2025 GMC Terrain Arrives Without The One Thing It Needed

Key Takeaways

• GMC Terrain reveals the facelifted Terrain crossover with sharper styling, plenty of safety features, and a more luxurious interior.
• The 175-horsepower 1.5-liter engine carries over unchanged.
• Pricing has yet to be revealed, but the Elevation trim will reach dealers in late 2024.

GMC has finally unveiled the new Terrain SUV, which arrives with truck-inspired styling, more luxury, and enhanced technology. It may be the marque’s smallest offering, but the Terrain looks tougher than ever before, helping it stand out in a sea of crossover rivals.

The front fascia now has a bolder presence, with a revised grille and headlights that bring the Terrain in line with the Sierra 1500 pickup truck. Comparatively, the outgoing Terrain looks rather dull, so the facelift is welcomed. The radiator grille now connects the resculpted headlight clusters with the fog lights which, says GMC, results in “a distinctive front-end graphic.”

Much Better To Look At

For the first time, GMC will offer the Terrain with a contrasting roof option. Customers can choose from black or grey, providing them with more personalization than before. Several trims will be offered, with the entry-level Elevation trim receiving 17-inch wheels as standard. In 2025, GMC will introduce the AT4 and Denali trims for MY2026, providing buyers with rugged and luxurious grades, respectively.

Billed as the most capable Terrain AT4 yet, the off-road-minded model receives a lifted ride height, 17-inch all-terrain rubber, standard all-wheel drive, hill descent control, and an AT4-exclusive Terrain Mode. From a design point, the Terrain AT4 gains red front recovery hooks, underbody protection, and headlight/taillight animation. This will help GMC fight crossovers like the outgoing Forester Wilderness and the new Nissan Rogue Rock Creek.

“The 2025 GMC Terrain builds on GMC’s strengths and offers our latest premium technology and safety features while bringing a fresh, bold design to our two-row SUV. With the next-gen Terrain and updated 2025 Yukon both slated to launch later this year, the entire GMC SUV lineup will be refreshed by year-end, giving customers the latest design, the best technology, and the best driving experience we’ve ever offered in our SUVs.”

– Duncan Aldred, Buick and GMC Global Vice President

Luxurious Denali Trim Elevates The Terrain Experience

If you’re not into exploring – and prefer your crossovers with more luxury – the Denali is the one to look at. From the outside, the Terrain Denali receives animated head- and taillights and 19-inch wheels (20-inch alloys are available). Inside, occupants enjoy outboard heated seats (front and rear), and Unique Smart Frequency Dampers that improve the ride quality. Like the Terrain AT4, the Denali receives all-wheel drive and hill descent control as standard.

And the changes don’t end there. Step inside, and you’ll find a revised interior. Gone is the generic design with its small central touchscreen and myriad buttons. In its place is a classy and tasteful design, with a larger portrait-style touchscreen dominating the fascia. GMC says the interior design’s new lines emphasize the width of the carbon, with chrome adornments found on the doors, console armrest, and dashboard. There are also optional wireless chargers located near the armrest. Overall, it’s more sophisticated than before, and Terrain owners no longer have to look at CX-5 and Sportage interiors longingly.

Underwhelming 1.5-Liter Engine Remains Unchanged

While all these changes are great, there’s one crucial part of the package we wish GMC had refined, and that’s the engine. Under the hood, you’ll find the same turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that powers the outgoing model. It produces an unremarkable 175 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque, which doesn’t offer the strongest performance in its class. GMC says an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are standard on the base Elevation model, but more grunt would have been welcome; we’d have liked to see a bump in power or a new electrified engine

On the safety front, the 2025 Terrain impresses with more than 15 standard safety and driver assistance features. This includes rear cross-traffic braking, reverse automatic braking, blind-zone steering assist, enhanced automatic emergency braking, side bicyclist alert, intersection automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, enhanced automatic emergency braking, and more.

GMC says the refreshed Terrain will arrive in late 2024, although pricing has not been revealed as yet. As a reminder, the outgoing Terrain has a base MSRP of $28,700. The new model will first launch in Elevation trim.