2010 GMC Terrain

A Spirited Small SUV with Luxury Features
by: Charles Donaldson

The air is getting cold and the holidays are over. Gifts have been unwrapped and placed into two piles – those we want to keep and those we’d like Santa to recall. For those who managed to score big from Santa, but now need to lug items back to be returned or exchanged – GMC can help! For 2010 GMC introduces us to the Terrain – a small SUV with upscale features, best-in-class fuel mileage and a modest price.

The All-New 2010 GMC Terrain offers buyers a new choice in the small SUV market. It shares a platform with the Chevrolet Equinox and provides GMC customers an option smaller than the full-size GMC Acadia. The Terrain offers room for five along with good rear cargo space. I found many of the features and the fit and finish of the Terrain to be upscale. Offered in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive, the Terrain is ready for both on-road and off-road adventures.

The Terrain takes its styling cues from its big brother the GMC Acadia with big bold muscular fender flares that GMC calls “angular yet refined.” Its stance is fearless and confident with a grille that is in-your-face and could be a deal breaker for the more conservative types. As guards protecting an entrance, large stacked headlights stand ready on each side of the grille to light the path a head. An equally sizable fascia sits below the lamps and wraps under the grille completely hiding the front bumper. The front windshield rakes back flowing into a roof line that ends with a rear spoiler. Wrap-around taillights stream from the rear quarter panels into the programmable power tailgate.

The model lineup for the 2010 GMC Terrain consists of two trim levels: SLE and SLT, both available in 2WD and All-wheel drive. All models come standard with the new 2.4-liter direct injected 182 horsepower 4-cylinder gas engine that GMC claims to deliver the best-in-segment EPA estimated highway fuel economy of 32 mpg. If you require more horsepower you can upgrade to a 3.0-liter V6 engine with 264 hp for $1,500. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The interior of the Terrain has a rich premium feel with silver trim throughout the dash and contrasting stitching in the seats.  Our test model was equipped with the Audio System w/Navigation package ($2,145) and featured a large 7-inch screen and easy to use navigation system that even provided traffic alerts. I easily connected my cell phone via the Bluetooth connectivity, which provided me a safe way to communicate when calls came in or had to be placed.  What really impressed me was when the radio was on and a phone call came in the system faded out the music instead of simply cutting it off. It may not sound like much, but it is a feature not normally found in an SUV and contributes to the luxury essence of the Terrain.

Interior packaging was well thought through with plenty of storage compartments including an oversized glove box and a center armrest large enough to store a laptop computer. The rear seat adjusts forward and back by nearly eight inches to deliver either more rear legroom or rear cargo storage. The 60/40-split rear seatback offers additional flexibility.

Room for improvement:

·         Objects viewed by the backup camera are much closer than they appear

Cool Features:

·         Standard rear-vision camera

·         MultiFlex adjustable rear seat

·         Standard OnStar and XM Satellite Radio

·         Programmable power rear liftgate

·         Remote vehicle start

·         Touch screen navigation system with a 40-gigabyte hard drive

The 2010 GMC Terrain includes six airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with StabiliTrak electronic stability control, and traction control. OnStar with one-year Safe and Sound service is standard.

In Summary – The All-New 2010 GMC Terrain delivers a smooth and comfortable ride with many upscale features and plenty of horsepower. Its bold styling has an athletic stance that makes it stand out from the crowd. The Terrain is quiet thanks to GM’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology that uses microphones to detect booming sounds inside the vehicle and sends counteracting sound waves through the audio system’s speakers. Could you imagine a portable ANC system? That would have been a popular gift under the old Christmas tree. It could be called the Active Nagging Cancellation system. J Pretty cool!

Specifications

2010 GMC Terrain

Base price:                  $25,850    as driven: $32,620 (with destination and V6 engine)

Engine:                        2.4-Liter Ecotec direct injected 4-cylinder

Horsepower:               182 @ 6700

Torque:                       172 pound-feet @ 4900 rpm

Transmission:             6-speed Automatic

Drive:                          Front-Wheel-Drive

Seating:                       5-passenger

Turning circle:            40 feet

Cargo space:               63.9 cubic feet

Curb weight:               3798 pounds

Fuel capacity:              18.8 gallons

EPA mileage:              32 highway, 22 city

Wheel Base:                112.5 inches

Warranty:                    5 years/100,000 miles bumper to bumper

Also consider:             Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7, Nissan Murano, Hyundai Santa Fe

Future changes:           New for 2010