Review: 2017 GMC Acadia Denali

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

GMC's 2017 Acadia Denali brings the solid professional grade build and performance expected from a tough truck but with all the luxurious trimmings and the latest technology expected from a highline flagship SUV. I had the 2017 Acadia Denali for a week, just in time to entertain visiting family and take them around town in this solid six-seater.

The 2017 GMC Acadia Denali rests at the top of the Acadia food chain and is really the flagship mid-size SUV from GMC. This becomes apparent once you first lay eyes on it. I was a fan of the white frost tricoat colour which was elegant and clean, two descriptions that you don't usually associate with a truck or SUV. 

The 2017 Acadia Denali strikes a good balance of fashionable looks and accents with a muscular build, sporty stance and functional layout. This is an SUV, but it has fluid lines, nice curves and is dotted by well-placed chrome accents, latticed grillwork and various highlights that give it a timeless look.

The 2017 Acadia Denali has enough space for five to six passengers and all their stuff. Car seats install easily and there's a lot of room for bags, groceries, camping equiptment in the rear. GMC has thought of passenger's needs. There's USB outlets for all passengers to get their mobile devices charged. There's onboard 4G-LTE as well as a wireless hotspot to keep Instagram-happy customers locked in on their feeds plus cubbies galore for storing Tall Lattes and other modern necessities.

Fast forward to the Christmas holidays and the same six passengers were together (this time in a 12-seater Ford Transit) and they lamented the lack of space, USB ports and 4G hotspot which really makes any ride enjoyable.

Drivers and front passengers are also pampered with tasteful leather, wood and plastic accents. There's a lot of attention to detail which feels surprising for an SUV but being a Denali, it is understandable why GMC put so much focus on the little things.

 Even after various days of driving the Acadia, I marvelled at the nuances and thoughtful placement of controls, the various ameneties and the overall high degree of comfort and driveability that the Denali deleivered.

As a family hauler, the Acadia Denali carries on nicely in all driving conditions. The seats are comfortable for even longer drives plus the large windows and moonroof do bring in a lot of light which I personally like a lot. Rear storage is more than adequate for a family of five, including groceries, snacks and serious shopping hauls. 

Conclusion

The 2017 GMC Acadia Denali brings a high level of fit and finish to the mid-size SUV market. It is nimble and quite fuel efficient for a vehicle of its size, yet has lots of power to spare. Whether you're tooling around the mountains in Whistler or escorting serious shoppers around Toronto, the 2017 Acadia makes each trip more bearable thanks to a great ride, an abundance of creature comforts as well as a sophisticated and stately interiors that convey luxury that is rare to find in other mid-sized SUV's.