2015 GMC Canyon Boasts First-in-Segment Child Safety Feature

A common problem with extended midsize pickups is that most of them have back seats with very short lower seat cushions, and that's a big problem if you intend to fit a child seat in there. Many child restraint manufacturers recommend to have at least 80 percent of the child restraint base fit on the seat cushion. That's why GM engineers designed a patent-pending safer solution for the 2015 GMC Canyon extended cab.

By using the rear jump seat headrest on the passenger side, the seat cushion can be extended by inserting the headrest's posts horizontally into portholes in the seat base. This innovative solution satisfies the seat base recommandation of most child restraint manufacturers.

“It’s an elegant solution that makes efficient use of the limited space in the rear seat in this type of vehicle, by allowing us to adapt the seat cushion length for child restraint installation,” said Eduardo Bugelli, safety performance team lead. “The additional seat cushion length provides more support to the child restraint, which helps to reduce the rotation and the risk of injury in a crash.”

In addition to this safety design, GMC says the 2015 Canyon will be the first midsize pickup to offer active safety features such as Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning, both included in the Driver Alert Package.

Just like its bowtie-badged twin, the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado, GMC's all-new Canyon will go on sale later this year with a choice of two engines: a 2.5-liter four-pot 193 horsepower and 184 lb-ft (249 Nm) of torque, and a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 302 horsepower and 270 lb-ft (366 Nm) of torque. A third engine, GM's 2.8-liter Duramax turbo diesel mill, will join the lineup for the 2016 model year.