GMC today unveiled the new 2013 Acadia and Acadia Denali at the Chicago Auto Show, highlighting a new exterior and safety features including the industry’s first front center air bag.

Acadia, which launched in 2007 as GMC’s first crossover and defined a segment that has since surged in popularity, had the best sales in its five-year history in 2011. The Denali model, added in mid-2010, broadened Acadia’s appeal to luxury customers with its combination of functionality and style.

Photo: General Motors

“With an award-winning combination of space, capability and fuel-efficiency, Acadia epitomizes GMC’s ‘never say never’ attitude,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of GMC Marketing. “For 2013, our engineers and designers applied that same attitude to developing the new Acadia.”

Acadia retains the interior functionality popular with families, including the SmartSlide seating system, which allows easy access to the third row for both seven- and eight-passenger seating configurations. Likewise, both the second and third row still fold flat for class-leading maximum cargo space, including the ability to carry 48-inch-wide sheet goods, such as drywall and plywood.

Confident design
First impressions are everything, and the 2013 Acadia was developed to make a strong one. A chiseled, three-bar grille sits prominently in the new, more upright design.

Diffused LED running lamps lend a premium look to the Acadia and are standard on all models, regardless of whether standard projector beam or optional HID headlamps are selected. New taillamp detailing reflects the advancements up front.

The new Acadia gets other subtle exterior design updates, including wrap-around rear glass and a new rear spoiler. New 18-, 19- and 20-inch wheel patterns complement the vehicle’s lines and stance.

The Acadia’s refined interior uses upgraded soft-touch materials, with French stitching that adds a tailored look and red ambient light flowing across the dashboard. SLT and Denali models get aluminum accents on the center console, doors and dash.


_{As reported by General Motors}