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| The 2017 GMC Acadia is smaller all around, placing it more squarely in competition with its main rivals. |
Debuting in 2007 alongside the former Saturn Outlook, the GMC Acadia and the rest of General Motor's Lambda crossover SUVs have since been among the global automaker's biggest hits. They're honestly some of my personal favorite vehicles! And apparently I'm not alone, because in various years, sales for these crossovers have exceeded demand, leading to additional shifts being added at GM's Lansing Assembly plant. Also a few years back, I had a chance to tour this factory as part of a site visit for a business program at Michigan State University, and needless to say I was impressed with how advanced the facilities were. Then again, this factory is relatively new within GM's portfolio, so it was to be expected.
Fast forward now to 2016, and it is time for a new Acadia and its sibling vehicles to take center stage. Technically, this redesign is long overdue, as besides a freshening for the 2013 model year, these crossovers (Acadia, Enclave, and Traverse) have been virtually unchanged since their introductions. The Acadia took on some of the old Saturn's styling cues in its 2013 refresh, bringing it more in line with GMC's corporate design language with its wraparound rear window. But that didn't prevent the design from aging, albeit they've aged gracefully. Later this year, we shall see these new crossovers arrive, but they may seem largely different to some. Or should I say... "Smaller." Because that's the strategy this time around with the Acadia and its siblings models. And I must say, I'm not sure quite how I feel about that just yet.
Less Is More
Indeed, stricter fuel economy regulations are influencing many of the new designs we are seeing nowadays. Less heft, more hustle. Less weight, more economy. And the Acadia is no exception to this new industry-wide mindset. While most redesigns typically focus on cutting weight while somehow magically increasing the vehicle's size, GMC decided to spare us the mystery and simply designed a smaller crossover overall. In doing so, the Acadia is some 700 pounds (!!!) lighter in this new forthcoming generation. This is pretty significant not only because of the potential efficiency advantages, but because one of the prior generation's high points was it having more interior volume than its competitors, such as the Dodge Durango and Honda Pilot. While this new Acadia will still seat seven passengers, it will no longer offer eight passenger seating and its third row seat will now only seat two instead of three. A six passenger version with captain's chairs in the second row will be offered, as will an all wheel drive All-Terrain version of the Acadia, similar to what we've seen in GMC's truck lineup. That model will not offer a third row seat, only five passenger seating. Now just to give you an even better idea of how much smaller the new Acadia is than the previous model, here are some numbers. Wheelbase in the 2017 model is down 6.4 inches, overall length is down 7.2 inches, and width shrinks 3.5 inches. Second row legroom and headroom (without the sunroof) are essentially unchanged. Other figures such as hip and shoulder room are down as well, however.
Now don't go getting the impression that I'm knocking the new Acadia! I'm sure it's going to be a hit like the current model. It just is really interesting how designers managed to cut so much weight off of the model, but how it seems like it drastically changed one of the strengths of the outgoing model. But you have to figure, if consumers are buying the competition at their smaller sizes, then I'm sure the Acadia will fit right in with its competitors now without serious buyers or fans even caring about the size of the new model. You could say it was hard to classify the previous model given its heft.
Content Heavy
Despite its drop in weight, the Acadia is more loaded than ever with premium features. Standard now will be a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine making 194 horsepower, and available will be the former 3.6 liter V6 engine, now revised to provide improved fuel efficiency and make 310 horsepower. A 4 cylinder seems quite small for a car this large. But keep in mind: its recently lost 700 pounds. Both engines are mated to a 6-speed automatic, which is strange I feel given that several key competitors offer 8 or 9-speed transmissions now. But "if it ain't broke..." You know the rest. Fuel economy ratings for the front wheel drive 4-cylinder with its new engine stop-start system are expected to be 22 city/28 highway, while the front wheel drive V6 is expected to achieve 17 city/25 highway using its active fuel management system. GMC's new all-wheel drive system is handled by "active twin clutches" that more evenly distributes engine torque across the rear axle. Drivers also have the option of now disabling the AWD system and relying solely on front wheel drive or cycling through different driving modes, such as snow or sport mode.
On the interior, the dashboard is redesigned now to incorporate the latest version of GMC's Intellilink infotainment system. A variety of modern safety features are available too, including blind-spot monitoring, pedestrian detection, low-speed emergency braking on SLT-2 models and all-speed emergency braking on high-end Denali models, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree parking camera system, and a ton more. Perhaps the most interesting of these new features is one that will remind you to check the back seat just in case you left anything there, such as groceries or a child. It does this by remembering if you opened the rear doors before driving or not. GM's innovative safety seat alert is also available, and vibrates to let the driver know of any dangers that are present around the vehicle.
The Light Is Right
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| 2017 GMC Acadia All-Terrain |
This past year was one of the Acadia's best-selling years, and with these new innovations and serious weight reduction, I'm willing to bet it is going to continue to be a hit. It'll be interesting to see how the new 4-cylinder performs in this still relatively large vehicle, and also what the new Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave will look like as they are redesigned soon as well. While not as big as before, the 2017 Acadia looks like it can keep pace with the competition and fill the shoes of the outgoing model well. While downsizing a new model in this day and age is unusual, the Acadia and its siblings already have the sales momentum in their corner of the field, which should continue to bode well for them. Additionally, GM's recent track record of dramatically improving on their past designs is strong too. Given how big of a fan I was of the Lambdas when they all originally came out, I'm excited to see this new crossover in person when it's released this spring. I predict that pricing for the Acadia will likely remain in line with the current model.
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