GM unveils its new mid-size pick-up truck GMC Canyon

General Motors Co. has presented the second argument of its plan to catch up with Toyota Motor Corp. this year, as it looks to unseat the Japanese auto maker as king of the midsize pickup truck.

The 2015 GMC Canyon, believed to be available into showrooms in the third quarter, will be paired with the Chevrolet Colorado, as GM returns to a segment it abandoned two years ago, along with Ford Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC. The Canyon officially will be unveiled later on Sunday, on the eve of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

For the first time, GM is diverting from rival Ford by building and selling two midsize trucks, while Ford focuses on selling its F-150 model across the board. On Monday, Ford finally unveils an F-150 built mostly from aluminum, reducing weight and improving fuel economy.

Midsize pickups—which traditionally provide less towing capacity but more fuel efficiency—accounted for just 1.7% of overall U.S. automotive sales year to date through the end of September, according to research firm IHS Automotive. That is down from 3.2% for the same time period in 2008. GM’s 2009 bankruptcy disrupted the Colorado and Canyon lifeline, leaving both models to be phased out in the U.S. in August 2012.

“The question is will there be enough volume for GM,” said to Wall Street Journal IHS Automotive analyst Tom Libby. “They have to win away customers from Toyota, they have to win away customers from Nissan, and then the segment has to grow. It’s going to be difficult especially when customers come in and figure out that for a few dollars more a month they can get a large pickup truck.”

To attract new customers, GM will aim the Colorado at active people who like using their truck for work and play.

The GMC Canyon, in the meantime, will be advertised as little more toward luxury offerings, including more interior headroom, halo lighting on key controls for easier viewing and a center console big enough to store a tablet computer. The Canyon will be assembled at the auto makers Wentzville, Missouri plant.

Toyota also is promising to take the fight to GM. In 2012, the Tacoma received a restyled exterior look and an upgraded interior. The company has nothing to report for 2014, although speculation has been swirling that another face-lift could be in the works aimed at spoiling GMs pickup truck debuts.

It looks like a fierce competition is starting to build up between the two top pick-up truck brands in US. The ahead start of Toyota is giving them the desired advantage over GM before new models have been compared by auto critics.

The 15 analysts polled by CNN Money offering 12-month price forecasts for General Motors Co have a median target of 49.00, with a high estimate of 56.00 and a low estimate of 39.00. The median estimate represents a 22.41% increase from the last price of 40.03. Analyst define shares of GM as a strong “buy”.