The GMC Acadia is a crossover SUV that General Motors has built for its GMC division since the 2007 model year. The first generation shared the GM Lambda platform with the Saturn Outlook, Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave, and it replaced three seven- or eight-seat vehicles in the Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealer network.
GMC Acadia at a glance
| Class | crossover SUV |
|---|---|
| First generation | 2007 model year, sold from 2006 |
| Platform | GM Lambda, shared with Outlook, Traverse and Enclave |
| Replaced | GMC Safari, GMC Envoy, Pontiac Montana SV6 |
| Seating | seven or eight |
| Drive | front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive |
| Towing capacity | 5,200 lb |
| Wheelbase, 2008 | 118.9 in |
| Engine, 2007 | 3.6 L LY7 V6, 275 hp |
| Engine, 2009 | 3.6 L LLT V6, 288 hp |
| Second generation | 2017, repositioned as a mid-size crossover |
| Denali version | from the 2011 model year |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the GMC Acadia.
History of the GMC Acadia
First generation (2007)
The Acadia went on sale in 2006 as a 2007 model in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It was GMC’s first unibody vehicle, its first front-wheel-drive passenger vehicle and the first of any kind since the 1973-78 GMC Motorhome. The design had originally been intended for Pontiac and was changed to GMC after the styling was essentially complete, which is why the console shifter carries cues from 1960s and 1970s Pontiacs. The Acadia seats eight, offers front- or all-wheel drive and slots between the Terrain and the Yukon in the range.
Chassis and engines
The 2008 Acadia has a 118.9 in wheelbase and 67.28 in front and rear tracks. The independent front suspension uses MacPherson struts with a direct-acting stabiliser bar and aluminium knuckles, and the independent rear suspension is an H-linked design. Steering is power-assisted rack and pinion with an optional variable-effort system, and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard. The first engine was GM’s High Feature LY7 V6 with 275 hp and 258 lb-ft, mated to a new GM-Ford six-speed automatic. For 2009 came the direct-injected LLT with 288 hp and 270 lb-ft, and the 2012 car had 288 hp at 6,300 rpm.
Acadia Denali
The Denali version reached dealers in 2010 as a 2011 model, in front- and all-wheel-drive form with seven or eight seats. It brought monotone paint, a honeycomb grille, unique front and rear fascias, HID headlamps, chrome accents, exhaust tips and six-spoke 20-inch wheels, with perforated leather and wood trim inside. It was GMC’s first crossover to wear the Denali badge, joining the Terrain Denali, Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali.
Second generation (2017)
In 2017 the second-generation Acadia was repositioned as a mid-size crossover utility vehicle to compete with the Ford Explorer, Ford Edge and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The third-row bench was reduced from three places to two. The first-generation model stayed on sale alongside its replacement as the Acadia Limited, whose 3.6 L V6 produced 310 hp and 271 lb-ft.
Design and features
- First unibody GMC: a car-like structure instead of the ladder frames used by earlier GMC SUVs.
- Eight seats: three rows in the first generation, with two seats in the third row from 2017.
- Heads-up display: an option exclusive to the Acadia and standard on the Acadia Denali.
- Rollover sensing: a detection system that deploys the airbags if a rollover is detected, as on the Volvo XC90.
- Six airbags and OnStar: fitted as standard equipment.
GMC Acadia versions
- SLE and SLT (2007-2016): the main first-generation trims, on 18- or 19-inch wheels.
- Acadia Denali (2011-2016): the premium trim with its own grille, fascias and 20-inch wheels.
- Acadia Limited (2017): the first-generation car sold alongside the new model.
- Second-generation Acadia (2017-): a shorter mid-size crossover with a two-seat third row.
The Acadia replaced the GMC Envoy and the GMC Safari, and it sits between the GMC Terrain and the GMC Yukon. More cars are in the GMC collection.
Sources
- GMC Acadia, English Wikipedia: platform, dates, engines, Denali trim, dimensions
