GMC adds Denali trim and a larger V6 to the Terrain for 2013

The GMC Terrain crossover gets an upscale Denali trim level and a larger, more powerful V6 engine for the 2013 model year, General Motors said on Wednesday. The 2013 Terrain goes on sale this fall.

The new V6 displaces 3.6 liters and is rated at 301 hp and 272 lb-ft of torque. It replaces a 3.0-liter V6 used in the 2012 Terrain. That engine is rated at 264 hp and 222 lb-ft of torque. The V6 will continue to be paired with GM's 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission.

GM says that in spite of the bigger engine, the V6-equipped 2013 GMC Terrain will get the same fuel economy as the 2012 V6 model--17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway for the front-drive version and 16/23 mpg for the all-wheel-drive version.

GM will continue to use the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine for base versions of the Terrain. GMC dealers say they cannot get enough Terrains with the four-cylinder engine to meet customer demand.

For the past two months, GM has restricted dealer orders for four-cylinder versions of the Terrain and the mechanically similar Chevrolet Equinox, Automotive News reports. A GM spokesman told the trade publication that a problem with supplier part has limited production of the four-cylinder engine. GM has been offering a $1,000 incentive to help sell V6 versions of the Terrain and the Equinox.

The Denali trim will be offered on Terrains with either the four- or six-cylinder engine. Four-cylinder Terrain Denalis get 18-inch wheels. Those with the V6 get 19-inch wheels.

Design elements of the Denali trim include a chrome grille, body-color rocker panels with satin-chrome trim and redesigned front and rear lights. Inside, the Terrain Denali gets black leather on the seats and door inserts, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with wood accents, and power-operated driver and front-passenger seats.

All Terrain Denalis get a touch-control radio with technology to connect to the Internet via a user's mobile phone and forward-collision-warning and lane-departure-warning technologies. Navigation and rear-seat entertainment systems are options.

The move is another step in GMC's plan to expand the Denali trim to all of the vehicles in its lineup.

By Dale Jewett