2023 GMC Terrain AT4: Sportiness is all decal, little substance
Adding the promising AT4 off-road and sportiness upgrade doesn’t do much to bring this small SUV to the next level. How will it compare to Mazda's all-new CX-50?
2023 GMC Terrain AT4 vs. 2023 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus: Sporty baby SUV battle.
This week: GMC Terrain AT4
Price: $38,120 as tested. Sunscape sunroof with power sunshade, $1,495; Tech Package added HD surround camera, front and rear park assist, and head-up display for $850; GM Pro Safety Plus Package added adaptive cruise and all sorts of alerts for $645. More noted below.
Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver likes the “roomy interior, good fuel economy numbers, rugged appearance” of the Terrain, but not the “plasticky cabin bits, irksome shifter toggle switches, middling acceleration performance.”
Marketer’s pitch: No tagline from General Motors.
Reality: GM seems to have returned to its “decals without substance” vehicle plan.
What’s new: The GMC Terrain was last given a real update for the 2018 model, and it shows.
General Motors has long had a penchant for adding some decals to a vehicle and calling it sporty or off road. But the AT4 version of the Canyon midsize pickup came through testing with flying colors — a really fun truck with off-road capabilities. So Mr. Driver’s Seat thought we were past the days of style over substance from GM.
But, alas, it was not to be.
Up to speed: Sporty acceleration is definitely lacking.
I’d previously experienced the 1.5-liter turbo four in the cousin Chevrolet Equinox and was unimpressed. The engine gets a boost to 175 horses from the previous 170. Doubtful it brings the smallish SUV to 60 mph much more quickly than the lethargic 8.9 seconds in a Motor Trend test of the 2021 Equinox.
On the road: Sporty handling also seems to be left out of the equation.
The Terrain, when left in all-wheel-drive mode, provides fair handling and maneuverability. It seems like a rental car. It handles highways fine as well, although it could weave a little if your mind wanders for a moment.
But two-wheel-drive mode turns the Terrain into a wandering imp with a mind of its own and steering with all the vagaries of a Bob Dylan song.
Presumably the AT4 makes it more suitable for off-roading. I’ll leave that to more outdoorsy people than me.
Driver’s Seat: A sporty interior is not to be had either.
The inside is dressed up in the usual GM paraphernalia: stereo controls, heater controls, gauges — no new Terrain to cover. And it’s all a little over-designed, with dashboard layers where a minimalist look would work better. And it all feels cheap and plasticky.
The seat is not bad for the price bracket, though, and was comfortable on trips to King of Prussia and Philadelphia.
Shifty: Choices are a good thing, and a 9-speed automatic transmission offers plenty of them. But the driver doesn’t get to make any of them — there’s no real shiftability beyond a little +/- button, and that would probably help propel the Terrain a little. What’s here doesn’t help get the most juice out of the turbo.
Rather than a shift lever, drivers get a series of buttons and pulls just over the console. So now your phone and all the other detritus sometimes blocks the “shifter.”
Still, it works well among creative transmission controls, allowing Mr. Driver’s Seat to put one finger on each pull and swap Reverse and Drive fairly smoothly.
Friends and stuff: The rear seat is spacious, with good foot room, legroom, and headroom. Unfortunately, the seat itself is flat and lacks cushioning. The worst part is the odd angle of the seat back, and there’s no way to adjust it.
Cargo space is 29.6 cubic feet behind the second row and 63.3 with the second row folded.
It also tows up to 1,500 pounds.
Play some tunes: A dial controls volume and buttons offer some functionality. The touchscreen is on the small side — 8 inches — but functional and clear.
Sound from the seven-speaker Bose Premium Sound System ($1,180) is not bad, about a B+. No mistakes but nothing stellar.
Keeping warm and cool: Dials control the temperature and fan speed, while buttons handle the blower location. The tall vertical blowers are fairly easy to direct.
Fuel economy: The Terrain averaged about 23 mpg in a mix of highway and city driving, with some country roads.
Where it’s built: San Luis Potosí, Mexico
How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the Terrain reliability to be a 3 out of 5, pretty much where it’s been for several years.
Next week: We’ll check out the all-new Mazda CX-50.