The compact SUV market is one of the most competitive out there, with a lot of great vehicles available each year. It should come as no surprise, however, that one of our absolute favorites is the stunning GMC Terrain and everything it brings to the road. If you go looking for a GMC Terrain for sale this year, then you’ll discover that this remarkable SUV is all-new and redesigned for 2025 as the start of a new generation. With a bold and gorgeous design, remarkable features inside, and more great options available, there’s never been a better time than right now to check out the Terrain. Even when compared to other impressive options out there, like the Nissan Rogue, the Terrain still comes out on top as an unbeatable choice.
Keeping Things Simple With One Trim
One of the most distinct things about the 2025 Terrain is that GMC has decided to launch it with just one trim level to keep things simple. You can get the Terrain Elevation with all of its standard features for the 2025 model year, providing you with a fantastic driving experience each day (we’ll get into many of the details of this trim as we go). This lets GMC focus on getting all of the details of this SUV exactly right for the first year of this new generation rather than trying to do everything all at once. You still have plenty of great options to choose from, however, including different exterior colors like Summit White, Sterling Metallic gray, and Volcanic Red.
GMC also offers different interior color schemes for you to choose from, such as the bold and comforting After Dark or the brighter Gideon Gray. You can choose between 17-inch wheels or larger 19-inch wheels for this model, whereas the Nissan Rogue only has 17-inch wheels for its standard trim level. GMC has a number of packages available for the 2025 Terrain, including a Convenience Package III if you want eight-way power seating up front, or a Technology Package II for a rear camera mirror, and more. This all comes together nicely to give you a great starting point with plenty of ways to customize your ride.
Impressive Performance for a Great Drive
Performance might not be the most important thing to you with a compact SUV like the Terrain, but it still matters so that you get a vehicle that you enjoy driving. GMC understands this, which is why the Terrain comes with a 1.5L turbocharged engine that provides 175 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque, which is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This gives you terrific power for such a small SUV, along with nimble handling and excellent overall performance so you can get the most from your vehicle—we particularly like the automatic transmission rather than the continuously variable transmission that you’ll find in the Nissan Rogue. Front-wheel drive is standard for the GMC Terrain, providing you with great performance, though available all-wheel drive is perfect if you drive on a lot of dirt/gravel roads or you want something that can handle the toughest weather.
Gorgeous Looks on the Outside
We already talked about some of the options available for the exterior of the GMC Terrain, but those aside, there’s still a lot to love about this SUV. Its design for this new generation is stunning, with bold lines and sweeping curves that are both elegant and powerful. GMC’s engineers and artists know what they’re doing; you can see this in details like the strong and aggressive front grille that is still perfectly proportioned for this vehicle and in the silhouette that is at once recognizable yet innovative. It has clean, stylish looks that put the Terrain on another level compared to other models, including the Nissan Rogue.
There is nothing wrong with the Rogue, in general, but its design and overall styling are just a bit understated for our tastes. Some of the Rogue trims are particularly nice, like the Rock Creek, but its baseline design is not on the same level as the Terrain. Keep in mind that while the Elevation is the only trim level available this year, there will be more to come—likely a rugged, off-road-focused AT4 model and a high-end Denali trim. Those models will have distinct styling that puts the Terrain even further ahead of other options out there, showcasing good looks that nothing we’ve seen can keep up with.
Innovative Tech Features on the Inside
With only one trim level available, it’s tempting to imagine that you might miss out on a lot of things with the GMC Terrain, but that’s not the case. Looking inside the Elevation model and what it brings to the road, you get an incredible 15-inch GMC Premium Infotainment system with Google built-in, with support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is paired with an 11-inch Driver Information Center that you can personalize to meet your needs, plus a six-speaker sound system. Premium cloth seating is standard with heated front seats, plus a six-way driver’s seat and four-way front passenger seat. You also get a heated steering wheel, keyless open and start, and remote start functionality.
By comparison, looking at the 2025 Nissan Rogue and its starting S trim, we find a standard NissanConnect eight-inch display, nearly half the size of the Terrain’s screen. A larger 12.3-inch screen is available, which is much better, but you can see it’s still a lot smaller than what the Terrain comes with. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported by this system, but you need to go with one of the higher-trim models with the larger display for wireless functionality. A four-speaker sound system is standard, again lacking compared to the Terrain, while heated front seats aren’t even available for the starting model, let alone included.
Advanced Safety to Protect You on the Road
As far as we’re concerned, nothing is more important than how well your vehicle can help keep you safe, which GMC clearly agrees with. The Terrain includes an incredible selection of standard driver assistance features, including a Forward Collision Alert with Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, which features Intersection Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian and Bicyclist Braking, and even Reverse Automatic Braking. You get Rear Cross Traffic Braking to help avoid a collision when you’re backing up and someone suddenly crosses behind you, plus Blind Zone Steering Assist that can keep you from switching lanes into a vehicle that’s hiding in your blind spot.
Rear Park Assist is standard, which alerts you to nearby objects that you might not be able to see, plus an HD Rear Vision Camera that provides you with a high-resolution view of the area behind the Terrain. You also get Lane Keep Assist with a Lane Departure Warning, a Rear Seat Reminder to help you remember to check your backseat when getting out of the Terrain, and a Teen Driver system that’s perfect if you have a new driver at home. The Rogue has a lot of great safety features, but things like Active Lane Keep Assist, Active Lane Centering, and Blind Spot Intervention aren’t provided as standard by Nissan.
The GMC Terrain Brings It All Together
As you can see, even in the first year of a new generation, the Terrain is a remarkable piece of machinery that is incredibly fun to drive. You get impressive performance, gorgeous exterior features and options, and an interior that is loaded with remarkable technology designed to enhance every moment you spend behind the wheel. With an incredible selection of standard safety technology, the Terrain will help you get home safely at the end of the day while also being remarkably fun on the road. Other models out there, like the Nissan Rogue, are fine, but when you compare them to what GMC is doing, it’s hard not to see the numerous ways they fall behind. And with the future holding even more great trims for the Terrain, we’ve only seen the start of everything this fantastic SUV has to offer.
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