2021 Terrain Interior
The GMC creates a great first impression. There's plenty of space in the front and rear, and the interior looks rugged and feels premium. Upon closer inspection, some materials are a bit below par, but luckily not on any surface you engage with daily.
Looking at the center console and the available storage space between the passengers, you sort of understand why GMC chose to mount the gearbox drive modes on the center console. Instead of a gear lever, you get a nice storage cubby and two cupholders. Good enough for the gearbox placement to make sense? Try parallel parking or a three-point turn and then answer that question.
The base model is equipped with keyless entry and go, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with six speakers, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and single-zone climate control. Higher up in the range, you get access to power-adjustable front seats and an eight-inch infotainment system with premium sound.
2021 Terrain Interior Photos
Seating and Interior Space
The cabin is wide enough for a three-seater rear bench. In the front, things are even better. Overall, the seats feel on the firm side but offer support in the right places. Driving 500 miles wouldn't be an arduous task. The front legroom is 40.9 inches, while the rear seating provides 39.7 inches. Headroom up front is 40 inches, and rear passengers get 38.5 inches. Adding the sunroof eats around two inches of headroom in both rows.
Seat adjustment is adequate, but only the top-tier models come with power seats. Visibility is poor, however. It's difficult to judge where the front is, while rear visibility is compromised by the dark tining. Thankfully, blind-spot monitoring is standard.
2021 GMC Terrain Interior Dimensions:
| GMC Terrain Trims | SL | SLE | SLT | Denali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seating | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Headroom Front Seat | 40 in. | 40 in. | 40 in. | 40 in. |
| Headroom Back Seat | 38.5 in. | 38.5 in. | 38.5 in. | 38.5 in. |
| Legroom Front Seat | 40.9 in. | 40.9 in. | 40.9 in. | 40.9 in. |
| Legroom Back Seat | 39.7 in. | 39.7 in. | 39.7 in. | 39.7 in. |
| Shoulder Room Front | 57.2 in. | 57.2 in. | 57.2 in. | 57.2 in. |
| Shoulder Room Rear | 55.6 in. | 55.6 in. | 55.6 in. | 55.6 in. |
| Hip Room, Front | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. |
| Hip Room, Rear | 51.8 in. | 51.8 in. | 51.8 in. | 51.8 in. |
Interior Colors and Materials
GMC doesn't offer a lot of options when it comes to interior trim. The base SL is only provided with Jet Black premium cloth upholstery. Moving a step up to the SLE, you get one color option, a mix of Ash Gray/Jet Black. Leather trim is standard on the SLT, with color choices including Jet Black, Medium Ash Gray/Jet Black, and Brandy/Jet Black. The top-of-the-range Denali upgrades to perforated leather embossed with the Denali logo. Color options here are Jet Black or Light Platinum/Taupe. GMC's Terrain falls just short of being luxurious, even though every model gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The materials do feel rugged, however.
2021 Terrain Trunk and Cargo Space
Cargo volume behind the second-row is 29.6 cubic feet. It is reasonable but not as spacious as the Ford Edge's 37.5 cubic feet and the Honda CR-V's massive 39.2 cubes. Fold down the second-row in a 60/40 split, and the trunk space grows to 63.3 cubic feet. The front passenger seat can also fold flat, which is useful for the odd occasion you need to transport something particularly long.
Interior storage is a highlight. The button-operated shifter does free up some usable storage space for front passengers, while door pockets are standard at all four corners.
2021 GMC Terrain Trunk and Cargo Space Photos
2021 Terrain Infotainment and Features
Features
The GMC's price position has traditionally been a sore topic. Base models don't offer many features as standard, but the inclusion of the Pro Safety package as standard has made a difference. At least as far as safety-minded people are concerned. SL models get single-zone climate control, keyless entry and go, power-adjustable and heated side mirrors, a 3.5-inch driver-information display, and cruise control.
The SLE doesn't cost much more, as it only adds an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a slightly larger 4.2-icnh multi-color information display information screen in the instrument cluster. Crucially, it allows you access to more of the available packages. The SLT trim makes more noticeable changes in the form of leather seats, a power-adjustable driver's seat, and dual-zone climate control. The range-topping Denali focuses most of its efforts into looking bolder from the outside, but it does add perforated leather upholstery.
Infotainment
All Terrain models are equipped with an intuitive touchscreen infotainment system. SL and SLE models get a seven-inch unit, while the SLT and Denali trims get an eight-inch screen. A six-speaker sound system is standard on all but the Denali, which benefits from the premium seven-speaker Bose sound system.
The basic infotainment suite comprises Bluetooth streaming, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and voice control. You can also create a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for passengers. Built-in navigation is standard only on the Denali, but this is largely unnecessary thanks to smartphone integration. The added HD Radio is nice, though, if you don't make regular use of phone apps.