2022 GMC Terrain vs 2022 Land Rover Defender

The 2022 Land Rover Defender retained its iconic design, reminiscent of its predecessors with a boxy profile, tailgate-mounted spare wheel, and flat hood. These elements tied it visually to the original Defender and classic Series Land Rovers. Despite these nostalgic touches, the Defender boasted a modern design with rounded corners for improved aerodynamics and recessed LED headlights that gave it a unique personality. The larger size of the modern Defender translated into more interior space and better ergonomics, offering a comfortable driving position with ample headroom and legroom. The interior design emphasized ruggedness with bare metal and exposed screws, complemented by a mix of leather and suede upholstery, making it both stylish and practical for off-road adventures.

In contrast, the 2022 GMC Terrain received updates to its front styling, wheel designs, taillights, and interior trim. The new AT4 trim level featured a bolder grille, black 17-inch alloy wheels, and AT4 badges, enhancing its off-road appeal. The Terrain's interior was spacious for a compact crossover, offering power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The AT4 trim included perforated leather upholstery with caramel-coloured contrast stitching, adding a touch of luxury. Despite its upscale appearance, the Terrain's interior materials and execution reflected its entry-level status, with some design choices, like the pushbutton transmission controls, proving less intuitive.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, starting with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. A mid-level 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid powertrain delivered 395 hp and 406 lb-ft. The highlight was the new V8 engine, generating 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque, propelling the Defender 90 from zero to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. All models featured a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case. The Defender excelled in off-road capabilities, with features like a 4WD system with low range, good approach, departure, and breakover angles, and up to 29 centimetres of ground clearance. On-road, the Defender was comfortable, with a suspension that absorbed bumps well and minimized noise from the massive 22-inch tires.

The 2022 GMC Terrain was powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque. The engine's torque was accessible between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm, but there was a delay off the line. The nine-speed automatic transmission kept the Terrain in the torque band once rolling. The Terrain's towing capacity was limited to 680 kilograms, a reduction from the previous 2.0-litre engine's 1,587 kilograms. The Terrain AT4 offered FWD and AWD modes, with an Off-Road mode and Hill Descent Control. However, torque steer was an issue in FWD mode. The Terrain's ride was smooth on highways and city streets, but its off-road capabilities were limited, with the front end scraping on uneven terrain.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered versatility with its seating configurations. The two-door Defender 90 had 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, providing some cargo space when folded. The four-door Defender 110 was available in two-row, five-seat, and three-row, seven-seat configurations. Three-row models offered 160 litres of cargo space with all seats in place, expanding to 1,826 litres with the second row folded. Two-row versions provided 786 litres with the rear seats up and 1,875 litres with them folded. The Defender's interior design emphasized functionality, with a large caged storage space below the dashboard and a spacious centre-console storage bin.

The 2022 GMC Terrain's interior was roomy for a compact crossover, with power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The AT4 trim featured perforated leather upholstery with caramel-coloured contrast stitching. The back seat offered ample legroom and foot room, with a rear USB charging port. Cargo space measured 838 litres behind the second row, expanding to 1,792 litres with the rear seat folded. The Terrain's interior included numerous storage solutions, such as a small shelf in the dashboard and narrow shelves in the door panels.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came with a standard Pivi Pro infotainment system, featuring a 10-inch central touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was standard on all trims except the base model. An 11.4-inch touchscreen was newly available for 2022. The interface was user-friendly, with a distinctive look, although the screen required a firm touch to respond. Optional features included a 14-speaker Meridian audio system and a head-up display. A surround-view camera system was standard, aiding off-road navigation.

The 2022 GMC Terrain offered two infotainment systems, with a 7-inch touchscreen standard on SLE trim and an 8-inch touchscreen on SLT, AT4, and Denali trims. Both systems included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and GMC Connected Services. The larger screen offered connected navigation and a Bose premium sound system. The voice recognition system was excellent, responding accurately to prompts. The Terrain's Tech Package included a head-up display, front and rear park assist sensors, and a surround-view camera system.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender featured standard driver-assist technologies, including lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, traffic-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring. Adaptive cruise control was optional. The Defender had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, which was common for luxury vehicles.

The 2022 GMC Terrain came with a standard GMC Pro Safety Package, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and a following distance indicator. The GMC Pro Safety Plus Package added adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a Safety Alert Seat. The IIHS awarded the Terrain mostly "Good" crash-test scores, with a "Marginal" rating in a new side-impact test. The NHTSA had not evaluated the Terrain's crashworthiness.