What would a Chicago auto show be without a good old midcycle refresh to talk about? Well, GM's Lambda crossovers have been kicking around for awhile now, so it was high time for a nip here and a tuck there. The first to go under the knife is the 2013 GMC Acadia.
Besides an improved six-speed transmission, the Acadia is mechanically unchanged. The 3.6-liter V6 still produces 288 horsepower and its enormous crossover body can still seat as many as eight people. The styling has been updated, however, with a more upright grille that evokes the GMC Granite Concept from last year's Detroit auto show. I think it works, especially in comparison to the Terrain. And what new design would be complete without the ubiquitous LED running lamps? They're even standard on the base model.
The Acadia's cabin was always a touch nicer than the Traverse and not as gaudy as the Enclave, and now it's been revised. There are abundant soft-touch materials (the doors are very squishy), red ambient lighting and French stitching that GM says adds a tailored look. In some states it'll be known as Freedom stitching. Or maybe not.
More noteworthy is the control interface. Gone are the too-small buttons and in their place are touch-sensitive controls that feature raised chrome portions that should make it easier to find them by touch. Even if they do, they don't really provide much design flare, lining each side of the touchscreen as they do, so I struggle to see the point. That touchscreen, however, debuts GMC's version of Chevy MyLink dubbed IntelliLink. Besides Sync-like properties of Bluetooth and voice-activated iPod control, it allows for streaming audio through Internet radio sites like Pandora and Stitcher. HD radio is also now available.
In terms of safety, the Acadia is the first vehicle on the market to feature a center airbag for front occupants. Essentially a large side airbag mounted to the inboard portion of the driver seat, it deploys in a side crash to protect the person sitting on the opposite, non-struck side of the crash. From the below picture it sort of looks as if the seat is giving birth to an alien space creature. Blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning systems are now also available on the Acadia for the first time.
For an extra bit of luxury, GMC also showed the Acadia Denali, which surprisingly makes up 30 percent of the model's sales. Should you prefer the more blingy Terrain, then the Denali's version of the new grille should definitely be your cup of tea. The interior also gets its own color schemes and design touches.
The 2013 GMC Acadia goes on sale later this year.
blueprint1 says:
10:17 AM, 02/ 8/12
Looks like a Q7 with a Sierra grille. Ugly. Not sure the soccer moms will like that either.
bonzjr says:
10:27 AM, 02/ 8/12
Wow. A new front end and some upgraded squishy material covering effectively the same old dash. Heck of an update on a now six-year-old platform.
Welcome back, Old GM!
the_big_al says:
11:55 AM, 02/ 8/12
actually I like it. Compared to the current Acadia which looks plain and hum to me, I like this design. And six year old platform or not, this platform is a really good platform. It has aged well and is still competitive in it's segment. The added electronic goodies help it to keep up with the rest of the competition and will keep it current until a fresh redesign is due in a few years. Now if it were a 10 year old platform, I would say it's behind the times a bit, but six isnt bad especially considering how well put together the platform is.
prndlol says:
12:12 PM, 02/ 8/12
The inboard airbag looks like Edvard Munch's The Scream.
rl5 says:
12:17 PM, 02/ 8/12
like the front end and center stack. If the current sells, Im sure this will too.
stovt001 says:
12:20 PM, 02/ 8/12
"The inboard airbag looks like Edvard Munch's The Scream."
Can't be unseen now. Good call.
Not a fan at all of the tiny little tunnels the gauges are buried in.
autoboy1 says:
01:37 PM, 02/ 8/12
I just bought a 2011 Acadia. It is a very nice vehicle. It steers well and feels smaller than it really is. It's bigger inside than anything in its class.
I'm a big fan of the look of the current Acadia. I'm not sure this is as successful. It looks a little more masculine to me which might put off my wife who is the primary driver of this thing.
The interior needed a major upgrade and this seems ok. Some of the so-so buttons remain like the seat heater buttons, and I really hate touchscreens over buttons, but that' seems to be the norm now. It looks like the chrome in on the shifter surround, cupholders, and dash remain which is my biggest complaint about this car. It is totally blinding on a drive such that I need to carry a rag in the door to throw over the chorme in case the sun hits it.
The Acadia is a fantastic platform and I'm not surprised they didn't touch it much. But a 400lb weight reduction is sorely needed.
smilez says:
01:46 PM, 02/ 8/12
If it's too masculine for women, they still have the Buick the Chevy to choose from.
One of the nitpicks I have is that the bluetooth phone and cruise controls, etc. on the sterring wheel really look like something added on from Crutchfield. They really could impliment them better in my opinion.
legacygt says:
06:40 PM, 02/ 8/12
GM has dodged a few bullets because the Explorer, Pilot and Highlander just aren't that outstanding. That's how they get away with a 6 year old car. Yes the Lambda platform remains competitive. But GM can't rest on its laurels here. This is a major segment and this mild refresh doesn't really move the ball forward that much. It doesn't address some of the awkwardness of the interior. It doesn't address fuel economy.
billt9 says:
08:44 PM, 02/ 8/12
The Lambdas x3 combined is still the top selling 3 row CUV.
They could have gone farther with the refresh, such as replace that simple dated steering wheel styling.
06scooby says:
07:28 AM, 02/ 9/12
I'll agree on the steering wheel. something about the small GMC label and that center panel looks awkward.
dinobot666 says:
07:52 AM, 02/ 9/12
The headlights alone on this thing are more exciting than your long term BMW X3. <-- That's a true statement, and it doesn't even really make sense, that's how dreadful the X3 is.
jackfan4 says:
08:01 AM, 02/ 9/12
okay it looks much better now it has the looks to compete with the explorer or Durango inside out. If the Acadia looks like this wonder what the new traverse is gonna look like since it was already better looking then the current Acadia . but the 2013 Acadia looks better then the current chevy traverse and it do have an Audi thing going on
jackfan4 says:
08:01 AM, 02/ 9/12
okay it looks much better now it has the looks to compete with the explorer or Durango inside out. If the Acadia looks like this wonder what the new traverse is gonna look like since it was already better looking then the current Acadia . but the 2013 Acadia looks better then the current chevy traverse and it do have an Audi thing going on
rl5 says:
12:03 PM, 02/ 9/12
Im not sure how much can be done in terms of FW with a 4800lb CUV. For the size, the mileage is OK. Durango does no better. I think you have to look at the competition. THis still looks better than Pilot inside and out while offering more hp. Explorer is nice, but much smaller and the interior is lacking IMHO. I am looking forward to 2013 Enclave. I think lack of the latest infotainment was biggest issue on current lambdas and thats been corrected. Also good that a few safety features are being added. Now acadia basically has everything you can get on explorer except radar cruise control
rl5 says:
12:04 PM, 02/ 9/12
Meant to say "FE", not "FW".
rmartinez007 says:
12:52 PM, 02/ 9/12
IMO, The current Acadia (and possibly this one, too) is one of the the best looking mid-size SUV out there. And I'm not even talking about the Denali. I compared it to the Toyota Highlander at the LA Auto show and it made the Highlander look so plain vanilla. I do own an older Highlander which I chose over the Acadia due to it being a hybrid, which is giving me an avg. of 25 mpg. I wish GMC would do that with the Acadia since the Highlander is the only 7 Passenger SUV that's a hybrid.
rl5 says:
06:20 AM, 02/10/12
With the exception of Durango, havent seen anything in this segment with a better looking interior. Enclave may change that though. Even after redesign the Pilot isnt near class leading inside. Highlander is full of hard plastics and shiny surfaces.
hondacura4 says:
03:51 PM, 02/12/12
Love the new front end but it makes the rest if the design look that much older.