Preview: 2010 GMC Terrain

At this week's New York Auto Show, GMC will debut a new midsize SUV that reportedly manages 30 mpg in highway driving. Some media sources say, however, that the 2010 GMC Terrain is little more than a thinly-rebadged Chevrolet Equinox, and a sign of what's wrong with General Motors.

Edmunds Inside Line reports, "With crossovers continuing to be the bright spot in GM sales, today the automaker took the wraps off the five-passenger 2010 GMC Terrain crossover that will be displayed at the 2009 New York Auto Show. GMC told Inside Line that the Terrain, a sibling to the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, will be priced under $25,000."

The Terrain is most remarkable for its bold styling. Kicking Tires notes, "It seems GM has changed every piece of sheet metal on the Terrain to make it stand out. And stand out it does. Most noticeably, the boxy fender flares announce to the world that this is a truck-buyer's SUV."

Not everyone loves the look. Motor Trend likens it to a famously loathed design, wondering, "Could it be the 2010 Aztek?"

But mechanically, the Terrain is nearly identical to the Equinox. Autoblog reports, "Both vehicles share the same platform, the same engine choices and even the same suspension calibrations."

That similarity lies at the heart of the criticism already emerging about the Terrain. Kicking Tires explains, "For years car fans have lamented a practice called ‘rebadging.' A large automaker like GM would take a car from one brand, change a few minor details and sell it with a different name under another brand. Thus, replacing the badge or emblem." The Terrain may simply be a case of rebadging, which has left GM with too many models for sale today, they write.

Edmunds Inside Line sees an argument for rebadging the Equinox into the Terrain. "Chevrolet on Wednesday reported that sales of its crossovers, like the Equinox, increased 19 percent versus February 2009 sales. Overall GM sales were down 45 percent in March versus a year ago," Edmunds notes. The Terrain, then, may be "a critical crossover for the GM brand as the automaker struggles to survive."

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