GMC Terrain

GMC Terrain: Which Version to Buy and Why

The GMC Terrain version to choose depends chiefly on whether the priority is acceleration, drivetrain choice, or the newer turbocharged engine and transmission package. The quickest measured option in the supplied specifications is the first-generation 3.6 AT, reaching 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds with either FWD or AWD.

The GMC Terrain version to choose depends chiefly on whether the priority is acceleration, drivetrain choice, or the newer turbocharged engine and transmission package. The quickest measured option in the supplied specifications is the first-generation 3.6 AT, reaching 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds with either FWD or AWD. The 2015–2017 restyled 3.6 AT offers the highest listed torque at 367 Nm, while the second-generation 2.0 AT combines 252 hp and 353 Nm with a 9-speed Automatic. From 2021, the range becomes simpler: every listed Terrain is a 1.5 AT with 173 hp, 275 Nm, and a choice of FWD or AWD.

GMC Terrain generations: what changed between versions?

The first-generation GMC Terrain was produced from April 2009 through December 2014 as an SUV 5-doors and had 6 listed modifications. Its engine range included the 2.4 AT, 3.0 AT, and 3.6 AT, each offered with FWD or AWD. Every version used a 6-speed Automatic. This generation provides the widest choice among naturally aspirated Gasoline engines in the supplied data: displacement ranges from 2384 cm³ to 3564 cm³, while output ranges from 182 hp to 301 hp.

The first-generation restyling ran from January 2015 through May 2017, retaining the SUV 5-doors body and offering 4 modifications. The 3.0 AT was no longer listed, leaving the 2.4 AT and 3.6 AT with FWD or AWD. Both engines used direct injection, and every version retained the 6-speed Automatic. Compared with the earlier listings, the 2.4 AT kept 182 hp but rose from 172 Nm to 232 Nm, an increase of 60 Nm. The 3.6 AT retained 301 hp but rose from 272 Nm to 367 Nm, an increase of 95 Nm.

The second-generation Terrain ran from May 2017 through February 2021 as an SUV 5-doors with 4 modifications. It replaced the larger naturally aspirated choices with turbocharged inline Gasoline engines: the 1.5 AT and 2.0 AT, both available with FWD or AWD. All four versions used direct injection and a 9-speed Automatic. The 2.0 AT produced 82 hp and 78 Nm more than the 1.5 AT.

The second-generation restyling began in March 2021 and has no stop date in the supplied data. This SUV 5-doors range contains 2 modifications, both named 1.5 AT: one with FWD and one with AWD. Each uses a turbocharged inline Gasoline engine, direct injection, and a 9-speed Automatic. Output increased from the pre-restyling 1.5 AT’s 170 hp to 173 hp, a gain of 3 hp, while torque remained 275 Nm.

GMC Terrain engine specs and version comparison

Because identical version names appear with different drivetrains and generation specifications, each entry below includes its production period and drive type.

Power per litre clarifies how the engine families differ. The 2009–2014 2.4 AT produces approximately 76.3 hp per litre, the 3.0 AT approximately 88.0 hp per litre, and the 3.6 AT approximately 84.5 hp per litre. The 2015–2017 2.4 AT and 3.6 AT retain approximately 76.3 and 84.5 hp per litre respectively. Turbocharging changes the comparison: the 2017–2021 1.5 AT develops approximately 114.1 hp per litre, while the 2.0 AT reaches approximately 126.1 hp per litre. The restyled 1.5 AT produces approximately 116.1 hp per litre.

GMC Terrain horsepower, torque, and performance

For buyers prioritizing measured acceleration, the 2009–2014 3.6 AT is the clear choice: both FWD and AWD versions reach 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. The 2009–2014 3.0 AT takes 8 seconds with either drivetrain. The 2009–2014 2.4 AT requires 9 seconds with FWD and 9.5 seconds with AWD, so AWD adds 0.5 seconds to the recorded time.

In the 2015–2017 restyling, both 3.6 AT versions reach 100 km/h in 8 seconds. The 2.4 AT takes 9 seconds with FWD and 9.5 seconds with AWD. Although the restyled 3.6 AT has 95 Nm more torque than the earlier 3.6 AT, its listed acceleration time is 1.3 seconds longer. The data gives no cause for that difference.

Acceleration was not measured for the 2017–2021 1.5 AT, the 2017–2021 2.0 AT, or either restyled 1.5 AT from 2021. Top speed was not measured for any listed GMC Terrain version.

Where kerb weight is available, the 2015–2017 FWD 2.4 AT weighs 1748 kg, equal to approximately 9.60 kg per horsepower. The AWD 2.4 AT weighs 1823 kg, or approximately 10.02 kg per horsepower. AWD therefore adds 75 kg and changes the power-to-weight figure by approximately 0.42 kg per horsepower.

The 2015–2017 FWD 3.6 AT weighs 1829 kg, or approximately 6.08 kg per horsepower. The AWD 3.6 AT weighs 1900 kg, or approximately 6.31 kg per horsepower. AWD adds 71 kg here. Compared with the FWD 2.4 AT, the FWD 3.6 AT adds 119 hp and 135 Nm while increasing kerb weight by 81 kg.

GMC Terrain MPG, fuel consumption, and range data

City fuel consumption was not measured for any listed GMC Terrain version. Highway fuel consumption was not measured, and combined fuel consumption was also not measured. Consequently, the supplied specifications do not support a GMC Terrain MPG comparison or a calculated driving-range comparison.

Tank capacity was not measured for the 2009–2014 versions. Every 2015–2017 2.4 AT and 3.6 AT has a listed 68-litre tank. Every 2017–2021 1.5 AT and 2.0 AT, as well as both restyled 1.5 AT versions from 2021, has a listed 94-litre tank, which is 26 litres more than the 2015–2017 figure.

GMC Terrain dimensions, weight, and wheel specs

Exterior length, width, height, and wheelbase were not measured for any version, so a complete GMC Terrain dimensions comparison in millimetres cannot be made from the supplied data.

Ground clearance is 175 mm throughout the 2009–2014 and 2015–2017 listings. Ground clearance was not measured for the 2017–2021 second generation or the restyled versions from 2021.

Kerb weight was not measured for the 2009–2014, 2017–2021, or post-2021 versions. For 2015–2017, the figures are 1748 kg for the FWD 2.4 AT, 1823 kg for the AWD 2.4 AT, 1829 kg for the FWD 3.6 AT, and 1900 kg for the AWD 3.6 AT. Gross weight was not measured for any listed version.

The 2015–2017 wheel sizes are 235/60 R17, 235/55 R18, and 235/55 R19 for every listed 2.4 AT and 3.6 AT. Wheel sizes were not measured for the other periods.

All versions have an independent spring front suspension and ventilated disc front brakes. The 2015–2017 versions have an independent spring rear suspension and ventilated disc rear brakes. The second-generation versions from 2017 onward have an independent spring rear suspension and disc rear brakes. Rear suspension was not measured for 2009–2014, when the listed rear brakes are disc units.

Which GMC Terrain version should you buy?

Choose the 2009–2014 3.6 AT if measured acceleration is the deciding factor. Its 301 hp output is the joint-highest in the catalogue, and its 6.7-second time to 100 km/h is the quickest recorded here. FWD and AWD have the same measured acceleration, so the drivetrain choice does not require accepting a slower published figure.

Choose the 2015–2017 3.6 AT if maximum listed torque matters more than the quickest acceleration result. It supplies 301 hp and 367 Nm—95 Nm more than the earlier 3.6 AT and 135 Nm more than the contemporary 2.4 AT. The FWD version also has the strongest measured weight-to-power result among versions with known kerb weights, at approximately 6.08 kg per horsepower.

Choose the 2017–2021 2.0 AT if you want the strongest second-generation engine in the data. It provides 252 hp and 353 Nm, compared with 170 hp and 275 Nm from the contemporary 1.5 AT. The 2.0 AT therefore adds 82 hp and 78 Nm, and its approximate 126.1 hp-per-litre output is the highest calculated figure in the range.

Choose the 2017–2021 1.5 AT when the smaller turbo engine is sufficient but FWD versus AWD must remain an open choice. Both drivetrains have the same 170 hp, 275 Nm, 9-speed Automatic, and 94-litre tank. Acceleration, fuel consumption, kerb weight, and ground clearance were not measured, so those criteria cannot settle the choice.

Choose the restyled 1.5 AT from 2021 for the simplest specification decision. FWD and AWD versions share 173 hp and 275 Nm, while offering 3 hp more than the earlier second-generation 1.5 AT. Again, fuel consumption and acceleration were not measured. The supplied data also contains no prices, sale listings, reliability ratings, or engine-problem records, so it cannot establish whether the extra drivetrain capability or newer production period justifies any actual price difference.