Automotive Trends

When GM axed the Pontiac brand back in 2009 it not only left Buick-GMC dealerships without its sister brand, but it also left them without a small crossover. GMC stepped up to the plate for the 2010 model year and gave the world the Terrain which was based heavily on the Chevrolet Equinox. Though the exterior styling was completely different the two vehicles shared powertrains and interiors. The 2018 Terrain seeks to give the diminutive crossover more independence from its Chevy cousin. The interior is no longer shared with the Equinox and offers a curious button activated transmission not available in the Equinox. Exterior styling is smoothed out compared to the blocky outgoing mode and features a floating roofline that is becoming cliché as well as a dramatically rising beltline. Disgruntled Volkswagen owners should take notice that the Terrain now offers a 1.6L 4-cylinder turbo diesel along with 1.5L and 2.0L turbocharged gas engines. As expected, front-wheel drive models are complimented with available all-wheel drive. Those keeping track will notice a V6 is no longer available. SLE and SLT basic models are topped by the premium Denali trim. Expect to see the new Terrain in dealerships late 2017.

Bringing Value and Efficiency to Midsize Crossovers

     Five years ago we reviewed the first-gen Equinox and had mostly good things to report about Chevy’s first crossover. Sure we noted a few ergonomic foibles and suggested that something closer to 250hp would earn more praise than we were willing to lavish on the 185hp mill in all Equinoxs at the time. But the general consensus around here was the Equinox was a nicely sized people mover that looked good and topped out around $30k. That market has proved a popular place among automakers since almost every one of them now offers a vehicle that we could sum up the same way. And as they were introduced they all put the Bow Tie offering a little further behind the curve. But at the 2009 NAIAS GM decided it wanted to lead the crossover pack instead of follow and debuted the 2010 Equinox with the right hardware to get it done. A few months later GMC dropped in as a player in the segment with its mechanically identical Terrain. Sure, the numbers are impressive, but how do they drive? We spent time in several versions to find out. Read more…