2022 Nissan Frontier vs 2023 GMC Canyon

As they say, “better late than never.” After 17 years, we can finally call the Nissan Frontier an all-new truck. Mostly. While the 2022 model looks, feels, and drives completely differently from the 2021 model, it still rides on the same platform as that previous-generation truck, albeit an extensively modified version.

Old bones or not, it’s nearly impossible to confuse the 2022 model year Frontier with the old truck. Updated styling, an enhanced powertrain, a comfortable cabin, and real off-road capability combine to give it a notable advantage against a set of aging competitors from Ford, General Motors, and Toyota.

2023 marks the third generation of GMC's midsize pickup truck. The first-generation Canyon arrived for the 2004 model year as a replacement for the compact GMC Sonoma, and after a short hiatus a second-generation Canyon was introduced as a 2015 model. Throughout, the Canyon has been a twin of the Chevrolet Colorado, with only a few differences to distinguish the ostensibly upscale GMC from its working-class sibling. That changes for 2023.

The new Canyon is once again based on the Colorado, sharing the Chevy's body-on-frame platform, powertrain, and tech features. This time around, though, the Canyon is further distinguished from the Colorado by skipping some of the Chevy's entry-level features. That will raise the out-the-door price of a 2023 Canyon, but it's in keeping with the truck's positioning above the Colorado.

The Canyon is once again available in the base Elevation, luxury Denali, and off-road-oriented AT4 grades familiar to owners of the outgoing model. For 2023, GMC also adds a Canyon AT4X model that dials up the off-road capability. We drove it, as well as the Elevation and AT4 models, to see if this redesign is really an improvement.