The GMC Canyon is aggressively styled with angular wheel arches. Its front end is bright and bold in the GMC tradition and looks mean and menacing, albeit in a classy GMC manner. The black center grille with its floating GMC logo is surrounded by brightwork that extends to either side of the truck. It separates a complex looking array of lights composed of daytime running lamps, turn indicators, and high and low beams. A slight dihedral at the front outer edge of the hood enhances Canyon's aggressive appearance. From the side, Canyon looks sharp and edgy, with boldly angular fender flares that rise toward the rear of the truck.

Overall, however, Canyon looks balanced, whether in Regular Cab, Extended Cab, or Crew Cab body styles. All Crew Cab and Extended Cab models share a 126-inch wheelbase, while Regular Cab models ride on a 111-inch wheelbase. Overall length is 207 inches for all but Regular Cabs, which are 192 inches.

Regular and Extended Cabs have 6-foot, 1-inch beds. The crew cab has a 5-foot, 1-inch bed in exchange for its larger cabin. Regular and Extended Cab models have steps in the rear fender ahead of the rear wheels, making it easier to reach and load things in the front of the bed. The tailgate can be opened fully (89 degrees) or dropped 55 degrees to provide support (level with the tops of the wheel wells) for a 4x8-foot sheet of plywood. Extended Cabs use rear-hinged back doors with door handles inside the door jam. Crew Cabs have conventional front-hinged rear doors with door handles that are easy to grip and pull open.

Ride height varies by model. The ZQ8 sport models look slammed with their lower ride height. In fact, they ride about an inch lower in front than the standard 2WD Canyon, with a minimum ground clearance of just 6.2-6.5 inches at the front axle. The standard Canyon has 7.3-7.9 inches of ground clearance, depending on cab style and the number of driven wheels. The Z71 off-road suspension raises the ground clearance to 8.7-9.0 inches, depending on model.