"SUV" is not a four-letter word.
So say the marketing experts at GMC, which is pitching its latest passenger vehicle as an SUV instead of what it really is, a "crossover" -- an SUV body on a car chassis.
"We're actually going to call it an SUV because it looks like an SUV, and there's a lot of confusion about what a crossover is," says Mike Purton, GMC marketing analyst for the new Terrain crossover SUV.
Purton admits that SUVs, short for Sport Utility Vehicle, carried negative connotations when consumers equated them with gas-guzzling road hogs. But two things have happened: fuel prices have eased, and vehicles like the new Terrain are remarkably more fuel efficient than the traditional 4x4 SUVs. The Terrain has actually registered highway mileage of 32 miles per gallon in front-drive format with a 4-cylinder engine.
"In our research, we learned that it's OK to call it an SUV," Purton said. "It's not a four-letter word. If gas goes back up to $4 per gallon, that might change."
As a mid-size SUV, the new Terrain replaces the larger Envoy and fits a mid-size niche now occupied by vehicles like the Nissan Murano, Hyundai Santa Fe and new Ford Edge.
Unlike the Murano and Edge, the Terrain does not disguise its utilitarianism beneath a racy exterior. This is a beefy, brawny looking vehicle with square, bulging wheel flares and a very bold front end.
The muscular looks are not unusual for GMC, the General Motors division with the highest degree of customer loyalty, but they are surprising for a vehicle that is designed to attract more women to the driver's seat.
Based on the success of the GMC Acadia in achieving 52 percent of sales to women, Purton and company are seeking to sell at least half of the Terrains to the feminine half of the market.
"We want to do all the things GMC has always done but just in a smaller vehicle and to a new audience," Purton says. "We have to expand our customer base."
As one of the four surviving divisions at General Motors post-bankruptcy, GMC is paired with Buick in the contest for viability. Despite overlap with Chevy, GMC was able to prove to upper management and the federal government that it had a dedicated customer base and a unique marketing appeal that could not be subsumed by any other division.
Prior to launching the Acadia in November 2006, if you went down the street and asked what people thought about GMC, they typically answered with "big truck" and "masculine."
"In reaching a new segment of the market, we did it with Acadia, and we expect to do it with Terrain," Purton said. "The Terrain-sized vehicle was the largest segment in the truck category in which we didn't have anything."
In a media test drive, the Terrain exhibited a luxurious personality, extremely facile ride and handling, with excellent maneuverability. The SUV feels roomy inside, with GM's typically well conceived ergonomics. The driver and passengers will feel well protected and coddled with what may be the most generous array of standard features in the segment.
Terrain rides on a 112.5-inch wheelbase and features a four-wheel independent suspension system, with wide front and rear tracks for sure-footed ride and handling. Buyers can choose from among 17-inch, 18-inch aluminum and 19-inch chrome-clad wheels.
The base SLE1 with rear-wheel-drive starts at $24,995 and comes with a tremendous menu of features, including fog lamps, one year of OnStar service, air conditioning, tilt-telescoping steering, XM Radio, six air bags and rearview camera system.
Prices rise to $26,595 for the SLE2, $28,195 for the SLT1 and $29,995 for the SLT2. To add all-wheel-drive to any trim level, add $1,750 to the bottom line.
A new 2.4-liter, 182-horsepower, four-cylinder engine achieves the segment leading 32 miles per gallon. A 3-liter, double-overhead cam direct injected V6 engine is available to deliver 264 horsepower. Both engines are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions.
Active safety features include four-wheel disc brakes with StabiliTrak electronic stability control and traction control. The six air bags include dual frontal inflators, head curtain side air bags and hip/chest seat-mounted side air bags.
GMC's biggest challenge may be expanding perceptions of its truck heritage.
"How do we convince someone that a vehicle that looks like that gets the fuel economy that it does?" Purton asks. "We're going to shout it from the rooftops."
WHAT'S NEW: All-new, mid-size crossover sport utility vehicle.
PLUSES: Comfort, safety, performance, standard features.
MINUSES: Mainstream styling, GM's economic outlook.
BOTTOM LINE: A nice new offering in the broad middle of the market.
(E-mail Richard Williamson at motorfriend(at)sbcglobal.net)
AUTOS TODAY
With sidebar: AUTOSSIDE
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