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Is the GMC Terrain a crossover or SUV?

I’m on the hunt for a new SUV, but I want to make sure it’s capable enough for towing and off-roading. It seems a “real” SUV would be best suited for the task, but is a GMC Terrain a crossover or SUV?

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Shannon Fitzgerald · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Terminology can get confusing with SUVs, but the GMC Terrain is technically a compact crossover.
Unlike some other crossovers, the Terrain isn’t built on a car’s unibody chassis, though. Rather, it has its own crossover-specific unibody chassis referred to as GM’s Theta platform. The
Chevy Equinox
also happens to be built on GM’s Theta platform, too.
To put that in context, a GMC Yukon (GMC’s full size SUV) is built with a body-on-frame construction. Essentially, this means the chassis is separately attached to the Yukon’s body rather than a single unit with it. The body can flex more freely as a result, which eases off-road wear and tear and increases towing capacity.
While you can still tow and off-road in a unibody-based crossover, it’s not quite as capable as the body-on-frame’s more truck-like build. Perhaps reflective of this: the 2022 GMC Yukon can tow up to 7,900 lbs whereas the 2022 GMC Terrain can only tow up to 1,500 lbs. Since you’re looking for a hauler and off-roader, the GMC Yukon would be a much better fit here.
Whether you end up driving a crossover or a “true” SUV home, you’ll want to make sure you keep everything on that chassis protected with quality car insurance.
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