With over a million units built and sold, the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain duo has proven to be quite the success story for General Motors. The attention garnered by these vehicles has been warranted, for the most part.
The 2013 GMC Terrain Denali, with a starting price of $39,830, raises the luxury and power bar to new heights in hopes of attracting entry-level luxury CUV and SUV buyers.
Although content, design and technology elements are present, the critical “wow factor” is nowhere to be found, and that hurts it. The critical forward and front-side visibility in the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali is impeded by very large A pillars; this could be enough to take it off the shopping list all together.
A touch of Denali
Let’s begin by exploring the Denali from the inside. When the Denali logo is mounted on a GMC product, it always signifies more kit. The lucky few who own a Sierra or Yukon (those who own an Envoy, I’m sorry…) know what I’m on about. In the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali, the tradition continues.
The cabin is swathed in soft-touch Jet Black leather, held together on the both the seats and door cards by dark red contrast stitching. The supple-touch dash plastics are also adorned with stitched leather -- the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali's dashboard is aesthetically pleasing and presents very well.
Unfortunately, the centre stack in the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali (packed with buttons) cascades up and away from the driver making the top-most controls nearly inaccessible from a normal driving position. The seats themselves are fairly comfortable, firm and supportive enough for long-distance drives. If golfing is a favourite hobby, the Terrain’s trunk will prove too tight for a pair of bags and pull-carts.
Equipment wise, the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali is loaded to the gills. A colour touchscreen with optional navigation, IntelliLink radio, Bluetooth, eight-way adjustable power driver and passenger seats and a power tailgate, along with other goodies, round out the exhaustive list.
Power is not everything
The 2013 GMC Terrain Denali is unlike most Denali-trimmed vehicles offering a base engine, whereas previously only top-power-producing blocks were offered in this exclusive trim.
The 182 hp 2.4L 4-cylinder is on the menu, however, (in true Denali fashion) new for the 2013 Terrain is the addition of the 3.6L V6 with 301 hp and 272 lb-ft of torque. The 3.6L replaces the 3.0L which suffered mostly for a lack of low-end grunt; a necessity in this class of vehicle.
Wherever the 3.6L V6 finds itself, it remains a very powerful powerplant. Coupled to a Hydra-matic 6T70 6-speed automatic transmission, the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali is turned into a potential off-road rocket. The Terrain can reach 100 km/h in a tick or two over 7.5 seconds, which is seriously quick.
The power is one story; the ride is another equally appealing one. New and exclusive to the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali are dual-flow dampers which endow the vehicle with a firm yet controlled ride. The roads on which I drove the Terrain were not always perfect, however, the vehicle behaved like a perfect gentleman every time.
All-wheel drive is an available option with both engines, therefore it is possible to get all the bells and whistles inherent with the Denali package without paying a premium for the 3.6L and AWD.
Less pleasing is the brake pedal in the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali which is firm in true General Motors fashion, however, response is not immediate. Much pressure is required in order to get the binders to grab the four-wheel vented discs. Stopping distances are average, but confidence is rattled at first.
Terrain box
Styling wise, I still prefer the Terrain over the Equinox. The square, flared arches do much to make the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali look far more masculine. The 19” wheels, included with the V6, fill said arches quite well and are a must as far as I’m concerned.
In Denali guise, a signature chrome grille, body colour front and rear fascias and rocker panels, as well as tasteful satin chrome accents spruce up the exterior quite a bit. The new head- and taillamp designs and dual chrome tailpipes kick styling up another notch.
The 2013 GMC Terrain Denali, with a starting price of $39,830, raises the luxury and power bar to new heights in hopes of attracting entry-level luxury CUV and SUV buyers.
Although content, design and technology elements are present, the critical “wow factor” is nowhere to be found, and that hurts it. The critical forward and front-side visibility in the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali is impeded by very large A pillars; this could be enough to take it off the shopping list all together.
A touch of Denali
Let’s begin by exploring the Denali from the inside. When the Denali logo is mounted on a GMC product, it always signifies more kit. The lucky few who own a Sierra or Yukon (those who own an Envoy, I’m sorry…) know what I’m on about. In the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali, the tradition continues.
The cabin is swathed in soft-touch Jet Black leather, held together on the both the seats and door cards by dark red contrast stitching. The supple-touch dash plastics are also adorned with stitched leather -- the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali's dashboard is aesthetically pleasing and presents very well.
Unfortunately, the centre stack in the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali (packed with buttons) cascades up and away from the driver making the top-most controls nearly inaccessible from a normal driving position. The seats themselves are fairly comfortable, firm and supportive enough for long-distance drives. If golfing is a favourite hobby, the Terrain’s trunk will prove too tight for a pair of bags and pull-carts.
Equipment wise, the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali is loaded to the gills. A colour touchscreen with optional navigation, IntelliLink radio, Bluetooth, eight-way adjustable power driver and passenger seats and a power tailgate, along with other goodies, round out the exhaustive list.
Power is not everything
The 2013 GMC Terrain Denali is unlike most Denali-trimmed vehicles offering a base engine, whereas previously only top-power-producing blocks were offered in this exclusive trim.
The 182 hp 2.4L 4-cylinder is on the menu, however, (in true Denali fashion) new for the 2013 Terrain is the addition of the 3.6L V6 with 301 hp and 272 lb-ft of torque. The 3.6L replaces the 3.0L which suffered mostly for a lack of low-end grunt; a necessity in this class of vehicle.
Wherever the 3.6L V6 finds itself, it remains a very powerful powerplant. Coupled to a Hydra-matic 6T70 6-speed automatic transmission, the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali is turned into a potential off-road rocket. The Terrain can reach 100 km/h in a tick or two over 7.5 seconds, which is seriously quick.
The power is one story; the ride is another equally appealing one. New and exclusive to the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali are dual-flow dampers which endow the vehicle with a firm yet controlled ride. The roads on which I drove the Terrain were not always perfect, however, the vehicle behaved like a perfect gentleman every time.
All-wheel drive is an available option with both engines, therefore it is possible to get all the bells and whistles inherent with the Denali package without paying a premium for the 3.6L and AWD.
Less pleasing is the brake pedal in the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali which is firm in true General Motors fashion, however, response is not immediate. Much pressure is required in order to get the binders to grab the four-wheel vented discs. Stopping distances are average, but confidence is rattled at first.
Terrain box
Styling wise, I still prefer the Terrain over the Equinox. The square, flared arches do much to make the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali look far more masculine. The 19” wheels, included with the V6, fill said arches quite well and are a must as far as I’m concerned.
In Denali guise, a signature chrome grille, body colour front and rear fascias and rocker panels, as well as tasteful satin chrome accents spruce up the exterior quite a bit. The new head- and taillamp designs and dual chrome tailpipes kick styling up another notch.
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