Top Questions We Have About the 2025 GMC Terrain

As a car dealership, we’re all about the auto industry—we wake up for this stuff, thrive on it throughout the day, and fall asleep thinking about the fantastic vehicles we get to sell. Few things are quite as exciting to us within the industry as when a new model comes out or when an established vehicle gets a redesign for an all-new generation. Since we’re a GMC dealer, we’re particularly thrilled when GMC models get this treatment, which is exactly what we see with the all-new 2025 GMC Terrain. The only problem is that right now, we’re in the torturous phase in which we’ve been teased with the news that the Terrain is getting a new generation, but otherwise, GMC has been tight-lipped on any details. While they’re busy enticing us with sneak peeks, we find ourselves with many questions we need answers to. Here are some of the biggest questions about the 2025 Acadia that our customers share and our best guesses at the possible answers we’ll get.

What’s New for the 2025 GMC Terrain?

This is the biggest question, of course, and the one that’s impossible to answer in a detailed way because the simple answer is this: everything. Well, essentially everything. The 2025 GMC Terrain is all-new and redesigned inside and out; this isn’t a mid-generation update or refresh but the launch of a new generation for this popular, compact SUV. So it looks different, has all kinds of new features and options both inside and out, and is ready to bring a refined ruggedness to its name that we haven’t seen before.

The few glimpses that GMC has revealed showcase that the exterior of the all-new Terrain looks beautifully updated from previous years. It fits in with the rest of GMC’s modern lineup and is right at home beside models like the updated Acadia. We can see a gorgeous blend of sophistication and boldness at work in its exterior design, with a front-end that immediately catches the eye and lighting that works great while looking terrific. Inside, a few spy photos we’ve seen suggest the interior will live up to GMC’s reputation for refinement and functional luxury, creating an SUV that’ll be better than ever.

What Engine Does the All-New Terrain Have?

Although we don’t have an answer to this question, official or unofficial, we do have some information we can use to speculate on. Historically, the GMC Terrain has shared a platform and a lot of underpinnings with the Chevy Equinox. For the 2025 model year, Chevy is launching a new generation for the Equinox with a complete redesign and many significant updates, so it makes sense that the all-new 2025 GMC Terrain will continue to share that updated platform. Since Chevy has released some details on the 2025 Equinox, we can go off that for educated guesses about what to expect from the Terrain.

First and foremost, the 2025 Chevy Equinox features a 1.5L turbo four-cylinder engine that delivers 175 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) and available all-wheel drive (AWD). The 2025 GMC Terrain will likely utilize this same engine, so we expect it to get 175 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque with both FWD and AWD available, just like the current 2024 Terrain model. One thing to note is that the 2024 Terrain features a nine-speed automatic rather than the eight-speed found on the 2025 Chevy Equinox. We might see that carry over with the current engine as well—time will tell.

What Trim Levels Are Available for the 2025 Terrain?

With such little information currently available from GMC, there’s no way to know this for sure, but we can make a few educated guesses. The 2024 Terrain has four trims: the starting SLE, an upgraded SLT, the off-road focused AT4, and the high-end Denali. The 2025 Chevy Equinox keeps things simple with just three trim levels available, dropping two trims from the previous year. We might see something similar happen with the Terrain. If so, we imagine the two starting levels will roll into a single standard setup to simplify things.

We’ve seen some evidence that there will be at least three trim levels available, likely named the Elevation, AT4, and Denali—this would line up nicely with the three trims for the Equinox as well as the GMC Acadia, which received a refresh in 2024 that consolidated its SLE and SLT trims into a single Elevation trim. If that turns out to be correct, then the Elevation would be the new starting trim, with an off-road-focused AT4 and the luxurious Denali model at the top. We’d love to see GMC deliver a Denali Ultimate model for the Terrain, which is a newer trim currently limited to the GMC Sierra and Yukon, but that might be a long shot.

What Kinds of Tech Features Does It Have?

Once again, we can use the current Terrain model and what we know about the 2025 Chevy Equinox to inform our speculation about tech features because GMC hasn’t released any official information. It’s safe to assume there will be a large infotainment display in the middle of the dashboard, with a second driver display to accompany it. The current 2024 Terrain has a seven-inch Infotainment screen standard along with a four-inch multi-color driver information screen, but we’d be shocked if they’re not replaced for the new generation.

We know the 2025 Equinox features an 11.3-inch advanced infotainment display with Google built-in and an 11-inch Driver Information Center screen, which is standard on every model. We can’t imagine the all-new Terrain will have anything less than that, so this gives us a good jumping-off point for what to expect. The larger GMC Acadia has a standard 15-inch GMC Premium Infotainment system paired with an 11-inch Driver Information Center. Such a big screen might feel overwhelming in a compact SUV like the Terrain, but we’ll have to see. Spy photos showcase a large, portrait-oriented display in the all-new Terrain, which suggests something more significant than what’s found in the Equinox.

The updated 2024 GMC Acadia also features a wireless charging pad, heated front seats, and a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system, all standard features in the starting Acadia Elevation. It wouldn’t surprise us if similar features come standard in the all-new Terrain, mainly if they go with the three-trim model. However, don’t be surprised if its smaller size means fewer speakers for the sound system. An AT4 trim would likely include AWD with GMC’s Active Torque Control system for better handling on rough terrain or going off-road, while the Denali will have the most sophisticated tech features on offer, like a head-up display. We hope to see GMC’s impressive Super Cruise hands-free driving system on the 2025 model since it hasn’t been offered on the Terrain before.

When Will the 2025 Terrain Be Available?

We said, “What’s new?” was the biggest question, but now that we’ve mentioned it, this might be the big one for most people. Unfortunately, it’s also the question we know the least about because it’s entirely up to the folks at GMC, whose lips are tightly sealed on this one. This is a 2025 model, so we know it should be available either late this year or at the very start of next year, and GMC will likely give us a lot more info about it very soon. As to the price, there’s no way to know since significant changes to starting features could potentially alter the MSRP. What we can say for sure, however, is that this will be an incredible model year for this compact SUV. Here at Fox Valley Buick GMC, we can’t wait to take one for a drive and get answers to all these questions and many more.