2016 GMC Terrain Comes in 50 Shades of Grey

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Zach Doell

 

  

GMC found an interesting theme amongst buyers of its Terrain compact SUV. Of the customers polled, the automaker learned that the Terrain’s exterior styling was the biggest factor in final buying decisions. So when it came to shifting a refreshed Terrain for 2016, GMC stuck to its guns and kept its designs crisp and clean, albeit quite grey. 

 

And this is what they came up with, specifically the higher-spec 2016 GMC Terrain Denali. The biggest changes come in the form of front and rear fascia adjustments, bringing Terrain styling in line with its larger Acadia and Yukon siblings.

The eyes are drawn to Terrain’s fuller and more pronounced chrome grille, as well as the addition of new LED daytime running lights. The additions at the rear are a bit more subtle, but include tweaks to the bumper and car’s midsection. The Denali tacks on the option of 19-inch wheels and the lower level SLE and SLT models now offer Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

This is a mid-cycle refresh, so you won’t find a slew of technical differences under the hood. GMC still offers the option of all-wheel drive, and provides drivers with either GM’s 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder or 301-horsepower 3.6-liter V6. For the Terrain’s dual-flow dampers you’ll have to spec-up the Denali trim level.

No, the compact SUV segment isn’t what you’d call the most inspiring or exciting niche in the market, but it is now the most popular. Compact SUV market share leapt 17.4 percent in 2014 to account for 15.7 percent of the total US market, eclipsing midsize cars. GMC doesn’t shift quite as many Terrains as does Honda with the CR-V or Ford with the Escape, but the Terrain did find 105,016 buyers last year – its best selling year on record.


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