Torrent shares its shape with the Equinox, but a twin-nostril grille with arrowhead divider announces it's a Pontiac, and gives Torrent some distinction, though it still looks similar to most other compact SUVs.  

Overall, the Torrent has a pleasing, subtle design, with clean lines and a forward wedge shape to its sides.   The trapezoidal twin-beam headlamps look strong (reminiscent of the previous-generation Saab 9-3), and so do the silver-colored pseudo-skid plates that wrap up onto the front and rear fascias, coming from under the car.   The B-pillar is flat black, so it's barely visible between the tinted glass of the front and rear doors.   This accentuates the thick, body-color C-pillar, and the pleasantly tall, arcing shape of the rear side window.  

Thick aluminum roof rails are suggestive of those on the Nissan Xterra and help give this car-based SUV a more rugged appearance.   The outside door handles are of the big grab variety, making it easy to open the doors and climb in without breaking fingernails.  

You'll need a sharp eye to distinguish the GXP from the standard Torrent, but the front hood, grille, and front and rear fascias are all different.   Most noticeable is the absence of the base model's ersatz skid plates; instead, the rear bumper is clean, and up front the GXP wraps a protruding lip of body-color plastic around its lower air intake, vaguely suggesting an oil cooler on a race car.   Above that, the GXP's grille nostrils are deeper and lined with more brightwork.   To achieve that effect, the fascia around them has to stand out a bit more, which requires a slight exaggeration of the central bulge in the engine hood for it all to flow together.  

From the side, you might notice that even though both models roll on five-spoke alloy wheels, the spokes on the GXP's wheels taper outward instead of inward, for a more pleasing effect.   The GXP hunkers one inch closer to the road, and buyers can leave off the roof rails to further emphasize the look of sport over utility.