VIDEO: 2015 GMC Canyon Provides Safety Feature for Youngest Passengers

The all-new 2015 GMC Canyon, set to launch this fall, will include active safety technologies as well as a patent-pending child restraint safety feature, according to General Motors.

Smaller jump seats found in extended-cab midsize trucks often have too little lower seat cushion length to meet manufacturer standards for child restraints. Many child restraint manufacturers recommend that at least 80 percent of the child restraint base fit on the seat cushion.

General Motors’ engineers have designed a patent-pending solution for the 2015 Canyon extended cab to help keep kids in child restraints safer in a collision. This solution makes use of the rear jump seat headrest on the passenger side of the extended-cab Canyon.

The jump seat cushion can be extended by removing the headrest and inserting it horizontally into the seat base. This helps the extended-cab Canyon satisfy the seat base recommendation of most child restraint manufacturers.

To view a GM video demonstrating the feature, click on the photo or link above.

“It’s an elegant solution that makes efficient use of the limited space in the rear seat in this type of vehicle, by allowing us to adapt the seat cushion length for child restraint installation,” said Eduardo Bugelli, safety performance team lead. “The additional seat cushion length provides more support to the child restraint, which helps to reduce the rotation and the risk of injury in a crash.”

In addition to this patent-pending design, the all-new Canyon will be the first midsize truck to offer Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning technology as part of the available Driver Alert Package, General Motors said.

Forward Collision Alert technology helps prevent frontal crashes by alerting the driver when the truck is closing in on a vehicle ahead too quickly, giving the driver additional time to react and avoid a crash.

Lane Departure Warning technology can alert the driver when the truck drifts over a lane line when traveling at least 35 mph.

The Canyon’s all-new cab structure is made from over 70 percent high-strength steel to better protect its occupants in a collision. The truck also comes standard with six airbags, including head curtain side airbags that can also reduce the risk of occupant ejection.