Ever since a mysterious GMC-badged compact SUV prototype hit the streets in the United States and was spotted, rumors have been circulating that the company would soon bring it into production. They subsided about a year ago only to resurface now, with an anonymous source claiming the car is underway.
As it stands right now, the GMC Terrain is the marque’s smallest and most affordable SUV measuring 4,630 mm (15.2 ft.) long with 2,725 mm (8.94 ft.) between the axles. The newcomer should be considerably more compact than that and based on the VSS-F unitized architecture of the Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer. Both are around 4.2 m (13.8 ft.) long with 2.64 m (8.66 ft.) between the axles.
The abovementioned mini-SUVs ship with a choice between two turbocharged three-cylinder engines: 1.2L (139 hp / 104 kW, 220 Nm / 162 lb-ft) and 1.3L (157 hp / 117 kW, 236 Nm / 174 lb-ft). The former supports CVT and FWD, while the latter can be obtained with nine-speed automatic and AWD (both are optional).
It is being reported that the alleged new SUV will be deliberately set apart from its peers to avoid cannibalizing sales. No single opinion exists on what it would be called: “Anthem”, “Graphyte”, “Tribute” and “Granite” are all valid options. the Granite Concept came out ten years ago, and you may peek inside our gallery for a closer look at it.