2026 GMC Terrain Denali

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Funny, this early production unit has a tin roof and a lower msrp than what's currently sold (with pano roof standard).

After our terrible rental car experience with a base Elevation this summer (no support seats, wonky transmission), I was curious to try one under better circumstances.

It rides on a cloud like a '70s land yacht, transmission is fine, seats have good support. But it doesn't feel as cohesive as even a CX-30 does.

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Terrain Denali: fully garageable.

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What trim is this again?

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More hints...

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This one's subtle:

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Could not find our beloved "Denali guy" pic online...

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Review is out: https://www.autohebdo.net/editorial/20260210/gmc-terrain-denali-2026-essai-routier

No one thinks of these first (it's next to last in sales for the category), but a Terrain is friendly enough on a daily basis. Good driving position, great suspension on the Denali for those who complain that everything is too sporty these days. Not as roomy as a CR-V or RAV4, but the square body and flat rear floor make the best of what's available. But perhaps its greatest trick is that thieves are not sending them off in containers by the boatload - probably cheaper to ensure than a Hondayota.

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Baby Yukon stiling tricked everyone into thinking this thing was much larger than a RAV4 - it's actually smaller.

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The Terrain's cousin, the Equinox, has an IP designed by kids hooked on Hot Wheels. This is more adult, but too many cheap plastics for a Denali, and all models share the same crappy stereo - curious that there's no Bose option, or at least some sort of upgrade for the Denali trim. $42k gets you an Elevation with a few comfort options, not a bad price in today's market.

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My tester had a tin roof, but GMC lists a pano roof as standard for the Denali. I asked my friendly GM rep for clarification, and it turns out the presser was a very early '26 production unit and that they modified the specs after that first run. So my presser was $2.2k cheaper than a more recent Denali.