By Kevin Harrison
When GM shed itself of brands it didn’t need, a lot of people questioned one brand that they kept: GMC. The reason why is because GMC’s lineup essentially mimicked that of Chevrolet in terms of product DNA – they were re-badged Chevy’s with a bit of upscale panache.
People questioned keeping GMC because the one of the reasons for shedding certain brands in the first place was due to re-badging. People questioned the point of having the same car with different nameplates.
Now, GM finds itself in much better shape with four core brands, but the same holds true for GMC’s lineup and re-badging.
The Sierra? Just a re-badged Chevy Silverado. The Canyon? Just a re-badged Chevy Colorado. The Terrain? Just a re-badged Chevy Equinox. The Acadia? Just a re-badged Chevy Traverse.
But GM argues back with sales. You see, despite the re-badging GMC remains a strong performer for the brand. Why get rid of something that is doing so well?
Still, GM is acutely conscious of that fact that more people have got onto re-badging. So with that, they’ve gone through more effort to differentiate the GMC lineup from the Chevrolet lineup and took that even further by adding on the popular Denali badge to its Acadia crossover.
Is this enough to make the Acadia stand out?
GMC has redesigned all three iterations of its large crossover segment. Personally, the Acadia is far and away the best looking of the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. The lines are much cleaner, less bubbly and the design is sharper starting with the redesigned LED tail lights and exhaust tips in the back, to the large grille, redesigned headlights, wrap around privacy glass and redesigned bumper. My tester was the Denali trim level (which also happens to be the most expensive version of the Acadia you can buy) which added on an attention grabbing aluminum mesh grille, splashes of chrome throughout and optional chrome wheels, which to be honest, I didn’t take to, but I generally am not a fan of chrome wheels. But no matter your feelings on chrome, this is one decidedly good looking CUV.
Inside, there is a familiarity of GM interiors of old, however with some updates here and there including a 6.5 inch touch screen (that’s very clear and easy to read, by the way) featuring GMC’s “Intellilink” infotainment system. Here is where you control everything from the audio and satellite radio, displays navigation with assist from On-star and can sync with a whole host of apps. By the way, I had the opportunity to use On-Star for navigation and it worked quite well with a pleasant On-Star employees sending directions directly to the vehicle.
The seats are immensely comfortable with big plush bucket seats in both the front and second row seats. There are splashes of wood trim throughout which I normally find to be a bit tacky but I must admit, there’s a part of me that’s a sucker for wood trimmed steering wheels, which the Denali trim level provides (along with the name “Denali” on the centre of the steering wheels instead of “GMC”). There is a whole host of interior room in all three rows of seats along with TV’s in the back to distract the kiddies. Entry and egress proved to be a bit difficult for some given the GMC’s tall ridge height. A step bar would be appreciated in this instance. Cargo room is enormous with 116 cubic feet behind the first row seats alone.
But perhaps my most favourite feature in the Acadia Denali is the head up display. A projection of your speed come up on the windshield so that you can keep an eye on your speed without taking your eyes off the road. I’ve only experienced this once before in a BMW 5-series, and had forgotten about how great this technology is. In addition, you can also set up the display to show what’s currently being played on the radio, the outside temperature and it’ll even show when the turn indicators have been activated. This feature alone may even be worth the premium for going with the Denali trim level.
The Acadia gets a 3.6 litre V6 which produces 281 horsepower and 270 pound foot torque which is definitely adequate, but since the Acadia is so heavy, it’s not exactly quick either. That said, engine noise is very quiet (part of the Denali package which comes with more sound deadening) and shifts are quite smooth. Just like the Chevy Spark I tested earlier, the automatic seems to allow for lots of throttle input before up-shifting to second gear. This helps to get the big Acadia off the line but does no favours for fuel efficiency.
I had a bit of extra time with the Acadia (two weeks instead of one) and it jugged through two and a quarter tanks of gas during that time. Granted my driving was mostly city but so is the majority of Acadia buyers. I suppose that is to be expected given its 14.7 L/100 kms rating for city driving. Still, I’d hate to see how the Acadia fared if this were the late 90’s, because there would likely be a big V8 in there back then. So I suppose, with this new V6, it’s more efficient than it otherwise would have been. On the highway it’s rated at 10.2 L/100 kms.
Speaking of highway driving, the Acadia is a champ. It’s comfortable, solid, smooth and powerful. It would make an ideal road trip vehicle choice given the comfort, and abundance of room. That said, there was a moment when the Acadia seemed to get out of sorts when I swerved slightly to avoid a deep pothole that I saw at the last minute. The numb steering feel probably caused me to overexert the steering wheel a bit and the wobbly suspension didn’t help either. While I would have known what to do had the Acadia gotten really out of sorts, I’d wager that uneasy feeling of instability upon emergency situations would leave typical drivers to panic a bit. Luckily for them stability control is standard to help out.
Along with stability and traction control, the Acadia comes with other safety features such as the aforementioned head-up display, blind spot warning, air bags for all three rows and one year On-Star subscription.
While I have yet to try the Buick Enclave, it’s safe to say that the Acadia Denali has the premium version of the Chevrolet version down pat. It feels solid, it’s good looking, it’s comfortable, it’s roomy and it’s innovative in terms of tech. Does GM really need it though? Well I’m still not sure about that one. If Buick is GM’s premium division then it should probably be the only selection for the premium treatment, especially since the most decked out Enclave can be had for about ten grand less than the Acadia Denali. However, the Acadia is easily the best looking of the bunch. I think if GM truly wants to keep GMC as a viable brand then they need to give it its own personality and DNA. Then again, GM is seems to be doing fairly well with the brand anyway so what do I know? Well one thing I do know is regardless if GM needs it or not, the Acadia Denali is one fine family and cargo hauling machine.
Price As Tested: $59,775
Pros:
- Eye-catching exterior looks
- Premium feel inside
- Lots of room inside
- Smooth and comfortable ride
- Head-up display
Cons:
- Very pricey!
- V6 is still quite thirsty
- Yacht-like handling abilities
- Buick version makes make tough business case
Immediate Competition:
- Buick Enclave
- Dodge Durango Citadel
- Ford Flex
Overall: 7/10