2010 GMC Terrain: Boldly styled SUV

The 2010 GMC Terrain is a midsize crossover SUV that is positioned to shake-up that segment of the market that Honda and Toyota have long dominated. It is a boldly styled five-passenger crossover SUV engineered with excellent fuel economy in mind.

The new addition to the GM stable also shares a great deal with its fraternal twin, the Chevrolet Equinox, which comes on the same platform and has the same available features and powertrains. This pairing would normally mean business is continuing as usual at GM and that they have learned nothing from recently plummeting SUV sales. Not to mention that the Terrain seemed an unnecessary addition to an already full SUV lineup.

Then I got a chance to get behind the wheel of the 2010 GMC Terrain and I knew from our first drive that this just might be the most modern SUV we've seen and our confidence in GM’s judgment was restored.

Under the hood every GMC Terrain comes standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. Optional on all but the SLE-1 edition is a 3.0-liter V6 good for 264 hp and 222 lb-ft of torque. Both engines come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel-drive. All-wheel drive is also optional across the board.

Its fuel economy is impressive with both engine set ups. The four-cylinder 2010 Terrain with front-wheel drive achieves an EPA-estimated 22 miles-per-gallon (mpg) city/32 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined. The V6 with front-wheel drive gets 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined, with all-wheel-drive versions dropping slightly.

I like the looks of the 2010 GMC Terrain, I know a lot of people won't. It looks chunky boxy and tough, and that works for me.

Despite its big, square fenders and typical five-passenger, high-riding style, inside the 2010 GMC Terrain is a new generation of cabin tech for GM. It is remarkably stylish, with a dashboard design that reminds me of the related Cadillac SRX. The Terrain's high-tech navigation and entertainment options only heighten its appeal. Especially intriguing is the hard-drive-based navigation system showing traffic and weather, along with a full-featured audio system. There's also good legroom here and a lot of cargo room.

The 2010 GMC Terrain is available in four trim levels: SLE-1, SLE-2, SLT-1 and SLT-2. Standard equipment for the SLE-1 includes 17-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, a trip computer, cruise control, air-conditioning, full power accessories, power front seat height and lumbar adjustments, a sliding and reclining backseat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, a back-up camera integrated into the rearview mirror, OnStar and a six-speaker CD stereo with satellite radio and an auxiliary audio jack. The SLE-2 adds roof rails, 18-inch alloy wheels on V6 models, an eight-way power driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bluetooth, automatic climate control and an eight-speaker Pioneer sound system.

There's a lot to love in the 2010 GMC Terrain. As I said I like its funky boxy looks and I like the room inside. It has good acceleration, and a very steady and quiet ride. Then there is the base price of $25, 850, our test car was $28,850. That is a fine ride at a good price from the new GM.