Kid-Friendly Pickup

Contrary to what the past 30 or 40 years may have taught us, not all of life’s problems can be solved by technology. Sometimes a clever fix is all that’s necessary. As an example, the new-for-2015 GMC Canyon pickup provides a novel workaround for the fact that the smallish jump seats in compact/midsize extended-cab trucks typically aren’t designed to properly accommodate child safety seats. Here, a parent can sufficiently elongate the cushion by simply removing the rear headrest and inserting it into the front of the jump seat. “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,” says Eduardo Bugelli, GMC 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.” The Canyon and its near twin, the Chevrolet Colorado, debut this fall.