GMC Terrain slims down, adds turbo power for 2018

DETROIT -- The GMC Terrain, for its first redesign since arriving eight years ago, is dropping more than 400 pounds and getting a trio of smaller, turbocharged engines, including a diesel.

The Terrain’s new styling marks the “next chapter of GMC’s design language,” General Motors said ahead of its unveiling at a Detroit art museum on Sunday. The compact crossover retains a distinctive profile while gaining a more sculpted and aerodynamic appearance.

On the inside, designers added aluminum trim, soft-touch materials on the doors and instrument panel, and fold-flat seating for greater cargo-carrying versatility. An electronic shifter and new under-floor compartments behind the rear seat also increase storage capacity.

“GMC’s strong growth over the past decade is due in large part to Terrain,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of global GMC sales and marketing. “The all-new Terrain builds on that success, leveraging GMC’s proven premium SUV experience to shake up the largest vehicle segment, with a strong blend of design, functionality and engineering excellence.”

GMC has sold more than 700,000 Terrains since 2009. But the vehicle is showing its age, with U.S. sales falling 22 percent in 2016, the largest decline of any compact crossover still being produced.

The 2018 Terrain, scheduled to reach dealerships this summer, follows a similar blueprint as the redesigned Chevrolet Equinox going on sale in the next few months. Specifications provided by GM show the Terrain is about 12 percent lighter than the outgoing version, and its length is about three inches shorter.

As with the Equinox, the 2018 Terrain gives buyers the choice of either a 1.5-liter or 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission or a 1.6-liter turbodiesel. Those options replace the 2.4 liter four-cylinder and 3.6-liter V-6 that power the current Terrain. GM did not say how much fuel economy would improve.

A Denali version will feature a signature satin-chrome grille and accents that include body-color fascias and lower trim, chrome roof rails and side mirror caps, and 19-inch ultra-bright machined aluminum wheels.

“It is a striking design with functional beauty,” said GMC design chief Helen Emsley. “There’s confidence and optimism in its stance, with exceptional attention to detail that speaks to GMC’s rise as a premium brand.”