2013 GMC Acadia
The 2013 GMC Acadia is not completely redesigned, though we could forgive you for thinking as much. The front end, the dashboard, the wheels, and the wraparound rear glass treatments are new, as are safety features like Side Blind Zone Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and an industry-first center airbag that inflates between the front seat occupants in a collision.
GMC also upgrades the Acadia’s infotainment system, adding a new color-touch screen radio with high-resolution graphics and IntelliLink Bluetooth hands-free calling and music streaming. The climate control switchgear is also redesigned for easier use.
These features are installed in a new dashboard that employs soft-touch materials to improve perceptions of quality, and the Acadia gets new gauges as well as red ambient LED interior lighting. The top trim levels, the SLT and Denali, receive real aluminum cabin trim instead of the standard silver plastic.
The Acadia’s 3.6-liter V6 carries over intact, still producing 288 horsepower and sending it to the front or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission that’s refined for 2013. Properly equipped, the Acadia will tow 5,000 pounds, all while carrying up to eight people in relative comfort.
The Vehix View
With the arrival of the restyled 2013 Acadia, GMC fixes what was wrong with its full-size crossover SUV, and carries over everything that was right. The Acadia may not be the most powerful three-row SUV in town. But it’s an IIHS Top Safety Pick and a good choice for families.
Read: 2012 GMC Acadia Review
Up Next: The 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe and 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
2013 GMC Acadia
2013 GMC Acadia Denali