2014 GMC Terrain

2014 GMC Terrain

The uniform may be military-grade, but the GMC Terrain’s softer side shows up in its excellent four-cylinder gas mileage and Denali luxury.

Art history hasn’t looked favorably on Brutalism, the blocky, concrete-infused theme that defined early-1970s landscapes. But GMC has.

2014 GMC Terrain Interior/Exterior

The HUMMER division is long gone, but it lives on in spirit, thanks to the GMC Terrain (and now, the 2014 Sierra). The angular, vaguely militaristic forms that outlined the H2 and H3 haven’t missed a beat–they’ve just been wrapped in Transformers vinyl, like the smaller Chevy Sonic and Spark. The Terrain has zero tolerance for soft curves and easy transitions–it’s all bluff, bolt upright, without a bow. It’s easily as polarizing as the HUMMER lineup was in its day, but the Terrain seems to have evaded the unfortunate overt linkage to politics.
The box-car look is macho and wholly distinctive compared to its Chevrolet Equinox kin, but inside, the GMC Terrain defaults to corporate memes–and it’s fine. It has a somewhat V-shaped center stack, housing audio and climate controls. The stack is flanked by large vertically oriented vents, and it’s the centerpiece of the design. Other details and trim look chunky, with the same cloudy metallic surfaces that are now used inside other GMC vehicles.
The new Denali edition mutes some of the brighter details. The grille is mesh; the metallic trim is satin in texture. The cabin wears a soft pad on the dash, stitched with red thread, and the steering wheel has a section of dark woodgrain implanted across a top arc. Denali badges and a unique color palette are the only other details that separate it from the rank and file.

2014 GMC Terrain Engine Performance

The GMC Terrain gives buyers a choice of two very different driving missions: one tipped toward highway fuel economy, the other geared toward throaty V-6 oomph.
No matter which Terrain trim level is selected, the base drivetrain pairs a four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic. The 2.4-liter four has direct injection and active noise cancellation, for a net of 180 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time somewhere in the 9-second range, unladen. Blazing performance? Well, no, but the slick-shifting gearbox has a sport mode–which you’ll have to activate on the shift lever, not from a cool set of paddles. You’ll be doing it a lot, as you forage through the four-cylinder’s low end in search of torque. Leave it alone to shift for itself, and it performs ably enough, smoothly enough–but don’t engage Eco mode unless you want the torque converter to lock up sooner and shifts to come later, slipping a mickey into the Terrain’s responses.
The current 3.6-liter, 301-hp V-6 arrived on the scene as an option just last year, and it’s shared with the much bigger, much heavier Acadia. The lighter Terrain lights into its tires with the six–it’s a terrific engine that raps out a muscular burble, and drops 0-60 mph times in the 6.5-second range. It’s right there in BMW X3 range, and so is the top tow rating of 3,500 pounds (or 1,500 pounds with the four-cylinder). Here, though, gas mileage doesn’t hit 32 mpg highway, and shift responses aren’t quite as slick, possibly a consequence of the transmission’s early-lockup converter, or of its relatively simple, optional all-wheel-drive system.
Depending on which engine you choose, you’ll end up with a completely different steering system; the four-cylinder models have a new electric power steering system that helps save fuel, while V-6 models have a tried-and-true hydraulic one. We tend to like the hydraulic one a little bit more, but the electric system is now one of the better units, with a nice, settled feel at speed. Brakes are good, and overall the Terrain has an on-road poise that you might not expect for such a buff, trucky-looking vehicle.

See more 2014 GMC Terrain photos

For performance, the Terrain challenges drivers to pick a direction. All versions sport a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine outfitted with direct injection. It turns in 180 horsepower and EPA fuel economy of 22/32 mpg in front-drive models, a mile per gallon less on each side when all-wheel drive is fitted. Any Terrain can be upgraded to a new 301-hp, 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6 that earns 17/24-mpg gas mileage (or 16/23 mpg with AWD).which is refined most of the time, with only an occasional judder under quick power changes. Dig deeply into the four-cylinder’s powerband, and you’ll probably find it has plenty of urge for almost every need; the V-6 is necessary only if you’re always filling all the Terrain’s seats, or maxing out the six-cylinder’s 3500-pound towing capacity. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive an option. Wind and powertrain noise are admirably low in the six-cylinder models, but four-cylinders have noticeable drivetrain whirs and ticks–one of the classic soundtracks to today’s direct-injection engines is a ticking as fuel is delivered, and it’s pretty evident here, though the four-cylinder gets a noise-cancellation system that’s meant to cut down on perceived cabin noise.
Excellent safety scores are part of the Terrain profile. The NHTSA gives it four stars overall, though the IIHS no longer calls it a Top Safety Pick despite “good” ratings in all completed tests. Along with curtain airbags and stability control, a rearview camera is standard–and necessary, since the Terrain’s styling creates big blind spots. Denali models have standard blind-spot monitors with cross-traffic alerts.
All Terrains come with standard climate control; AM/FM/XM/CD sound with a USB port for media players; keyless entry; a power driver seat; and ambient lighting. Also standard is a touchscreen-driven Color Touch audio system with IntelliLink, which connect smartphones to the car’s audio system, enabling Bluetooth voice control and streaming music from sources like Pandora. Options include remote start; a rear-seat DVD entertainment system; and a navigation system with hard-drive map and music storage.
Credit: GMC Cars

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