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2022 GMC Terrain Denali To Get Standard All-Wheel Drive

The 2022 GMC Terrain Denali will be equipped as standard with all-wheel drive, GM Authority has learned. The range-topping variant of the 2021 GMC Terrain range could be ordered with front-wheel drive, but that particular build has been abandoned, presumably to simplify the compact crossover’s trim level lineup.

2022 GMC Terrain AT4

As GM Authority exclusively reported in March of this year, the new AT4 trim level for the GMC Terrain will also be fitted exclusively with AWD. A more obvious decision for the AT4 than for the Denali, since the AT4 is more of off-road focused than any other model in the range.

The GMC Terrain was scheduled to receive a mid-cycle enhancement (MCE) for the 2021 model year. However, as with many other General Motors vehicles, this was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the introduction of the AT4 and the deletion of the base SL trim level, the 2022 model-year refresh brings new front and rear fascias, a revised range of exterior colors, several interior changes and the addition of several new features including Head Up Display (HUD) and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

2022 GMC Terrain SLE

As we reported in May, GM is rolling out the updated GMC Terrain over several months. Production of the SLE and SLT has already begun at the GM San Luis Potosí factory in Mexico, but the AT4 will not arrive until late August, and workers will start building the Denali in early September. Both the AT4 and the Denali are expected to account for 15 percent of total GMC Terrain sales, compared with 20 percent for the SLT and 50 percent for the SLE.

Sales Numbers - Mainstream Compact Crossovers - Q1 2021 - United States

MODEL Q1 21 / Q1 20 Q1 21 Q1 20 Q1 21 SHARE Q1 20 SHARE
TOYOTA RAV4 +17.03% 114,255 97,631 16% 16%
HONDA CR-V +31.72% 93,766 71,186 13% 12%
NISSAN ROGUE +45.22% 86,720 59,716 12% 10%
CHEVROLET EQUINOX -13.93% 63,218 73,453 9% 12%
SUBARU FORESTER +22.04% 47,694 39,080 7% 6%
FORD ESCAPE -14.81% 40,990 48,117 6% 8%
MAZDA CX-5 +15.73% 40,750 35,211 6% 6%
JEEP CHEROKEE +12.61% 37,923 33,675 5% 6%
SUBARU CROSSTREK +63.54% 35,187 21,516 5% 4%
HYUNDAI TUCSON +39.65% 33,147 23,735 5% 4%
VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN +22.94% 27,265 22,177 4% 4%
FORD BRONCO SPORT * 23,356 * 3% 0%
KIA SPORTAGE +11.77% 22,417 20,057 3% 3%
GMC TERRAIN -33.11% 16,917 25,292 2% 4%
DODGE JOURNEY -54.59% 6,880 15,152 1% 3%
MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER -67.94% 4,106 12,809 1% 2%
MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSS -69.46% 1,583 5,184 0% 1%
TOTAL +15.26% 696,174 603,991

GM must be hoping that the update will have a very positive effect on the Terrain’s performance in the United States. Sales fell by 33 percent in Q1 of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, and the Terrain dropped from 9th to 14th position out of 17 in the mainstream compact crossovers segment.

Sales Results - Q2 2021 - USA - GMC

MODELQ2 2021 / Q2 2020Q2 2021Q2 2020YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 YTD 2021YTD 2020
ACADIA+72.33% 26,26615,242+40.37%46,222 32,928
CANYON+2.33% 5,3475,225+28.67%12,491 9,708
SAVANA+82.44% 5,4442,984+57.56%11,291 7,166
SIERRA+40.26% 75,49553,824+29.56%138,412 106,833
TERRAIN+19.21% 16,61613,939-14.52%33,533 39,231
YUKON+36.22% 14,36010,542+6.64%26,242 24,608
YUKON XL* 9,497**16,073 0
GMC TOTAL+50.38% 153,025101,756+28.93%284,264 220,474

Sales then improved in Q2, and reached 33,533 units for the year to date. However, the Terrain was outsold by every other GMC model in that period except the 2021 GMC Canyon (12,491 units) and the 2021 GMC Savana (11,291 units), and was the only one to experience a sales downturn compared with 2020.

2022 GMC Terrain SLT

The GMC Terrain rides on the GM D2 platform, and is available only with the 1.5L I4 LYX turbocharged gasoline engine, which produces 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to GM’s nine-speed automatic transmission.

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David has been writing about motoring and motorsport since he was 13 and racing since he was 19. He is British, and therefore apologizes for taking up too much of your time.

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Comments

  1. Gm being late to the game as usually should of made A W D standard on the Denali since it came out in 2013 with the Denali trim !! And leaves us with some engine choices would of been nice after all it’s the top dog in the class !

    Reply
  2. Actually the FWS is very popular in the southern states. They ran higher volumes of Acadia and Terrain Denali with Just FWD.

    Many will have to pay more now

    Reply
  3. All Denali’s and AT4’s should have AWD/4WD standard. Also, once there are no more cars, what is the purpose for GM’s other brands? Chevrolet is really only losing sales to GMC in my opinion, if you look at the sales charts. That is why Ram is beating out Chevrolet in sales, because the difference between GMC and Chevrolet is “leveling out”. People are going for the more premium and normal looking vehicles. If AT4 becomes a serious off road sub-brand, GMC could steal sales from Jeep. I just think the Hummer EV isn’t going to be the off road worthy halo vehicle they need, credibility wise. It’s too big and heavy. Denali already makes Cadillac obsolete.

    Reply
  4. If it wasn’t built in Mexico, OR, if the price reflected on the hourly wage they pay there workers ($2/hr), I would buy it.

    Reply
  5. People are such suckered, they think this is a win. All they’re doing is forcing you to have AWD, forcing you to pay more.

    Now, if they kept the price the same,it would be a win.

    Reply
  6. I like the choice between fwd or awd on my Terrain Denali. Minnesota winter and other three seasons I have the choice.

    Reply
  7. The swiss cheese company continues to dwindle choices and engines and increasing transaction prices. Nothing new here

    Reply

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