GMC To Enter The Compact Crossover Fray

By Chris Chase

Aug 29, 2017

Summary

Professional grade, writ small

General Motors' GMC truck brand says it's ready to expand the entry-level end of its model range with a compact crossover model.

As Automotive News reports, GMC boss Duncan Aldred revealed recently that rumours of a Jeep Wrangler competitor were unfounded, saying instead that it's more logical to break into the compact SUV field.

Aldred admits GMC is already late to the compact/subcompact crossover party, where even Jeep has two models in its Compass and smaller Renegade. Meanwhile, GM brands Buick and Chevrolet are well-established in the subcompact class with their Encore and Trax, which are designed around a shared platform. That would be an obvious starting point for a small GMC model, but Aldred wasn't ready to discuss specifics.

Right now, GMC's smallest model is the Terrain, of which an all-new second-generation model has just been introduced and straddles the line between the compact and mid-size classes.

Meet the Author

As a child, Chris spent most of his time playing with toy cars in his parents’ basement or making car sounds while riding his bicycle. Now he's an award-winning Algonquin College Journalism grad who has been playing with real cars that make their own noises since the early 2000s.