Canyon Denali Marks the Arrival of the Luxury Midsize Truck

There once was a time in America when luxury was considered the province of large cars only. Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Imperials were all massive things with wheelbases that extended beyond the standard full-size offerings. That thinking was discarded decades ago for cars and even SUVs. Perhaps because the idea of the luxury truck is still young, it was thought to reside in full-size models exclusively. But not anymore, because now Valley GMC has the GMC Canyon Denali.

Anyone familiar with GMC knows that Denali is essentially a sub-brand that indicates the highest luxury level for any particular model. Until its recent redesign, the Canyon was not considered a proper venue for the Denali treatment. With its elegant dash design complete with an 11.3-inch infotainment screen and configurable 11-inch gauge cluster, the new Canyon interior invites such an upgrade. The result is an excellent execution of what is the only true luxury mid-size truck on the market. 

Full-on Denali

The upgrade uses the tried and true Denali approach, starting with leather, not just on the seats but also on the door panels and dash. The leather accents and upholstery is given a quilted treatment with contrast stitching in key locations and subtle contrast leather panels on the seats. Real teak open-pore wood accents are featured on the dashboard and front door panels. Laser-etched into the front wood panel is the Denali typeface, accompanied by the coordinates of the mountain that is Denali’s namesake. A pewter finish chrome trims the accents and is matched by the physical controls on the center stack, center console, and steering wheel. 

Smooth operating controls and knurled knobs operate the 7-speaker Bose sound system, dual-zone climate control, standard sterling assist adaptive cruise control, color head-up display, and heated and ventilated front seats with 6-way power adjustment with memory for the driver. 

A Class of Its Own

There are other top-level mid-range trucks. The Tacoma Limited and Jeep Gladiator High Altitude come to mind, but neither comes close to this level of luxury.  That said, the Canyon Denali hasn’t forgotten it is a truck, so the leather trades some suppleness for sturdiness so that it wears well when work is being done. Enhancing that work is an enclosed storage space within the tailgate and a built-in measuring yardstick embossed into the tailgate’s rear edge. The exterior is also dressed up with a chrome grille and a 2-inch factory lift over exclusive 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.

Top-Level Power

Naturally, the Canyon Denali comes standard with the most powerful engine in the model line. The TurboMax 2.7-liter engine produces 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of peak torque that is unmatched in the class. It is connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive, which can tow up to 7,000 pounds together.

With a starting MSRP of $52,595, the Canyon Denali moves into the Sierra 1500 price range but is still far less than a similarly equipped Sierra.  If luxury is your first consideration over size, the Canyon Denali is the one and only midsize truck for you. Visit us today for more information on the Canyon and how to get your hands on this top-of-the-line truck.