The GMC Canyon mid-size pickup is a close cousin to the Chevrolet Colorado, built on the same platform and sharing much in the way of mechanicals while remaining distinctive inside and out. Distinguished as the only premium pickup in the mid-size segment, the brand’s DNA is clearly evident with the Canyon appearing a smaller version of the GMC Sierra truck. Work-oriented base, SL, SLE, and SLT trim levels are available. Additional model choices offered this year include a new top-of-line Canyon Denali and availability of an All Terrain X package on the Canyon SLE.

Canyon Denali features a Denali-signature chrome grille, 20-inch ultra-bright machined aluminum wheels with painted accents, tubular chrome assist steps, and spray-on bed liner. Inside, an exclusive Jet Black interior features leather-appointments, heated and ventilated front seats, unique instrument panel and console trim, heated steering wheel, and Denali-logo sill plates and floor mats. Additional standard features include GMC IntelliLink with Navigation, an 8-inch color touchscreen, full-color driver information center, 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic climate control, Bose premium seven-speaker audio system, and remote start. Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning are also part of the package. The Canyon Denali is available only as a crew cab in 2WD and 4WD.

The All Terrain package offered on the SLE is the most off-road-capable of Canyon choices. The ‘X’ adds Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac P255/65R17 all-terrain tires on unique aluminum wheels and all-weather floor liners to the already-available All Terrain package. There is also a body-color grille surround and matching rear step bumper, Hill Descent Control, and an off-road suspension.

Canyon benefits from a new 3.6-liter V-6 engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This new engine, which is shared among other GM models including Cadillac crossovers and the Chevrolet Camaro, replaces the previous-generation 3.6-liter LFX V-6. The new V-6 is rated at 308 horsepower with 275 lb-ft torque, improving these specs by just a slight margin over the earlier engine. The new powerplant is more efficient, though, due to the use of GM’s Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation and refinements to the direct injection system.

Two additional powertrain choices are carried over from the previous model year. These include a fuel-efficient 2.5-liter gasoline inline-four and the notable 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel four-cylinder that was introduced last year. The four-cylinder engine is the only version available with a manual gearbox, and only on the SL model with rear-wheel drive. Canyon nets a welcome 25 to 30 highway mpg depending on engine choice, with the Duramax diesel the most efficient.

Extended Cab long-box Canyons start at $21,880 with two-wheel drive. Base cost moves upward for four-wheel drive, Crew Cab models, and optional equipment. The Canyon Denali is $39,995 to $43,760 depending on box length and two- or four-wheel drive choices.

Green Car Journal has announced finalists for the magazine’s high-profile 2017 Green Truck of the Year™ and Commercial Green Car of the Year™ awards that will be presented at the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in San Antonio, Texas. These important awards honor pickups and light commercial vehicles that raise the bar in environmental performance in a variety of areas including efficiency, emissions reduction, and overall environmental improvement.

Both light- and heavy-duty models made the cut this year to become finalists for 2017 Green Truck of the Year™ including the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford F-250 Super Duty, GMC Canyon, Honda Ridgeline, and RAM 1500.

The 2017 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-size pickups feature a new and efficient V-6 for 2017 to round out powertrain choices including an inline-four and high-mpg turbodiesel. The RAM 1500 continues to impress with its functionality and myriad options including an EcoDiesel motor achieving the highest mpg in its class. Honda’s all-new Ridgeline exemplifies Honda’s approach to efficiency and technology with a handsome and driver-friendly new pickup design and plenty of tech.  Ford sets itself apart from the crowd yet again by continuing its integration of lightweight aluminum construction for the body and cab of its F-250 Super Duty pickup.

Finalists for 2017 Commercial Green Car of the Year™ include both smaller and more efficient vans including the Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris, and RAM ProMaster City, plus heavy-duty pickups including the Ford F-250 Super Duty and Nissan Titan XD. The Ford Transit Connect, RAM ProMaster City, and Mercedes-Benz Metris deliver an efficient and highly-functional answer to the needs of businesses with higher fuel economy and easy urban maneuverability. Ford’s F-250 Super Duty brings greater efficiency to the heavy-duty pickup market with lighter weight achieved with an aluminum body and pickup box, while Nissan’s Titan XD delivers efficiency with its turbodiesel powerplant and design that aims to provide a light-duty pickup driving experience in a heavy-duty truck.

These Green Car Awards recognize pickups and light commercial vehicles that do the heavy lifting in everyday life while leading the way toward greater environmental compatibility. Importantly, award finalists achieve this without sacrificing the core capabilities expected from these highly-functional vehicles. It’s notable that after years of environmental focus on passenger vehicles, pickups and light commercial vehicles are now enjoying a similar focus on environmental improvement.

The San Antonio Auto & Truck Show, recognized as South Texas' premier automotive event that highlights the auto industry's newest innovations, will host Green Car Journal’s announcement of 2017 Green Truck of the Year and 2017 Commercial Green Car of the Year winners on November 10.

Chevrolet’s all-new 2015 Colorado midsize pickup seeks to fill a potentially hot market replete with buyers interested in the functionality of a truck but requiring a bit smaller package for better maneuverability in urban areas. Starting at an MSRP of $20,120, the Colorado is available in four-door extended cab or crew cab models to fit varying needs, offering a standard six-foot pickup bed with a short five-foot bed also available on a short bed crew cab versions. Rear seat room is very tight in the extended cab and reasonably comfortable in the crew cab.

Power choices include two fuel efficient engines, a 2.5 liter four-cylinder and a 3.6 liter V-6.  The four-cylinder is rated at 200 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque, with approximately 90 percent of the peak torque available from 2,000 rpm to 6,200 rpm. The V-6 engine is rated at 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy is estimated at 18 city/26 highway mpg with the V-6 and bumps up to 20 city/27 highway mpg with the four-cylinder. A new clean diesel option is coming with the 2016 Colorado, which will be offering a new 2.8-liter Duramax engine featuring an expected 181 horsepower and a sizeable 369 lb-ft of torque coming on at a low 2,000 rpm. Fuel efficiency promises to be outstanding for a pickup.

Aluminum blocks and forged-steel crankshafts, along with dual-overhead camshafts with variable valve timing, direct injection, and jet-spray piston cooling are shared by both of the current gasoline engines. The Colorado's trailering rating is up to 7,000 pounds with the V-6 engine and heavy-duty towing package. All models come with a standard six-speed automatic transmission with auto grade braking and a tow/haul mode. Extended cab 2WD WT models equipped with the 2.5-liter engine are available with a six-speed manual transmission.

The Colorado features triple-sealed doors inlaid in the body sides for improved aerodynamic performance and a quieter interior. To help keep overall mass down, lightweight materials such as an aluminum hood are used. It also has active aero grille shutters, designed to enhance aerodynamics when closed. Electric power steering improves efficiency by eliminating the energy used by an engine-driven hydraulic pump.

With nearly the capacity and features of the full-size Chevrolet Silverado pickup, this mid-sized pickup offers not only better fuel economy, but enhanced maneuverability including  a short turning radius of 41.3 feet, great on city streets or backing a trailer into a camping spot.

The Colorado may be a pickup, but it offers the advanced electronics so desired by consumers today. Safety is also top-of-mind with forward collision alert and lane departure warning plus a standard rear-vision camera.

The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, a powerhouse pickup that offers the only advanced, fuel-efficient diesel engine in the light-duty truck segment, has earned the distinction as Green Car Journal’s 2015 Green Truck of the Year™.  The award was presented at the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in San Antonio, Texas, in the state that justifiably lays claim to being ‘truck country.’

Green Truck of the Year™ honors a truck that best exemplifies what can be achieved when environmental performance is viewed as important as traditional core values like functionality, payload, towing capability, and versatility. Blending environmental achievement with these traditional characteristics is not easy, and in many cases it’s also not cheap. But it is needed. Auto manufacturers are now placing significant new emphasis on trucks that achieve improved fuel efficiency, feature better overall environmental performance, and in some cases run on alternative fuels.

In addition to the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, this year’s award finalists included the all-new Ford F-150, Chevrolet Colorado, and GMC Canyon pickups, plus the efficient gasoline Ram 1500 HFE. Each of these pickups brings its own brand of efficiency and improved environmental performance to bear in the truck market.

The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel distinguishes itself with a powerful and highly efficient powerplant that breaks new ground in the light-truck segment, accomplishing its mission of improved environmental performance without sacrificing the core values important to truck buyers. The engine produces 240 horsepower and a substantial 420 pound-feet of torque while offering rather impressive fuel economy, at least by pickup truck standards, with official EPA estimates of 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. This exceptional fuel efficiency provides a driving range of over 700 miles between fill-ups. The pickup is available in Regular Cab, Quad Cab, and Crew Cab versions with either two- or four-wheel drive.

Some of the key features of the 60-degree V-6 EcoDiesel engine include a dual overhead camshaft with 24 valves, cast iron block with aluminum heads, and a 15.5:1 compression ratio. A 29,000 psi common rail fuel injection system with solenoid injectors is used. The engine is equipped with a diesel oxidation catalyst, diesel particulate filter, and selective catalyst reduction to make it emissions-compliant in all 50 states. It can also use B20 biodiesel fuel.

Along with its considerable towing, hauling, and people-handling capabilities, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel intelligently focuses on efficiencies with active aerodynamics including grill shutters that close for less drag at highway speeds. Other efficiency measures like an eight-speed automatic transmission and an air suspension system that lowers the truck at higher speeds are used to optimize fuel economy and achieve lower greenhouse gas emissions.

When Chrysler introduced the first clean diesel engine in the light-duty pickup segment, there was no way to know just how many pickup buyers would be won over and drive one away from the showroom. Today, production of this truck model has doubled beyond expectations and continues to gain momentum. It was clearly a breakthrough move for the Ram brand and a deserving winner of the 2015 Green Truck of the Year™ award.