2024 GMC Acadia: Five things customers will love about this roomy new SUV

BLUFFTON, South Carolina – New features, surprising capability and improved passenger and cargo space distinguish the 2024 GMC Acadia family-hauling SUV, which is arriving in dealerships now.

The new Acadia is a return to the model’s roots: a three-row SUV that can accommodate adults even in the back seat, which in many vehicles is a cramped space suited to small children or short rides.

The 2024 is a return to the nameplate’s roots as a family hauler: 204 inches long — 5.3 inches longer than a Ford Explorer, 7.3 more than a Hyundai Palisade and 2.6 more than a Toyota Grand Highlander. After a seven-year run as a tweener — built on a smaller platform but still offering three rows of seats — the 2024 Acadia is based on the same underpinnings as the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave, both of which are also new this year.

In addition to a 23% increase in cargo space behind the rear seat, the 2024 Acadia has the most second-row legroom in its class, according to GMC’s figures. Its platform mates, the Traverse and Enclave, are likely to share that bragging point.

2024 GMC Acadia trim levels and prices

• Elevation: $42,600

• AT4: $50,000

• Denali: $54,300

Note: All-wheel-drive adds $2,000 to Elevation and Denali. AT4 has standard AWD.

Source: GMC. Prices exclude $1,395 destination charge.

2024 GMC Acadia top selling points

• Interior and passenger space: Platform switch brings more room than previous Acadia.

• Luxurious Denali model: Available animated approach lighting, 22-inch wheels, leather seats, wood trim and metal speaker grilles.

• Surprising off-road ability in AT4: Twin-clutch rear axle directs torque to either wheel, extra ride height and functional tow hooks.

• 15-inch touch screen: Portrait orientation screen is responsive, but Google built-in for navigation and apps. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard.

• Super Cruise: Hands-free driving system works on limited access highways and many major surface roads, including automatic lane changes.

By the numbers: Power, fuel economy and drivetrains

The 2024 Acadia comes in three trim levels: Elevation, AT4 and Denali.

The AT4 and Denali are more or less co-flagships of the line. The Denali emphasizes luxury while the AT4 leans into off-road capability.

All Denalis come with a new turbocharged 2.5L four-cylinder engine that produces 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque. It’s linked to a new eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Elevation and Denali have standard front-wheel drive and optional AWD. The off-road oriented AT4 0nly comes with AWD, as it should.

The engine is the first FWD version of the 2.7L turbo GM offers in the Cadillac CT4, CT5 sport sedans and several pickups. The transmission was developed to handle the 2.5L’s strong output in a front-wheel drive vehicle

The EPA rates FWD Acadias at 20 mpg in the city, 27 on the highway and 23 in combined driving. Those figures fall to 19/24/21 with AWD.

The Acadia can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Selected GMC Acadia competitors

• Dodge Durango

• Ford Explorer

• Honda Pilot

• Hyundai Palisade

• Kia Telluride

• Mazda CX-90

• Subaru Ascent

• Toyota Grand Highlander

Driving impressions

I drove an Acadia Denali and AT4 over the course of two days through the fields, highways and wetlands of the Carolina Lowcountry.

Interior room and accommodations are excellent. The second row captains chairs in the Acadias I drove were comfortable and access to the rear seat was simple, either between the second-row seats or by tipping and sliding them forward. You can tip and slide the second row seats without removing a forward-facing child seat.

The rear seat is more than acceptable for two adults and can hold three. On long drives, I’d probably use it and turn the second-row seats into foot stools.

The Denali is very quiet, thanks to acoustically treated windshield and front side windows and other sound absorbing material.

The AT4 surprised me in a very brief off-road demo. Its dual-clutch rear axle, which can direct full torque to whichever rear wheel has traction, allowed the SUV to easily negotiate ruts and rises that lifted either rear wheel into the air.

The electronic traction control managed wheelspin to all four wheels for satisfying performance on soft sand, where some wheelspin is desirable. The driving modes also affect steering feel and transmission shift points for optimal performance.

Other AT4 exclusives:

• 1.0-inch increased ride height

• 18-inch all-terrain tires

• Off-road tuned suspension with hydraulic rebound

• Front and underbody skid plates

• Functional red-painted tow front tow hooks

• Hill descent and terrain drive modes

Great Super Cruise, but what’s up with the shifter paddles?

Super Cruise, GM’s exceptional hands-free driving system, is available on all trim levels. It functioned impeccably on a busy stretch of South Carolina state highway, that featured numerous traffic lights and cross streets.

The system returns control to the driver when approaching a traffic light. That worked fine, but I found it a bit disconcerting and would probably limit my Super Cruise driving to limited access highways.

Oddly, the Acadia’s metal paddle shifters have no effect unless the driver also pushes a button labelled “L” on the steering wheel. That done, the transmission shifts up and down in response to the driver’s instructions.

I find paddle shifters anachronistic and silly. Under nearly all circumstances, modern automatic transmissions deliver better performance and efficiency when their computer does the shifting. Nonetheless, I don’t understand why GMC felt it had to add an extra step for the drivers who want the feature.

Safety and driver assist features

• Forward collision alert

• Following distance indicator

• Automatic front pedestrian and bicycle braking

• Automatic High Beam Assist

• Rearview camera

• Rear park assist

• Safety alert seat

• Rear cross traffic braking

• Blind zone steering assist

• Buckle to drive

• Rear seat reminder

• Intersection automatic emergency braking

• Rear pedestrian detection

• Enhanced automatic emergency braking

• Adaptive cruise control

• Speed limit assist

• Side bicyclist alert

• Enhanced lane keep assist

• Reverse auto braking

• Traffic sign recognition

Why get one?

The 2024 GMC Acadia brings surprising off-road capability to a class of vehicles whose styling often makes promises their mechanical systems can’t keep. Add three rows of useful seats, modern connectivity and features like Super Cruise for hands-free highway driving and you’ve got an attractive player in a crowded segment.

2024 GMC Acadia at a glance

Midsize three-row SUV

Front- or all-wheel drive

Models tested: All-wheel drive Denali and AT4

Powertrain: 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine

Output: 328 hp @ 5,500 rpm; 326 pound-feet of torque @ 3,500 rpm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Manufacturer-estimated fuel economy: 19 mpg city/24 highway/21 combined. 87 octane regular fuel recommended.

Wheelbase: 120.9 inches

Length: 204 inches

Width: AT4 80 inches; Elevation and Denali 79.6 inches (without mirrors)

Height: Elevation 71 inches; Denali 71.4; AT4 72

Ground clearance: Elevation 6.8 inches; Denali 7.3; AT4 7.8

Cargo room: 23.0 cubic feet behind rear seat; 57.7 with third row folded; 97.5 behind front seat.

Curb weight: 4,698 pounds

Towing capacity: 5,000 pounds

Assembled in Lansing, Michigan

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Five things customers will love about roomy new 2024 GMC Acadia SUV