Compact trucks are a hot segment, and more companies are battling for shares than ever before – Chevy, Ford, Honda, Jeep, and Nissan included. But while some trucks struggle and others begin to show their age, apparently GMC can't keep up with the demand for their compact pickup, the Canyon.

In a recent interview with the website MuscleCarsAndTrucks.com, senior marketing manager for GMC trucks and full-size SUVs, Stuart Pierce, said that "demand is exceeding supply… it's a segment where we don't have enough capacity," Pierce notes. "We don't have a big segment share in there right now, but it's been interesting, as these new competitors have come on, that the segment has grown but hasn't necessarily taken away business from us."

"Our segment share is going down because it’s getting bigger," Pierce notes, "but we just can’t build any more (Canyons)." He also says that Sierra demand is increasing among truck buyers. "Just like Sierras, we need more Sierras. It’s a good problem to have."

Lest you forget, General Motors helped revive compact trucks into the U.S. with the introduction of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon in 2014. Since then, competitors like the modern Tacoma and Ranger, as well as the all-new Gladiator have followed. But even though GMC is touting huge demand, the brand's small footprint and production capability still puts the Canyon at the bottom of the pack in overall compact truck sales.

GMC sold just 32,826 examples of the Canyon pickup in 2019. Honda sold more than 33,000 examples of the Ridgeline last year, and Jeep sold more than 40,000 examples of the Gladiator, even though the Jeep didn't go on sale until May. As for the GMC Canyon's Chevrolet sibling, the Colorado – the company sold more than 120,000 examples in 2019. Thank Chevrolet's much larger capacity.

To entice buyers more, the GMC Canyon AT4 debuted earlier this year with enhanced off-road chops. New visual cues like gloss-black aluminum wheels, a performance exhaust, and black AT4 badges give the compact truck a meaner look, while new skid plates, off-road rocker protection, and a front leveling kit deliver more capability.

Gallery: 2021 GMC Canyon AT4

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