The 2014 GMC Terrain Denali is one of those rare SUVs that combine good all-wheel capability with enough comfort to make a family happy. It does have kinks in its armor, and there are areas where some significant improvements could be made. Yet, for the most part, we had a good time driving this 5-seater, not just on highways but also small dunes and mountain regions.

Style

2014 GMC Terrain Denali Styling

I love the GMC Terrain styling. Yes, I can see the lack of curves, the lack of character side lines, and the boxy lines around the wheel, but this is a really good-looking SUV. The front grille looks quite imposing, and the overall appearance is butch. At the same time, it gives off an 'elegant' vibe, especially in black. The chrome clad 19-inch Denali wheels look fantastic, though the Ford Edge has 22-inch wheels in top trim which also look smashing. On an imposing Denali, the 19-inch wheels look a tad small; I recommend having bigger wheels for the next upgrade. The roof rail, dual exhaust tips, and the rear spoiler combine for a dominating look.

Interior Material and Finishing

2014 GMC Terrain Denali Interior

Well, I expected a bit more, maybe because it's a Denali. The seats look and feel great with sporty stitch leather and the Denali name badge. There is some soft-touch padding too, but in some areas, such as the doors and upper dash area, you do feel hard plastic, similar to hard plastic found in the rival Ford Edge, reviewed last year. The steering has a little patch of wood trim, and overall the interior experience is actually quite comfortable. I think the seats are definitely much better looking than the Ford Edge.

Interior Space and Visibility

2014 GMC Terrain Denali Interior Space

Not only is the Denali comfortably spacious for five passengers, but it is also structured to offer great visibility all around. There is ample front room, definitely more knee room than the Ford Edge, and adequate rear leg room. The boot space at 895 liters is almost identical to the Ford Edge. The Dodge Durango 3.6, being a 7-seater, has half the space with all seats up (see comparison of three models).

Interior Features and Technology

2014 GMC Terrain Denali Technology

Quite good. I found the interior features to be quite intuitive, particularly the infotainment system. There are several comfort features that are not found in many SUVs:

Automatic child lock button on the center console.
Intuitive boot opening controls with options to partially or fully open the boot.

The only gripe I have is the loud A/C noise. The noise is so loud I had to turn up the audio volume a few notches higher to drown it out. However, I must say the A/C is quite effective in the afternoon heat of Dubai. Rear A/C vents are missing, a must-have feature for spacious SUVs! Seat heating is included, but there is no seat cooling, so I recommend replacing seat heating with seat cooling as a more relevant feature.

Safety Features

2014 GMC Terrain Denali Safety Features

The GMC Terrain Denali is one of the safer SUVs in its segment. It has:

Lane change warnings
Rear camera
Collision alert (forward and back)
Parking sensors
Antilock brakes
LATCH child seat anchors
Airbag systems

Surprisingly, adaptive cruise control is missing. I would want to include adaptive cruise control in the safety feature set as well, a feature that we missed while driving on highways. The Dodge Durango 3.6 has a few additional safety features, but the Terrain is not too far behind.

Power and Acceleration

2014 GMC Terrain Denali Power and Acceleration

Acceleration from 0-100 km was over 9 seconds in our test period; however, for an SUV, it feels well powered on highways. The 3.6-liter engine does not feel to be struggling on acceleration and at 369 Nm torque offers decent throttle with direct fuel injection technology. During quick overtakes, we felt lesser than usual body roll, so overall I was quite pleased with the drive.

Off-Road Capabilities

2014 GMC Terrain Denali Off-Road Capabilities

We took the Terrain on small dunes and rocky areas as shown above. This is not a hardcore off-roader; it does not have a separate gear transfer case. However, its All-Wheel Drive 6-speed transmission system works very well, and we found small dunes and rocky areas to be quite easily negotiable by the GMC Terrain. Take it to rocky wadis of Hatta and have lots of family fun on gravel driving. The suspension is sufficiently comfortable for off-road driving as well as highways.

Verdict

Priced at 146,000 AED (approximately $39,800 USD), the GMC Terrain Denali combines family-friendly comfort with quite decent driving experiences. Competitively priced with the Ford Edge, it also faces competition from the Dodge Durango 3.6 Express, which, at a slightly higher price tag, offers a 7-seater with best-in-segment safety features too.