GMC wasn’t shy about calling the Denali badge a sub-brand. Denali-branded vehicles print money for GMC, and command incredible transaction prices with luxurious trucks and SUVs. The latest addition to the GMC Denali family happens to be the 2017 GMC Canyon Denali, which made its debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The standard Denali trims and fittings are present but, other than a few dashes of luxury inside and out, nothing incredibly substantial separates the 2017 Canyon Denali from a regular top-end GMC Canyon.
The standard-issue chrome Denali grille is present and 20-inch wheels make a more premium statement on the midsize truck, while splashes of chrome in the foglight bezels, chrome side steps and a spray-in bed liner round out the Denali exterior cues.
Inside, only a few major features help the Denali stand out. Heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel and Mulan appointed leather seats with plenty of Denali badging serve as a reminder you’re sitting in the most precise of “Professional Grade.”
But is it really enough? Understandably, GMC needs to make a profit on this vehicle, but we think a V8 option or even the addition of Magnetic Ride Control could have made for an even better selling point.
That’s why we’re here to ask you our latest community question. Vote in our poll, and discuss it in the comment section. We’re eager to hear your viewpoints on the matter.
Regardless, GMC should have no problem moving more than a few Canyon Denali.
Comments
Add Dual climate control to the Canyon
It would be a tough price and sales point to do, but offering the 3.0TT in it paired with the 8spd would have made a true Denali. Having 4 engine options on the Canyon-Colorado is highly unlikely though.
Well based on some of the other Denali models like the Terrain yes.
I wish they could offer more options and more trick features but once you load up a SLT 4×4 crew you are at $38-39K now and add a little more for the diesel.
Once you get over $40K right now you begin to price yourself out of the mid size segment.
In a Yukon and Sierra you are over $65K now and pushing $70K plus. The Terrain is over $40K now.
The Denali is a profit machine and it has been proven they are a sales success even with minor trim and basic features. These are some of the most profitable models GM has. Now you run up the price you run the risk of them not selling as well and even lower profits with the higher content.
This a damned if you do ands damned if you don’t.
I was disappointed they did not even offer a power sun roof here. But I understand the pricing matrix conundrum.
I see this often that people say I want this and I want that in a vehicle but they never consider how much it would add to an already high sticker and often some of these options can be marginal in profits as things like TT V6 engines are not cheap.
We already see it in the Cadillac’s where they are stepping it up to make better options standard but yet price them under the competition and people Bitch about price. Yet I see people complain Buick did not get the TT V6 of the OPC Opel but never comprehend that the OPC is a $60,000 plus car in Europe. Do you really think a $60,000 Regal would sell well here in North America.
When we see these vehicles and how they are optioned it is really a big game of pick and choose what you can and still not price yourself out. Too few consider that and they really need to step back and take in the whole picture on this.
Even back when I bought my HHR I had many upset the SS did not offer AWD. Well to add AWD would not have been easy as the vehicle would have needed a full re engineering and crash test not to mention other government testing. It would have taken the HHR SS well over $30K back in 08. Yet how do you justify it for only sales of 4K units?
So I get the complaints of disappointment as I have some of my own but it is what it is and I understand if you want it all you have to pay for it and they have to make money.
Pricing and picking options for a vehicle is one of the toughest jobs in the auto industry. It is one job you can never make everyone happy.
Stop making excuses for gm they really need to start offering customers more that’s one of the reasons why they cant sell a lot of vehicles with many mb’s bimmers audis etc sunroofs are standard in 98% of the vehicles they sell you can pay close to $60,000 for a new Cadillac and you have to add a sunroof as an option other car companies been loading their vehicles up and where was gm dragging their leg trying to catch up and its 2015 and gm still has a long way to go the decision making at general motors are idiotic at times take the 2015 chevy ss a bland looking supposed to be sports car with an 415hp engine from a 2009 Pontiac g8 gxp while the 2015 dodge charger had at least 450 hp no comparison to the competition at all the chevy ss was anticipated by a lot of people to see it arrive with an outdated engine with less hp than the competition was a huge dissapointment and a let down this car was overpriced from day one i used to be a die hard gm fan but i got tired of waiting for them to improve gm only does enough to meet the competition but not beat the competition gm seriously needs to grow some BALLS and stop focusing on only 3 cars to be its only focus the corvette camaro and cts v gm is just not competitive enough anymore no wonder why Chevrolet lots are filled to capacity with vehicles they’re not really selling even ford has been making major improvements gm try to be too cautious cheap and conservative in a world full of competitors that aren’t talking any prisoners
I haven’t seen them list a sunroof. Is it difficult to do on the canyon? Also, in pictures that wood trim looks awful…they’d be better off just upgrading the plastic to a real alloy. It’s nice to finally get cooled seats. The seats (memory and cooled) and remote start are the only real selling points for me…. depending on their premium I could certainly live without them and maybe some shop would install a sunroof for me.
I agree the Wood looks terrible in the photos.
HID head & LED taillamps would have gone really well w/this trim level. Maybe a different color themed interior besides black also. Maybe add beige or a caramel brown to the mix. Just my thoughts
This is why customers ran to other brands gm vehicles have no “wow” factor anymore gm is still using old school tactics trying to win new customers while the other car companies are passing them by i could have sworn that we were in 2015 but gm doesn’t seem to get it this truck is nothing more than just the same gm rebadge trick gtfo here weak gm…..toyota suck subaru does too
toyotas are JUNK GARBAGE & TRASH x
Needs the sunroof without question. Another place to upgrade would be LED lighting in the bed and some unique storage or utility features inside the bed. Did I say it needs a sunroof?
The Canyon Denali really should have had….
Keyless push-button start
Dual-zone climate
Blind-spot monitoring
A sunroof option.
Those 4 items to me would have made it a more worthy recipient of the Denali moniker.