The Nightfall Edition look on our long term GMC Terrain is a hit, as is the fuel consumption. There are couple of niggles though
| Engine | Power | Torque | 0-100kph | Top speed | Weight | Basic price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6, 3564cc | 297bhp@ 6500rpm | 272lb ft. @ 4800rpm | 7.9secs | 192kph | 1883kg(158bhp/ton) | TBC |
| Driver's Log | |
|---|---|
| Date acquired: | November2016 |
| Total kilometres: | 5,087 |
| Kilometres this month: | 957 |
| Costs this month: | $0 |
| L/100km this month: | 10.2 |
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One month already in the bag for The Management Fleet GMC Terrain (the first report can be found HERE), and good news, the Nightfall Edition has proven a hit with the crankandpiston.com team. Its dark, almost ominous presence works well with the gritty, boxy nature of the first gen’s exterior design: you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the Terrain is GMC’s smallest SUV, and in a region where bigger is habitually better, that’s a notable tick in the plus column.
Onto the interior, and yes, on a model that’s now seven years old, a bit of polish wouldn’t go amiss: curious for instance that the air vents don’t rotate upwards all the way, though I suppose this is good news if you like your chest being kept nice and cool. On the tri-zone climate control side of things, we’ve also rarely come across a more effective ventilated seat system, meaning our childish ‘heated seat game’ – wherein you try to turn on your passenger’s seat heater without being noticed – has increased in intensity over the last couple of weeks. Fortunately some very comfortable La-Z-Boy-esque captain’s chairs in the front and bags of legroom have stopped a fight breaking out…
Now, bear with me GMC because the Terrain does get a bit of a kicking in the next paragraph.
Firstly, though the 3.6-litre V6 produces 297bhp, said cylinders do feel a bit breathless in the lower revs, and only when you stand on them will they start to show some muscle. Fortunately the powertrain gets an adrenaline shot around the 3500rpm mark courtesy of 272lb ft of torque. Hit the high gears and this, plus an impressive ride comfort through the soupy suspension arms, make for a relaxed highway cruise.
Couple of other things we’ve discovered when the drive is done and we’re parking up. The turning circle in the Terrain for instance is not particularly tight, and we’ve been threading the needle through our multi-storey parking lot as a result.
Thankfully the Terrain doesn’t feel all of its 1900kg kerb weight and 5.5ft height. You could even call it nimble, give or take a dash of body roll (though for an SUV, that’s expected). The Terrain even manages to shrink around you when reverse parking, thanks to the rear-view camera and parking sensors.
A few of us have found the screen itself a bit too small to pick out the finer details of an admittedly excellent camera. That, plus the touchscreen also makes the button-heavy dashboard redundant.
The big positive from our first month of Terrain custodianship though? The fuel efficiency. V6-engined two-ton SUVs do tend to leave cavernous gulfs in our respective wallets, and our cynical minds had expected much the same with the Terrain. But no. In fact, really no, GMC’s entry SUV returning 10.2L/100km and range over 400km when the 79-litre tank is brimmed. For the size it is, that’s impressive stuff. Consider the turning circle matter forgiven.
