Acadia: GMC’s lighter and more premium family SUV

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Acadia: GMC’s lighter and more premium family SUV

Details: Published on Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Ben Castle
Neepawa Banner & Press

The original GMC Acadia was introduced for the 2007 model year and was a key vehicle for General Motors (GM), as it was their first unibody (without a separate chassis) crossover.

Over the next three years it, and its two corporate cousins the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse, effectively replaced both the Chevrolet Trailblazer and GMC Envoy mid-size SUVs, as well as mini vans from Chevrolet, Pontiac and Buick. This was a bold move by GM, but over the next few years most of their competitors followed suit, so it turned out to be a gamble that paid off. The unibody construction meant that Acadia could be more car-like in terms of refinement and fuel economy, whilst offering near minivan-like levels of interior and cargo space. This combined with a strong 3.6 litre V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission made it a hit with families requiring practicality and seating for up to eight people, all-wheel drive and more style. Market repositioned However, for 2017/2018, GM has replaced all three models and re-positioned them slightly in the market. The 3.6 litre V6 engine remains but has been given a ten per cent power boost to 310 horsepower making it the most powerful naturally aspirated V6 engine in its class and thanks to the addition of Active Fuel Management, which shuts down two cylinders under partial load, and as it is seven inches shorter than the 2016 model, means an 18 per cent reduction in curb weight and up to a 15 per cent improvement in fuel economy. Passenger space is comparable to the old Acadia, but the downside is that it is also four inches narrower so the rear bench now only seats two passengers rather than three. At only 363 litres, space for cargo behind the rearmost seat has been significantly reduced, but the cargo space with the rearmost seats folded is a still decent 1181 litres. The towing capacity of the V6 model has also been reduced by 23 per cent to 4,000 pounds. However, if you still need seating for up to eight, the new Traverse and Enclave are four inches wider and ten inches longer, so offer significantly more cargo space behind the third row and also the same 5,000 pounds towing capacity as before. Acadia is available in SLE-1, SLE-2, SLT-1, SLT-2 and Denali trims. Thanks to a standard 2.5 litre four cylinder engine with 193 horsepower on SLE-1 and SLE-2 models, Acadia undercuts Traverse by around $1,000. SLE-1 is only available with the four cylinder engine with all-wheel drive being a $3,000 upgrade. The V6 engine is a $1,260 upgrade on SLE-2 models and the V6 engine and AWD is standard on SLT-1 models and above. Seven passengers Starting at $34,995 for the SLE-1 four cylinder, front-wheel drive, all Acadias get 17 inch aluminum wheels, seven passenger seating, cruise control, backup camera, leather-wrapped steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, proximity entry and keyless start, seven inch touchscreen, XM radio, dual halogen projector-beam headlamps, power locks, windows and power, heated mirrors. For $4,300 more, SLE-2 adds power driver’s seat with power lumbar, heated front seats, remote start, front projector-type fog lamps, power tailgate, 18 inch wheels and second row captain’s chairs meaning standard seating for six (although a standard bench in the middle is a no cost option if you need to seat seven). An extra $3,790 for SLT-1 means standard V6 and all-wheel drive, perforated leather seating, power passenger seat, rear park assist, eight inch touchscreen, Bose premium audio and side blind-zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert amongst other features. SLT-2 adds the trailering package, memory driver’s seat, heated second row seats, front and rear park assist and 20 inch wheels. Finally, top spec Denali adds such luxury features as heated and vented front seats, heated steering wheel, navigation and HID headlamps and body coloured cladding amongst other features. Truck-like styling The test model was the mid-range 2018 SLT-1 at $48,425 in Iridium (grey) metallic and with the optional trailering package ($750) and excellent dual skyscape sunroof ($1,685). With its prominent grille and chunky more truck-like styling, new Acadia is more handsome and distinctive than its predecessor. The only potential demerit in terms of styling is the black plastic cladding on the lower half of the doors. This is functional in protecting the lower doors from gravel rash but looks better on the darker colours. The interior is similarly stylish and premium with chrome-effect plastics and piano wood offering a nice contrast and an attractive and logical layout, ample storage in both the centre console and glovebox and intuitive controls. Buttons for key functions such as the ventilation and radio are available as an alternative to using the touchscreen and I liked the temperatures for the climate controls appearing inside each dial. The heated seats have separate controls for the base and back and the proximity entry on all doors and a programmable height for the power tailgate are other nice features. The interior is light and airy, especially with the sunroof, and visibility is excellent. Dual sun roof Rear passengers also get their own climate controls, a 120V power socket on this model and two USB ports. The optional dual sunroof slides or tilts open electrically at the front and both have a manual sunshade. Another neat feature is that the rear, middle seat on the passenger’s side can be tilted forward to ease access to the third row even with a child seat installed. Out on the road, the V6 engine is both powerful and refined with a smooth, responsive transmission in both automatic and manual modes, but the button for shifting manually on top of the shifter is a little awkward to use. A drive selector allows you to toggle between 2WD (for economy), AWD, sport, off-road and tow/haul modes all on the move. GM claim a highway figure of 9.5 litres per 100 kilometres for the V6 AWD Acadia. I achieved a combined figure of 12.1 litres per 100 kilometres and only noticed the engine shutting down to four cylinders around town, but it was very windy out on the highway during my test. Acadia rides very well on 65 sidewall tires and has solid, stable handling. It manages to feel more SUV-like than some of its competitors such as the Mazda CX-9, but at the same time is lighter and more manoeuvrable than its predecessor.

Rear dvd system

All Acadias come well-equipped with some nice options such as the dual skyscape sunroof, eight inch touchscreen and rear DVD entertainment system available throughout the range, but it’s a little frustrating that our test SLT-1 spec lacked some features that I might have expected to be standard such as navigation, HID headlamps and a heated steering wheel, which only come as standard on top spec Denali trim. For this reason, I would probably forego leather seating and plump for SLE-2 with the V6 and AWD and spend some of the money saved on the dual skyscape sunroof, 8 inch touchscreen and possibly the rear DVD entertainment system.

So, although smaller and offering a reduced towing capacity and rear cargo space compared to its predecessor, new Acadia offers significantly more power, better fuel economy, a nicer sportier drive, more style and a more premium interior. If you don’t need to do heavy towing or transport more than five people and their luggage on a regular basis, then Acadia is a stylish and excellent choice.