GMC’s Terrain is on its way to dealerships

Special to the Star-Telegram

As Chevy’s redesigned 2010 Equinox begins making its way to dealers, the new GMC version of this compact crossover – the Terrain – won’t be far behind.

With a starting price of $24,995 (including $745 freight) for the front-drive model, and $26,745 for the all-wheel-drive version, the Terrain gives GMC dealers a small crossover to replace the Pontiac Torrent that has been discontinued as part of General Motors’ restructuring.

Pontiac itself is going away next year, but most Pontiac dealerships also carry GMC and Buick products. GM plans to continue both of those brands.

The Terrain, which officially goes on sale in September, offers class-leading fuel economy and backseat legroom, the automaker said.

The base model, the SLE1, is equipped with a 2.4-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder engine rated at 22 mpg city/32 highway, the same as the new Equinox, which is nearly identical to the Terrain. Both use the same design as the newest version of the Saturn Vue, which will be discontinued as GM spins off that brand to a separate company.

said Susan Docherty, GM’s North America vice president for Buick-Pontiac-GMC. "We think Terrain is a bold statement of GMC’s key role within the reinvented General Motors."

The Terrain offers a flexible backseat configuration that allows for great passenger room for up to three rear passengers, or almost 64 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats, GM said.

Standard on the base model are features such as a rearview camera system and an AM/FM/compact-disc audio system with six speakers, USB connectivity and XM satellite radio.

The top model, the SLT2, begins at $29,995, and comes with leather seats, a premium Pioneer audio system, power liftgate, sunroof, and chrome trim package.

While the four-cylinder engine is standard on all models, a 3.0-liter, direct-injection V-6 is available, along with amenities such as a GPS navigation system and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

The four-cylinder engine has 182 horsepower, while the Torrent’s base engine was a V-6 with 185 horsepower.

The EPA ratings of 22/32 compare with 20/27 for the Honda CR-V and 22/28 for the Toyota RAV4, the leading models in the compact crossover segment. With careful driving, the Terrain four-cylinder model could go up to 600 miles between fill-ups.

With seating for up to five, the Terrain takes some of its styling cues from the larger Acadia crossover.

While GM expects the majority of buyers to choose the four-cylinder engine, the new V-6 offers 255 horsepower, yet is efficient enough to provide an estimated fuel economy of 18 city/25 highway.

The V-6 engine is a $1,500 upgrade, but the four-cylinder is available in even the fanciest model, so consumers can have all the high-end amenities but still have the great mileage of the smaller engine.

Safety features include standard OnStar communications (with automatic accident reporting), front seat-mounted side air bags, roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows, electronic stability and traction control, and four-wheel antilock disc brakes.

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