GMC Step Up Their Game With All-New 2018 Terrain Crossover

With several of its direct rivals busy fighting for the compact SUV sales crown, the 2018 GMC Terrain, on display in Detroit, finally looks ready to throw its hat in the ring.

Catching up to the likes of the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 or the Ford Escape is a pretty tall order, but thanks to more efficient engines, and 2017-worthy on-board technologies, the Terrain is now at least worth considering if you’re in the market for such a crossover.

The first thing that hits you when it comes to this new-gen model is the exterior redesign, which may come across as slightly unoriginal from certain angles, but with so many automakers doing floating roofs now, it’s a task to even remember who started the whole trend.

Other than that, the Terrain remains easily recognizable as a GMC product, despite its more modern and less boxy appearance both outside and in – which is where you’ll find new trim, 7″ and 8″ infotainment systems, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto connectivity as well as on-board Wi-Fi hotspot. You can even get a Bose 7-speaker audio system in the range-topping Terrain Denali, to go with a heated steering wheel and a hands-free programmable power liftgate.

Active safety systems include the new Surround Vision, Forward Collision Alert with Following Distance Indicator, Low-Speed Forward Automatic Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Safety Alert Seat.

On the road, the all-new Terrain will offer buyers a choice between a 170 HP 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol, a 252 HP 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol and even a 137 HP 1.6-liter turo-diesel. You can also get your 2018 GMC Terrain with an all-wheel drive system and one of two new nine-speed gearbox. The upside here is that you get more storage room in the center console thanks to GMC’s Electronic Precision Shift tech, which replaces the conventional shifter with an “electronically controlled gear selection consisting of push buttons and pull triggers”.

The 2018 GMC Terrain is expected to go on sale this summer in SL, SLE, SLT and Denali trims.