Terrain shares the same platform and most of its underpinnings with the current Chevrolet Equinox.
Of all the many struggles at struggling General Motors, nothing is more controversial in my mind than the second sales channel made up of two of its four core brands, GMC and Buick. This channel of essentially badge-engineered offerings, now stripped of Pontiac, is supposed to support a dealer organization. We shall see.
Of Buick and GMC, the healthiest here is, arguably, GMC, which is off 40% in sales so far this year. What GMC represents is clearer – trucks – than Buick’s non-image. In order to pay its way under the new money-making philosophy imposed at GM by its bankruptcy proceedings, GMC needs to prove it can move successfully into entirely new segments, with entries such as the Acadia and The Terrain. Here, the strong truck image works against it. So it is by no means certain that GMC can expand.
One of the first entries that needs to be successful is the 2010 Terrain, which has just been partially priced. As a so-called cross-over, I’ll skip the debate as to whether it is really just a truck by another name, and whether this helps or hurts GMC. Let the market decide. It is hardly a break through offering whatever it is.
The Terrain shares the same platform and most of its underpinnings with the current Chevrolet Equinox. And it would have had a sibling SUV offering in Pontiac showrooms, the next-generation Torrent, if GM didn’t, first, eliminate all trucks from the Pontiac line-up as part of its ongoing corporate restructuring, then, kill Pontiac off entirely. Taken to its logical conclusion, or at least my logical conclusion, GMC ultimately gets in the way of global efficiencies at Chevrolet, though the company vehemently denies this. GMC is GM’s second best-selling brand in the United States, with more than 376,000 trucks sold in 2008.
We will let customers vote between GMC and Chevrolet versions, and see how bold a move this is.
The Terrain five-passenger crossover starts at $24,995 for the front-wheel-drive model. An all-wheel-drive version starts at $26,745. Both prices include a $745 destination and freight charge, but we must caution you that base asking prices from GM can be augmented by as much as 50%, at least in past, though this is now a marketing dream in the current sales environment.
“The Terrain allows us to build on the evolution we started with the Acadia, applying the distinctive styling and capabilities that have always been a part of the GMC DNA to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles that customers are seeking in today’s rapidly changing market,” said Susan Docherty, GM North America Vice President, Buick-Pontiac-GMC. (Pontiac hasn’t been buried yet, though its funeral is scheduled.) “We think Terrain is a bold statement of GMC’s key role within the reinvented General Motors.”
Well, we will let customers vote between GMC and Chevrolet versions, and then see how bold a move this is.
The base terrain SLE1 model comes standard with GM’s new 2.4-liter, four-cylinder, direct-injection engine and six-speed automatic transmission that delivers EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of 32 miles per gallon. The base price also includes unexpected, from GM, standard features, such as an integrated rear-view camera system and six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with USB connectivity and XM satellite radio service, six airbags, StabiliTrak vehicle stability control, and OnStar.
The SLT2 trim level, which features leather seating, a premium Pioneer sound system, a power liftgate, sunroof and a special chrome appearance package, starts at $29,995. The Terrain also offers a more powerful 3-liter, direct injection V6 engine and many optional features such as an integrated navigation system and a rear-seat DVD system.