The GMC Canyon Comes Up Short on a Pair of IIHS Crash Tests

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just released its latest round of crash test results, and the picture isn’t flattering for the industry: only two of the seven vehicles tested earned the organization’s top honour, the Top Safety Pick+ award. Just one pickup made the list this time around: the 2026 GMC Canyon in crew cab trim. The truck holds its own in a few categories, but two results drag its overall report card down.

• The Canyon scored “Marginal” in the moderate overlap front test

• Its ability to avoid a collision with another vehicle earned the lowest possible rating, “Poor”

• Not a single one of the seven midsize pickups tested walked away with Top Safety Pick+ honours

Before we dive further, if you want the full rundown on how the IIHS scores vehicles and what it takes to qualify for these awards, we’ve got you covered right here.

A Mixed Bag of Results

The Canyon earned “Good” ratings in both the small overlap front and side-impact tests, two areas where it does a solid job protecting occupants. Things get shakier in the moderate overlap front test, though, where IIHS researchers flagged an increased risk of head and neck injuries for rear passengers, along with a higher risk of leg injuries for the driver.

The real trouble shows up in the vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention category. The Canyon’s system avoided a collision outright in only one scenario involving another car, just slowing down in every other test. A truck this heavy striking a car, even at reduced speed, can still cause serious harm. The system also struggled to flag motorcyclists in time, missing the warning window on two separate occasions.

A Segment-Wide Issue

The Canyon isn’t alone here. Its close mechanical twin, the Chevrolet Colorado, along with the Nissan Frontier and Honda Ridgeline, all landed the same “Poor” score for crash prevention. Only the Frontier and Jeep Gladiator earned a good rating in the moderate overlap test, a challenge that’s clearly tripping up the entire class.

The Toyota Tacoma, another player in this segment, stands out for the consistency of its results, even with a “Marginal” score on that same test.

Still, the message to midsize truck makers is clear: shoring up crash-avoidance systems and improving moderate overlap crash resistance needs to become a priority in future development.

More often than not, it takes an entire generational redesign before a vehicle makes real gains in an area like this. It’ll be worth watching how automakers, including General Motors, respond to that challenge.