Elvis, Basketball, and the all-new Canyon

Eighty years ago today - Jan. 8, 1935 - Elvis Presley was born. The impact his life and music have had on American culture is remarkable.

Sixty yeaars ago today - Jan. 8, 1955 - WUNC-TV, Channel 4 in Chapel Hill, signed on the air as North Carolina’s first "educational station" with opening-night programming that featured a telecast of the freshman and varsity basketball games between North Carolina and Wake Forest. Who could have predicted the influential public television network that station has become?

On the same night that WUNC went on the air for the first time, the Furman basketball team set the NCAA record for most points scored in a game (154), and the Georgia Tech basketball team ended Kentucky's 10-year, 130-game home winning streak.

Those are events that many people in the Triangle area of North Carolina remember and talk about today. Elvis remains many people's favorite performer. WUNC is many people's favorite TV station and UNC their favorite basketball team.

But today - Jan. 8, 2015 - General Motors has joined the conversation of people's favorite things and the relevance of today's date. Next year at this time, people may be driving to basketball games and listening to Elvis songs in their new favorite truck.

General Motors today introduced the 2015 Canyon Nightfall Edition – a stylized, blacked-out edition of the brand's all-new premium midsize truck that blends a dramatic appearance with popular features and accessories.

The Canyon Nightfall Edition will be offered on SLE crew-cab models, either 2WD or 4WD, in Onyx Black and available in the first quarter of 2015. In addition to standard equipment on the SLE, the Canyon Nightfall Edition will include:

*Unique black grille

*Black assist steps

*Factory spray-in bedliner

*18-inch multi-spoke aluminum wheels with Dark Argent painted inserts

*Polished exhaust tip

*Automatic climate control

*Remote start

Said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing, in a press release: “The new Canyon Nightfall Edition expands the Canyon lineup and gives style-conscious customers another choice. Importantly, customers get the great looks of the Canyon Nightfall Edition and its unique content at a greater value than ordering the features separately."

The distinctive appearance of the Canyon Nightfall Edition reflects customer preferences for personalization and features that support different lifestyle interests. More than 40 percent of the initial orders for Canyon include at least one selection from the comprehensive collection of accessories GMC developed for the truck. The Canyon accessories portfolio includes the available GearOn™ system for optimal cargo management, as well as bed protection, styling enhancements and trailering components.

"The Canyon is a lifestyle enabler," Aldred said. "Its accessories lineup matches lifestyles of all types."

According to the General Motors Web site, additional standard content on the Canyon Nightfall Edition will include:

*Rear-vision camera

*Eight-inch-diagonal Color Touch radio with GMC IntelliLink

*OnStar with 4G LTE and its standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot (includes three-month/3GB data trial, whichever comes first)

*Two USB ports for charging located on the rear of the center console in addition another USB port inside the console

*Multi-color driver information center display

*Soft-touch instrument panel with aluminum trim

*Auto-dimming inside rearview mirror

*Remote keyless entry

*Tilting and telescoping steering column

*Leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls

*SiriusXM satellite radio (includes three-month trial)

*Automatic locking rear differential (4WD models)

*17-inch aluminum wheels

Canyon was named Autoweek’s Best of the Best truck for 2015. It offers the segment’s best horsepower and EPA-estimated fuel economy: 200 horsepower (149 kW) and 27 mpg highway (2WD) from a standard 2.5L I-4; and 305 horsepower (227 kW) and 26 mpg (2WD) from an available 3.6L V-6. The V-6 engine enables a segment-leading 7,000-pound trailering rating.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902. But the excitement and appeal of its trucks has been renwewed and invigorated by today's exciting announcement.

Elvis would be proud.