The 2025 GMC Terrain is here, and it’s following in the footsteps of its Chevrolet Equinox cousin but bringing the traditional GMC twist to the party.
Its fresh design is noticeable straight away with a new front end inspired by the GMC Canyon. The front hood is substantially higher than before giving it a more muscular look, and the same bulking is evident in its emphasized fenders. An optional painted roof gives it some flash – it’s painted gray for black cars (pictured above) and black in every other case. Bigger wheels up to 20 inches in diameter are available on the Denali. And speaking of trims, there are now just three: Elevation, AT4 and Denali.
For 2025, the Elevation is the only model that will be on sale. GMC says both the AT4 and Denali models will follow later for model year 2026, and you can see a preview of those in the group photo below. They each have their own grille designs, wheel options and unique styling cues. As you’d expect from the AT4, it also features an off-road-tuned suspension, small lift (by 12 mm) all-terrain tires, underbody skid plates, recovery hooks and a special “terrain” drive mode. The Denali has its own pluses like “Smart Frequency Dampers” for a better ride, tons more standard luxury equipment and the 20-inch wheels.
What is common across all trims is the powertrain. Every next-gen Terrain will be equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. That’s the same powertrain as the new Equinox, and while GM has indicated it will move to more hybrid options, there’s no word on if the Terrain would be a candidate for that strategy. The 2025 model will be all-wheel drive exclusively, but GMC tells us you’ll be able to select a front-drive version come the 2026 model year. If you want to tow, though, you’ll need the AWD version that maxes out at 1,500 pounds.
The 2025 Terrain’s interior gets a massive overhaul that’ll remind you of other new GMC products with its tall portrait-oriented touchscreen. There’s the 15-inch screen in the center that’s accompanied by an 11-inch digital cluster, of which both are standard equipment. It runs Android Automotive software that nets you Google Maps as the native navigation system and the Google Assistant for voice queries. Both wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto remain onboard, though, as GM promised would be the case for its gas-powered vehicles.
Various new features are introduced with this generation, too, with some notable ones being a rear camera mirror, an auto liftgate (opens with keyfob presence), rain-sensing wipers, a heated wiper park zone to de-ice them, 5G Wi-Fi hotspot capability and tons of additional driver assistance features – however, Super Cruise is not one of them.
Pricing isn’t available just yet, but the 2025 Terrain will launch in late 2024. GMC promises the AT4 and Denali trims will be available in the 2025 calendar year, but you’ll need to wait for the 2026 model year to come online for those versions.