GMC Terrain

The GMC Terrain is a crossover SUV by American manufacturer General Motors under its GMC marque. Sharing its platform with the Chevrolet Equinox, the first-generation Terrain was built on GM's Theta platform, while subsequent generations are built on the Delta platform. The Terrain is the smallest GMC vehicle, slotted below the Acadia. It also indirectly replaced the Pontiac Torrent which was typically sold via the same dealers prior to General Motors dropping the Pontiac brand.
The 2010 Terrain debuted in April 2009 at the New York International Auto Show, introduced as a replacement for the Pontiac Torrent, which ended production after GM shut down the Pontiac brand in 2010. Although the preceding Pontiac Torrent had the same Theta platform, the Torrent was a rebadged version of the original Chevrolet Equinox from 2005 to 2009, while GM decided to differ the look of the Chevrolet Equinox with its 2010 Terrain and still use the Theta platform. Early 2010 models had the GM Mark of Excellence logo applied on the sides of the vehicle.
The Terrain initially came in SLE and SLT trims. All models included a backup camera, AM/FM/CD/MP3 radio with USB port, laminated front door glass and tempered deep-tinted rear glass, Multi-Flex fore/aft adjustable rear seat, telescoping steering wheel, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel vented disc hydraulic anti-lock brakes. For the 2013 model year, a Denali trim was added, featuring additional chrome trim (including unique exhaust tips), slightly improved interior quality, and firmer front struts. The Denali also offered cross-traffic detection, blind-spot warning, and a power passenger seat as options, but unlike many of its competitors, dual-zone climate control was not available. A low-end SL trim was added for 2015; derived from the SLE-1 trim, it was only available with front-wheel drive and the 2.4-liter Ecotec engine, and had very limited option availability.
For 2016, the GMC Terrain received a facelift as part of its first mid-cycle refresh along with the Equinox. The refreshed version debuted at the 2015 New York International Auto Show. The refresh consisted of new front and rear fascias, chrome exhaust tips (first used on the 2013 Denali) on all models, a power dome hood, LED daytime running lights, new wheels, a new gear selector, a second storage shelf under the dashboard (in the place of the discontinued CD player), as well as the deletion of the door lock buttons from the dashboard. The rear door child safety locks are now manual instead of electronically controlled.
For 2017, GMC introduced the Terrain Nightfall edition, replacing chrome with gloss-black finish on the grille surround, the front and rear fascia accents, the license-plate surround, mirror caps, and roof rack, as well as charcoal grille inserts and darkened headlights pulled from the Terrain Denali. The Terrain Nightfall came with revised rims with machined faces and black spokes. The Terrain Nightfall trim was available on the SLE-2 and SLT trim levels and was available only in Onyx Black, Summit White, Graphite Gray, and Crimson Red.
The first-generation Terrain was powered by a choice of two engines, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a V6 engine that was upgraded from 3.0 liters of displacement to 3.6 liters for 2013.
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In 2013, Nat G CNG Solutions in Houston, Texas, and AGA Systems in Salt Lake City, Utah, began offering a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) version of the Terrain and the Chevrolet Equinox using the 2.4L Direct Injection engine. The natural gas version is a "bi-fuel" CNG vehicle, meaning it runs on either gasoline or natural gas, giving it extended range. The Terrain/Equinox were the first direct injection natural gas vehicles ever approved by the US EPA.
The CNG version was available for newly purchased Terrains through select dealers or as a retrofit on 2013 and 2014 models. Nat G CNG Solutions offered the vehicle in two options: a two-seater cargo version and a five-seat passenger version. The cargo version had an 837-mile (1,347 km) combined gasoline/natural gas highway range (9.2 gge of CNG), while the passenger version had a 775-mile (1,247 km) combined highway range (6.8 gge of CNG).
The companies claimed that the natural gas version had tested at the EPA lab at 31 mpg‑US (7.6 L/100 km) highway on natural gas and had achieved a Bin 3 emissions equivalent to the Toyota Prius.
Silver Eagle Distributors, L.P., the nation's largest distributor of Anheuser-Busch products, was the launch customer for the natural gas version with an initial order of up to 100 of the natural gas versions.
In March 2022, General Motors recalled over 740,000 GMC Terrain models made from 2010 to 2017 for headlights being excessively bright. In October 2022, General Motors issued a fix for the recall by thoroughly cleaning the headlights and applying a translucent decal on the headlight.
The 2010 model year Terrain was awarded "Top Safety Pick" by IIHS, it received the highest-possible rollover protection rating of Good and achieved the Good rating for the roof strength test because its roof can withstand a force equal to four times the vehicle's weight.
On January 8, 2017, the second-generation GMC Terrain was unveiled at the 2017 North American International Auto Show as a 2018 model. The second generation went on sale in Summer 2017 and was available with three turbocharged four-cylinder engine choices, including a diesel option. The headlamps and taillamps now featured LED lighting accents on all trims, and the top-of-the-line GMC Terrain Denali was initially only available with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, which included dual chrome exhaust tips and larger front brakes. All models now featured tempered front door glass and rear solid disc brakes.
With this generation, the interior is quite different from the contemporary Chevrolet Equinox, with all models featuring a folding front passenger seat to accommodate items up to eight feet long, a class-exclusive switch-based transmission shifter, under-console pass-through storage area, a storage compartment above the glove box, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Standard technology features included a larger Driver Information Center screen, seven-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, four USB ports (including one Type-C port), keyless open and start (including passive entry on all doors), drive mode selection system, active grille shutters, second-row HVAC, electronic parking brake, and rear-seat reminder. SLE and SLT diesel models received more standard features than their gasoline-powered counterparts.
The refreshed version of the GMC Terrain debuted at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show in February 2020. It was initially planned to go on sale in mid-2020 for the 2021 model year, but production issues and the COVID-19 recession led General Motors to cancel the GMC Terrain facelift in March 2020. GM had also planned to offer the 2.0-liter turbocharged LSY engine in the Terrain, but that never came to pass. The GMC Terrain refresh would instead go on sale in Summer 2021 for the 2022 model year, alongside the refreshed version of the Chevrolet Equinox.
The refreshed Terrain features an updated front and rear end, exterior LED lamps, interior, and emblem lettering. Trim levels now include SLE, SLT, the new AT4, and later, Denali. The low-end SL trim has been discontinued, and the Denali and AT4 trims are available only with all-wheel drive. The AT4 trim features a steel skid plate, black-painted rims, off-road tires, and unique badging. LED signature daytime running lamps, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, engine start/stop disable switch, and automatic air conditioning are now standard on all models. A head-up display is available on SLT and AT4 models. The Elevation Edition package has been discontinued.
For 2023, the Terrain gained an updated version of the 1.5-liter engine (RPO code LSD), featuring a higher-pressure fuel system and slightly increased horsepower, as well as an electro-hydraulic braking system.
For 2024, the final model year of this generation, there were no major changes other than additional standard safety features on the AT4 trim.
General Motors unveiled the third-generation GMC Terrain on August 12, 2024. Production began on October 14, 2024, at the San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico.
This generation of the GMC Terrain features a totally redesigned interior and exterior. The redesigned exterior gives the crossover a more rugged, truck-like appearance, aligning it closely with the rest of the GMC lineup. Key exterior features include distinctive C-shaped lighting signatures in the headlights and taillights, a bold grille design reminiscent of GMC’s larger trucks, and standard 17-inch wheels. For the first time, the Terrain could be had with 20-inch wheels on the Denali trim as well as two-tone paint with roof in black or gray. This generation rides on a slightly updated version of the Delta (D2XX) platform, and the overall footprint is similar to the previous-generation Terrain.
The interior boasts a 15-inch-diagonal LCD infotainment screen as standard, which is complemented by an 11-inch-diagonal LCD-based driver information center. These screens provide access to advanced technology, including Google Assistant, Google Maps, and a suite of over 15 safety and driver assistance features, including new emergency braking features. The transmission shifter has been relocated to the steering column. Other convenience and safety features include up to eight available camera views, 5G Wi-Fi, and windshield wiper de-icing grid. However, the folding front passenger seat from the previous generation has been discontinued.
The powertrain is a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine carried over from the previous generation, but mated to a continuously variable transmission (for front-wheel-drive models) or an eight-speed automatic transmission (for all-wheel-drive models). The engine produces up to 174 horsepower and 184 (on FWD) or 203 lb-ft (on AWD) of torque. The new powertrain has marginally better city fuel economy ratings compared to the previous generation.
The third-generation Terrain is initially only available in the Elevation trim level with all-wheel drive, with a front-wheel-drive model following later. For 2026, the AT4 and Denali trim levels became available, but only in all-wheel drive.