These days, General Motors gets most of the attention for products it hasn't yet put on sale, like the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car. But in terms of GM's survival, the launch of the GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox small crossovers are far more important.
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Let's face it, most families need a roomy crossover SUV to haul kids, groceries and stuff. Goes to show, you can't make a truly successful run to Sam's Club in a Chevrolet Cobalt. So consumers are searching for the worthy successor to the Ford Explorer of a decade ago - an SUV that combines space with compact-car economy.
Last week, GM was formally introducing the GMC Terrain with presentations both to consumers and the press (the mechanically similar, stylistically different Equinox was rolled out over the summer). It's easy to see why GM thinks it may have a winner here - all the room yet with 32 miles-per-gallon highway, 22 mpg in the city, fuel economy from a 2.4-liter four-cylinder Ecotec engine with six-speed automatic transmission. That's 1 mpg better than the Ford Escape Hybrid, but to get the high-mileage in the Terrain you have to push the Eco-mode button on the dashboard that will obviously cut performance. And price?
Terrain is priced from $24,995, including destination charge, but what's more interesting is that GM added a rear-vision camera as standard equipment, along with air conditioning, 17-inch aluminum wheels and a USB-drive-equipped stereo. The top model, the SLT2, comes with 18-inch wheels, heated leather seats, rear park assist, a sunroof and the power liftgate for $29,995.
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