# Underpowered but Off-Road Ready 2026 GMC Terrain AT4 AWD SUV *By Dave Taylor, menwhoblog.com ā€” Updated April 2026* Written by: [Dave Taylor](https://menwhoblog.com/dave-taylor.html) Last Updated: 19 April 2026 New!Hits: 11Reading time: 06:56 GMC is a brand long known for its tough, rugged trucks. This expertise invariably infused every vehicle with GMC badging, including the GMC Envoy. Remember that one? It was a mid-size SUV using a body-on-frame construction, replaced in 2010 with the unibody crossover GMC Terrain. Manufacturers had long since reaped the benefits of a unified construction process and its subsequent strength and safety characteristics, with the Terrain a compact crossover SUV. It also became known as a lightweight in the GMC lineup, trading towing capability and GMC truck roots for efficiency and on-road comfort. Zoom forward to 2026, and the Terrain has gone through three major generations, with the most recent being the many upgrades for the 2025 model year. The most visible? An upgrade from a paltry 7-8-inch infotainment screen to a whopping 15-inch display that's the focal point of the dashboard. New for 2026 are the AT4 off-road and Denali luxury trim levels for the Terrain. No surprise, when [GMC](https://www.gmc.com/) offered me a week behind the wheel of the [**2026 GMC Terrain AT4 AWD**](https://www.gmc.com/suvs/terrain/at4) in Summit White with Forest Storm interior, I was most curious to jump in and give it a drive... This is the AT4 version of the front grille, more rugged, with darker colors, and more blacked-out elements. This follows industry trends with blackout and 'night' versions of vehicles, from wheels to trim to, with many models, the badging itself. From the outside, this is a very attractive compact SUV that echoes the design of its bigger siblings in the GMC lineup, especially the GMC Sierra AT4. Line continuity, ya know. See those capsule-shaped elements at the top of the wheel well fenders? Those LED marker lights are similar to the GMC Sierra and are intended to improve visibility while also serving as homage to bigger truck design elements. Are they effective from a design perspective? I can only report that one friend walked up and peered at them, saying, "I thought they were some sort of reflective sticker!" šŸ˜‰ The AT4 model also sports the same 17-inch wheels as the standard Terrain "Elevation" trim level. Move into the Denali luxury trim level, and you can get 19-inch or 20-inch wheels. As with much of the AT4, the wheels themselves are blackout-inspired and, one hopes, ready to tackle some rough terrain as befits the AT4 (All-Terrain 4WD) moniker. As mentioned earlier, it's hard not to be wowed by the enormous infotainment screen. With wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, it's a thing of beauty, particularly with maps shown for navigation. Everything else on the dash looks like standard GMC; however, from the slim steering wheel to the cup holders and the position of the various buttons and controls. It also has a somewhat peculiar two-tone color scheme, with a sort of greenish grey on some surfaces, and a matte black on others, with yet a third shade on A/C vents, infotainment screen frame, and within the cup holder wells. The [GMC Terrain](https://www.gmc.com/suvs/terrain/at4) features a 1.5L turbocharged inline-4 with 175hp and an 8-speed automatic transmission (for AWD. FWD uses a CVT). As so many other drivers have found before me, it felt underpowered with its curb weight and this size engine. An EV version would be a completely different experience, but GMC's only EVs to date are the Hummer and the Sierra EV. As a straight gasoline engine, the Terrain could really do with more oomph for a better drive experience. The Terrain has another feature I dislike: "rear-of-spoke" volume and track controls. On one side, behind the steering wheel crossbar - the spoke - there's a toggle button that controls volume, and on the other side, feeling identical and not labeled, is another that controls next and previous track. Which is which? You have to experiment to find out and hope it becomes muscle memory. Fortunately, the volume knob on the infotainment system is front and center, easy to manage. Also notice in the above photo the gear shift-by-wire control on the steering column, on the right. With an automatic, it's becoming increasingly logical to hide these controls because they are so infrequently utilized during a drive. Once you're in "D", what do you need to change before you reach your destination? Otherwise, a nice, symmetric design, though, as is common, it does become a sometimes challenging game of "identify the associated iconography". Practice helps, as does the manual. I did like the climate controls at the bottom of the infotainment display, though it tended to start blasting air when its standard fan speed in Auto wasn't dropping the temperature quickly enough. That might well be user error, however! Did you catch that the seat heating controls are here in the climate control cluster, but the steering wheel heating control is actually on the steering wheel crossbar? A small price ot pay for the pleasing symmetry of buttons and controls in this area. Just below the climate controls were two charging ports, USB-A and USB-C. What's not obvious in the photo is that this was a spot where the rubberized material isn't flush with the board that holds the ports in place. The result was that when I tried to plug things in, the entire rubber molding bent and flexed, making the entire assembly feel like it wasn't properly built. A tiny, niggling thing, but another mm or two would have solved the problem and avoided feeling like a poor fit and finish. The instrument cluster was very busy with information, and angled such that it often had glare issues. A simplified display would have been beneficial. With all this, there's no indication of fuel efficiency, and the gas gauge is so subtle that I almost ran out of gas before realizing I needed to pump some petrol into the tank. Turns out the [Terrain AT4](https://www.gmc.com/suvs/terrain/at4) is rated for 25mpg, 24 city / 26 highway. Acceptable for its class, but easier to accept when gas was $3.00/gallon instead of $4.50/gallon. *Your eyes aren't deceiving you: The 2026 Terrain only had about 600 miles when GMC dropped it off, meaning I was the first or second person to evaluate it. A brand new car, it even still had a little bit of that new car smell!* Since the gearshift is on the steering column, the center console was spacious and had lots of storage, a design aspect I really appreciated. The rightmost angled area is a Qi wireless charging spot and it worked very well, including with my iPhone 17 Pro in a MagSafe case. It had the added advantage of blocking the phone screen, ensuring it wasn't a distraction while driving. The rear legroom was acceptable with the AT4, and more than once, I had two or three additional adults in the vehicle with me. No complaints about space, but no compliments about being roomy or comfortable either. Then again, it's the AT4 off-road edition, not the Denali luxury edition of the Terrain. Finally, the cargo space was as expected, large enough to hold everything from a Costco shopping trip or a tent and outdoor gear for a camping adventure, but nothing exceptional. The middle seats did not fold flat, as you can see, which would be an issue if you wanted to use the back area for sleeping (though it's a bit short for most adults). There are slots for a tanneau cover, but that's an optional addition to the vehicle, not standard equipment with this trim level. I enjoyed my time with the GMC Terrain AT4 and found it to be a solid option for SUV buyers who seek an American car in this class, but it was also rather dull, with few intriguing features and no indication of flair or verve in design. It's the logical evolution of trucks, particularly truck interiors, with a really big infotainment screen grafted on. It's worth a test drive, but for the same price, there are other, more exciting options on the market. **[2026 GMC Terrain AT4 AWD](https://www.gmc.com/suvs/terrain/at4) with 1.5L Turbo DOHC 4-Cylinder Engine and 8-Speed Automatic Transmission. BASE PRICE: $39,300.00. Options Included: Panoramic Sunroof, Hit the Road Package. AS DRIVEN: $43,165.00.** *Disclosure: GMC loaned me the Terrain AT4 for a week in return for this candid write-up. This article originally appeared on [PlanetDave.com](https://www.planetdave.com/) with the titleĀ [Underpowered, Off-Road Ready 2026 GMC Terrain AT4 AWD SUV](https://planetdave.com/2026/04/underpowered-off-road-ready-2026-gmc-terrain-at4-awd-suv/) and is republished here by permission of the author.* **HeyĀ Dave Taylor wants you to share this!** Ā  --- Ā  Written by: [Dave Taylor](https://menwhoblog.com/dave-taylor.html) #MenWhoBlog MemberBlog MasterThought Leader Dave Taylor has been blogging and writing about cars and technology for many years. He's a single dad who earned his medals raising three children and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado, where he's surrounded by natural beauty and tons of electronic gear. You can find him at AskDaveTaylor.com or PlanetDave.com. --- {"html":""} --- ### Cruises and Resorts Thinking about a cruise or all-inclusive resort vacation? We can help you plan your dream getaway ... 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