2024 GMC Acadia

GMC's mid-sized Acadia had fallen behind the pack in recent years, with rivals like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade outclassing it. That's all set to change with this third-generation Acadia. Sporting enlarged dimensions that allow it to offer more interior space, it's more practical for large families than before. A new 2.5-liter turbocharged engine delivers 328 horsepower, even better than the previous V6's outputs, and the towing capacity is up, too. More technology has been integrated into the latest Acadia with available Super Cruise hands-free driving and a new 15-inch infotainment display. Is all of this enough to surpass the complete packages of the Korean twins? Let's find out.

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The release date of the GMC Acadia is scheduled for early 2024. It will be produced at the Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant in Michigan.

We'll have to wait a bit longer for the price of the 2024 GMC Acadia to be confirmed. It should see an increase over the 2023 model's starting price of $36,800. The fully loaded Denali exceeded an MSRP of $50,000, and this is likely to be slightly higher for 2024.

This segment is loaded with talented rivals. One of the best is the Kia Telluride, which costs $35,990, while the equally accomplished Hyundai Palisade begins at $36,400. One of the segment's newer arrivals is the Mazda CX-90. Unlike the Acadia, it still has a six-cylinder engine, while its most luxurious trim levels will give the Acadia Denali a run for its money. The Mazda starts at $39,595.

GMC has taken an evolutionary approach to the Acadia's exterior design. While not drastically different from its predecessor, the overall effect is of a vehicle that's tauter, more expressive, and more premium. The fact that it's grown in size only adds to the greater presence of the new Acadia.

Like the latest Sierra 1500, the new Acadia has C-shaped LED daytime running lights that frame the main headlights. There is a new, larger grille as well. The SUV's greater length is apparent from the side, while the rear features redesigned taillights that mirror the shape of the front DRLs. The tailgate looks much more modern and emulates some of the designs we see on upper-crust SUVs from German brands.

For the luxurious Denali, there is a signature Denali grille, animated lighting, and available 22-inch machined aluminum wheels, the largest wheels ever equipped to an Acadia. The base Elevation comes with 18-inch alloys and the Elevation Premium gets 20-inch wheels. The more rugged AT4 has 18-inch all-terrain tires, a unique front fascia with red tow hooks, and integrated skid plates.

A panoramic, pillar-to-pillar sunroof is available. Pictured in light gray and blue hues here, we'll have to wait for the configurator to go live before we can confirm the full selection of colors for the GMC Acadia. A Black Edition will be available to darken certain exterior elements.

The GMC Acadia's dimensions now rival that of some full-size SUVs. Its length is up by 10.6 inches, and it stands 3.2 inches taller than before. Based on the previous model's dimensions, the new one is now 204 inches long (not far off of the full-size Yukon) and has a height of just below 70 inches. We don't have confirmation of whether the wheelbase has changed, but it's likely, considering the increased body length and "80% more cargo space behind the third row." The width, too, is unconfirmed, but the 2023 version was 75.4 inches wide.

GMC says the new AT4 trim has a 1-inch taller ride height and a wider track than other variants. Curb weight figures haven't been specified, but the previous Acadia came in between 4,155 and 4,525 pounds. Considering the significant changes and larger size, this will be closer to 5,000 lbs than ever before.

Unlike the previous model, the new GMC Acadia SUV is only available with one engine choice, a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. Those figures are better than the previous V6, which made 310 hp and 271 lb-ft. An eight-speed automatic transmission is common to all trims, replacing the nine-speed unit used previously. All-wheel drive is available, but front-wheel drive comes standard, as before.

While no 0-60 times were claimed, we expect the sprint to take around six seconds based on the engine's outputs. For the AT4, there is an off-road-capable Active Torque Control AWD system along with hill descent control and selectable driving modes, including a Terrain mode. The towing capacity is now up to 5,000 lbs when properly equipped, up from 4,000 lbs for the previous V6.

Not much else was said about the Acadia's suspension or any improvements that may have been made in this area, but we'll update our review as soon as the manufacturer shares more information.

EPA specs for the 2024 Acadia aren't available yet, but it should better the 21-22 mpg combined for the previous V6. The outgoing 2.0-liter Acadia could manage best figures of 22/29/25 mpg city/highway/combined.

The gas tank size of the new Acadia is unknown, so we'll have to wait and see what it's range is.

The previous GMC Acadia's interior had become outdated with a rather uninspiring design, some drab materials on lower trims, and severely constricted third-row space. All of these shortcomings seem to have been addressed inside the new GMC Acadia SUV; the interior now looks properly premium. We haven't

The manufacturer says the cargo space in the GMC Acadia behind the third row is up by almost 80 percent, while space behind the second row increases by over 36%. Based on our calculations, the new model should have around 23 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and over 56 cubes behind the middle perches - both excellent figures. Depending on the trim, the Acadia can seat seven or eight occupants. We're not yet sure if seating in the third row is better, but front-row legroom is definitely improved on the new model. The luxurious Denali model comes with one-touch folding second-row seats and a third row with a power-folding mechanism for the seats.

The new dashboard has a far more premium design. All trims have a standard portrait-oriented 15-inch touchscreen with customizable displays, Google built-in, and an available high-contrast display. Alongside this is an 11-inch driver information center.

All models boast a long list of driver-assist technologies like forward collision alert, rear pedestrian detection, rear park assist, and traffic sign recognition. Optionally, nine camera views will help drivers keep on eye on surroundings, a valuable feature since the vehicle has grown so much.

Big news for the 2024 GMC Acadia is that it becomes the fifth GMC model to offer the Super Cruise hands-free driver-assistance system. Available on the top three trims, the system can be used on over 400,000 miles of roads in the USA and Canada. Trailering assist and automatic lane changes are now integrated with Super Cruise.

All GMC Acadia variants have heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, while even the base Elevation has an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat with four-way power lumbar adjustment. The Elevation Premium has second-row captain's chairs - reducing seating capacity to seven - and a six-way power front passenger seat. The upscale Denali, meanwhile, has heated/ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, and a memory system for the driver. This model's perforated leather upholstery and laser-etched wood decor with Galvano chrome accents make it the most premium Acadia ever. It can also be specified with a 16-speaker Bose premium sound system. The rugged AT4 has a Forest Storm interior with Mahogany stitching and extra chrome metallic trim.