General Motors’ twin truck strategy revolves around the combined efforts of bulk-selling Chevy pickups and the premium pickings of GMC offerings. And GMC’s Denali packaging, really more of a sub-brand than just a trim level, took the premium nameplate’s upscale emphasis to new limits.

Recently, GMC launched a new sub-brand classification aimed in a different direction with AT4 models, successors to earlier All Terrain trim versions, refreshed to appeal to off-road-oriented customers.

The Canyon, sibling to the Chevrolet Colorado, is GMC’s mid-size entryway into the pickup segment. And the new 2021 GMC Canyon AT4 tested here follows earlier AT4 applications across the Sierra and Sierra HD pickup lineups, as well as on Acadia and Yukon models.

Sure, you can get into the Canyon pickup lineup for under $30K if you stick to the base Elevation Standard trim in Extended Cab configuration with the optional 2.5-litre four banger 6AT 2WD powertrain. But that would leave you with limitations on space, strength and, even worse, with two wheel-drive in a pickup truck.

The Canyon AT4, parachuting in at a higher $41,898 MSRP, might seem substantially pricier, but it starts with the roomier Crew Cab layout, adds more content and harnesses a virile V6 engine, putting power down through an 8-speed automatic and, of course, through a standard four-wheel drive system (because this is the Great White North, after all!).

The 3.6-litre V6 makes 308 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. As tested here, this V6 pulls with vigour, and sings with a baritone moan while earning respect and a 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) tow rating. The 8-speed auto tranny comes with Tow/Haul mode, manual shifting buttons and swaps the cogs smoothly.

Active Fuel Management can disable two cylinders under light cruising conditions and the V6 barely breaches the 1,500 r.p.m. mark at highway speed. Yet this engine is not particularly thrifty. Fuel economy is rated at 14L/9.9L/100km (city/hwy). My real world results came in at 12.5L/100km (comb).

A late addition 2.8-litre diesel engine making 181 hp and a hefty 369 lb-ft of torque and mated to a 6-speed automatic returns better fuel economy numbers of 11.7L/7.8L/100km (city/hwy), along with even more towing oomph. But it would also require some hard thinking considering the diesel option’s $7,300 added cost. The higher the price climbs the more you might consider bumping up into the full-size Sierra lineup.

The 2021 GMC Canyon AT4 adds off-road cred with 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires fitted to 17-inch aluminum wheels. The aggressive tread pulled me through mud, gravel and snow without any accompanying highway howl on pavement. An AT4-specific off-road tuned suspension adds capability and is complemented by and Advanced Hill Descent Control System. The 4WD system features 2Auto, 4H and 4L settings and incorporates an Eaton G80 Rear Automatic Locking Differential. The AT4 also adds a skid plate to protect the Autotrac 2-speed transfer case on rockier roads and trails. Added skid plate options are available.

This whole package is wrapped up in a strong but subtle exterior treatment, looking rather plain-Jane in Summit White, as tested here. The big wheels and tires make a statement but there are no brazenly-painted logos or brand markings, just small AT4 badges on the front doors and tailgate. A large dark chrome grille marks the front instead of Denali bling, while jewel-like LED fog lamps and red recovery hooks add a few final accents.

Weekend warriors wanting to go all-in on a more “in-yer-face” off-roader might want to consider pricier Chev Colorado ZR2 or Jeep Gladiator Overland options, or at least browse GMCs accessory list of sport bars, off-road lighting kits and other add-ons.

This short box version offers 1,169 litres of cargo room. There are slots for load separation, tie down loops and the box has been treated with a spray-on bedliner ($550). A long box version ($600), with about a foot more box length, is also available and would bump the cargo space up to 1,413 litres.

Inside, the Canyon AT4’s dimensions feel obviously tighter than in a full-size pickup. But the smallish seats are comfortable enough, there’s do-able seating for five average-sized adults and I could even ‘sit behind myself’. The rear seat flips up to accommodate more secure cabin stowage or to access underseat storage cubbies. Interior styling is unremarkable but the AT4 logo is boldly embroidered on front headrests and there’s unique Kalahari stitching on the steering wheel, dash and armrest soft touch surfaces.

The Canyon lineup will carry on with minor revisions over the next few years before a new third generation version, probably reworked with a new platform, potential turbo-four and 10-speed tranny applications, debuts sometime around 2023. And with all the buzz about GMC’s new electric Hummer EV, there’s bound to be some trickle-down Canyon electrification and/or hybridization in future.

The vehicle was provided to the writer by the automaker. Content and vehicle evaluations were not subject to approval.

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If you’re surprised to hear that it’s already time for the Nissan Kicks to get a mid-cycle refresh after only two and a half years in North America, your reaction makes sense. But it’s not that the brand is ahead of the game exactly: while Kicks made its debut here in 2018, this frugal front-wheel-drive crossover has been in production for global sale since 2016, so the time is right for it to receive a little bit of polish.

Both the front and rear design end have been updated with the most dramatic changes being to the grille, which now gets the much more dramatic V-motion treatment along with thinner available LED headlamps. On the rear, the bumper has been updated with LED rear headlamps and a new shark fin antenna. The optional 17-inch wheels are now available with new designs.

Exterior colour combinations have been simplified with black, white, grey, and brighter blue and red options available for solid colours while two-tone combinations have been reduced to these same colours with a black roof, plus an orange and black option. In other words, if you’re especially attached to the blue body and white roof or grey body and orange roof colourways from the 2020 model, get in touch with your dealer sooner than later.

While the same powertrain carries over to the new model – a front-wheel-drive 1.6-litre four-cylinder making 122 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque matched to a continuously variable transmission – the SV and SR trims have upgraded disc brakes on the rear wheels.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard equipment along with the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of safety technologies including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic braking, and high beam assist. Radar cruise control is available starting from the SV grade, as is a newly offered 8-inch colour touchscreen display along with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

Other interior improvements include silver door trim and an updated side vent design, and a total of four USB ports, including an available USB-C. An optional centre console acts as a fixed centre armrest on higher trims. Twelve different accessories in five colours are available through the Kicks Colour Studio, which can be installed by the dealer or the customer. This includes optional black 17-inch alloy wheels with coloured accents.

Packaging retains the S, SV, and SR grade levels, but premium features such as around-view cameras, the headrest-mounted Bose audio system, leatherette seats, and 17-inch black alloy wheels are now split out into a Premium package add-on to the SR grade. The 2021 Nissan Kicks goes on sale in February with pricing to be announced closer to launch.

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Ford has confirmed that the new Bronco in two and four-door versions is being delayed until summer. That’s because of production issues related to COVID-19, the automaker says. Reservation holders will have until March 19th to get their dealer and order finalised, Ford said. To go with the start of production being pushed back from spring, the Sasquatch off-road package with the seven-speed manual, a late addition to the lineup, will now be delayed until model year 2022. It’s not yet clear if that means calendar 2022, or just later in 2021. This doesn’t affect the Bronco Sport, which should be hitting dealers shortly.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada changed how they made their annual Top 10 Stolen Vehicles list this year, and going by overall thefts instead of making it based on the number left on the road has made for an almost completely new list. While previous years had been mostly pre-2008 Ford Super Duty pickups, this year’s most stolen was the 2018 Honda CR-V. IBC’s list was mostly crossovers from Honda and Toyota/Lexus, and the research suggested that many of these were being chopped up for parts or shipped overseas, while in Ontario, more theft was related to street racing activities. To help keep your car where you left it, IBC suggests not leaving your keyless entry remote in the vehicle or near your front door, to install an immobiliser or tracking device, and to ensure your vehicle is left with windows and doors locked, and don’t leave it running.

Mazda is following the classic performance car pattern of putting its most powerful engine into one of its smallest vehicles. The CX-30 compact crossover is getting a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 227 hp (250 on 93-octane), and that 250 figure is 95 hp more than the base 2.0-litre engine (with more than double the torque). It’s a still-healthy 64 hp upgrade over the CX-30’s uplevel 2.5 NA four. The Mazda CX-30 Turbo will be offered only on the top-spec GT trim arriving at dealers next month. The 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo will start from $36,250 with standard all-wheel drive.

For 2021 the Honda Accord is getting a light styling refresh including new grille and headlights. Inside it gets improved Honda Sensing driver aids, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and low-speed braking control. The 2021 Accord starts with a new SE trim that replaces the LX but it raises the starting price significantly to $32,305. Top of the Accord line is the Hybrid Touring at $42,805. Both the 1.5T and 2.0T models see the same power figures as last year, with the 1.5T gaining Stop/Start. The Hybrid has been tweaked for more EV power use and more natural (ie. gas-like) driving characteristics.

The 2021 Ram Heavy Duty sees upgraded towing capacity and torque on top-spec models. Able to tow up to 37,100 lb when properly equipped, it now has a more than 1,000 lb over the next-closest competitor. The 6.7L Cummins diesel High Output engine has climbed from 1,000 lb-ft in 2020 to offering 1,075 lb-ft for 2021, again making it the highest in-class. Other changes include a digital rear view mirror camera display and a new power plug available in the bed.

Hyundai has massively increased the number of Kona Electric models coming to Canada this year, and that’s likely to continue into next year as sales warrant. Just 2,600 were imported in 2019, but thanks to a new factory for Europe this year 7,900 will come in. That has let Hyundai meet a backlog of orders, but it will also let Hyundai dealers have Kona EVs in stock to let buyers check out and drive the 415 km EV, something that couldn’t do before the increase.

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Sergio Perez, who’s been given the bum’s rush and told to get lost by his employer. Racing Point F1, won Sunday’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain. In last place at the end of the first lap, he fought his way through the field to finish first. Esteban Ocon celebrated on the podium for the first time in his F1 career by finishing second for Renault and our Lance Stroll was third in the second Racing Point car. Our Nicholas Latifi suffered an oil leak in his Williams and was a DNF.

The star of the show, though, was Englishman George Russell, who filled in for the ailing Lewis Hamilton and pretty much set the world on fire. If not for bad luck, he would have won the race.

For a full report, please click here

NOTEBOOK JOTTINGS

I have been in the newspaper business forever. As a result, I don’t believe anything anybody tells me, particularly if they’re politicians. Cynical? You bet. I don’t think anybody will ever be able to fix the Indigenous water problem in this country, regardless of what is promised and by whom. And COVID-19? “Do as I say, not as I do,” is a political mantra. And by the way, guess who will get the COVID vaccine first?

The same applies to celebrities. This is what Lewis Hamilton told F1 journalist David Tremayne about COVID-19:

“Lockdown is not good. It’s not been fun for anybody. But I would say, for me, to be in a bubble for this championship has been horrible. I’m so lucky I’ve got Angela [personal trainer Angela Cullen], but I’ve not had anyone else in my bubble for this year. I’ve not really been around anybody and not been out to dinner, not been socializing at all, and it’s been a really big challenge.”

And this is what the team wrote when announcing the news that Lewis had caught the bug. Icicles were hanging from every word.

“The 2020 world champion returned negative tests throughout his time in Bahrain as per Formula 1 protocols, but started suffering mild symptoms on Monday morning. Following information (that) he had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 prior to arriving in Bahrain, Hamilton was tested again on Monday and returned a positive result, ruling him out of the next race.”

“In contact with someone.” Care to elaborate, Lewis? And what’s that you said about how horrible it is being in your bubble? See first paragraph, above.

Toto Wolff says George Russell’s performance in Sunday’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain will not have any effect whatsoever on negotiations to re-sign Lewis Hamilton.

Ho, ho, ho.

Toto has always had a quick wit, as well as a quick quip – as he illustrated in a post-race interview Sunday. (Usually, when somebody utters a vulgarism on international television, somebody else has the presence of mind to apologize to those of us with sensitive ears. But not Sunday, when Wolff swore when explaining what went wrong in the Mercedes garage when they managed to mix up the drivers’ tires. Community standards are changing all the time, I guess – although I don’t think (I hope not, anyway) that this particular profanity will become commonplace. But I digress. . .)

Lewis Hamilton is paid nearly 70 million Canadian dollars a year (40 GBP) to drive that Mercedes racing car. This, in itself, is obscene and I could go on and on about that. But our focus here is the negotiation. Because of carelessness, or whatever it was, Hamilton came down with COVID and missed the race this weekend. He was replaced by George Russell, who is a good racing driver in his own right and has a ride with Williams, but which means he’s always at the back. Russell led all practice sessions, came oh-so-close to winning the pole (Bottas just edged him), took the lead at the start and dominated until Mercedes screwed up a pit stop and then he got a flat tire.

In short, a driver with not much F1 experience got into the car of the seven-time world champion and if you didn’t know it wasn’t Lewis, you would have figured he was driving.

Now, Lewis Hamilton is a great racing driver, I think. I have to say that because I don’t know. He’s always been in great cars, first with McLaren and now Mercedes. And he was defeated, head-to-head, by his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who promptly retired. Valterri Bottas is not in Rosberg’s league so Hamilton has not had strong competition in the best car since he was beaten. And then, when he got sick and had to miss a race, his replacement drove his car as well as he did.

Lewis is probably at a point in his life where he doesn’t need the money. He’s been making tens of millions of dollars for years. It’s the principle, though. He’s Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion, and his pay packet has to reflect that. But it you’re Toto Wolff, team principal for Mercedes and a man who has to constantly work to convince the automaker’s board of directors to stay in F1 and keep spending the money that’s necessary to continue being No, 1, this is an opportunity to save some.

This will probably be Lewis’s last contract. It will likely be for two years (a cap on drivers’ salaries might kick in after that) and will give him the chance to become the all-time F1 world championship winner and to back away from F1 while holding most, if not all, of the records. And he will be paid well for those final two years. But he won ‘t get 40 million GBP and if he balks and refuses to sign, then George Russell will have shown he’s ready to be promoted.

Toto Wolff is holding all the cards now. That’s why, when he says Russell’s performance won’t have any effect on negotiations with Lewis, the statement should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

F1 television covered Romain Grosjean’s accident like a blanket this weekend. What the TV left out, the websites filled in. It was all very clinical, all very surgical in its analysis. I have a different take: something to think about.

I have a friend who, years ago, paddled a canoe across Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, following the route of the Voyageurs. It took him three summers. He was not particularly religious or even spiritual when he first started out. When it was over, he sure believed in something. Whether it was God or a Guardian Angel, it doesn’t matter. He’s with us today to tell the tale.

He was ln a river up in northern Saskatchewan, in the middle of nowhere, when he came upon a rapids not on his charts. He had no time to get to shore so had to ride them out. The canoe overturned and was bashed against the rocks. It was badly damaged. He always wore a life jacket. Good thing. But he was in serious, serious trouble. We’re talking wilderness here. There were wild animals about and he had nothing to defend himself. He tried to stay awake but would doze off. He kept waking up, hearing things, which was very frightening.

Two days later, he was walking along the river bank, trying to figure out what to do. He’d found most of his cooking utensils but the canoe was wrecked. As he walked, his eye caught something glinting in the sun. He went closer and soon realized it was a large tackle box. He opened it and found everything inside that he needed to repair the canoe. Everything. He never became a Holy Roller after that, but he told his friends there was no doubt in his mind that Divine Intervention saved his life.

As Divine Intervention saved the life of Romain Grosjean a week ago Sunday. There is no other explanation.

Mick Schumacher, son of you-know-who, won the Formula 2 championship Sunday and will move up to F1 in 2021 with Haas F1. I think Mick has the chops. At least, I hope so. I can think of another son of a GP driver who hasn’t panned out, despite a team being built around him. He has his fans but Max Verstappen has never stepped up to the plate the way many expected. He has a great car but he has never taken it by the neck and shaken victory out of it. He had a golden opportunity this weekend and didn’t/couldn’t do it. The crash in the race notwithstanding, he just doesn’t have his old man’s fire.

Is it just me, or is there just an awful lot of careless driving going on in Formula One this season? Perhaps it’s the track designs, or the drivers are ultra brave because of the halo, or the cars are faster – whatever, there are crashes of one kind or another in just about every race these days. When Fangio, Hawthorne, Clark, Hill, Amon, Stewart – I could go on – were out there, there were not nearly the number of “shunts” there are today. But, as I said, maybe it’s just me.

OTHER RACING

Years ago, the late Craig Hill and I were collaborating on a brief history of auto racing in Canada for the old Formula magazine. We came up for air one evening and I said, “Who, at this very moment, is the hottest young stock car driver in the country? A guy who’s a can’t miss in NASCAR?” And Craig Hill said: “A 16-year-old from St. Thomas. His name is D.J. Kennington.”

Now, Hill, who was one of the finest racing drivers in Canada – he won two national road-racing championships and still strapped into a USAC midget on occasion – had a day job. He was the promotions manager for Wakefield Castrol in Canada. I don’t know if Hill had anything to do with what came next, but I have a feeling there was a connection, something that has continued to this very day. Late last week, D.J. and Wakefield announced a new multi-year agreement that will see Kennington continue to drive the No. 17 Castrol Edge Dodge in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series in 2021 and beyond, continuing the partnership that began more than 25 years ago.

In that time, D.J. is the only NASCAR Canada driver to race in all 166 Pinty’s races – he won the pole for the very first one – chalking up 21 wins, 99 top 10 finishes and the series championship in 2010 and 2012. He also raced
Castrol-branded trucks in the NASCAR Camping World Series and the Xfinity stock-car series. In 2017, he raced his way into the Daytona 500, becoming just the eighth Canadian to make the field for that prestigious race.

The NASCAR Pinty’s Series races are broadcast on TSN. Broadcast details will be available once the season schedule is announced.

Devlin Defrancesco, the smallest baby ever to be born at Sunnybrook Hospital, has gone on to become one hell of a good racing driver. He announced last week that after several years in Europe, he’ll be running in the Indy Lights Series next season. More about Devlin, of Toronto and West Palm Beach, in the new year.

Todd Gibson of Richwood, Ohio (see photo below), a supermodified racer who drove at Oswego Speedway in New York before going on to race Indianapolis cars as well as USAC sprint cars – Bentley Warren, Sammy Sessions and Gordon Johncock were other Oswego drivers who took the same route – died last week at age 83. In the Indy cars, a top five finish in the Molson Diamond Indy at Mosport in 1977 was one of his best finishes. He crashed hard at Indy during practice in 1979 and decided to retire. Todd’s sons Gene Lee, Larry, Terry and grandson Zach all raced supers, with Gene Lee having the most success. Gene Lee had his father’s aggression. One time at the legendary Winchester Speedway in Indiana, he had a little coming together in a USAC sprint car race with another driver, so got out of his car and went over and slugged the guy. Track owner Roger Holdeman wanted to throw him off the property but was overruled by USAC. There’s nothing like a little punch-up to get a sprint car crowd excited and they let Gibson know what they thought of him. Gene Lee didn’t care. He had a top five finish in the feature, which meant good money.

Ice racing, a 43-year winter tradition in Minden, will continue in the new year, pending approval by the township. The Minden Kin Club and a group including SportCup Inc., a subsidiary of the Russ Bond Agency, will run the races after the CASC pulled out because of COVID-19. The Kin Club will proceed with the building of the skid pad and the ice track next month when the cold weather settles in.

What’s going on with Formula Electric? Or, Formula E as they like to call themselves. For several years it was the darling of manufacturers who couldn’t afford, or didn’t want, to get involved in Formula One. But now Audi has announced it will leave the series after 2021 to return to top flight sports car racing and it will also take a shot at the Dakar Rally. Audi says it will continue to support customer teams but will withdraw its works team. Other OEMs are also reportedly considering a future without FE.

AND FINALLY . . .

We are less than three weeks away from Christmas, Yes, it’s that close. Christmas always sneaks up on me but this year it seems to be coming out of nowhere because of the COVID-19 crisis. COVID, with working at home and all, seemed to steal time. I could never remember if it was Tuesday or Thursday. I looked at a calendar the other day and thought, “Holy smoke! It’s here.” Not quite, but you get my drift.

Tom Brokaw, the old NBC Evening News anchor, always did it right. He took a month off in summer to rest up and get some sun and then he took December off to go to all the Washington parties, do some shopping and recharge his batteries. Another one who got it right was the late Zalman Yanovsky. After retiring from the rock band Lovin’ Spoonful, he moved to Kingston to cook, first at the Prince George Hotel and later at Chez Piggy, which he opened with his wife, Rose Richardson. Chez Piggy was so successful that Zal could afford to close for two weeks over Christmas. Other restaurateurs could hardly wait for the holidays to make their money; Zal would lock up, put a sign on the door that said Aloha, and go to the Cataraqui Town Centre to have lunch at the Food Court. Both those guys knew how to live.

So my parting shot to you today is that following Abu Dhabi next weekend, put your feet up, relax and enjoy the Christmas season. If you think you have it rough – not being able to go shopping or getting together with family over Christmas – think of many of your fathers and grandfathers who missed four or five years of their lives when they were off in Europe or elsewhere, fighting in a little something called the Second World War.

Now, that was sacrifice. That was tough. As a guy said the other day, all we have to do is stay home. And visit on Zoom.

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