GMC Canyon review: the quickest mid-size pickup in Bahrain, and a petrol-only outsider
3.7/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Buy the Canyon if you want the fastest mid-size pickup on the market and genuinely value the AT4's off-road hardware over a diesel's running costs. Buy a Hilux or Ranger instead if fuel bills and resale liquidity matter more to you than outright pace.
Pros
- TurboMax 310 hp tune outpaces every diesel mid-size rival
- AT4's locking differentials and suspension are genuinely serious off-road hardware
- Crew-cab bed and cabin space are a step up on most Bahraini buyers' configuration
- Redesigned platform feels current next to an ageing diesel rival's cabin
Cons
- Petrol-only lineup cannot match a diesel rival's fuel bill under load
- GMC's thin parts network means consumables cost more than mainstream Japanese trucks
- No diesel option removes the class's traditional long-range appeal
- Resale liquidity trails the Hilux and Ranger by a wide margin
The redesigned Canyon shares its bones with the Chevrolet Colorado and drops the old 3.6-litre V6 for a turbocharged 2.7-litre four offered in two outputs: 237 hp on the mainstream Elevation trim, and a genuinely quick 310 hp 'TurboMax' tune on the AT4 and Denali. Both beat a diesel Hilux or Ranger on outright pace; neither comes close on fuel economy.
Bahrain's mid-size pickup market is a Japanese and, increasingly, Chinese-diesel world — Hilux, Ranger, D-Max — and the Canyon arrives as a petrol-only outsider in a segment where diesel's range and running costs are the default reason to buy the class at all.
Where the Canyon actually wins
The off-road hardware on the AT4 trim — front and rear locking differentials, a genuinely capable suspension, more aggressive tyres — makes it a serious desert and gravel-track tool, arguably more capable stock than a Hilux needs a suspension kit to match. Bed and cabin space are also a step up on the crew-cab body style most Bahraini buyers will choose.
The honest weakness is running cost: a turbocharged petrol four working hard in 45°C heat, loaded, will not match a diesel rival's fuel bill, and GMC's thin parts network means consumables cost more here than the mainstream Japanese trucks' commodity pricing.
Verdict
Buy the Canyon if you want the fastest mid-size pickup on the market and genuinely value the AT4's off-road hardware over a diesel's running costs. Buy a Hilux or Ranger if fuel bills and resale liquidity matter more than outright pace.