Acadia Highlights GMC Lineup
By John Larson
GMC General Manager
Last week, my GMC team, our Vehicle Line team colleagues and I got the chance to ride in the all-new 2007 GMC Acadia with about 60 journalists and analysts from around the United States and Canada. In fact, we showcased all GMC’s trucks — from the Canyon to the Yukon XL — to demonstrate the depth and breadth of the GMC lineup.
The Acadia, which I posted about last July when we unveiled it to the press, is the newest member of GMC’s stable of Professional Grade trucks. We believe that adding a crossover SUV, which is the largest growing segment of the market, is a natural extension of the GMC brand. A brand, by the way, that is 104 years old.
No other manufacturer has been building trucks longer than GMC.
The Acadia is an eight-passenger crossover SUV that features a body-frame integral design. This gives customers the best of both car and SUV worlds — the lower step-in height and ride and handling of a luxury sedan, with all of the passenger and cargo carrying capability of an SUV.
Beyond experiencing some great roads outside of Palo Alto, Calif., in this brand new luxury crossover SUV, I spoke about the GMC brand as a whole, with some stats that might surprise you. Consider:
- GMC is GM’s second largest brand after Chevrolet, with more than 560,000 annual sales.
- GMC has set sales records the last 11 of 13 years, and our largest market is Southern California, which is renowned for being very import-oriented.
- In 2007, 75 percent of sales will be all new vehicles.
All in all, we’re pretty excited not just about the Acadia and seeing the first reviews, but about the GMC brand as a whole. We’re always striving to offer our customers best-in-class trucks, and we’re very proud of our new vehicles (Yukon, Sierra and now Acadia). We’re looking to 2007 to be a great year for GMC.
- Posted in Cars & Trucks
Josh Schmutz
It’s great to see this vehicle finally making it to the market. I think that the new architecture, powertrain, and design combined with GMC’s record of capability and dependability is much needed for GM. I hope to drive one soon and see if it everything that you have claimed it to be. Keep up the good work….and get the Enclave on the way ASAP.
Anne
I guess I have been on the Toyota bandwagon for quite some time. I got a link to this page from a friend that really wanted me to see this…Actually, he was the first to instroduce me to these vehicles earlier since he is a bit of a GM freak. However, the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook are the first vehicles that have really drawn my eye away from Toyota. I am a bit partial to the Saturn myself, but they both look and sound great. I really think it might be time to replace the Toyota minivan. First, test drive…
sheth
Looks good. I really like that colorful interior that is offered, it looks upscale. I am curious as to what V8 will be offered with this vehicle in the future. I can honestly say this is one of the few times a GM vehicle has been introduced and it’s not lacking key features. This has everything it should have and than some. This is how things should be done, your new stuff should be ahead of the competition.
Chris Hayne
Congrats - it looks like a winner, inside and out. I only hope that it is not too large in these days of Fits/Versas etc and also that it proves well screwed together. Having said that, again congrats. The interior is especially appealing.
Chris Hayne
Rick Lupori
Mr. Larson: Congratulations on GMC having the highest percentange sales increase (32%) of the automakers in November. Looks like the Buick, Pontiac, GMC dealer combination is starting to bear fruit.
The Acadia could not have been introduced at a better time to benefit from this. I hear there will be a Denali version, hopefully with the 5.3L AFM from the Impala SS. With AWD maybe the HP could be boosted to the 340 HP of the Sierra.
I am personally waiting for the Sierra Denali when my ‘06 Sierra lease will be up.
Rumor has it a RWD version of the Denali maybe offered. How about expanding the Denali line to the 5′8″ and 6 1/2 ft bed Extended Cabs?
The new Extended Cab looks great and the 170 degree rear doors make it functional - still would like a fold flat front passenger seat.
I would really be interested in a lowered 2/3 RWD Denali Extended Cab with a 5′8″ bed.
A real performance truck could be a lowered short bed regular cab with a 6-speed manual.
Another GMC modlel I would be interested in buying is a 3500 V6 powered Jimmy based off of the HHR. Styling could be similar to the Jeep Patriot that will be introduced soon. With a reasonable amount of off road capability and over 25 MPG from the V6 and 6-speed auto GMC could sell alot of them.
Steve Albracht
Does it have power sliding side/rear doors and fold and go seating?
Scott
The Acadia (and it’s siblings) sure look like a real hit. A little pricey considering they’re going after minivan buyers but if they sell well that’s a plus for GM’s bottom line.
I’m currently trying to steer my wife away from wanting an Odyssey and into one of the Lamba CUV’s. We stopped by the Saturn dealer and saw an Outlook XE and she really like it (which surprised me). A test drive may seal the deal.
Please get the “build and price” updated on the GMC web site to include the Acadia!
Gereon Langlitz (Germany)
So far Edmunds seems to be impressed, either. See: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=118833?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1.*
Bob Larson
The Acadia is the leading contender to replace our loaded Envoy XUV when the Smartbuy is up in mid-’08. I’m hoping there’s optional wood trim by then. I realize many buyers don’t like it, but many others do, so please give us the choice. It really warms up the interior of our Envoy, and I think could benefit the Acadia as well.
I’m also hoping there’s a good hybrid option by then, because I often use the SUV as a second vehicle to commute to work (it’s that or the Corvette), which is only a few miles away. I think a hybrid would make sense for these short, in-town trips. In that kind of driving, we only get 12-13 mpg in the Envoy, even though it’s capable of 19-20 on the open road.
So with this ideal vehicle in mind, I’m dismayed to see that GM seems to think that hybrid buyers also want cheap trim levels to go along with their low-fuel-consumption consciousness, witness the hybrid versions of the Vue, Aura, Tahoe, and Yukon. This is a mistake, in my opinion. That’s because many people see the hybrid as another cool, “high-tech” option to load on along with their DVD nav systems, heads-up displays and power liftgates. Meanwhile GM is going so far as even stripping off the body side molding on its hybrids like the Yukon and Tahoe. Why??
I would urge you to reconsider the “hybrid buyers are cheapskates” mentality you seem to be stuck with. Why not make an Acadia Denali hybrid? I, for one, would be all over it.
Andy
I’m with the choir on this one. I haven’t cared for GM’s past SUV offerings, but this “CUV” is very nice. I read Inside Line’s review, and it was favorable. This is the first GMC vehicle I would take a serious look at owning. I would much rather have the Enclave, but I can’t afford that. The Acadia looks very nice. I didn’t get a good look at the Acadia at the show to see how good the interior was. But the recent GM pickups and sport-utes have been a big improvement cabin-wise.
Phil
“Last week, my GMC team, our Vehicle Line team colleagues and I got the chance to ride in the all-new 2007 GMC Acadia with about 60 journalists and analysts from around the United States and Canada.”
Man, either the Acadia is a bigger rig than I thought, or that was a tight squeeze!
John Wendelin
GMC “Professional Grade”?
Do the GMC vehicles differ from the other GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Saturn) vehicles that come off the same assembly line?
John in Buffalo
Jon
Bob,
Who says there won’t be? GM’s hybrid system is coming. As a matter of fact, it’s so good, that BMW and Mercedes-Benz will be using it too.
–Jon
edvard
My initial reaction is that if you put your thumb over the headlights in the pic, it looks like a toyota 4runner. On the other hand, this might be a good thing because 4runners cost almost as much as a luxury car these days, so a GMC would be close to 15-20k LESS.
I also feel like it is about a foot too long. Just a bit to much of an elongated look- like a minivan or something.
That said, I’m not a family man and I can see these being a real seller to families with kids in the burbs. If the interiors are more exciting than the bland 4runner interiors, then you’ve scored a real hit.
Beaugrand
I guess the market can stand another truck-looking station wagon- rrr, I mean CUV… Probably not as practical as a minivan, but it should have “macho appeal,” especially if displayed with attractive young females.
How does it measure up against the competition with regard to chassis stiffness? Is the corrosion resistance any better than any other GM product in the last 25 years?
How much of the vehicle is made of recycled and/or recycleable materials? Is there a signifigant reduction in energy cost of manufacture, compared to the vehicle model it replaces?
Is this really something signifigantly new, or just another “last year’s clunker” in fancier duds?
Am I picking on you? No, I’m asking the questions this forum should be asking. I want GM to turn its decline around, but I’m not convinced you’ve found the path yet.
Benjamin Howard
This is a little off-topic, but extremely important.
GM needs to do something about the Colorado and Canyon sales. You put more powerful engines in them for 2007 and that’s great, but it’s also useless if you don’t do any advertising.
Right now Toyota is running TV commercials for the Tacoma constantly you need to get some Colorado and Canyon ads up talking about how they’re 3.7L I5 makes more power and gets better highway fuel economy then the Tacoma’s 4.0L V6.
The pickup truck market is the one market GM should have a lock on yet year to date October sales of the Colorado and Canyon combined are 99,598 Tacoma sales are 148,033.
The complete lack of advertising for the Colorado and Canyon is handing the mid-size truck market to Toyota which is going to lead to a loss of full-size pickup sales because when it comes time to replace they’re Tacoma with a full-size pickup they are going to buy a Tundra.
Adam
Give us a shorter wheelbase version. This thing is a monster! Not everyone is obsessed with the useless ability to carry 7 people in a vehicle when you’re a bachelor.
And where’s the FIREBIRD?!
How about a sweet, RWD Caprice?
Edward Hayes
John,
I saw the new Chevy Silverado on the road, I just can’t believe how quickly GM delivered and the public has responded.
I keep forgetting that seeing these vehicles in the magazines just does not do it justice, even at the auto shows where they must compete with Ferarris and exotica, does not do it. You just have to see these vehicles on the road to really appreciate their beauty, and you hit the mark dead on.
GMC is going to have an amazing lineup.
In short.
One word….CONGRATULATIONS.
mojojojo
I just read that Chevrolet is going to get its own lambda crossover as well. I’ve also heard that Opel is making a large crossover of its own and its likely to come over as a Saturn. I thought GM was done with overcrowding the market with many variations of the same car (eg. GM’s current minivans). It doesn’t work! I think the Saturn Outlook should have been a Chevy to begin with. I don’t see why Saturn needs two large CUV’s and I don’t know why GM is going to be crowding the market with 4 (or 5) large CUV’s based on the same platform.
edvard
I 2nd the Silverado comment. I saw one at a dealer this weekend and the quality level of interior and exterior materials seemed elevated signifigantly above the last version.
I think GM could capitalize on the fact that Toyota is about to launch what looks to me like the ugliest truck I’ve ever seen onto the market. The thing looks like a giant insect strapped to a trailer. There is NO sense of proportion. I feel the GM’s new lineup of full sized trucks is on the money. My only complaint is that the models I saw at the dealership seemed a little high priced- 30-40k on average. Then again, I don’t think they had the stripped versions either.
Adding to the comments on your small and mid-sized truck segment: I agree, you all need to do something about the advertising the product receives. That and you need to redesign or revamp the product entirely. The reason I say this is that as a Tacoma owner, it seems that Toyota upgraded their small and mid-sized truck segment from the previous version to be more upscale and share many of the same features and comfort options as their Tundra.My old 12 year old Tacoma is a basic no-frills truck with a boring palstic interior. The new ones are like a semi-luxury car inside and out.HUGE difference. So in essence, their lineup of trucks offer comparable features thus giving the consumer more clearcut choices.
I took a look at a Canyon a year ago an was rather appalled at it’s flimsy body and interior. You seem to be using the old small truck standard which is to make small trucks more like entry level econo cars. The focus has shifted from full sized trucks back to smaller ones and there is a huge need to develop these smaller trucks in a manner that delivers quality and value.
The new 2008 Malibu sounds great and I hope it lives up to it’s premise. If so, I can only hope this same care is applied to all your products.
Barry
Congrats on the new truck award from MotorTrend. Well deserved. I second Edvard’s comments. The fit and finish on the new trucks is very un-GM and if we can expect these same levels of quality across all vehicles along with passionate designs, you will be back in the game.
The new Toyota is a very unattractive vehicle. Plus, they are intro’ing at a time when nationalism is rising. You need to continue the Americana theme in your commercials. Now, I own an Acura but for the first time in my adult life, there are vehicles GM makes that I would lease. I wouldn’t buy them because I’m not convinced the engineering is par excellance yet but the best never rest. Get those hybrids and midsized diesels out the door before Toyota as well!
Congrats
Deniel
Congrats - it looks like a winner, inside and out. I only hope that it is not too large in these days of Fits/Versas etc and also that it proves well screwed together. Having said that, again congrats. The interior is especially appealing.
Adam
Bob et al.,
Well, I just saw the sneak peak of the new Malibu. What is going on? I was really excited…now it appears that I’ll have to wait for the next iteration of this sedan to find something exciting…AGAIN. The shnoz of a front bumper is so large I want to drive it into a wall just to make it smaller. Was the designer who penned the Chevy Uplander’s front end allowed back into the Design Center building?
The interior also looks OK, but I have to say that I’m still disappointed with the interior quality materials–they look very Saturn Aura-ish.
Bob, you keep telling us these are world class interiors, but if that’s true, it appears that you’ve been living in a vacuum for the past 5 years. I’m really glad to see something other than GM drab (aka “Graphite”) cloaking the interior, but the leather quality on the new Aura is worse than a $199 Art Van closeout sofa. It almost feels fake.
Why is it that your financial staff continues to take money away from the area of the car we consumers see the most–the interior? We could care less how many fuel pumps and exhaust systems are used across your lineup, but please, please, give us a true, “world class” interior for a change.
Jon
John,
Pretty soon you are going to have to do a lot more to differentiate GMC from Chevy.
You can really amp up sales if you go the extra mile.
Just because the ruse works now doesn’t mean that it will always work.
Start by amping-up the quality of your interiors and interior style.
More like the design of your interiors.
You have to differentiate yourself from Chevrolet in a distinct way.
Rick Lupori
Mr. Larson: The new Acadia should do very well in California if the comments I heard at a recent Southern California Auto show are any indication.
For the first time I heard many “I am going to test drive one of these” and “I wonder if they offer this in ….” comments while looking at the Acadia.
There were also many positive comments around the Sierra and Yukon’s.
Would still like to see a GMC version of the Avalanche and a wider choice of cab/beds on the Sierra Denali.
Now that GMC is tied to more Buick/Pontiac dealers it is time GMC had more GMC only products.
Offer Quadrasteer for GMC vehicles only. This time advertise ease of maneuvering in a mall parking lot since it is more relevant to average pickup and SUV buyers.
A two door version of the Acadia with sport styling and V8 power or add extended cab rear doors on a shorter wheelbase.
A small crossover based on the HHR with 30 MPG.
GMC should have a unique to GMC midsize pickup.
Bring back the Safari van with a short wheelbase Savanna.
GMC could offer a conventional rear door extended cab with more legroom and a longer crew cab version.
A heavy duty pickup complete with sleeper cab would be popular with buyers towing large trailers.
Create a new Jimmy model with true off road capabilities more on the lines of a dune buggy than a Jeep. Lightweight and maneuverable with air suspension for ground clearance.
Chris Hayne
Probably no one is reading this topic anymore, however, GM has done a wonderful job of differentiating these vehicles - and not just on the inside. The Buick has lovely arched fender flares, and all three vehicles have very different tail section windows (at least from the photos I have seen).
Can’t wait to see them on the road.
Cheers,
Chris
Nick Bridges
There are obviously a lot of great things about the new GM crossovers, but one thing puzzles me. When you already had the best tilt-wheel in the industry, why change to the inferior and harder-to-use import style? When you have a strong suit, you should stick with it. GM Tilt-wheel is one feature that did not need changing. (BTW: my engineer friend in Dearborn wholeheartedly agrees that GM has/had the best design.) Any insights?