With sales of its surviving four brands doing well, General Motors appears on the road to recovery. A big reason is a steady stream of attractive new models. Case in point, the 2010 GMC Terrain. While sharing its mechanicals with the popular Chevrolet Equinox crossover utility, the Terrain shuns pure badge engineering, and dons the distinct, angled look of a more traditional SUV. Now, let’s see if it drives the same way.

While the 2010 GMC Terrain shares the Equinox’s compact-to-midsize Theta unitized chassis, it’s more “tough truck” shape ends up being about 2.5 inches shorter in overall length. So, to the eye, Terrain is stouter than the sleeker Equinox, and more along the lines of the venerable Jeep Cherokee.

The Terrain’s visual macho starts with projector-beam headlights, stacked to either side of a massive chrome GMC grille, which drops low into a deep, substantial-looking front fascia. The Terrain’s pronounced, squared-off fenders house wheels from 17 to 19 inches. Our tester split the difference, with six-spoke 18-inch alloys.

Standard roof rails proved useful, and fit the Terrain’s stance nicely. We also like the blacked-out D-pillars that give the impression of a wraparound rear greenhouse. Ditto the rear wiper that appears to float above a chrome bar connecting big, wide taillights. It shares no sheetmetal with the Equinox, but pop the Terrain’s hood, and things are happily familiar.

Our all-wheel drive tester sported the same direct-injected Ecotec 2.4-liter four we applauded in the Equinox. Ratings are 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. A 3.0-liter direct-injected V6 is optional with 264 horsepower and 222 pound-feet of torque, and when properly equipped, a trailer tow limit of 3,500 pounds.

In front or all-wheel drive, engines attached to a six-speed automatic with manual mode. Four-cylinders get an “Eco mode” which lowers shift points for better fuel economy.

This combo gives Terrain the same stellar fuel economy as Equinox. Our all-wheel drive four has Government Fuel Economy Ratings of 20 miles-per-gallon city and 29 highway. We managed an excellent 27.5 miles-per-gallon on regular gas. Our Terrain’s Energy Impact Score stands at a modest 14.9 barrels of oil consumed annually, and its Carbon Footprint of 8 tons of CO2 is likewise light-footed.

But, at the track, our Terrain loped from a standstill to 60 in 9.7 seconds. That’s about a second slower than the front-drive Equinox we tested last fall. Shifts came slow, even in manual mode. The quarter mile came in at 17.3 seconds at 83 miles-per-hour. Beyond times, however, the 2.4 felt plenty strong for highway passing, especially between five and seven thousand rpm.

The Terrain’s low power-to-weight ratio proved less of a hindrance through the slalom, where it felt much lighter than its almost two-ton curb weight. It delivered impressive car-style grip, sharp turn-ins, and only modest body roll, with none of the flabbiness of a traditional SUV.

Steering was slack on center, but tightened up nicely when we asked the Terrain to dance. In the high-speed lane change, the all-independent suspension and electronic control nannies kept the rear end reassuringly in check. Stomping the ABS disc brakes from 60 yielded a short average stopping distance of 122 feet. Brake feel was excellent: smooth and firm.

All Terrain cabins come standard with flowing lines, soft-touch materials, and six airbags. They’re setup in a sporty, twin-cockpit theme that, except for the gauge pod, has a lot in common with Equinox.

Our well-optioned SLT included a sunroof, which shed light on the nicely drawn dash, and steering wheel audio controls that put channel surfing at our fingertips.

Bluetooth connectivity also fell easily to hand. Four auxiliary power outlets and a USB port are standard, as is Active Noise Cancellation. On 2.4  Terrains, it neutralizes engine boom using the audio system’s eight speakers. Also standard is a backup camera that shows up in the rear view mirror, or on the available navigation screen.

Our Terrain’s heated, leather trimmed front seats were plenty comfortable on long hauls. Equally comfy is the split-fold rear bench that, like Equinox, reclines and slides with eight inches of travel. Also like Equinox is Terrain’s optional programmable power liftgate. Besides full open, it can be set for a lower opening to avoid contact with a garage ceiling. Once open, owners find 31.6 cubic feet of cargo room seats up, and a small-for-its-class 63.9 cubic feet seats down.

Pricing, however, is very competitive given the Terrain’s high level of standard equipment. Base four-cylinder stickers range from $24,955 for the front drive SLE, to $29,945 for the all-wheel drive SLT. The V6 adds $1500 more.

For General Motors to prosper, they will need more efforts like the 2010 GMC Terrain. This gutsy, fuel-efficient, tough looking crossover is a family slam dunk, with build quality, interior, and drivability, on par with, if not better than, any rival utility across town, and across the oceans.

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