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New York 09' Preview: 2010 GMC Terrain Takes Bold Styling to New Levels

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Although the new 2010 GMC Terrain shares its basic platform with the equally new Chevy Equinox, its obvious that GM finally tried to make them look different...although the Terrain definitely has the more controversial design.

"We wanted to carve the GMC Terrain away from the pack and establish its identity as a powerful, fresh crossover SUV with a confident and strong stance," said John Cafaro Jr., director of exterior design, Global Crossover Vehicles. "Everything about the Terrain communicates a sense of tailored toughness and passionate craftsmanship."

After you move past the bold design, the Terrain is powered by the same 182 hp, 2.4L 4-cyl and 264 hp, 3.0L V6 as the Equinox. GM expects the 4-cylinder Terrain to achieve 30 mpg on the highway.

The 2.4L equipped Terrain also sees GM's first use of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology to counteract noise inside the vehicle. Th Terrain also features a standard MultiFlex rear sliding seat that can be fore or aft nearly eight inches.

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PRESS RELEASE:

GMC EXPANDS ITS ENGINEERING EXPERTISE WITH THE EFFICIENT AND CAPABLE 2010 TERRAIN
* All-new, five-passenger crossover SUV delivers expected segment-best highway fuel economy of 30 mpg
* Comprehensive package of premium features, with an emphasis on vehicle safety and passenger comfort
* GMC's engineering excellence and innovation advances with direct injection technology, programmable power liftgate and standard rear vision camera

NEW YORK –GMC's all-new 2010 Terrain makes its world debut at the 2009 New York International Auto Show. The Terrain is a five-passenger crossover SUV that blends bold styling with fuel efficiency and premium features.

"The new Terrain brings GMC's history of innovation and engineering excellence into a smaller, fuel-efficient package for today's buyer," said Susan Docherty, Buick-Pontiac-GMC vice president. "The capability attributes that make a vehicle a GMC are ingrained in Terrain, making it an appealing choice for existing traditional SUV customers who are looking for distinctive styling and increased efficiency."

A new, 2.4L four-cylinder engine that features direct injection is expected to deliver best-in-segment highway fuel economy of 30 mpg. Maximum fuel economy is achieved in part with an "ECO" mode that is activated via a console-mounted button. When engaged, it lowers the torque converter lockup speed to 1,125 rpm to help save fuel on models equipped with the 2.4L engine.

Also available will be a 3.0L DOHC direct injected V-6 engine delivering an estimated 264 horsepower (197 kW). Both engines are mated to efficiency-enhancing six-speed automatic transmissions and offer a refined, confident driving experience.

"GMC is a strong, core brand for GM and the Terrain crossover SUV is the latest example of how we're adapting to changing market conditions," said Docherty. "As we first demonstrated with the Acadia crossover, GMC is committed to offering the capable vehicles customers seek, with the personal technologies they expect."

The 2010 Terrain goes on sale in late summer, with front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models offered in SLE and SLT trim levels. A comprehensive list of standard and available features includes purposeful technologies such as:

* Standard rear vision camera
* Programmable power rear liftgate
* Bluetooth hands-free phone capability
* MultiFlex sliding rear seat that increases passenger comfort or provides optimal cargo space
* Remote vehicle start
* USB audio connectivity; MP3 playback
* Seven-inch touch-screen navigation system and a 40-gigabyte hard drive
* DVD-based rear-seat entertainment system with two independent screens
* Standard OnStar and XM Satellite Radio

Segment-best safety is anticipated, with features that include four-wheel disc brakes with StabiliTrak electronic stability control and traction control, as well as six standard air bags: dual frontal air bags; head curtain side air bags and pelvic/thorax seat-mounted side air bags. OnStar with one-year Safe and Sound service is also standard.

Bold styling

Terrain has a balanced, athletic stance and offers a commanding view of the road. Its design is characterized by bold, muscular fender flares, representing GMC's aesthetic. Surfacing is angular yet refined, with a strong and capable front-end appearance that features precise, squared-off edges.

"We wanted to carve the GMC Terrain away from the pack and establish its identity as a powerful, fresh crossover SUV with a confident and strong stance," said John Cafaro Jr., director of exterior design, Global Crossover Vehicles. "Everything about the Terrain communicates a sense of tailored toughness and passionate craftsmanship."

Additional design features include a unique, three-element grille that is accented by a prominent chrome surround and projector-beam headlamps mounted in large, rectangular housings with chrome accents.

Interior details and flexibility

The Terrain's rich, premium interior is influenced by industrial sculpture and exudes refinement exemplified by contrast stitching and fine materials that create a structured look throughout the cabin. A "floating" center stack, highlighted by warm ambient lighting, houses a multitude of ergonomic comfort and convenience controls.

The Terrain also features great attention to detail, with smart use of storage space and compartments that are suitable for a variety of items. They include an oversized glove box; a closed storage area in the instrument panel above the center stack; a closed storage compartment under the center armrest large enough for a laptop computer; and two-tier storage in the doors.

Terrain's seats were developed to provide outstanding comfort and the standard MultiFlex sliding rear seat can be moved fore or aft nearly eight inches (200 mm), providing increased passenger comfort or greater rear cargo capacity. The 60/40-split rear seatback offers additional configurations for passengers and cargo; and the rear cargo area offers 31.6 cubic feet (894 liters) of storage, as well as one of the Terrain's four auxiliary power outlets.

Confident and agile driving experience

Two new engines are offered on all Terrain models, each with fuel-saving direct injection and variable valve timing technology. Vehicle highlights include:

* New 3.0L DOHC direct injected V-6 engine estimated at 264 horsepower (197 kW), which delivers an estimated 25 mpg highway, 18 mpg city (EPA certification pending).
* New 2.4L Ecotec direct injected I-4 engine estimated at 182 horsepower (136 kW) that delivers an estimated 30 mpg highway, 21 mpg city (EPA certification pending)
* Driving range of more than 500 miles (800 km) with both engines, for less-frequent fill-ups

The powertrains are mounted on a rigid, body-integral structure, with single-piece body side stampings and targeted applications of high-strength steel. It is the foundation of a confident driving experience that is both smooth and responsive.

GM's first application of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology is used on 2.4L-equipped models. ANC uses microphones to detect booming sounds inside the vehicle and sends counteracting sound waves through the audio system's speakers, ensuring a quiet driving experience at almost all vehicle speeds.

The Terrain rides on a 112.5-inch (2,857 mm) wheelbase and features a four-wheel independent suspension system, with wide front and rear tracks that enhance the ride and handling. A family of 17-inch, 18-inch aluminum and 19-inch chrome-clad wheels is available.

Terrain's rack-mounted electric power steering system provides greater fuel efficiency on four-cylinder-equipped models, saving nearly 11 miles per tank of gas.

GMC Terrain will be produced at the CAMI assembly facility in Ingersoll, Ontario.

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Comments (21)

McGroober:

Really? Wow GM spend millions to make hideous vehicles, clearly that's how you get out the red! Way to spend our tax dollars!

Jeremy:

@ McGroober

That is not an ugly CUV, you are obviously a Nissan Cube fan.

Patrick:

FAIL!!!

Noya:

Good looking for a GM design.

Patrick:

GM executives are sitting in a meeting,rolling in stimulus money. One says,I know what our line-up needs,another SUV!!! They all applaud this risky idea,for it is sure to work.

Avatar:

Funny Patrick, this 'SUV' gets the same gas mileage as an Accord sedan, same power, and more then double the cargo room, 4 cylinder to 4 cylinder. Some would call it, more practical, others more efficient.

fsfs:

I still dun think it will be getting the same mileage as the 4cy accord...tho it is tested according to the industrial standard?

very skeptical about that~ <--is this a right word?

thejester420:

oh no!, why did you have to do that? the front end is terrible, the rear is nothing to write home about, and its just plain unnecessary, if GM keeps this crap up they'll be outta business in no time. Glad i got a Ford, at least they'll be around 5 years from now if i need parts.

Avatar:

fsfs, the EPA hasn't gotten it yet, this is what GM is estimating. However, GM recently estimated the highway mileage on the new v6 Camaro to be 27 mpg, EPA tested it and found it to be 29 mpg. With this in mind, it is highly plausible that this gets 21/30, like the 4 cylinder auto 5 Accord sedan. It is even possible that it might get more mpg, though I highly doubt it.

rawanduntamed:

@Patrick
Actually this is not a bad looking SUV, and if the mileage is true, this is not a fail. Way better than 99% of the 'me-too' designs out there. SUV's have a purpose and a market, not everyone wants a Nissan cube. Even if this get's 25mpg on the highway, still very good.

@thejester420
Wonder if this is in response to leaving the Hummer brand behind. Like giving the 'toughness' to the crowd that want that style of rig, but don't want a 'soccer mom suv'?

I would think that this addresses a niche in the market lacking by all the other brands.

BigO:

The rear end looks like it came off a Toyota Sienna minivan.

William:

Wowwa wowwa! I like! Time to go camping in northern Michigan in my new Terrain! WEEEEEEEEEE! GO MSU! GO DETROIT!

WS:

Wow...another Chevroldsmobuiac shoebox SUV! I can't stand the excitement...darn, I wet myself.

Tom:

Design is nothing special, and you can't compare this to accord even if it gets about the same mpg. This SUV is way heavier and 182 HP is slow. I would go for V6. One last thing, this is not going to save GM

Crap:

What else is new. The name GM is on the blacklist of most people. If its from GM, It won't be successful even if it runs 50mpg. Geez, give up already GM.

SteelCity1981:

I don't care for it all that much. It looks too disportionate. It's square in some areas where it should be round and and then it's round in others areas where it should be square.

WareWolF:

Not a great design, but still looks 1000% better than the Mitsu POS on the prior page.

Patrick:

my point was,the SUV niche is covered,the market does not need more. Poor executive decision=FAIL.

Peter:

Oh great, another SUV. Too many SUV and they all look the same. Is this the best GM can offer?

D!:

The SUV market does not need another SUV but this isn't another SUV. It's the replacement for 5 passenger version of the Envoy. For the most part, I like the way it looks and with the 4 cylinder engine, it should hopefully get good mileage. While this vehicle probably won't be GM's savior it is a definite step in the correct direction because there are still people who purchase SUV's.

Hickman:

Ummm, can anyone say Denali rip-off? There is no originality here, besides the fact that it looks hideously ugly.

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