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“The new Terrain brings GMC’s history of innovation and engineering excellence into a smaller, fuel-efficient package for today’s buyer,” Buick-Pontiac-GMC vice president Susan Docherty said in a statement. “The capability attributes that make a vehicle a GMC are ingrained in Terrain, making it an appealing choice for existing traditional SUV customers who are looking for distinctive styling and increased efficiency.”
70 Comments on “What’s Wrong With This Picture: Montezuma’s Revenge Edition...”
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Looks like a lambda that got hit by the ugly stick.
I’m sure this is the vehicle that will single-handedly save GM.
Or not.
This thing looks like it might be built on the Equinox platform. The proportions look similar – and uglier.
-ted
OMG…that has to be the best title I have ever seen on TTAC (reference to the Pontiac Aztek I assume)…ROFL.
Where’s all the RubberMaid cladding?!?!? This just proves that GM doesn’t get it. Hideous is the first word that comes to mind.
Unnecessary!
Rant over.
In the GM poll of where I’d rank looks 1-10, I ranked it a 6. Really, it’s OK in terms of masculinity. It may be ugly, but at least it’s not another jelly-bean shaped ugly crossover like the RAV 4 or CRV.
What’s really wrong with the picture is that it’s just another crossover but looks like it’s got off-road cred. There are very few fuel-efficient off-road vehicles on the market right now. Patriot, Grand Vitara, maybe a Colorado 4×4… and that’s it. And even those aren’t that economical.
I’m saddened that Ford isn’t going to be able to build a new Bronco. (And if Ford is going to, man they’ve kept it heavy under wraps.) I would seriously consider it (although I’d still probably end up with either a Jeep Patriot or a heavily modified Suzuki SX4, unless it were really fuel-efficient and had some Ecoboost four-banger power).
Where’s the tent to hide it’s butt?
Another interpretation: GM’s take on Acura. Ugh.
It’s a little too chunky-style for me but 30mpg at this size of SUV is pretty good-in fact it’s the segment-leader for highway mpg.
Was someone in the GM design studio trailing behind the Griswalds on their way to Wally World?? Paint it two-tone metallic piss, slap on some faux wood side panels and we’ve got a modern-day version of the 1983 Family Truckster.
HEY, EVERYBODY! I HAVE REALLY CHUNKY WHEEL WELLS!
Sorry about the shouting, but GM did it first.
The new Jeep (cough) Patriot?
It is the square wheeled train from the island of Misfit Toys!
Seriously though… Half-assed design. The bottom half would work, if the top half had the same in-your-face look ala the original Scion xB. As it is it looks like the mutant offspring of an Aztek and a Jeep “my wheel arches are bigger than your wheel arches” Compass.
Never mind… Quick, somebody kill it before it escapes the lab into the wild.
–chuck
Parts of it aren’t bad, even attractive really. The grill is nice, as are the headlights, though the foglights are too small for the amount of plastic around them. The wheel wells are far too large for a vehicle of that size, and the hatchback/wagon-like rake in the rear doesn’t jive with the rest of the design.
pure visual pollution
the wheel arches say “look at my tiny little wheels” even though you’re paying 18″ tyre prices
the nose is just horrible… like a peterbilt nose stuck onto a 2001 Honda CRV… and are they USB ports on the front bar?
Jeep style gun slit windows don’t help either.
Look at the current Daewoo Winstorm or the new Ssangyong C200… they are probably shit cars but the styling is dead on
even the Korean SUVs are fine
Atrocious! Big fat chromy grille, XXL headlights, too-small side windows, cartoon-like fenders, windshield slope too extreme. Hey, at least it’s missing fake fender vents!
By God, rkf, you are right!
Funny though, the 2010 Equinox is actually quite handsome. I wonder what went wrong here…
It looks like something cooked up to attract Hummer loyalists, to be launched after the demise of that brand.
And a pox on those of you who mentioned the Family Truckster…so help me Lindsey Buckingham, I now can’t get that irritating “Holiday Road” song out of my head!
Designed by fourth graders.
Cars are so ugly these days, what’s going to happen to car shows 20 years from now?
Wow. What an ABORTION!
Thank god…I was worried that the guy who designed the nose of the Aspen was still out of work.
Seriously, it would look ok with square Flintstones-style wheels.
I saw a pic of one yesterday, it was in a dark color and taken from the rear three-quarter view, it didn’t really look all that bad from that angle. But I do agree that the front and the wheels are a bit much.
This coming from me, who recently had to give up his beloved Oldsmobile for a slightly used HHR…
So Holzman asks a question I’ve wondered about somewhat randomly over the past few months; what is the long-term future of automotive design?
Do we see continued ugly / pretty design cycles?
Do cars (for the masses, not the richie-rich types) have a legitimate, profitable future in the current, “I get redesigned every 2-3 years” and, “Buy me because I am a profound reflection on your personal taste” market? Or do they begin to drift toward a more generic, utilitarian mode? Sure, there will always be ego-boosters for those who can afford them, but will we look back in 20 or 50 years and note that the Element and Scion B were the unintentional beginning of the end of the style age?
Isn’t it about time for Clark Griswold to take the grandkids to Wally World? This truckster would be perfect.
Its wheels are not 36″.
That is just so ugly !
I think the end really is nigh! Or neigh. Or nay.
This is what happens when designers laugh at the dictum: Form follows function.
“but will we look back in 20 or 50 years and note that the Element and Scion B were the unintentional beginning of the end of the style age?”
To me, the Volvo 240 wagon is beautiful because of its complete lack of pretense.
As far as sculptural beauty goes, I don’t think any sedan has ever been more beautiful than the Jaguar XJ6 at its best. No wonder Jaguar has been wandering in a design wilderness trying to come up with something better.
Beauty requires a certain balance, proportion and carefully detailing. In your face over the top flourishes don’t wear well at all. The Dodge Ram pseudo-big-rig design ushered in an era of OMG designs which are at best obnoxious. Audi has gotten in on the act with the worst looking nose jobs in modern times. Most of all, coming up with something really amazing once every few years while also meeting safety and economy requirements is just about impossible.
The Prius is in its own way a good looking vehicle because it looks like what it is … an effective exercise in maximizing vehicle utility while at the same time maximizing fuel economy. Authenticity is attractive. No plastic surgeons required.
Why does this seem to be Chrysler redux??
The Dodge Ram pseudo-big-rig design ushered in an era of OMG designs which are at best obnoxious.
I’m sorry, I think the old Rams were ugly but I personally think the latest Ram design is a masterpiece. Yes, it was made with stupid design philosophies like “Yup, let’s make the nose part look like it’s pokin’ ya in ya face” but the end result is sleek and streamlined. I look at the new Rams and see hints of not just big rigs but old streamliner diesel locomotives like the Super Chief and the Zephyr. I think that if you put a red bonnet on a silver Ram it would be gorgeous.
Other than that, though, yeah, all the best stylings followed form follows function. Original Cherokee? Gorgeous because of its simplicity. New Liberty? Bleh.
Now I know what’s really wrong with this picture. Where the hell are the doors?
You know the design of a car is well and truly f***ed when fitting square wheels would actually improve the overall look.
jthorner: This is what happens when designers laugh at the dictum: Form follows function.
Could not agree more. To quote Fawlty Towers:
“Pretentious? Moi?”
Look at the underside painted in black to give the appearance of a ground clearance that (thankfully: Rollover issue) is not really there.
The thing shouts “I am not engineered, I am styled instead”.
To me, the Volvo 240 wagon is beautiful because of its complete lack of pretense.
I agree.
Why people despises Station Wagons and buy CUVs?. I love the honesty of Wagons.
discoholic :
April 7th, 2009 at 2:16 am
You know the design of a car is well and truly f***ed when fitting square wheels would actually improve the overall look.
Damnit… beaten to the punch.
–
It’s strange, given we live in an age where advertising your fuel inefficiency is not only politically incorrect, but market suicide, that GM is putting out a truck that looks like it has the aerodynamics of a brick ****house.
–
Love the square arches. They deserve a second mention.
what’s wrong with the current Terrain they have on the middle east market. true it’s Daewoolet, but it looks a million times better than this heap of plastic fantastic…
Montezuma’s flatulence.
haha clearly i’m the only one, but i like it. only thing i dont like is that it looks a bit like a rollerskate due to the design making the wheels look small.
i prefer it to the Rav4/CRV
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
It negates any GM fan’s ability to poke fun at the Honda Pilot.
I see someone found all of the cladding that was left over from Pontiac. Maybe they’ll stick it in the Aveo next!
I give up. On GM. Maybe the Caddy, Chevy, Pontiac, Suzuki, Saab, Saturn, Opel or Buick versions will look better.
Oh. Gm said they weren’t going to do that again ?
Those fender flares got to go,it should have clean lines..
The design of this vehicle screams General Motors! and I scream run away, run away!
Well… maybe this is the cheaper way to kill the GMC brand, and the associated dealer count.
It looks like Cadillac got hold of that one. Same ‘Designed With A Ruler’ look.
Oh, the Grand Am, how I miss thee.
That being said, it doesn’t look any worse than the laughable Benz GLK.
This is a joke, right?
I can taste the vomit in the back of my mouth!
It looks like a fence post with a grill. It’s so ugly, it stinks; I can smell it on-line.
What!GM is building ugly cars?I hate it when GM has to copy Toyota.
Makes the Mitsubishi Endeavor look positively graceful.
jthorner:
“The Dodge Ram pseudo-big-rig design ushered in an era of OMG designs which are at best obnoxious.”
Look at the last gen Ram and the new one and the new F-150 and Silverrado. They make the original 1994 Ram look sleek in comparison.
I think this is not good looking, but also not hideous. I’d reserve that for the new F-150. Someone must have been on hallucenegenics when they penned that.
I agree with rkf, when I first saw it, Family Truckster was the first thing that popped into my head. Any way you could post a picture of the NLV Family Truckster side by side?
I gotta go, the dog just pee’d on the sandwiches.
Why people despises Station Wagons and buy CUVs?. I love the honesty of Wagons.
Packaging. Tall wagons (honest low-floor ones, like the Rondo and Mazda5) and minivans are a better use of space than the traditional wagon.
Ok, so they’re going to cancel the Torrent. That’s good, because all it did was steal sales from the Vue and Equinox.
But then they go and replace it with the Terrain? WTF?
That makes, what, four or five small crossovers on the same platform? (SRX, Equinox, Vue, 9-4, Terrain). Have we not learned this lesson yet?
The Terrain has gotten lots of mentions in the local press lately since it’s going to be built just down the road from here in Ingersoll, Ontario. This is the first time I’ve seen a picture, however.
Gross!
Please, please, please GM, just update the GMT360s and don’t keep shoving bullshit crossovers into showrooms. I don’t want a FWD based POS! you’ve made the Tahoe into a bloated monster, and the TrailBlazer/Envoy are the only real SUVs you make that are reasonably sized.
Hopefully when GM finally goes C11, there will only be Cadillac, Chevy, and maybe Buick (maybe) so all the ridiculous overlap can finally cease. It would be nice to see 2 (maybe 3) lineups that were distinctively different, and didn’t cannibalize each other. GM used to offer different levels of luxury and prestige across their different lines, and now they’re mostly just rebadges with maybe a little nicer door panels or cooler stereo systems. This is why GM is up a creek. This ugly GMC is a perfect example.
Jeep called. They don’t want their Compass back.
Looks like it carries much of the new design philosophy that is destroying cars and trucks.
HUGE grill…check.
Big chunks of shiny chrome…check.
Large squarish fender swells…check.
It looks like it went to the Chrysler truck design school…or perhaps a GM designer just tried peeking over the shoulder of a Chrysler designer.
Someone needs to tell designers…especially GM designers, that the same treatment doesn’t work for all vehicles. In fact, sometimes it results in a disaster….like the Terrain.
Kill it NOW.
GM’s pretzel logic:
1. Pontiac is Car! Torrent doesn’t belong!
2. Ok, then we’ll kill the Torrent.
3. BPG dealers don’t have a small CUV to sell!
4. GMC is SUV! Make a new GMC CUV.
5. We can’t afford to develop a new vehicle. We’ll have to badge an old one.
6. How about the Torrent? Since we’re killing it, no one will notice the badge job anyway.
Thus, all of the marketing resources that went into one vehicle are wasted, and an entire new budget is created for the exact same vehicle with a different skin and badge.
Well done.
Wait………………..
this isn’t a joke?
>>What’s Wrong With This Picture
I’m not sure.
All I see is a picture of two cardboard boxes stuck together…
What’s wrong with this picture?
GM’s brand “strategy”
This thing only adds complexity to the Equinox assembly line, while reducing the number of Equinox sales. There goes the viability “plan”.
Did GMC get the headlights from the Honda Pilot parts bin?
Just what the world needs- another Theta platform CUV. When you’re cribbing design cues from Chrysler, something’s gone wrong.
At first glance I thought this was the next iteration of the Mercury Mariner.
Whats wrong with this picture:
GM must have hired one of the Toyota design chiefs that was fired last month in there re-sizing for NA efferts.
It’s built using todays stupid think of massive over sized King Kong grilles, plain as toast sides, bloated tall up in the air stance and my fender flares are bigger than your fender flares. Let me guess does it have 29″ rims, 500 air bags, drive me to work and hit no other object sensors, radar brakes, keyless no key ever needed starting anda little black box hiding in the fenders tracking your every move?
Oh and when will Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, Hummer and Saab be getting there badge engineered versions?
“The new Jeep (cough) Patriot?”
Yep, and it looks like the General tried to bake in some 4Runner to give it sum Off Road Cred. Mmmmmm…..smell the cheese.
It looks way better than an Avalanche at least.
Can a Honda Pilot mate with a GM? This would be the result.
CUV’s that are designed look like SUV’s are FUGLY!
There are a lot of FUGLY vehicles out, not all from GM, it seems like GM is leading the pack at the moment, let’s wait to see it in person in 5 months.
This thing makes the Compass look decent.
Mmmm looks like somebody got inspired by Legos and Acura.
I’d rather drive an older Jimmy.
The front doesn’t bother me so much, not even the giant USB ports below the headlights. It’s indicative of the New GLK, which is chunky and polarizing, but not horrible.
What is horrible here is the side profile. The HUGE fenders are bad – they took the worst part of the HHR and made it worse. Somehow square fenders work better on the GLK.