Sharp Denali SUV is a solid choice
But you have to pay extra to get options that should be standard at this level
In 1998, GMC applied the first Denali badge to one of its SUVs, which was perhaps one of the first salvos that kicked off a luxury-focused SUV war that rages on.
Freshly styled for 2020 with a chiselled front end and lantern jaw, the GMC Acadia’s Denali trim proves there’s no plate like chrome. Brightwork is all over the truck.
GMC refers to the Denali-specific grille as the trim’s signature flourish, and given the positive remarks garnered from bystanders — which included the owner of a Cadillac XT5 — it seems to have hit that particular nail right on its head. This is a sharp-looking vehicle.
Under the hood of this Denali-grade Acadia is the brand’s 3.6-litre V6, a naturally aspirated unit heaving out 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque.
It’s connected to a ninespeed automatic, which invisibly goes about its business. Having sampled the brace of four-cylinder engines on offer in the Acadia lineup, I can confidently say this V6 engine is the one to get.
A selector wheel on Acadia’s centre console permits the driver to choose between twoand all-wheel-drive operation, plus options exist for Sport and Off-Road modes.
The latter two fiddle with the rig’s throttle response and gear-changing behaviour.
Sadly, the system does not recall Sport selection upon restart, instead reverting to two- or all-wheel drive with each key cycle.
GM, like so many other brands, has decided to reinvent the PRNDL gear lever. Some of these efforts produce exercises in directional futility, with attempts to shift gear invoking smothered invocations to the deity of your choice. This iteration requires the fingertip pulling of a rocker-style switch for Reverse or Drive — easy enough, but it can be tough to quickly get a gloved finger in the space to do so.
GM should hold a master class in how to design a wireless smartphone charger properly. Rather than burying it in a covered bin or providing a difficult-to-reach space, this charger quickly and easily accepts a device dumped from one’s hand and — critically — has little rubber bumpers to keep the thing from sliding off the charging area. The infotainment system, however, can be slow to respond.
The Acadia Denali’s seats are thrones, upholstered in attractive materials and pleasantly plump in all the right places. The second row, with its Denali standard-equipment captain’s chairs, provide plenty of elbow room for siblings.
A no-cost bench is available. Handy climate control and power outlets pepper the anterior edge of the front console, for second-row occupants. Third-row accommodations are suitable for younger children, at least in terms of legroom. Headroom is ample when the seat is slightly reclined, thanks to smart packaging of the Acadia’s rear suspension system.
There is a USB port back there, plus two refreshing air vents.
Getting back there is more challenging than it needs to be, thanks to second-row seats that don’t slide forward far enough. Subaru builds it better in its three-row Ascent, for example. Pricing on our Acadia Denali tester was ambitious, soaring northward of $60,000 when option boxes are checked.
This includes the $3,995 Pro Grade package, which bundles should-be-standard-at-thislevel-but-aren’t items, such as a panoramic sunroof and a rear-view mirror camera.
GM also dings customers extra money for selecting any colour off the grey scale, a decision which has spilled over to the new Acadia, while the manually operated and easily fouled sunroof shades are an embarrassment in this price class. Yes, The General does like to stack rebates on their vehicles like cordwood, often resulting in a transaction price well south of what’s advertised in the window.
However, those offers change like the wind, meaning we must evaluate the Acadia Denali by its sticker.
If you can bear to live without leather seats and the Denali name, the SLE trim is ample.
It comes standard with all manner of goodies, including tri-zone automatic climate control, power liftgate, heated seats and a quintet of USB ports. Upgrading to the V6 in the SLE costs just $595, bringing its total to just $42,598 — a $15,000 savings when compared to our Denali tester.