A Brand You Might Not Picture for a Subcompact Crossover SUV

When you think of the GMC brand what comes to mind? Do you see images in your head of impressive and powerful large trucks and SUVs that have nearly luxury interior packages and the power to get work done that you need? As a brand that’s built its reputation on rugged luxury and quality performance with powerful qualities that can get the job done it’s not one you would expect to offer a subcompact crossover SUV for the market. Even though some of the names we’ve become accustomed to are becoming smaller than in the past, this was a segment of the market that wasn’t considered for the brand.
Known for delivering standout trucks like the GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, GMC is going the distance that they’re to be taken seriously in the SUV market as well.  Even though we don’t expect it, GMC has plans to put a subcompact crossover SUV on the market to slot below the new 2018 Terrain to give us what we want for the drive. The new Terrain was recently redesigned to be the compact crossover model and the Acadia moves to a smaller midsize segment as well. This leaves room for a new model to come in and fit at the bottom of the market to be the smallest of the GMC models to offer the rugged performance desired.

The GMC Granite Concept

In order to keep with the idea that a GMC model needs to be rugged and ideal for the performance in any category, the new GMC Granite concept is one that could make its way to the market. This concept was first shown to use in 2010 with a funky and boxy build to it that makes it appear to be more of a model that would fit in with the Kia Soul than it would in the GMC lineup. Even so, the idea of a subcompact crossover SUV from this brand continues to be tossed around.
It would be fairly easy for GMC to enter this area with the current pair of subcompact SUVs that are offered from GM, which are the Chevrolet Trax and the Buick Encore. These two small SUVs have already performed extremely well in the US, which makes it easier for GMC to consider offering one for us in their lineup to make use of the Granite name which was trademarked by the brand in 2013 and once again in 2015. This is a segment of the SUV market that GMC currently doesn’t occupy, making it the right place to put a new model for any type of lineup expansion.
Even though there have been rumors that GMC will build a vehicle that will be a direct competitor to the Jeep Wrangler, the GMC chief has confirmed this is not in the works at GMC at all. Instead, the brand will consider the smaller, subcompact crossover SUV market where we see improved sales and a large number of active and easy to drive models. Whether or not this new model will wear the Granite name or not is yet to be seen, but it certainly would make sense for this brand.