Canyon Denali Denotes the Arrival of the Luxury Midsize Truck

When pickup trucks had a single bench seat and were regarded as work vehicles, a luxury model didn’t make much sense. But today, trucks are often personal daily drivers and family vehicles. The truck owner’s desire to have a nicer interior and upscale features is no different than that of car owners. Up until now, the luxury truck has been relegated to full-size models. But just as luxury cars stopped considering large size to be a luxury requirement, the time has come for the same in luxury trucks, and arguably the first such mid-size luxury truck is the GMC Canyon Denali, which you can find at GMC of Rochester. 

The Denali name is now well established as a sub-brand that indicates the highest luxury level for a GMC model. Until its recent redesign, the Canyon was not considered a proper venue for the Denali treatment. But now, with its elegant dash design complete with an 11.3-inch infotainment screen and configurable 11-inch gauge cluster, the new Canyon interior provides a great canvas for a Denali upgrade. The result is a fine execution of what is the only true luxury mid-size truck on the market. 

The Denali Touch

The upgrade uses the tried and true Denali approach. You will find leather, not just on the seats but elegantly applied to the dash and door panels as well. In addition, the leather is quilted with contrast stitching in key locations and subtle contrasting-color leather panels on the seats. Accompanying the leather is real teak open-pore wood on the dash 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. All of it is trimmed with pewter-finish chrome that is matched by the physical controls on the center stack, center console, and steering wheel. 

Some of those smooth-operating controls and knurled knobs help 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 Above

While the Canyon Denali is mostly about the interior, the exterior is also dressed up with a chrome grille and a 2-inch factory lift over exclusive 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. But don’t let the fancy appearance fool you. The Canyon is no less a truck than its stablemates. The leather is designed for sturdiness so that it wears well when work is being done. The tailgate has an enclosed storage space, as well as a built-in “measuring tape” embossed into the tailgate’s rear edge. The Canyon Denali also comes standard with the most powerful engine in the model line. The TurboMax 2.7-liter engine produces 310 horsepower and a class-leading 430 lb-ft of peak torque. It is connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive, which can tow up to 7,000 pounds together.

While the Canyon Denali’s starting MSRP of $52,595 overlaps with the Sierra 1500 price range, it is clearly better equipped than a similarly-priced Sierra. It can be an attractive alternative if you do not need full-size truck capability. Come to GMC of Rochester and see how luxurious a mid-size truck can be.