The 2018 GMC Terrain is a crossover SUV made by General Motors. The Terrain made its debut in 2010 at the New York International Auto Show and replaced the Pontiac torrent after GM shut down the Pontiac brand. Through the years, several trims were added to the Terrain line-up, like the Denali trim which added chrome details and a nicely upgraded interior. In 2013, the Terrain became the only first direct injection natural gas vehicles, along with the Equinox, to ever be approved by the US EPA. This natural gas version tested at 31 MPG and had emissions that were equal to the Toyota Prius.
In 2016, the Terrain got a facelift as a mid-cycle refresh, that brought new front and rear fascias, new grille, a power dome hood, LED daytime running lights, new wheels a new gear selector, a second storage shelf under the dashboard, as well as deletion of the door lock buttons from the dashboard. 2016 also saw the introduction of the Nightfall edition, that replaced chrome with gloss-black finish on the grille surround, the front, and rear fascias accents, the license plate surround, mirror caps, and roof rack, along with charcoal grille inserts and darkened headlights like those on the Denali trim. The Nightfall edition comes available in SLE-2 and SLT trim levels and is only available in Onyx Black, Summit White, Graphite Gray, and Crimson Red.
2018 GMC Terrain Highlights
The redesign for the 2018 GMC Terrain brings with it a host of new convenience and comfort features like improved connectivity capabilities, tons of new comfort features, and three, high-performing and fuel-efficient engines. The base models did increase in starting price by around $2,000 with these improvements, and the top of this model’s trim line, the Denali trim now starts around $40,000. This newly designed 2018 GMC Terrain shows off sleek styling at every angle and tops off in its class for looks. Here grille treatments are available, and all of these options give the Terrain a lot more presence on the road. Newly designed LED headlights and taillights are accented by chrome on the fascias.
A few new features of the interior of the 2018 Terrain that make it look and feel premium are:
- Authentic aluminum pieces in all trim levels on door pulls and frame to center console, HVAC vents, and the interior of the steering wheel.
- Soft touch interior appointments surround the real aluminum trims.
- “His and Hers” cup holders
- Electronic precision shift technology that eliminates a mechanical transmission-gear shifter for a by-wire system using a combination of buttons and triggers on the center stack. This new design is easier to use and frees up more space for a roomier center console area.
- Available Bose 7-speaker audio system and Bose noise-canceling technology suppresses any occasional powertrain noise that might occur.
- Optional 7 or 8-inch touchscreen that is Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatible. 4G LTE WiFI hotspot, smartphone link up technology, and connectivity to the GMC My Car App.
- Newly designed front and rear seats improve comfort, while the fold-flat capability of front-passenger and second-row seats gives 81 cubic ft of storage space.
New for 2018 on The GMC Terrain
The new generation Terrain was released as a 2018 model and comes with three engine choices, and standard features like a 7-inch touchscreen and LED daytime running headlights and tail lights. Available features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi hotspot capability, and safety technology including surround vision camera system, GM’s vibrating safety alert seat, forward-collision alert, low-speed forward automatic braking, and lane keep assist with lane-departure warning.
The 5-passenger SUV received a lot of new features for the 2018 model year including a bunch of new comfort and convenience items, improved connectivity, and three capable and fuel-efficient engines.
A few highlights of what’s new for Terrain in 2018 are:
- Smaller size, by 3 inches and 400 LBS in weight from previous generation, but no loss of headroom or legroom.
- New lighter and smaller version, paired with three improved engine options brings a better performance and fuel economy. Optional engine upgrades are very nice, offering turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a turbocharged 1.6-liter diesel that is a champion of fuel economy. GMC calls for it to get 40 MPG on the highway.
- Improved comfort and smart technology makes the 2018 GMC Terrain a pleasure drive with one of the largest amounts of head and foot room in its crossover class.
- Overall, very high ratings on the improved 2018 design, especially scoring well for comfort, connectivity, and new and better performance and fuel efficiency.
One of The Best Compact Crossovers On the Market
2018 saw the GMC Terrain get a full line of improvements in many areas and these changes upgraded the overall look, feel, and performance of this popular crossover model. Where the previous generation of the 2018 GMC Terrain fell short in a few categories like drivability and technology, the fully redesigned Terrain addressed a lot of those issues and is now a much better crossover SUV as one of the nicest compact crossovers on the market today.
