Second Generation GMC Acadia

GMC's full-size (what it used to be) crossover has been given a full-model change as the all-new Acadia is ready to tackle everyday situations not just for drivers but for the moms and dads who got their hands full with their family businesses at home and at work. So, what's it all about the new Acadia?

2017 GMC Acadia

First and foremost, the new Acadia isn't what you called full-sized anymore because General Motors has downgraded the new Acadia from full-size to midsize thanks to either cost-cutting measures or the use on the similar platform used on the Cadillac XT5 and the Chinese-made Buick Envision. Despite its downgrade, the new Acadia still sits above the Chevy Equinox-based Terrain and with prices start at 29,995 US Dollars, it's a hard bargain for a crossover of that caliber.

Another thing that will keep you noticed about the new Acadia that it comes in three different styles to choose from; the standard Acadia, the more rugged All Terrain, and the more luxurious Denali. Whichever Acadia they can choose, it's all business for the new model.

2017 GMC Acadia interior

Another thing that catches the eye is the new interior and because it's downshifted from full-size to midsize, the new Acadia lost some of the boot space as well as its eight-seater capacity, meaning that it can now be offered as either five, six, or seven seater, depending on how many members of the family you had. While this is bad news for baby boomers, it's good news for the picky ones like me who are struggling to get through the third row seat...well, almost because having an Acadia with six seats is good but if there are three seats in the second-row seats, your worst-case scenario is that when those seats are occupied by the tyrannical child seats, you're going to resort entering the third-row seats at the back of the car just by folding one-seat and then get through just like what you faced with any other three-row seating crossovers you're familiar with. On the tech side, however, it's all business for them especially when the new Acadia's sat-nav now comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Once more, you get some other high-tech features as well as safety tech such as side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, rear view monitor, and rear park assist. Some are optional extra, of course.

2017 GMC Acadia

Sometimes, a little sacrifice is a necessity to deliver greater results and for the new Acadia, with all that downsizing on the body style, is now 700lbs less than the previous model, similar to what surgeons did on an extra-extra large obese man at the operating theater. With all that weight loss comes greater dynamics courtesy of its refined suspension and chassis. So, it's not just better to handle, it's also quiet as well, fit enough to be called luxurious.

Engine choices, the new Acadia offers two new petrol engine choices ranging from a 2.5L that promises an estimated 28MPG on a highway for front-wheel drive models courtesy of its idling stop feature that shuts off the engine when stopped and the starts again when setting off, up to the more powerful 3.5L V6 engine that produces 310HP of power and 4,000 pounds of trailering capability with the optional towing package. Most of the engines are mated with a 6-speed automatic gearbox and an electronically controlled drive mode selector that changes how the car behaves in various conditions.

In the All Terrain variant, the rugged equivalent of those Trailhawk models from Jeep, it comes with an advanced AWD system with Active Twin Clutch, which allows this crossover to handle better in problematic road conditions, making it a decent off-roader for the adventurers looking to take a weekend on the great outdoors.

Despite its losses for greatness, the new Acadia from GMC is becoming the turning point for the crossover market and with different choices to choose from, it's all about being tailored to your personal preference and while some disliked from having a smaller boot than the original Acadia as well as a loss of just one seat for the babies, the new model is becoming a redeemable asset for the righteous of drivers.

Photo: General Motors

GMC Yukon (K2UG) and GMC Yukon XL (K2YG)

2015 GMC Yukon

This is the latest incarnation of GMC's full size SUVs and this brand new Yukon tries to take GMC's Professional Grade status to its whole new level, the same thing as the Sierra pickup did last year even though the new Yukon is entirely based on the new Sierra as much as its twin, the Chevrolet Suburban and the Tahoe were based on the Silverado.

Whoa there, aren't they the same?

Yes. While the GMC Sierra and the Chevrolet Silverado both have the same mechanics, their SUV equivalents are just like that. They both run on their new K2XX platform and rather than being unibody like most modern SUVs do, these machines prefer their old-school body-on-frame ways due to its popularity. Even American footballers had one of these in their spare time because like these men, these macho SUVs suit their personality.

What's the difference?

2015 GMC Yukon

2015 GMC Yukon

The main difference between those not only by its exterior looks but the high-end Denali trim is what sets them apart. The Denali trim offers a premium exterior look, a well-tailored interior fit for Ward's list of Best Interiors, and a more powerful 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8 FlexFuel petrol engine. Exclusive to the Yukon Denali and its long wheelbase Yukon XL Denali, this 6.2L V8 engine develops a class-leading power output of 420hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. It features Advanced Direct Injection, Active Fuel Management, and Variable Valve Timing.

Do they still have the engine from the Suburban?

Yes. They do have the same 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 FlexFuel engine from the Chevy Suburban and Tahoe twins. This engine, like its bigger 6.2L one, do comes with Advanced Direct Injection, Active Fuel Management, and Variable Valve Timing but this little guy gets 355HP of power and 383 lb-ft of torque.

What's it like being on the inside?

2015 GMC Yukon interior

2015 GMC Yukon interior

Just like its Chevy twins, the new Yukon, along with its long wheelbase XL model, are benefitted with the host of creature comforts that will seriously deliver the lap of luxury with a price that is too much to bear. You can have an entertainment system that plays DVD and Blu-Ray, reduced NVH, GMC IntelliLink3 system, Bose Surround Sound System, and tons of other luxury car-ish features that feels so premium enough, you can feel like you're a politician going on a picnic. As for seating capability, the Yukon can fit up to 9 people, more than enough to fit the entire family or your party-obsessed frat boys.

What about handling?

Just like the Chevy twins, the new GMC Yukon feels fine when driving normally but because it's so big in size, the turning radius is not good enough to slip in unnoticed. Of course, being the mammoth in the pack, driving around for fun is a lot more difficult especially when it comes with the Magnetic Ride Control inspired from General Motors sportscars.

Should I buy one?

The all new Yukon starts at $46,335 up to $65,380 for the Yukon XL Denali model so it maybe less pricey than a Range Rover but more pricey than the Suburban and the Tahoe even though they're the same kind so it takes a little eenie-meenie-miney-mo to choose which of these twins to buy but if you're more of an upper class, go for the Denali trim. It maybe more expensive than the regular but it's a stand out.

Photo: General Motors

Forza Motorsport 4: HIJACKED

No no no no... Not the GTA kind of hijacking cars, Hijack. You know, it's Ridge Racer stuff. Hijack. It's a pickup truck that first appeared in Rage Racer at the end of 1996 and then resurfaced again on RR6 in late 2005 when the XBOX 360 first went on sale. Anyway, enough of that analogy because that Hijack pickup only comes into your imagination but what if you want a true-to-life pickup that behaves just like the Hijack pickup?

What we have here in FM4 are three potential sport trucks that have blown away their "pickup" images to become one of the most performance-oriented sport trucks on the market in the not-too-distant past. Those sports trucks might lose their ability to go offroad but they sure are quite a handful when they start to misbehave themselves. Putting big power in a big pickup truck might sound ridiculous but with all that added brute force, it can be as punishing as The Punisher himself.

Take a look at those three sports trucks I had lined up...

GMC Syclone

Based on the GMC Sonoma pickup truck, the Syclone is GMC's high-performance sport truck that was launched in 1991 and then it spawned a Jimmy-based Typhoon a year later. Some critics say that the Syclone pickup has specifications that had more in common with a Porsche rather than pickups even though the Syclone has a turbocharged 4.3L V6 engine equipped with Mitsubishi TD06-17C 8 cm² turbocharger and Garrett water/air intercooler. It develops 280HP of power and 475Nm of torque while mated with a 4-speed automatic. 0-60mph takes about 5.3 seconds and based on a Car & Driver test, it does a quarter-mile run in 14.1 seconds at 93 mph.



Dodge Ram SRT-10


What happens when you drop a big Viper V10 engine under the hood of the Dodge Ram pickup? The answer was the Ram SRT-10 and unlike any other Ram Trucks, which were focused on utilitarian purposes, it was made for the purpose of speed.

It features an 8.3L Viper V10 engine which develops 510HP of power and 712Nm of torque. The regular cab model of the Ram SRT-10 with such an engine has a top speed of 153 mph (246 km/h), and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.9 seconds.

During its tenure, Dodge released several special models for the Ram SRT-10 such as the Viper Club of America Edition, the Yellow Fever, the Commemorative Edition, and the Night Runner. Right when the SRT-10 Ram stopped production after the 2006 model year, about 9,527 Dodge Ram SRT-10s were manufactured.

In 2004, the Ram SRT-10 was hailed as the fastest production truck in the world with an average speed of 154.587 mph (248.784 km/h). This record was beaten by an Australian-made HSV Maloo with a speed of 168.668 mph (271.445 km/h).



Saleen S331


While essentially a tuned version of the Ford F-150 SuperCab FX2, the S331 is Saleen's first-ever pickup truck since 2001 and it was priced at $54,000 for the supercharged model while non-supercharged models priced at $44,000.

The supercharged 5.4L V8 engine that powers it generates about 450HP of power and 500lb-ft of torque while being mated with a 4R75-E 4-speed automatic gearbox.

The S331 Sport Truck featured specially tuned front and rear springs and new shock absorbers specifically designed to withstand the bulk of the 23-inch forged, one-piece aluminum wheels holding 305/40R23 BFG high-performance tires, thus giving it a lower center of gravity.

While high-performance trucks sacrificed their utilitarian traits for performance purposes, the S331 keeps its traits while maintaining its performance quo. The base model has a full payload rating of 1300lbs and it's capable to tow a 5-ton trailer.



Okay, now that we finally get to know more about those sport trucks, let's find out which of these three is the best round the Top Gear Track and that means handing them over to the tamed racing driver...



I had the time! Let's see...

Syclone - 1:33.411
S331 - 1:38.145
Ram SRT-10 - 1:31.274

So based on the times, the V10-powered Dodge Ram is the quickest around the track so by sneaking suspicion, maybe the Ram SRT-10 is quite a sport truck that blown away its pickup image and sacrificed its utilitarian and offroad capabilities to become a muscle truck with a big engine that powers it. The Syclone though, that's just right for sport truck enthusiasts because even though it's not quite as fast as the V10 Ram, it's lighter and I think both of these sports trucks are instant classics because it's going to be very rare to find one of those for grabs. These are definitely future classics because of such rarity and value.

What about the S331? Meh, that's just a tuned Ford F-150 but who cares about it?

Chevrolet Traverse/GMC Acadia/Buick Enclave Minor Change

2013 Chevrolet Traverse

2013 Chevrolet Traverse interior

This Chevrolet Traverse you see is no ordinary Traverse. What this is, is a 2013 minor change model for the Chevrolet Traverse. What bothers me about its latest minor change is the front because it's now has a new and controversial front face. Seems that the trademark Chevrolet grille that has been with other Chevys of today are gone and this new face could possibly be the new chapter of Chevrolet as I know it. Even though the interior's been heavily redesigned, it's still retains a family-friendly status, meaning that if you're a soccer mom, you can use it everyday when you want to take your kids from their school, soccer practice, dance class, any busy routine the kids been following at.

If you have kids in the back, one feature that really made it more family-oriented was its optional rear entertainment system. Load a DVD of their favorite cartoon and that really shut your kids up while watching their favorite cartoons, something spongy, something imaginary, something Einstein-y, something something something kid-friendly. That sounds fine but for me, this is somewhat cool if you're a posh mom who can't cope with something like economic eggs, hire cars, agency nannys or expired yogurts. AGA SAGA, I was referring to...Oops, sorry folks but still, it's a posh Chevy for the posh mums who can't cope with major disasters, not nature-related but social-related.

Under the front is a 3.6L V6 engine that promises about an EPA-estimated 17 MPG city/24 highway on FWD models, 288HP of power on the high-end LTZ model, and absolutely no sense of humor at all. The only thing you'll be hearing is the sound of your mum's sermon.

2013 GMC Acadia

2013 GMC Acadia interior

However, if you're not an AGA SAGA kind of posh mum or if you're some sort of a dad who spends the rest of his time cheering on his favorite NFL team, the 2013 GMC Acadia might be the best pick for that kind of person, sure it's a Chevy Traverse underneath it, has the same V6 engine from the Traverse and...wait a minute. Something's different with this latest Acadia. 

You see 7 years ago, the Acadia seem to look like an average American full-size crossover but for the 2013 model, something's different with this Acadia. Seems like this model has some bits and parts from the defunct Saturn Outlook, which was made in the same platform as the GMC Acadia's. Well, with Saturn already out in the picture in 2009, the same year that GM declares the death of Pontiac, seems that the components of the once dead Saturn Outlook was been recycled and put some GMC badges on it. Repurposing parts from the discontinued Saturn Outlook to refresh the GMC Acadia?! It's somewhat some kind of Six Million Dollar Man or Lady Cassandra or something something something uh...forget about it.

Pricing's a bit timey-wimey but somewhat wibbly-wobbly because the base model of the Traverse, the LS FWD, costs $30,870 while the base model of the GMC Acadia, the SLE-1 FWD model, cost you $35,440. Seriously, seems that if you're a soccer/posh mom who is always paying attention to the kids, the Traverse is a better bet but if you're a dad who loves watching too much NFL or NBA, or NCAA, or anything sports you've seen in stadiums or in TV sets, seems that the Acadia is a good choice for that typical kind of parent. Well, dads spend more cash than moms on everything only dads want to have fun rather than the whole family. Moms always use their money on grocery-related stuff. However, what if you're not fall into these kind of persons? What if you're a playboy? You're a diplomat? Or something of an upperclassman? A bachelor perhaps? Bachelorette? Hmmm...

2013 Buick Enclave

2013 Buick Enclave interior

This new Buick Enclave is more expensive than the Traverse and the Acadia, even though it also comes with the same V6 engine you get from these two. However, unlike the Traverse and the Acadia, the new Enclave is an upperclassman's favorite because some say, it looks like a preferable alternative to luxury SUVs made from the Germans and Japanese. Since it's a Buick, it's hard to explain if this new Enclave looks better than its rivals when placed on a comparative comparison.

With a well-crafted interior and a well-crafted face, this new model tries to change its course when it comes to its quirky brilliance. Guess I was wrong about the Traverse being targeted for posh moms, perhaps this is the good choice for posh mums who are a bit AGA SAGA for their lives but sadly, with the starting price of $38,445, this is more expensive than the Traverse so who will buy it? There's only one answer, seniors! Kinda awkward for me to say that but every time I see someone driving Buicks, I can only see people who are middle-aged or senior-aged driving this so, this new Enclave wasn't worth to be a decent candidate as a posh mom's car.

To sum up then, posh mums won't be picking one of these three because posh mums want something that is more family-friendly but more on features. These three though...they're not enough to be posh. Hmmm...what would posh people want and do not want?

Photo: General Motors

GMC Acadia Denali

2011 GMC Acadia Denali

When you notice the kind of vehicle often driven by gangsters, rappers, and street smarts, the kind of vehicle is always a heavy sports utility vehicle. When an SUV is built for ruggedness, some SUVs are built to wow the crowd with aftermarket rims, grille, and everything that goes bling-bling. With the regular GMC Acadia built for the average families, especially the soccer moms, this crossover met its newest addition to put the bling on the Acadia. Welcome to the Acadia Denali, the first crossover Denali from GMC's Denali range, a range possessing the wow factor among the successful.

It is time to get rich or die trying because this street billet makes the rounds to please against its rivals. With the body remain its Acadia look, the new Acadia Denali turns this boring Acadia into a gangster-look SUV thanks to its Denali grille, 20-inch chrome wheels, chrome exhaust tip, and body-side molding.

While gaining the gangster-look exterior, the interior of the Acadia Denali is rather more of a luxury car, which means that only heavy politicians can fit inside this SUV. With the Denali wood and leather steering wheel, available rear-view camera, heads up display, ambient lighting, and climate-controlled seats, these features made this GMC somewhat luxurious.

Under the hood, the GMC Acadia Denali comes with the 3.6L V6 engine that accumulates the power output 288 HP @ 6300 RPM and the torque output of 270 LB-FT @ 3400 RPM. On fuel economy, the Acadia Denali can accumulate 17mpg on city driving and 24mpg on highway driving.

My thoughts about the Acadia Denali:
Most gangsters, rappers, and street smarts prefer SUVs because they can trick it out to go bling on the streets. With the GMC Acadia Denali, this crossover utility vehicle really goes bling-bling on the big city. If a soccer mom drives this crossover, their kids would be popular at school, thinking that they have an awesome car no other parents could ever have, except the rich kids.

If I were driving that car, I would play some hip-hop, rap, and something gangsters would love to listen while cruising on the big city at night.

Photo: Autoblog

Chevrolet Equinox Mk. II and GMC Terrain

The crossover that replaces the Chevrolet Tracker (OEM of the Suzuki Escudo), known as the Chevrolet Equinox, has received its full model change to please American consumers with its efficiency, space, quality, and all the premium amenities offered in one premium package.





But there is something else regarding the full-model change of the new Equinox, General Motors' GMC division used the Chevrolet Equinox's platform for its OEM, known as the GMC Terrain (the American kind because the Saudi Arabian GMC Terrain is a rebadged Opel Antara).





Much ado from that, the GMC Terrain is the replacement of the Isuzu Ascender and the Pontiac Torrent, and it shares the same platform as the new Equinox from Chevrolet. Despite the different exterior sides of the new Equinox and the GMC Terrain, these shapes came the same thing, just like the Chevrolet Suburban/Tahoe in which the GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali and the Cadillac Escalade shared the same body frame but filled with different strokes for these American rides. Now onto the details, both the new Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain have the available All-Wheel Drive option that gives them all-round cruising for adults on the road. The new Equinox only comes with the 2.4-litre, straight-four, engine that delivers over 184PS at the fuel economy of over 10.8km/L, while the GMC Terrain not only offers the 2.4-litre 184PS straight-four engine, but also the DOHC 3.0-litre V6 direct injection engine that delivers over 268PS at the fuel economy of over 9.1km/L. Both of these crossovers are equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission.

For peace of mind, both the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain have all the following features such as electronic parking aid, anti-lock brake system, three-point center seat belt, child safety door locks, traction control, air bags, anti-theft, tire inflation/pressure monitor, side guard door beams, and OnStar services available for American residents only.








You have to hand it to them, these premium amenities from the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain’s interior truly a grown-up quality for adults. With power windows, power door locks, power driver seat, front power lumbar support, cruise control, steering wheel with controls, illuminated vanity mirror, electrochromic mirror, and a variety of audio systems available, doubtless these crossovers truly are a premium quality touring lifestyle no matter what.

WHAT CAN I SAY?

With the full model change of the Chevrolet Equinox, and the new entry to the GMC line-up known as the Terrain, these crossovers truly deserve the premium treatment they deserved for the whole family. To bring most of these crossovers, both the Equinox and Terrain grab every attention to everyone thanks to its premium styling, premium interior and everything that is premium enough to cream the competition.

Source: http://leopauldelr.multiply.com/reviews/item/149