GMC Terrain

The 2025 Terrain is sized similarly to the outgoing model, just like the Equinox is. But unlike its Chevy sibling, the Terrain’s styling is far less radical. It has blocky styling, looking more like a traditional SUV. A large grill and headlights dominate the front, with the Elevation, AT4, and Denali each having unique front-end styling.

The Terrain will get a two-tone roof option in black or gray. This is the first time the model will be available with that popular look.

In profile, the Terrain flaunts body fender bulges with semi-rounded wheel arches. The bodywork pinches toward the bottom of the doors in “Coke bottle” styling, with the Denali trim having chrome brightwork along the outer doorsill.

In our tests, we found the outgoing Terrain had severely hampered visibility, especially to the rear and rear three-quarters, some of which could be attributed to the rising side bodywork and the rear roof’s downward slope. The 2025 Terrain looks to have a larger third window at the back end, along with a flatter, less-sloping roofline. Still, the rear window appears to be wide but not very high, as evidenced by the inclusion of a very small rear wiper, a feature common on GM SUVs.

Looking beyond the move away from the convoluted push-button gear selector, the Terrain’s interior is dominated by a vertically oriented 15-inch infotainment screen. Like the Equinox, the system has built-in Google services such as maps and assistants. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability is standard. The new Equinox gets those apps, but GM’s electric vehicles don’t.

The gear selector is mounted on a stalk behind the steering wheel. The center console features two large cup holders, a phone charging pad in front of the center armrest, and a big storage box with USB ports under the infotainment screen.

Once situated behind the wheel, the driver gets their own screen: an 11-inch driver information center that houses the digital gauges and other drive-specific information.

All versions of the Terrain come standard with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Options include a rear camera mirror, a panoramic roof, a surround-view camera system, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a heating element where the wipers sit when parked to prevent ice buildup, and a power tailgate that opens when the key fob is present. There’s no need to make a kicking motion to open the tailgate hands-free.

The new Terrain’s drivetrain is nearly unchanged from the outgoing model. At launch, it will be equipped with the same engine as the outgoing model, a 175-horsepower, 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. But it will come with an 8-speed automatic transmission for AWD instead of the outgoing model’s 9-speed automatic. The rating from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the all-wheel drive Terrain is 25 mpg combined. Front-wheel-drive (FWD) is matched with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and gets an EPA rating of 26 mpg combined.

The AT4 and Denali trims come with driver-selectable modes and hill descent control, with the addition of a Terrain Mode on the AT4.

The AWD Terrain has a maximum tow capacity of 1,500 pounds.

The 2025 GMC Terrain will feature a bundle of standard active safety and driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assistance, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and a rear seat reminder.