The sale date of the all-new 2016 GMC Canyon Duramax is still more than a year away, but ‘mtnmedic76’ caught more prototypes undergoing high altitude testing deep in the Rocky Mountains. The larger diameter exhaust pipe points the way to what lies under the hood – a 2.8L four cylinder Duramax turbo-diesel engine. This prototype is a Crew Cab with the longer 6-foot bed configuration. This is one configuration that blurs the lines between midsize and full-size pickup trucks.

Power, fuel economy, and pricing information has not yet been released. GMC’s website says that the diesel engine option will arrive during 2015 calendar year. However, they have also said that early 2016 may be likely. Let’s hope to earlier introduction, as this segment is quickly heating up. Nissan Frontier Cummins prototype is under evaluation for production, and other manufactures are likely considering this space as well.

Check out this spy video with the 2016 GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado Duramax

And learn – Almost Everything You Want to Know – about the 2016 Chevy Colorado Duramax in this video.

Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, reporter, and software engineer. He has been a contributor at TFL since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or simply ‘going for a drive’.