First Drive: 2020 GMC Acadia AWD AT4

The GMC badge has been found on trucks of all sizes for decades.

But the GMC Acadia, while carrying the distinctive GMC insignia, is a far cry from the commercial trucks and vans that could be found on farm roads and the back streets of cities around the country for years and years.

The 2020 GMC Acadia, both inside and out, is a sleek, modern crossover utility vehicle equipped with an impressive list of comfort and convenience features and up-to-date technology and driver assistance features. At the same time, it is versatile enough to handle a full range of everyday chores from picking up and dropping off passengers to carrying items such as cargo, luggage or sport equipment.

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In fact, one of the key features of the 2020 Acadia is that it was capable of carrying passengers comfortably in the second row of seats while also offering ample carrying capacity in cargo area with its easy to use automatic rear lift that can be raised and lowered with a touch of the key fob.

The interior of the 2020 Acadia was nicely furnished with leather and soft material throughout a key touch points. In addition, the tailoring used throughout the cabin is nicely done, creating an interior with an exclusive and sophisticated feel.

The 2020 Acadia’s cabin is also quiet, making it good vehicle for commuting and visibility from the driver’s seat – not always strong point in vehicles coming out of GM’s design studios in Warren, Michigan – is quite is good in the Acadia and takes advantage of the vehicle extra height. The center console also was re-designed for the current model year, making it more accessible.

The Acadia also looks good sitting at the curb. The vehicle’s silhouette is fortified broad sheet metal at the wheel wells that give the vehicle a muscular appearance. The AT4 version of the Acadia that I drove also had its own exclusive grille, wheels, badging and black chrome exterior accents that made it even more stylish.

Out on the road, I found the 2020 Acadia handled nicely. The steering was very responsive, and the suspension kept the vehicle flat when it was pushed through a tight curve and performed well on a variety of road surfaces, including a stretch of slippery dirt road. The Acadia’s all-wheel drive system also gave the vehicle a boost on wet surfaces.

The 2020 Acadia with all-wheel drive is equipped with four-wheel disc brake that give the vehicle plenty of stopping power when needed. Power comes from a 3.6-liter V6 engine capable of pro

ducing 310 horsepower and 271 foot-pounds of torque which its matched with a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system and a nine-speed automatic transmission, which has replaced an older six-speed used on earlier modes.

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The nine-speed transmission was practically invisible while out on the road and in various driving situations such as moving from a standing stop or trying to pass a truck on the freeway or de-accelerating down an exit ramp. I could not help but be impressed by the transmission’s smooth overall performance, which was done quietly and efficiently.

It also seemed to help on fuel economy. The Acadia’s combined fuel-economy rating is 21 miles per gallon, which includes a rating of 18 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway and it seemed to be even better during the test drive.

General Motors also does a nice job in incorporating features and technology into its crossover vehicles and the 2020 Acadia comes with a long list of items such as outside mirrors with integrated LED turn signals.

The 2020 Acadia AWD AT$ also comes with a full complement of driver alert features such as forward collision alert, landing keeping assist with lane departure warning and front pedestrian braking and blind-spot and intelligent headlamps.

GMC also is happy to accommodate customer demand for connectivity and the 2020 Acadia is equipped with the latest version of GMC’s infotainment system, which features voice recognition, a higher resolution touch screen as well as simplified interface that requires fewer steps and easy to use screen layout borrowed from smart phone technology. Next generation 15-watt wireless charging is available.

The rear facing camera in the 2020 Acadia has been upgraded to digital, making the field of vision clearer when you the driver moves the vehicle rearward.

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All and all, the 2020 GMC Acadia is comfortable, spacious, versatile and user-friendly vehicle capable of filling the needs of anyone looking for a practical, everyday vehicle in the $45,000 price range.