The GMC Acadia is a crossover SUV manufactured by General Motors for its GMC division. The first-generation GMC Acadia shared the GM Lambda platform with the Saturn Outlook, the Chevrolet Traverse, and the Buick Enclave. The Acadia went on sale in 2006 as a 2007 model in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Acadia replaces three of the 7- or 8-seater vehicles on the Buick-Pontiac–GMC dealership network, the midsize GMC Safari van, the GMC Envoy, and the Pontiac Montana SV6 minivan for the domestic market. As of 2009, the Lambda vehicles have replaced the Buick Rainier, Buick Rendezvous, Buick Terraza, and the GMC Envoy XL and then subsequently the GMC Envoy, Chevrolet TrailBlazer and the Isuzu Ascender. A Denali version of the Acadia debuted for 2011. In 2017, the second generation Acadia was repositioned as a mid-size crossover utility vehicle in order to compete within the growing midsize SUV market against the likes of the Ford Explorer, Edge, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

First generation (2007)

The Acadia represents GMC's entry-level truck-like CUV and is the first unibody vehicle from the marque. It is also GMC's first front-wheel drive passenger vehicle, and also the first such vehicle of any kind since the 1973-78 GMC Motorhome.

The Acadia has seating for eight and either front or all-wheel drive. With a 5,200 lb (2,359 kg) towing capacity, the Acadia slots between the GMC Terrain and the Yukon. The Acadia is the mid-priced Lambda model between the Chevrolet Traverse and Enclave.

In December 2006, all production and sales of the Acadia (and the Saturn Outlook) were temporarily stopped due to the engine mounts not having holes drilled to release accumulated water, as well as an issue with potentially faulty rivets in the load floor just forward of the vehicle's rear hatch. The assembly process was quickly adjusted, and dealership sales of the vehicles had resumed within days of the notice.

The first-generation Acadia was sold alongside its second-generation replacement as the Acadia Limited.

Suspension and chassis

The 2008 Acadia has a 118.9 in (3,020 mm) wheelbase and 67.28 in (1,709 mm) front/rear tracks. The independent front suspension is a MacPherson strut design, with a direct-acting stabilizer bar and aluminum knuckles. The independent rear suspension uses a "H" Linked design.

Steering is power-assisted rack-and-pinion, with an optional variable-effort system. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard. 19 inch cast aluminum wheels and Goodyear Eagle RS-A M+S P255/60R-19 108H tires with a high-pressure compact spare tire are standard on the SLT2 model and optional on the SLT1. The SLE model has 18 inch painted aluminum wheels with P255/65R-18 tires. The SLT1 comes standard with 18 inch machined aluminum wheels.

Engine and transmission

The Acadia uses GM's High Feature LY7 V6 that was introduced in the Cadillac CTS. In the Acadia, the engine produces 275 hp (205 kW) and 258 lb⋅ft (350 N⋅m) of torque. The Acadia also uses the new GM-Ford 6-speed automatic transmission.

The 2009 model year engine was the direct injected LLT, producing 288 hp (215 kW) and 270 lb⋅ft (366 N⋅m) of torque.

The 2012 Acadia has a 3.6 L V6 engine producing 288 hp (215 kW) at 6,300 rpm and 270 lb⋅ft (366 N⋅m) of torque at 3,400 rpm.

The 2016 Acadia Limited has a 3.6 L V6 engine producing 310 hp (231 kW) and 271 lb ft (367 Nm) of torque.

Interior

The Acadia features available 3-row, 7 or 8-seater seating, although the post-2017 models downsized the 3rd-row seating capacity from 3 to 2 passengers. Inside, the Acadia features more contemporary trim than the Outlook, including chrome and satin nickel textures, and a wider variety of two-toned interior colors such as an Ebony and Light Titanium (grey) cloth upholstery, and a choice of either Ebony, Light Titanium (grey) or Brick (brown) leather upholstery. A heads-up display is one of the available options exclusive to the Acadia and standard on the Acadia Denali.

Acadia Denali

The Denali version of the Acadia arrived at dealerships in 2010 as 2011 model. This upgraded trim is available in FWD and AWD versions in seven- or eight-passenger form and features monotone paint, honeycomb grille, unique front and rear fascias, along with HID headlamps, chrome accents, exhaust tips, and six-spoke 20-inch wheels. Interior upgrades include perforated leather seating and wood trim.

The Acadia Denali joins its SUV siblings, the Terrain Denali, the Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali, and marks GMC's first crossover to take the Denali badge.

Trim levels

Safety

A unibody construction helps lower center of gravity, compared to previous truck-based GM SUVs, reduces the risk of rollover accidents. Much of the Acadia's structure is reinforced with high-strength steel, including a steel cross-car beam welded across the floor between the B-pillars.

The Acadia has six different airbags equipped in the vehicle; two dual-stage front air bags for the driver and front passenger, two seat-mounted side-impact air bags in the first row and two head curtain side impact air bags that cover all three seating rows. Similar to the Volvo XC90, the Acadia will have a detection system on board that will deploy various airbags if a rollover is detected.

Additionally, the Acadia comes standard with the OnStar system.

Model year updates

2013 facelift

GM unveiled an updated 2013 GMC Acadia at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, taking the bodyshell of the discontinued Saturn Outlook. The 2013 Acadia received a completely redesigned grille and front fascia, a redesigned rear liftgate, and an improved interior with upgrades to interior quality, as with its other two updated siblings, the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse.

2014 model year

For the 2014 model year, the Acadia added Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning as a standard on Denali and as an optional feature on SLT1 and SLT2 trims, while two charging-only USB ports on the rear of the center console for second-row use were added as a standard for all trims.

2015 model year

For the 2015 model year, a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel became standard on SLT-2 and Denali models, along with a twenty-inch aluminum wheel design. Crimson Red Tintcoat, Dark Sapphire Blue Metallic, and Midnight Amethyst Metallic are added as new exterior color palettes. In addition, dual exhaust became available only on Denali versions, while all other trim levels received single exhaust.

Acadia Limited

For the 2017 model year, the first-generation Acadia was sold alongside its second-generation replacement, but was renamed the Acadia Limited, much like the Chevrolet Cruze Limited, Chevrolet Malibu Limited, and Chevrolet Impala Limited were also sold alongside their replacements - at least for a single model year - as rental and fleet vehicles. However, production remained in Lansing, Michigan as the second generation Acadia moved to Spring Hill, Tennessee, the site of the original Saturn plant. With the second-generation Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse making their debuts in 2017 as 2018 models, GMC ended production of the Acadia Limited on March 31, 2017 in order to start production on the Traverse and Enclave.

Second generation (2017)

The second generation Acadia made its official debut at the North American International Auto Show on January 12, 2016. The redesigned Acadia went on sale in May 2016 as a 2017 model. The second generation Acadia is built in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The previous Acadia continued to be sold alongside the new one as the "Acadia Limited" through the 2017 model year.

The second generation Acadia was reduced from 200.8 in (5,100 mm) to 193.6 in (4,917 mm) in length and from 78.9 in (2,004 mm) to 75.4 in (1,915 mm) in width (losing 700 pounds (320 kg) in the process), as GM repositioned the vehicle to mid-size status while remaining above the Terrain in size (the Terrain itself would relinquish its midsize status after it was repositioned as a second generation smaller compact crossover with the 2018 model), as GM has already announced that the next generation Traverse and Enclave will be the only GM-built full-size crossover SUVs in this segment. With the reduction from full-size to mid-size, the Acadia's MSRP was reduced to $29,995 (US). The GMC Acadia now has 5, 6, and 7 passenger configurations arranged respectively like either two front bucket seats and one rear bench seat; two bucket seats up front, two buckets in the second row, and two seats in the rear row; or two front bucket seats, one second row bench seat, and two rear seats in the third row.

The second generation Acadia features seven seats instead of eight, a choice of either a 2.5-liter or 3.6-liter engine, a new advanced twin-clutch AWD system (available only with All-Terrain package) by GKN Driveline designed for off-road environment (joining the FWD and AWD drivetrains available on all other models), an updated fascia and redesigned lighting. The Acadia is built on the same platform as the Cadillac XT5 and will be joined by the Chinese-built Buick Envision and the Chevrolet Blazer (built on the C1XX platform) when GM unveils its lineup for its mid-size CUVs for 2018 and beyond.

With the decrease in size, fuel economy with the 3.6L increases to 18 mpg_‑US (13 L/100 km) city, 25 mpg_‑US (9.4 L/100 km) hwy (AWD and FWD) from 17 mpg_‑US (14 L/100 km) city 24 mpg_‑US (9.8 L/100 km) hwy (FWD). The 2017 Acadia will offer the newly launched AppShop feature.

Trim levels for the second generation Acadia were carried over from the previous generation; SL, SLE-1, SLE-2, SLT-1, SLT-2, as well as a Denali trim level, though an All-Terrain Package is available on Acadia SLE and SLT trim levels that will be more rugged in its appearance. The second generation Acadia is also available with Third Row Seat Delete option on SLE and SLT trim levels as part of the All-Terrain Package.

The second generation Acadia introduced a feature to remind drivers to check the rear seats for children to help prevent heatstroke of children accidentally left behind in a vehicle.

Holden Acadia

The Acadia was marketed in Australia and New Zealand as a Holden-badged vehicle. It went on sale on November 12, 2018. The Holden Acadia was built in Tennessee with RHD specifications, and marketed as a full-size CUV. The Acadia was chosen for Australian exports due to its smaller size compared to its Chevrolet and Buick counterparts, which are the Traverse and Enclave respectively.

The Holden Acadia was due to receive an update for 2020 like the GMC Acadia, but it was canceled due to the Holden brand being phased out in 2020. A total of 5,157 units were sold during its sales period.

Model year updates

2020 facelift

The GMC Acadia received a facelift for 2020. The facelift introduced new exterior styling (including a new front grille inspired by the all-new 2019 GMC Sierra 1500), a revised infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, new alloy wheel options, an all-new AT4 trim level (which replaces the All-Terrain Package on select trim levels), a new 2.0L turbocharged EcoTec inline four-cylinder (I4) engine (both the 2.5L EcoTec I4 and 3.6L VVT V6 engine options remain available for 2020), and the Electronic Precision Shift push-button automatic transmission that was first introduced on the 2018 GMC Terrain, this shifter was paired to a new 9-speed automatic, among other changes. The 2020 GMC Acadia went on sale in the fall of 2019.

2021

GMC introduced some minor changes for the 2021 model year. Wireless functionality for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was added, as well as the debut of an Elevation Edition package that adds black exterior styling accents and 20-inch wheels.

2022

The GMC Acadia received a few updates for 2022, the most notable was the discontinuation of the 2.5 LCV I4 engine, which was standard on lower trim levels, the new standard engine became the turbocharged 2.0L LSY I4 while the 3.6L V6 LGX will still be available as an option. All engines were still paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission. The base SL trim level was also dropped, this made the SLE the base model from 2022 onwards. The five-passenger seating option was also discontinued for 2022, this configuration was only offered in the AT4 trim level, and removed the third row seats entirely.

Third generation (2024)

The 2024 Acadia was revealed at the 2023 North American International Auto Show. The Acadia was sized back up to a full-size to allow it to compete better in the three row crossover segment. With seating for up to 8, it shares its wheelbase with the larger Yukon.

Built on the same GM Epsilon Platform (C1XX-2) the related third-generation Chevrolet Traverse, the third-generation Acadia will be powered exclusively by a 2.5-liter, turbocharged inline-four gasoline engine producing 328 hp (245 kW), and 326 lb⋅ft (442 N⋅m) of torque (an increase of 18 horsepower and 55 lb. ft. of torque over the previous-generation Acadia's naturally-aspirated 3.6-liter V6 engine). Standard on all trims will be a fifteen-inch tablet-style infotainment system and an eleven-inch reconfigurable instrument cluster display. The Acadia has a seating capacity of seven passengers with dual second-row captain's chairs, or eight passengers with the second-row split-folding bench seat. The 2024 Acadia, which will be available in early 2024, will be available in four models: base Elevation (replacing the previous SLE trim), mid-level Elevation Premium (replacing the previous SLT trim), off-road oriented AT4, and premium Denali. General Motors "Super Cruise" semi-autonomous driving system will be available on most models for the first time.

For the third-generation model, assembly of the 2024 GMC Acadia will move back to the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant in Michigan from the previous Saturn Corporation Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant in Tennessee, joining the all-new 2024 Chevrolet Traverse, and future Buick Enclave.

Sales

References

External links

• Official website
• GMC Acadia at the Internet Movie Cars Database