sierra, but then again it doesn’t need to contend with the likes of the F-150 or the Silverado, two genuine “industry titans”.

If you listen to GMC, they’ll have you believe that the Canyon is actually the segment’s “first and only premium mid-size truck, offering unparalleled capability and efficiency matched with maneuverability and refinement” – which is mostly marketing, but there’s no denying the fact that this literally is an award-winning vehicle according to a whole bunch of automotive websites.

Overall, the Canyon Denali is a very well rounded product within its own segment, and people who don’t need more space or a better towing capacity might just end up in a GM dealership. The thing is, they may just as well get the Colorado, since it’s basically identical to the Canyon.

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