Enough to Blot Out The Aztek?

GM admits it; its first attempt at a crossover vehicle was a flop. Going down in history as one of the ugliest vehicles to grace planet Earth, archeologists will surely stumble across the preserved remains of a Pontiac Aztek and step back in horror at what th

After the Aztek debacle, GM hopes their Lambda-based crossovers will help them gain market share. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

eir ancestors had created; if they don't see it as the lead vehicle in reruns of Jessica Alba's equally fatedDark Angelfirst. A truly beastly automobile, it was far from flying off showroom floors. In fact, we'd hazard a guess there's still a few floating around a number of dealerships with nothing but delivery miles on the clock.

So, when it came time for GM to step up to the crossover plate all over again, they figured they'd be smart, and design a family of cars that doesn't, well, suck. One member of the new GM crossover family is this; the GMC Acadia. Joining its Saturn and Buick stablemates (the Outlook and Enclave), the Acadia represents GMC's most car-like entry into the market yet, and could fill the slot between the entry level Envoy SUV and the pricier Yukon. Based on the much-touted Lambda platform, the Acadia, Enclave and Outlook were due to arrive in 2004, but fears of the new crossovers competing with the GMT-platformed t

The Acadia looks distincly upscale. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

rucks caused GM bigwigs to delay the production run until now.

First of the trio to be shown was the Enclave, while the Outlook will be the first model to hit showrooms, with the "Professional Grade" Acadia bringing up the rear. Interestingly enough, the flexible Lambda platform that underpins all three crossovers will be used as the basis for the upcoming 2009 re-release of GM's minivan line, and could also be modified and used to replace the aging W-Body platform (Impala, Monte Carlo, etc.) and rumours to that effect have been circulating with the new architecture being called the chi platform.

But back to the Acadia. With the s

Optional 19-inch wheels fill fender flares well, and black plastic lower trim makes the CUV appear higher than it is. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

ame MacPherson strut suspension as the other two crossover entries, the Acadia tries to find the balance between SUV capability and car-like handling, using things like isolated mounting points and a direct-acting stabilizer bar to find the balance. Out back, an independent rear end sets it apart from the brand's full-size SUVs, using what GM is calling an "H" design. Compact and again, benefiting from isolated mounting points, it's clear The General wants their new crossovers to be smooth and quiet.

Joining the suspension to the body is the actual Lambda platform's frame, which uses a "body-frame integral" design that is thoroughly confusing. Less confusing though is the frame's layout, which places the wheels 3,020 mm (118.9 inches) apart front to back, and 1,709 mm (67.3 inches) apart left to right. As a result, the wide and long stance should give the Acadia a reasonably smooth, pitch-free ride while still offering decent handling. Nicely enough, relatively short overhangs front and rear will no doubt contribute to its maneuverability. Of course, if won't hurt that the Acadia will come standard with power rack and pinion steering with optional variable-effort functionality available.


It should b

Add an N to the end and you've got an old Pontiac. Cost cutting taken to the extreme? (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

e pretty safe too, with the aforementioned stiff BFI frame offering lots of rigidity, while the low centre of gravity offered by the wide and low stance will help prevent rollovers. In those extreme situations, a rollover mitigation program that's been incorporated into the standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control system uses an amalgamation of ABS braking, power delivery, and magic to go even further to prevent it from turning turtle. Of course, as the manuals all say, the laws of physics are unbending and nothing will help you get out of a situation that sheer stupidity placed you in.

Inte

The traditional, and boring GMC grille is capped off with a cheesy looking chrome strip on the hood that hardly looks "professional grade."(Photo: General Motors of Canada)

restingly though, while the Outlook benefits from four-wheel steering according to the press release, there's no such mention of such a system in the Acadia's release. Instead making do with six standard airbags; two front-mounted, two seat-mounted side curtain, and two roof rail airbags, the Acadia literally becomes one giant airbag in a collision. Lastly, like many GM vehicles, the Acadia comes fitted with OnStar Generation 7, which features the Advanced Automatic Crash Notification system. As the name implies, after detecting an airbag-inflating collision, the OnStar system automatically calls OnStar. The OnStar operator then calls the vehicle to check the status, and if that fails, summons emergency help.

But hopefully

The centre console is a very clean, almost Volvo-ish in design. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

it never comes to that, after all, collisions have a habit of messing up interiors; and the Acadia's sounds pretty nice. Using a theme that seems to be influenced by the GMC truck line, the Acadia's designers opted to go with a "far and away" interior, moving things like the dashboard far, and obviously away from the occupants. The result is an airy-feeling cockpit, with plenty of sight lines and no need to look up and over anything. A very truck-like instrument panel houses the traditional GMC red-lit gauges, while a very car like centre console falls down from the dash board (where it's topped by three pretty cool looking vents) to the console's storage bin. Sporting nothing but low-gloss materials and with (apparently) much attention paid to GM's weak point; fit and finish, the Acadia will hopefully distinguish itself as a high-quality automobile, much as GMC's trucks have in their segment. Working towards that goal, GMC has fitted the Acadia with thicker door glass, flat-blade windshield wipers, and strategically placed sound deadening material to make the crossover a slightly quieter, more upscale version of its brethren.

Adding to that is the extensive list of o

Even the third row seat looks pretty spacious, and should be easy to access thanks to the low sill height and tumbling middle seats. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

ptional and standard equipment. Sporting everything from heated mirrors to a DVD entertainment system, the Acadia offers even more luxury items than the only other non-concept Lambda model (the Buick Enclave retains the title of concept still), like a Bose 5.1 surround sound system and unique SkyScape skylight system that gives both front and middle row passengers a view of the sky above. Of course, obligatory leather seating is also available, and finally, the Acadia even gets a little bit of Corvette technology in the form of a heads up display (HUD) that projects the most relevant info onto the windshield in front of the driver, never requiring the driver to take his or her eyes of the road.


But, as GM discovered,

Cool Euro-styled headlights are distinctive and attractive. GM's first CUV, the Aztek was only one of those things. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

none of this matters unless the thing looks good, and I happen to think it does. A deep front fascia that terminates in a sheet of flat black plastic that wraps around the whole car, makes the CUV look higher than it is; leading to the conclusion that it's off-road worthy, while also making the front end look sportingly low; if that makes any sense at all. Above the black plastic is some body coloured plastic, into which the admittedly boring grille is set, topped off with a semi-ugly chrome strip on the hood, however, the front end is saved by the cool headlights that look as if they came right off of some bizarre European sedan. Likewise, Mercedes S-Class/Mazda CX-7 fender flares add a macho element all-round, especially when stuffed with the optional bling-blang 19-inch wheels (which I'd immediately paint flat black). Of course, they look pretty cool as they are, as do the upscale taillights and roof rack. The actual shape of the truck is recognizably GM, and the cut of the windows and the placement of thepillars make the Acadia resemble a 8/10ths scale Escalade.

But perh

Unlike some larger three row SUVs, the Acadia actually has a decent amount of room behind the third row, and even has a small trunk below the floor. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

aps the best news is yet to come: with the Lambda platform rumoured to be designed to swallow both V6 and V8 engines, the Acadia's stock 3.6L V6 VVT engine could possibly be displaced for, oh, say an LS2 in a possible SS or alternatively named performance edition. And while the V6 should still move the SUV with verve courtesy of an announced six-speed automatic transmission, plus a rating of 267 horsepower in the Outlook (the Acadia's specs have yet to be released), there's simply no replacement for displacement when it comes to Chevy powerplants, and I can't think of a much cooler family hauler than an Acadia SS (or perhaps a trip down GM mem

With a good looking, truck-like interior, the Acadia sounds like a great vehicle, but we'll have to reserve judgement until '07. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

ory lane with the V8 model being rebadged a Pontiac and called the Acadian) with an LS2 V8 putting 400 horsepower to the pavement through all four wheels.

But while such fantasies will most likely remain nothing more than pipe dreams, GMC's latest creation could be just the car the brand needs to re-energize sales and bring customers who'd never even considered a GMC before into its dealerships. With upscale styling, a well thought-out and attractive interior, decent power, and plenty of options, the Acadia certainly sounds up to the task of wiping the Aztek from GM's past, but whether or not it actually does is a question we'll all just have to wait to find out.

Preliminary Specifications:

• Price Range (MSRP): TBA
  
• Body Type: 5-door crossover
  
• Layout: front engine, FWD (opt. AWD)
  
• Engine: 267 hp, 247 lb-ft of torque, 3.6L, DOHC, VVT V6
  
• Transmission: 6-spd auto
  
• Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc with ABS
  
• Curb Weight (estimated FWD-AWD): 2,142 - 2,239 kg (4,722 - 4,936 lbs)
  
• Towing Capacity: 2,041 kg (4,500 lbs) 
  
• Ground Clearance: 189 mm (7.4 in)
  
• Fuel Economy (est. city/hwy): FWD 13.8 / 9.4 L/100 km, AWD 14.7 / 9.8 L/100 km 
  
• Warranty (mo/km): 36/60,000 comprehensive
  
• Direct Competitors: Buick Rendezvous, Chrysler Pacifica, Ford Freestyle, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe / Veracruz, Mazda CX-9, Mitsubishi Endeavor, Nissan Murano, Subaru B9 Tribeca, Toyota Highlander
  
• Web Site: www.gmcanada.com