The 2012 GMC Canyon adds front bucket seats to midlevel trims and makes an automatic locking rear differential standard on 4WD and Crew Cab models.

Buyers looking for a compact or midsize pickup typically want rugged styling, multiple engine and body styles, and optional four-wheel-drive and off-road packages. The 2012 GMC Canyon meets all the criteria, yet is still a truck we hesitate to recommend. It simply lacks the overall refinement and creature comforts of contemporary rivals.

The Canyon's largest obstacles are its aging cabin and subpar materials. We're loath to cynically call the Canyon fleet fodder, but its dated and uninspiring interior makes almost no pretense of trying to compete. Lackluster performance from its base engines, including a five-cylinder that pales against competitive V6s, reinforces our suspicions. Still, the base four-cylinder is competent enough for light around-town duty, and there's also a stout, very capable -- and very thirsty -- V8.

The 2012 GMC Canyon is a compact/midsize pickup offered in three body styles -- regular cab, extended cab (with small rear access doors) and crew cab (with four regular doors) -- and in three different trim levels: Work Truck, SLE and SLT. Canyon crew cab models come equipped with 5-foot cargo boxes, while other models feature a 6-foot box. Rear-wheel drive is standard and four-wheel drive is available on all models. The SLT is available only with 4WD.

Standard features on Work Trucks include 16-inch wheels, a bedliner, skid plates on 4WD models, a 60/40-split front bench seat, air-conditioning, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bluetooth, six months complimentary OnStar Directions and Connections service, and an AM/FM stereo.