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2018 GMC Canyon Denali isn't worth the money

In the GMC lineup, Denali is the top dog. It's the trim with all the bells and whistles, and often provides an experience comparable to Cadillac. Unfortunately that's not the case in the GMC Canyon Denali we drove recently. In the Canyon's case, the Denali trim isn't worth the price premium because it isn't luxurious enough and doesn't distinguish itself from the midlevel SLT trim. While the outside maintains the Denali look with a unique chrome grille, chrome door handles, 20-inch wheels, and big Denali badges (which a guy at a car wash immediately noticed when this editor drove past), the interior and feature set don't rise to meet the borderline Cadillac image of Denali. All GMC did to spruce up the already drab, gray, plasticky interior of the Canyon was give it black leather, some real aluminum trim, some fake wood trim, and stitched soft-touch surfaces. The aluminum and leather are nice touches, but they don't look much different from the black and aluminum-look plastic in lower trim models. The fake wood also looks really fake. They're also exactly the same upgrades as what you'll find in an SLT. But the SLT offers a dark brown color scheme as an option, which would help alleviate the dinginess, and the SLT, equipped exactly like a base Denali, costs $2,690 less at $41,575. The same issue comes up with equipment. The Denali has heated seats and steering wheel, navigation, automatic climate and navigation, but so does the SLT. The big problem here is that Denali is supposed to indicate the best, most luxurious vehicle GMC has to offer, but there's not enough differentiation — or specialness, even — to separate it from a well-optioned SLT. GMC needs to give the Denali something more. It needs some real wood trim, or perhaps some interior schemes with contrasting materials you can't find in other Canyons. It should have some other special luxury features included that can't be added to lower trim GMCs such as a heads-up display, automatic windshield wipers, push-button keyless entry and starting, things like that. The real reason to buy the Canyon Denali is really to get the prestige that the Denali badge brings, rather than the specific equipment it has — the Denali name has some value, after all. But if you can look past the badge and focus on practicality, the SLT is the runaway winner, offering the exact same experience for a notably lower price.

Chevy's 6.6-liter Duramax is pretty much all new

To say there's a heated battle in heavy-duty pickups is an understatement, with Chevrolet, Ford, and Ram constantly trading blows of increased torque, horsepower, and towing capacity. The latest salvo is the revised, more powerful turbo diesel 6.6-liter Duramax V8 in the 2017 Chevy Silverado. It has 910 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 145, putting it nearly level with the Ford Super Duty. Here's a closer look at where those gains come from. How exactly did Chevrolet add all that torque plus 48 horsepower? The automaker essentially took a fine-tooth comb to the entire engine. Chevy says it changed 90 percent of the V8, and the cumulative effect of those small changes adds up to big increases. As you might guess, the turbocharger is updated. The larger unit features electric actuation of the variable nozzle turbine (VNT), and what Chevy calls a double axle cartridge mechanism that separates the VNT moving parts from the housing. That helps with heat performance as well, with a claim that the exhaust side of the turbo can run continuously up to 1,436 degrees Fahrenheit. Helping that cause are six exhaust gaskets made of Inconel - an nickel alloy that contains chromium and iron – and upgraded stainless steel for the exhaust manifold. Despite having the same cast iron cylinder block, albeit with some minor enhancements, the engine has new cylinder heads, pistons, piston pins, connecting rods, and crankshaft, which have all been upgraded to handle 20 percent higher cylinder pressures. Alongside the increase in pressure, Chevrolet also increased the cylinder head's structure with a honeycomb design. The pattern features high-strength aluminum with dual layer water jackets that not only improve strength, but also optimize water flow for better cooling. For 2017, the cylinder head also benefits from integrated plenum that aids the engine in getting more air under heavy loads. The cylinder head isn't the only component to get a minor update, as the pistons have a larger diameter pin for improved oil flow. The same detailed improvements has been bestowed to the humble connecting rods (second in our hearts only to the inanimate carbon rod). The new design has the bolts oriented roughly 45-degrees to the rod instead of parallel. The angle split design, as it's called allows for easier passage through the cylinder.

GMC introduces Canyon Nightfall Edition for the steathly and stylish

It may be just now arriving at dealers, but the 2015 GMC Canyon has just received its very first special edition trim, although the stealthy Nightfall Edition is, in the greater scheme of aesthetic upgrades, pretty basic. GMC has blacked out the truck's grille and side steps, added a spray-in bedliner as standard, fitted new 18-inch "Dark Argent" wheels with black inserts, a polished exhaust tip, remote start and automatic climate control. Naturally, the Nightfall Edition is only available with Onyx Black paint. Customers interested in the blacked-out pickup will need to choose between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, although they'll be freed the burden of picking a trim level or body style, as the Nightfall is limited to the mid-grade SLE with the four-door crew cab arrangement. "The new Canyon Nightfall Edition expands the Canyon lineup and gives style-conscious customers another choice," GMC's vice president of sales and marketing, Duncan Aldred, said in a statement. "Importantly, customers get the great looks of the Canyon Nightfall Edition and its unique content at a greater value than ordering the features separately." GMC has not released any information about the price of the Nightfall Edition, or when it will arrive in dealerships. Scroll down for the full press release announcing the newest member of the Canyon family. GMC Introduces 2015 Canyon Nightfall Edition Special edition model offers sleek, shadowy appearance 2015-01-08 DETROIT – GMC today introduced the 2015 Canyon Nightfall Edition – a stylized, blacked-out edition of the brand's all-new premium midsize truck that blends a dramatic appearance with popular features and accessories. The Canyon Nightfall Edition is offered on SLE crew cab models, either 2WD or 4WD, in Onyx Black and will be available in the first quarter of 2015. In addition to standard equipment on the SLE, the Canyon Nightfall Edition includes: Unique black grille Black assist steps Factory spray-in bedliner 18-inch multi-spoke aluminum wheels with Dark Argent painted inserts Polished exhaust tip Automatic climate control Remote start "The new Canyon Nightfall Edition expands the Canyon lineup and gives style-conscious customers another choice," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing.