Canyon Experience lets customers take virtual test drive

(April 6, 2015) DETROIT — Whether it’s pulling up in front of a restaurant in the city or trailering a camper into the woods, the all-new 2015 GMC Canyon premium midsize pickup is right at home. Beginning today, an interactive Canyon Experience lets customers virtually “test drive” a Canyon in four lifestyle environments starting from their neighborhood – or anywhere else.

The Canyon Experience is the first with Google Maps and Google Street View technology that lets users “see” a Canyon in their neighborhood, close to their home.

“The Canyon Experience will appeal to the variety of lifestyles and interests of our very diverse audience,” said Kenn Bakowski, Canyon marketing manager. “Customers can learn about the various Canyon attributes that interest them, including capability, safety, the quiet cabin, connectivity and more.

“When they visit the site, customers also can choose different scenarios for their Canyon test drives — city, shore, mountains and rural. They can even ‘park’ a new Canyon close to their home to see how it looks, and share it socially,” Bakowski said. We set out to engage potential Canyon customers in a fun, creative way.”

Another byproduct of the Canyon’s versatility is the range of vehicles of its buyers owned. More than 30 percent of Canyon buyers previously drove a small or midsize crossover, SUV or car. Other Canyon buyers are upgrading from their former midsize pickup or downsizing from a full-size pickup.

In addition, through March, more than 53 percent of Canyon buyers have traded in a non-GM brand vehicle and Canyon information on GMC.com had been viewed more than 3 million times since its introduction last spring.

The Canyon Experience is designed to connect with customers in the early stages of the vehicle-buying process and is compatible with desktop (Internet Explorer 9 or higher), tablet and iOS and Android smartphones.