The 2016 GMC Terrain gets a bold new grille, new front and rear fascias, and LED running lights.
While GMC may be taking a low-profile approach to the 2015 New York International Auto Show, with no official news conference on the media preview schedule, that doesn’t mean the truck brand doesn’t have anything to show off.
Showgoers will find a heavily updated version of the popular GMC Terrain waiting for them later this week when the turnstiles start spinning at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It follows the launch earlier this year of the sibling 2016 Chevrolet Equinox.
“Terrain is a popular choice in the growing compact SUV segment, introducing drivers to GMC’s professional grade design and features,” said Duncan Aldred, GMC vice president of GMC marketing, in a statement. “The changes for 2016 provide consumers with even more reasons to consider Terrain as it continues to be a smart choice for customers seeking versatility, style and technology.”
GMC has good reason to be updating the 2016 Terrain. Demand for compact utility vehicles is booming, and the General Motors truck division is hoping to appeal to both mainstream and more upscale buyers with two different versions of the Terrain, including the high-line Denali model.
(The 2016 Chevy Equinox was revealed at the Chicago Auto Show. Click Here to check it out.)
For more upscale buyers, there's the Terrain Denali.
The most immediately visible updates can be seen front and back with the addition of a bold new grille and both revised front and rear fascias. Both versions accentuate their performance with a new “power dome” hood, and there are now LED daytime running lights on higher trim models.
The Denali can be shod with new 19-inch aluminum wheels, while other models offer 18-inch alloy wheels.
Interior updates are modest with the five-seater. The SLT version of the 2016 GMC Terrain gets a new leather trim package, for example. The most notable updates come in the form of updates safety features. The new models get blind spot detection and cross-traffic alert, the latter good for spotting oncoming traffic when backing out of a mall parking lot.
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The updated GMC Terrain also will be available with the new IntelliLink 4G LTE WiFi package on top of its OnStar safety and security system.
The interior receives minor tweaks -- but there's plenty of new safety and infotainment technology.
The 2016 Terrain will feature GM’s MultiFlex sliding rear seat which helps improve cargo space utilization. With the seats up the ute can fit 31.6 cubic feet of gear, a figure that jumps to 63.9 cf with the seats folded.
2016 GMC Terrain buyers will have the choice of two engine packages, starting with the base directed-injected 2.4-liter Ecotec four, which is EPA-rated at 32 mpg on the highway. There’s an upgraded, direct-injted 3.6-liter V-6 that makes a more sporty 301 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque, enough to tow 3,500 pounds.
The decision to launch the 2016 GMC Terrain in New York makes sense when you consider it’s the country’s largest regional market for compact SUVs – and the second-highest selling region for Terrain, GMC notes.
The crossover-utility vehicle was first introduced in 2009 and has continued gaining momentum, scoring its best year ever in 2014, with sales of 105,016. Sales hit new records in January and February of this year, as well.
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