GMC threw themselves a little party last night in New York City, and invited me to attend. The occasion was auspicious - but they didn't tell me what it was. I could only guess. A new subcompact GMC SUV? A GMC car?
Turns out, the party was to reveal the latest GMC to get the Denali badge: the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali.
The new Denali will hit the streets later this year, with pricing to be announced.
The really big news, to my mind, was almost buried in the Denali hype, and that's that Terrain will have a new, more powerful V6 engine available. The 3.6-liter direct injection engine will replace the previous 3.0-liter V6 option. Terrain V6 will now be able to call upon 301 horsepower and 272 lb-ft of torque, a substantial improvement that will change the driving character of the crossover. GMC claims that because of the engine's improved efficiency, fuel economy numbers will remain unchanged (17 mpg city/24 mpg highway FWD, 16/23 AWD) once the EPA testing is all done. More power without losing mileage? I'm in. Terrain will still be available with the standard 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine (182 hp/172 lb-ft of torque) - though checking the Denali box on the order sheet automatically gets you a V6 in the deal.
What the heck is a Denali, anyway? Take a look at my GMC Denali article to find out more.
Photo © General Motors
CORRECTION: I just heard from GMC spokesman Joe LaMuraglia that the 2013 Terrain Denali gets the I4 as standard equipment; the V6 is an option. Denali can be ordered with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive.