GM announced the prices of its new mid-sized trucks and the GMC Canyon starts at just under $22,000.

If the prices of its new mid-sized trucks are any indication General Motors is ready to stake its claim in the segment. The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon carry price tags comparable to rivals such as the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma.

The Colorado starts at $20,995, including an $895 dealer freight charge, while the GMC Canyon comes in at $21,880, including the destination charge. Under GM’s pricing structure the Canyon is outfitted to command a higher price than the Chevrolet model.

The current price for the Tacoma, the main rival for the new trucks from Chevrolet and GMC, starts at $18,125 for the regular cab with no rear seat, while prices for a double cab, which more closely resembles the new Chevrolet and GMC offerings, goes on sale later this fall. Pricing for the Frontier kicks off at $20,510, excluding the destination $860 destination charge. However, Tacoma and Frontier typically have a significant amount of cash on the hood to help boost sales.

Those incentives reflect the competitive nature of the segment, and it appears that GM plans to be player. GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra told analysts and reporters recently that the introduction of the Colorado and the Canyon offer GM an opportunity to gain some market share. The new trucks will do particularly well in California, she predicted.

With the launch of the 2015 Colorado, Chevrolet gets back into the midsize pickup game.

Debate over the size and viability of the mid-sized truck market has raged for years around Detroit. Both Chrysler Group and Ford Motor Co. have ceded the market to rivals. Reid Bigland, the head of Chrysler’s Ram brand, said Chrysler’s just couldn’t make the business case for a mid-sized truck.

“It was close,” he said.

Ford has a mid-sized truck in its global product inventory, but bringing it into the U.S. would require figuring out a way around the import duties required by the chicken tax and overcoming the objections of the United Auto Workers union. Until now, the chicken tax has effectively stopped Volkswagen from importing small pickup truck from South America.

However, full-size pick-up trucks now routinely carry MSRPs of more than $30,000, creating an opening in the market for smaller less expensive trucks GM executives believe.

Standard features on the Chevrolet Colorado will include a 200-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection and continuously variable valve timing for strong midrange torque; a six-speed manual transmission; power windows with express up for the driver; a rear-vision camera with dynamic guide lines; and a locking tailgate.

The GMC Canyon will add a diesel in 2016.

“Colorado is an all-new midsize pickup that offers truck customers great versatility and great value,” said Tony Johnson, Colorado marketing manager. “It will also have strong appeal for people who know they want a truck, but want one that is easier to maneuver in traffic and easier to park at work or at home.”

Available options will include a 305-hp, 3.6-liter V-6, also with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing; a six-speed automatic transmission; 4G LTE with a built-in WiFi hotspot; Forward Collision Alert and Land Departure Warning; and the GearOnaccessory system, a comprehensive solution for organizing and carrying bikes, paddle boards and other equipment.

GM is offering the Colorado only in extended and crew-cab. Crew-cab Colorados will offer a choice of 5- or 6-foot boxes; extended-cab models come with the 6-foot box.

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Other Colorado models also will offer great value. For example, the Colorado LT crew cab with two-wheel drive and the 5-foot box has a starting price, including dealer freight, of $27,985. The Colorado Z71 crew cab 4×4 with the 5-foot box starts at $34,990.

Standard equipment on the GMC Canyon includes the 2.5-liter I-4 Direct Injected engine, rated at 200 horsepower, plus signature light-emitting diode, or LED, lighting, four-way power driver’s seat, CornerStep rear bumper and 16-inch aluminum wheels.

No econobox, the new Colorado features a well-appointed interior with plenty of technology.

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On the SLE trim package, with prices starting at $27,520, Canyon comes with aluminum interior trim, soft-touch instrument panel and door pads, EZ-lift and lower tailgate, 8-inch diagonal color-touch radio with Intellilink, and OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot with a three-month or three-GB trial.

A four-wheel-drive Canyon SLT crew cab short box model starts at $37,875, and includes the 3.6-liter V-6 engine with 305 hp, leather-appointed seating, automatic climate control, 18-inch polished cast-aluminum wheels, remote start and an automatic locking rear differential.

Canyon customers will have multiple cab and bed configurations to choose from, including extended cab models with a 6-foot 2-inch box, or crew cab models with either the 6-foot 2-inch or a 5-foot 2-inch box.

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Additionally, every 2015 Canyon comes with Pro Grade Protection, which, in addition to a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, includes two years or 24,000 miles – whichever comes first – of standard scheduled maintenance.

“The all-new Canyon provides a one-two punch that customers tell us they’ve been waiting for,” said Canyon Marketing Manager Kenn Bakowski. “Now they can get a premium vehicle in terms of styling, features and technology, with all the inherent capabilities and maneuverability of a mid-size pickup.”